Yep and that's a problem, I think the solution there is harsher penalties actually enforced, if you need to increase the salary to make people take that job then so be it.

Other countries do infrastructure better and have water that is demonstrably better than in a lot of places in the US.

Please keep in mind that the US water supply naturally has higher concentrations of pollutants than many other countries. We also have a higher population drinking straight from the water table pump.

It makes it hard to do a direct comparison since other countries don't have to do as much.

https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/trace/pubs/gw_v38n4/

I generally agree with gp, but if this had happened and a private company was to blame, you'd bet there would be criminal and civil suits being brought by the government.

Perhaps the issue here isn't accountability but ability to do the change properly.