The encyclical letter Laudato Si is available here on the Vatican website.
For the world’s poor, it’s not just a matter of a water supply, but one which provides potable drink, free of diseases:
29. One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. Every day, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality.
Another water problem is the pollution of wells and aquifers:
Underground water sources in many places are threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas.
The question of regulation is not just a matter of being burdensome to industry. Organized crime is also burdened by laws against things like racketeering and murder. Industries around the world want to be good citizens like most everyone else. Following regulations is a matter of living like everybody else: obeying traffic laws, contributing taxes for the good of the community, and otherwise adding to civilization, rather than taking away from it.
