The new water cycle? Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

On April 23, the House passed HR 1145, better known as the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009. It's a small step, but an important one for our nation and our industry.

Unfortunately, it is fairly well known that many pharmaceuticals (and other wayward products) can be found in our drinking waters, the long-term effects of which have never been studied. This act calls for federal organization and support of such studies.

One goal of the act is to get the president to establish a National Water Initiative Coordination Office to provide technical and administrative support, including implementation of a National Water Census, development of a new generation of water monitoring techniques and technologies, and analyses of the social, behavioral, and economic barriers to sustainable use of water resources in the United States.

The act also avows to keep public suggestions in mind, open the White House's metaphorical doors to an inevitably diverse bevy of anecdotes and ideas from this vast, idiosyncratic nation.

So what would you suggest?

Read the whole initiative here.