How safe is your tap water? Do you feel comfortable pouring some in a glass and drinking it, unsure of the contaminants or level of minerals you are consuming?

Some folks prefer to drink water from a bottle, though costs for such add up. Some folks use filtration systems, which aren’t free, either.

Perhaps it’s time Alabama’s elected officials take a closer look at water safety, not just for human consumers, but for farm animals as well.

The Alabama River Alliance is calling on state leaders to strengthen the policies and regulations that govern our waters. They are asking for strong enforcement of these policies, as well as measures to better coordinate the state’s seven agencies that oversee Alabama’s waterways and increase funding for state programs that monitor Alabama waters.

In an era where the state is having difficulty funding schools, courts, Medicaid and various other important programs, asking the state for more money to help protect water might come across as menial.

But it isn’t.

According to the Alabama Rivers Alliance, our state does not have what it deems to be a “comprehensive water resources management plan.” The group believes the lack of such a program puts the state’s water resources at risk.

The state’s water war with Georgia is nothing new, and it doesn’t appear it will be settled any time soon. The fact that Alabama lacks appropriate water resources plans doesn’t help its resume in court.

It’s time state leaders took a closer look at the state’s water needs. Drought or no drought, we must manage our water the best we can, make it as safe as possible for consumers and find measures to make sure safeguards are in place to keep it that way for a long time.