scholarly journals Achieving Economically Feasible Drinking Water Regulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-318
Author(s):  
Richard B. Belzer
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Water System ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Drinking Water Standards ◽  
Marginal Costs ◽  
Regulatory Impact

Abstract United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has regulated drinking water since the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Congress directed it to achieve three conflicting goals: (i) establish stringent nationwide standards, (ii) ensure that these standards are both technologically and economically feasible, and (iii) accommodate significant differences in cost among water systems of different sizes with different water sources. USEPA chose to emphasize goal (i) at the expense of (ii) and (iii). In 1986, Congress intensified its preference for (i), was silent concerning goal (ii), and criticized USEPA for failing to achieve goal (iii). In lieu of economic feasibility, the Agency substituted “affordability,” defined as expenditures up to 2.5 % of national median household income irrespective of the benefits. This imposed deadweight losses, and substantial inequities on rural areas, low-income communities, and low-income households generally. In 1996, Congress directed USEPA to use benefit-cost analysis positively and normatively. Regulations issued since 1996 do not appear to comply, however. A review of post-1996 drinking water standards indicates that most were certified by USEPA as having benefits that justified costs, but these determinations were unsupported by the Agency’s own regulatory impact analyses. This article proposes that USEPA define by regulation that “economic feasibility” means marginal benefits exceed marginal costs for the smallest water system subject to SDWA, and that all future drinking water standards must be economically feasible. Economic efficiency would be greatly enhanced and the pervasive inequities of “affordability” greatly diminished. Unlike “affordability,” this definition is objective and compatible with lay intuition about the meaning of key regulatory terms.

scholarly journals Assessing clarity of message communication for mandated USEPA drinking water quality reports

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Phetxumphou ◽  
Siddhartha Roy ◽  
Brenda M. Davy ◽  
Paul A. Estabrooks ◽  
Wen You ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water System ◽  
System Size ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Index Index ◽  
State Of The Science

The United States Environmental Protection Agency mandates that community water systems (CWSs), or drinking water utilities, provide annual consumer confidence reports (CCRs) reporting on water quality, compliance with regulations, source water, and consumer education. While certain report formats are prescribed, there are no criteria ensuring that consumers understand messages in these reports. To assess clarity of message, trained raters evaluated a national sample of 30 CCRs using the Centers for Disease Control Clear Communication Index (Index) indices: (1) Main Message/Call to Action; (2) Language; (3) Information Design; (4) State of the Science; (5) Behavioral Recommendations; (6) Numbers; and (7) Risk. Communication materials are considered qualifying if they achieve a 90% Index score. Overall mean score across CCRs was 50 ± 14% and none scored 90% or higher. CCRs did not differ significantly by water system size. State of the Science (3 ± 15%) and Behavioral Recommendations (77 ± 36%) indices were the lowest and highest, respectively. Only 63% of CCRs explicitly stated if the water was safe to drink according to federal and state standards and regulations. None of the CCRs had passing Index scores, signaling that CWSs are not effectively communicating with their consumers; thus, the Index can serve as an evaluation tool for CCR effectiveness and a guide to improve water quality communications.

scholarly journals An approach for developing a national estimate of waterborne disease due to drinking water and a national estimate model application

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 201-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Messner ◽  
Susan Shaw ◽  
Stig Regli ◽  
Ken Rotert ◽  
Valerie Blank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water System ◽  
Credible Interval ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Waterborne Disease ◽  
Public Water Systems

