That was my first thought too. “They’re already rioting in the streets and their civil rights are even more violate-able. This will sure calm stuff down.”

Very true. However in the less urban areas there is often well water which varies by jurisdiction from drinkable to toxic (even flammable!) Also some places in the US have water that is unsafe to use even if it was boiled. Usually water is handled on the local level and can be different depending on the local government’s ability, wisdom, and funding.