Federally Unregulated Drinking Water

Transcription

1 Federally Unregulated Drinking Water CDC s National Center for Environmental Health Carol Selman, MPH Lorraine C. Backer, PhD Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services and Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services

2 Background: Drinking Water Protection in the United States The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974 ensures that most Americans are provided access to safe water. The SDWA does not regulate drinking water (DW) systems that serve fewer than 25 people or have fewer than 15 connections. Most of these systems are Private wells; or Unregulated small DW systems. Federally unregulated DW systems (FUDWS) currently serve approximately 45 million Americans.

3 Background: Drinking Water Protection in the United States Waterborne disease costs the U.S. more than $1.8 billion a year ~578,000 U.S. underground storage tanks store hazardous substances; 80% of recent tank failures affect groundwater Compared to systems covered under SDWA, little is known about FUDWS locations populations served by FUDWS potential contaminants and other health risks related to FUDWS Small studies have found unsafe levels of contaminants in private wells including radon, arsenic, nitrates/nitrites, and microbial pathogens Collier SA, et al. Direct healthcare costs of selected diseases primarily or partially transmitted by water. Epidemiol Infect. 2012;140(11):

4 Background: Drinking water-associated disease outbreaks (780) by state, Note from article: Two multistate outbreaks (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia; Pennsylvania and Delaware), which are highlighted on the map using blue pentagons and red triangles, respectively, did not contribute to individual state counts. Craun GF, et al. Causes of outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United States from 1971 to 2006." Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010;23(3):

5 Background: Drinking Water Quality in the United States Craun GF, et al. Causes of outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United States from 1971 to 2006." Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010;23(3):

6 Background: Key State Environmental Public Health Functions 2010 ASTHO National Profile of State Public Health

7 Background: Key Local Environmental Public Health Functions 2013 NACCHO National Profile of Local Health Departments

8 Background: Key Local Environmental Public Health Functions 2013 NACCHO National Profile of Local Health Departments

9 Preventing Waterborne Illness, Groundwater and Surface Water Contamination in Lincoln/Lancaster County Nebraska Water Quality Indicator: Ensure all private wells used for potable water are tested annually for bacterial and nitrate contamination and well owners/users are notified of the results within 7 days. > 500 Well permits >700 Well inspections >1,000 Water samples

10 NCEH S Safe Water Activities: Private Well Initiative (PWI) PWI is addressing many aspects of the public health impacts from drinking water from private wells and other sources not protected by the SDWA, including by beginning to Create a resource that identifies and promotes access to data characterizing private wells and describing water quantity and quality in private wells and other FUDWS Created and shared an inventory of metadata on over 100 datasets with information about private wells and well water quality Adding information from FUDWS on Tribal lands Identify, evaluate, and recommend interventions to protect people from drinking contaminated water from FUDWS

11 NCEH s Safe Water Activities: Private Well Initiative (PWI) Contaminants in private well water Create models to assess exposure to arsenic, uranium, and nitrate Assess the public health and economic burdens from cancer and cardiovascular disease associated with arsenic in private well water Interventions to protect private well water quality Evaluate success of programs designed to educate private well owners Identify and promote interventions to improve private well water quality

12 NCEH s Safe Water Activities: Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) EHS-Net is a collaborative forum of environmental health specialists whose mission is to improve environmental health practice and identify and prevent environmental factors contributing to foodborne and waterborne illness EHS-Net works to Identify environmental antecedents (underlying factors) to illness and disease outbreaks Translate findings into improved prevention efforts using a systemsbased approach Offer training opportunities to current and future environmental health specialists Strengthen collaboration among epidemiology, laboratory, and environmental health programs

13 NCEH s Safe Water Activities: Environmental Health Specialist Network (EHS-Net) Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Cerro Gordo County Department of Health and partners are working to minimize the risk for arsenic exposure from wells Minnesota Minnesota Department of Health is looking at links between private well water and enteric illnesses such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli Tennessee Tennessee Department of Health is working on a comparison of land use, surface water, and socioeconomic status related to cryptosporidiosis a project to map the location of water wells and onsite sewage

14 NCEH-Funded State & Local Water Programs FY14

15 Questions? For more information please contact Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA Telephone, CDC-INFO ( )/TTY: Web: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Environmental Health Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services