In this paper, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presents an approach and a national estimate of drinking water related endemic acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) that uses information from epidemiologic studies. There have been a limited number of epidemiologic studies that have measured waterborne disease occurrence in the United States. For this analysis, we assume that certain unknown incidence of AGI in each public drinking water system is due to drinking water and that a statistical distribution of the different incidence rates for the population served by each system can be estimated to inform a mean national estimate of AGI illness due to drinking water. Data from public water systems suggest that the incidence rate of AGI due to drinking water may vary by several orders of magnitude. In addition, data from epidemiologic studies show AGI incidence due to drinking water ranging from essentially none (or less than the study detection level) to a rate of 0.26 cases per person-year. Considering these two perspectives collectively, and associated uncertainties, EPA has developed an analytical approach and model for generating a national estimate of annual AGI illness due to drinking water. EPA developed a national estimate of waterborne disease to address, in part, the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. The national estimate uses best available science, but also recognizes gaps in the data to support some of the model assumptions and uncertainties in the estimate. Based on the model presented, EPA estimates a mean incidence of AGI attributable to drinking water of 0.06 cases per year (with a 95% credible interval of 0.02–0.12). The mean estimate represents approximately 8.5% of cases of AGI illness due to all causes among the population served by community water systems. The estimated incidence translates to 16.4 million cases/year among the same population. The estimate illustrates the potential usefulness and challenges of the approach, and provides a focus for discussions of data needs and future study designs. Areas of major uncertainty that currently limit the usefulness of the approach are discussed in the context of the estimate analysis.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Residual Disinfectant Levels in Public Drinking Water Distribution Systems in Relation to an Acanthamoeba Keratitis Outbreak - Illinois, 2002-2009

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Holsinger ◽  
Anna Blackstock ◽  
Sharon L. Roy ◽  
Susan Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Multiple Testing ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Water System ◽  
Acanthamoeba Keratitis ◽  
Cook County ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Corneal Injury

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a painful, potentially blinding eye disease associated with contact lens use and corneal injury. AK, caused by the free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba, is ubiquitous in the environment and has been isolated from municipal water supplies. It can be tolerant of normal chlorine levels in drinking water. An AK outbreak investigated in 2003-2005 in five Illinois counties showed a lower AK age-standardized rate ratio in Cook County than in surrounding counties and was hypothesized to be due in part to reductions in residual disinfectant levels (RDLs) in drinking water. We evaluated RDLs in public water systems in the same five Illinois counties over eight years (2002-2009) using a multivariable model of water system RDL measurements. Fitted RDLs for each county were in the acceptable range by United States Environmental Protection Agency standards for the entire study period. After correcting for multiple testing, two of the surrounding counties had fitted RDLs that differed from Cook County for one year. This pattern differed from the epidemiologic pattern of cases observed in the AK outbreak. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that the development of AK was associated with changes in RDLs in the five Illinois counties.

scholarly journals Groundwater as a Source of Drinking Water in Southeast Asia and the Pacific: A Multi-Country Review of Current Reliance and Resource Concerns

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Carrard ◽  
Tim Foster ◽  
Juliet Willetts
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Groundwater Resource ◽  
Drinking Water Source ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Sustainable Services

Groundwater is widely acknowledged to be an important source of drinking water in low-income regions, and it, therefore, plays a critical role in the realization of the human right to water. However, the proportion of households using groundwater compared with other sources is rarely quantified, with national and global datasets more focused on facilities—rather than resources—used. This is a significant gap in knowledge, particularly in light of efforts to expand water services in line with the inclusive and integrated agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding the prevalence of groundwater reliance for drinking is critical for those involved in water services planning and management, so they can better monitor and advocate for management of water resources that supports sustainable services for households. This paper contributes data that can be used to strengthen the integration of resource considerations within water service delivery and inform the work of development partners supporting this area. We approach this issue from two perspectives. Firstly, we collate data on the proportion of households using groundwater as their primary drinking water source for 10 Southeast Asian and Pacific nations, finding an average of 66% (range of 17–93% for individual countries) of households in urban areas and 60% (range of 22–95%) of households in rural areas rely on groundwater for drinking. Together, these constitute 79% of the total population across the case study countries. Secondly, we review current and emerging groundwater resource concerns within each country, using a systems thinking approach to assess how groundwater resource issues influence household water services. Findings support the case for governments and development agencies to strengthen engagement with groundwater resource management as foundational for achieving sustainable water services for all.

