最近的一波诉讼要求供水商对饮用水中污染物造成的健康问题承担损害赔偿责任，这引发了另一种新的水费上涨压力的担忧。目前，许多公用事业公司正在争取资金，以遵守更严格的新《安全饮用水法》（SDWA）要求，并升级安全系统和老化基础设施长期以来，这种诉讼在中国被绕过 支持公司更大的利益 可疑环境污染源 毒素，公共饮用水的供应商 水，公共机构和私人机构 越来越多的公司成为攻击目标 作为索赔的潜在付款方 与癌症发病率相关的损失， 流产、出生问题等 疾病。 本文研究了几个这样的案例 出现在加利福尼亚州、新泽西州、， 弗吉尼亚州和德克萨斯州。没有两个案例是相同的 除了将水资源设施置于一个新的 以及可能非常昂贵的法律领域。 包括数字。

The recent wave of lawsuits seeking to hold water providers liable for damages from health problems attributed to contaminants in drinking water raises the specter of yet another nascent upward pressure on water rates at a time when many utilities are fighting for funds to comply with tougher new Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements and to upgrade security systems and aging infrastructure. Long bypassed by such litigation in favor of the deeper pockets of corporate sources of suspect environmental toxins, suppliers of public drinking water, both public agencies and private companies, are increasingly being targeted as potentially paying parties for claimed losses associated with incidences of cancer, miscarriages, birth problems, and other maladies. This article examines several such cases that have arisen in California, New Jersey, Virginia, and Texas. No two cases are alike other than putting water utilities in a new and potentially very expensive legal arena. Includes figure.