Well, that would really depend. The media's coverage at the time (It is important to remember that the Watergate Scandal happened at different times, thus different media) may have been exaggerated. One major effect of the scandal however, was that it caused President Nixon to resign from office. Hope this helps ...
They made Channels underground a lined with clay to prevent sepage in the surrounding soil. They were a big contribution and we still do something inspired by that today.