Status and Prospects of Rural Drinking Water in China

2011 ◽  
Vol 281 ◽  
pp. 263-266
Author(s):  
Zhen Hua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Water System ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Contaminated Water ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Drinking Water System

Safe drinking water in rural areas in china was worried about, and was very urgent.Table 2 shows that more than 320 million people living in rural areas drank unhealthy water in 2004, there were 90.84 million rural residents in 2004 drinking contaminated water in china. Contaminated water became the main reason of unsafe drinking water in rural areas,coming from industrial pollution and agricultural pollution. At the same time, emergency exacerbating crisis of rural drinking water, especially rising incidents of industrial pollution. china plans to provide safe drinking water for rural residents in rural areas, through financial investment and policy support, and improves rural safe drinking water system.

scholarly journals On the Distributional Implications of Safe Drinking Water Standards

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis C. Cory ◽  
Lester D. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Relative Price ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Household Spending ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Public Water Systems

The provision of safe drinking water provides a dramatic example of the inherent complexity involved in incorporating environmental justice (EJ) considerations into the implementation and enforcement of new environmental standards. To promote substantive EJ, implementation policy must be concerned with thenetrisk reduction of new and revised regulations. The regulatory concern is that higher water bills for low-income customers of small public water systems may result in less disposable income for other health-related goods and services. In the net, this trade-off may be welfare decreasing, not increasing. Advocates of Health–Health Analysis have argued that the reduction in health-related spending creates a problem for traditional benefit-cost analysis since the long-run health implications of this reduction are not considered. The results of this investigation tend to support this contention. An evaluation of the internal structure of consumption expenditures reveals that low-expenditure households can be expected to react to an increase in the relative price of housing-related goods and services due to a water-rate hike by reducing both housing and health-related expenditures. That is, the representative low-expenditure household re-establishes equilibrium by not only decreasing housing-related spending, but also by decreasing spending on health-related expenditures in a modest but significant way. These results reflect the fact that expenditures on housing are a major proportion of overall household spending, and that accommodating drinking water surcharges exacerbates both health and food security concerns for low-expenditures households.

scholarly journals Manual Borehole Drilling as a Cost-Effective Solution for Drinking Water Access in Low-Income Contexts

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1981
Author(s):  
Pedro Martínez-Santos ◽  
Miguel Martín-Loeches ◽  
Silvia Díaz-Alcaide ◽  
Kerstin Danert
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Unconsolidated Sediments ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Water Access ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages

Water access remains a challenge in rural areas of low-income countries. Manual drilling technologies have the potential to enhance water access by providing a low cost drinking water alternative for communities in low and middle income countries. This paper provides an overview of the main successes and challenges experienced by manual boreholes in the last two decades. A review of the existing methods is provided, discussing their advantages and disadvantages and comparing their potential against alternatives such as excavated wells and mechanized boreholes. Manual boreholes are found to be a competitive solution in relatively soft rocks, such as unconsolidated sediments and weathered materials, as well as and in hydrogeological settings characterized by moderately shallow water tables. Ensuring professional workmanship, the development of regulatory frameworks, protection against groundwater pollution and standards for quality assurance rank among the main challenges for the future.

scholarly journals Assessment of rainwater harvesting and maintenance practice for better drinking water quality in rural areas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dung A. Dao ◽  
Son H. Tran ◽  
Huyen T. T. Dang ◽  
Viet-Anh Nguyen ◽  
Viet Anh Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
P Value ◽  
Operation And Maintenance ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In many areas of the world, rainwater has been collected and consumed by people. Our research aims to assess the use of rainwater and the impact of operation and maintenance activities of the rainwater system on drinking water quality in rural areas where there is no access to a public drinking water system. Through the questionnaire, direct visits, interviews and sampling of water at surveyed households (HHs), it was found that 100 and 98% of surveyed HHs used rainwater for drinking and cooking, respectively. Nearly, 80% of them were aware of the necessity of frequent reservoir cleaning as well as first-flush removal. Cleaning the water reservoir had a significant impact on water quality, in particular the total dissolved solids (p-value < 0.05). The use of strainers and more frequency of cleaning the catchment roofs and gutters would make the lower turbidity in water. However, the use of strainers would reduce the dissolution of oxygen in the reservoirs. A recommendation on the frequency of maintaining the rainwater harvesting systems was proposed after assessment of the operation and maintenance behaviors at surveyed HHs.

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