Testing the Water: Drinking Water Quality, Public Notification, and Child Outcomes

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-45
Author(s):  
Michelle Marcus

Health-based drinking water violations affect about 1 in 12 Americans annually, the benefits of drinking water regulation are not well understood. I exploit plausibly exogenous variation in water quality violation timing to estimate the impacts on avoidance behavior and child outcomes. Using purchases of bottled water and common stomach remedies, emergency room visits for gastrointestinal illness, and school absences, I provide a comprehensive calculation of costs associated with poor drinking water quality. Individuals avoid the negative health impacts of coliform bacteria violations only when informed immediately. Timely public notification is a cost-effective way to induce avoidance behavior and protect health.

1987 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1089-1099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Bernard ◽  
Geneviève Boissonnade ◽  
Yves Regnat ◽  
François Colin ◽  
Marie-José Jourdain ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Ngaire Nicholson ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Carolyn Dowling ◽  
Subodh Sharma

During the 2016 pre-monsoon dry season, we undertook a systematic study of water quality, specifically fecal contamination of drinking water, in the Khumbu Valley, Sagarmatha National Park (SNP, Mt. Everest region) and SNP buffer zone, Nepal. Our goal was to quantify physical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids), and the presence of fecal coliforms (E. coli and total coliforms) in drinking water and drinking water sources (predominately groundwater-fed springs). This data set will function as a baseline for access to potable water and further monitoring. Sample sites were selected based on primary use as a drinking water and/or drinking water source for each community. In general, there is little correlation between and physical parameters however, there are very weak correlations between total coliform data and increasing temperature, and decreasing elevation and pH. There does, however, appear to be a correlation between population (including tourist numbers) and both E. coli and total coliforms. Our study clearly indicates that the presence of bacterial indicators of fecal pollution during the dry season. Samples from the more populated, lower altitude areas had higher levels of E. coli and coliform bacteria. Importantly, drinking water that was stored in tanks or transported long distances had a much higher incidence of E. coli and total coliforms suggesting that a change in water handling practices might have an important impact on drinking water quality and population health. 


Author(s):  
R. Boonhok ◽  
S. Borisut ◽  
N. Chuklin ◽  
G. Katzenmeier ◽  
M. Srisuphanunt

Abstract Water dispensers are commonly used in educational institutions in developing countries. Assessment of factors influencing drinking water quality from this source is important due to its potential to cause waterborne diseases and other health risks. This study aimed to assess microbial contamination and the factors affecting drinking water quality from water dispensers at Walailak University, Southern Thailand. Drinking water samples from 60 water dispensers of different type brands were collected and tested for physicochemical and microbiological parameters by following WHO Drinking Water Quality guidelines. Also evaluated by questionnaires were hygienic standards and maintenance of water dispensers. The physicochemical analysis of all water samples did not exceed the reference values of the drinking water standard; the hardness value in only 13.3% of samples was slightly higher than the reference limit. The microbiological results indicated that total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria were found in 16.67% and 8.33% of total samples, respectively. Escherichia coli was not detected in any of the water samples. The assessment of factors influencing drinking water quality, location and pathogen source around water dispensers, hygienic environment, maintenance of water dispensers had a significant effect on drinking water quality.


2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendong Wang ◽  
Shan Song ◽  
Zixia Qiao ◽  
Qin Yang ◽  
Mengmeng Wang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Dora Cardona Rivas ◽  
Militza Yulain Cardona Guzmán ◽  
Olga Lucía Ocampo López

Objective: To characterize the burden of intestinal infectious diseases attributable to drinking-water quality in 27 municipalities in the central region of Colombia. Materials and methods: A time-trend ecological study. The drinking-water quality of the National Institute of Health and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies was identified. The disease burden was calculated based on the mortality registered in the National Department of Statistics and the records of morbidity attended by the Social Protection Integrated Information System. The etiological agents reported in morbidity records and the observation of environmental conditions in the municipalities of the study were included. The disease burden was determined according to the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).


Author(s):  
Yu.A. Novikova ◽  
I.O. Myasnikov ◽  
A.A. Kovshov ◽  
N.A. Tikhonova ◽  
N.S. Bashketova

Summary. Introduction: Drinking water is one of the most important environmental factors sustaining life and determining human health. The goal of the Russian Federal Clean Water Project is to improve drinking water quality through upgrading of water treatment and supply systems using advanced technologies, including those developed by the military-industrial complex. The most informative and reliable sources of information for assessing drinking water quality are the results of systematic laboratory testing obtained within the framework of socio-hygienic monitoring (SGM) and production control carried out by water supply organizations. The objective of our study was to formulate approaches to organizing quality monitoring programs for centralized cold water supply systems. Materials and methods: We reviewed programs and results of drinking water quality laboratory tests performed by Rospotrebnadzor bodies and institutions within the framework of SGM in 2017–2018. Results: We established that drinking water quality monitoring in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation differs significantly in the number of monitoring points (566 in the Krasnoyarsk Krai vs 10 in Sevastopol) and measured indicators, especially sanitary and chemical ones (53 inorganic and organic substances in the Kemerovo Region vs one indicator in the Amur Region). Discussion: For a more complete and objective assessment of drinking water quality in centralized cold water supply systems, monitoring points should be organized at all stages of water supply with account for the coverage of the maximum number of people supplied with water from a particular network. Thus, the number of points in the distribution network should depend, inter alia, on the size of population served. In urban settlements with up to 10,000 inhabitants, for example, at least 4 points should be organized while in the cities with more than 3,000,000 inhabitants at least 80 points are necessary. We developed minimum mandatory lists of indicators and approaches to selecting priority indices to be monitored at all stages of drinking water supply.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Dierkes ◽  
W. F. Geiger

Runoff from highways contains significant loads of heavy metals and hydrocarbons. According to German regulations, it should be infiltrated over embankments to support groundwater-recharge. To investigate the decontaminating effect of greened embankments, soil-monoliths from highways with high traffic densities were taken. Soils were analyzed to characterize the contamination in relation to distance and depth for lead, zinc, copper, cadmium, PAH and MOTH. Lysimeters were charged in the field and laboratory with highway runoff to study the effluents under defined conditions. Concentrations of pollutants in roadside soils depend on the age of embankments and traffic density. Highest concentrations were found in the upper 5 cm of the soil and within a distance of up to two metres from the street. Concentrations of most pollutants decreased rapidly with depth and distance. Lead and cadmium could not be detected in lysimeter effluent. Zinc and copper were found in concentrations that did not exceed drinking water quality limits.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document