Ambient water quality in aquifers used for drinking-water supplies, Gem County, southwestern Idaho, 2015

Water quality can affect human health in various ways: through breeding of vectors, presence of pathogenic protozoa, helminths, bacteria and viruses, or through inorganic and organic chemicals. While traditional concern has been with pathogens and gastro-intestinal diseases, chemical pollutants in drinking-water supplies have in many instances reached proportions which affect human health, especially in cases of chronic exposure. Treatment of drinking-water, often grossly inadequate in developing countries, is the last barrier of health protection, but control at source is more effective for pollution control. Several WHO programmes of the International Drinking-Water Supply and Sanitation Decade have stimulated awareness of the importance of water quality in public water supplies. Three main streams have been followed during the eighties: guidelines for drinking-water quality, guidelines for wastewater reuse and the monitoring of freshwater quality. Following massive investments in the community water supply sector to provide people with adequate quantities of drinking-water, it becomes more and more important to also guarantee minimum quality standards. This has been recognized by many water and health authorities in developing countries and, as a result, WHO cooperates with many of them in establishing water quality laboratories and pollution control programmes.

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Functionality and water quality of Elephant pumps: Implications for sustainable drinking water supplies in rural Malawi

Groundwater for Sustainable Development ◽

10.1016/j.gsd.2016.02.001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (1-2) ◽

pp. 129-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rochelle Holm ◽

Robert Stroud ◽

Golden Msilimba ◽

Simeon Gwayi

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Water Supplies

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Detection of Microcystins in Lake Manatee and Lake Washington – Two Florida Drinking Water Systems

10.20944/preprints202104.0124.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rajesh Melaram ◽

Brandon Lopez-Dueñas

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Surface Water Quality ◽

Well Being ◽

Water Systems ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Water Supplies ◽

Intrinsic Nature ◽

Lake Washington ◽

Drinking Water Systems

Clean, fresh, and safe drinking water is essential to human health and well-being. Occasionally, chemical pollutants taint surface water quality used for consumption. Microcystins (MCs) are toxic heptapeptides produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. These secondary metabolites can reach hazardous concentrations, impairing surface drinking water supplies. Inconsistent screening of MCs is not uncommon in Florida waters as no provisional guidance value is established to protect public health. The occurrence of MCs in Lake Manatee and Lake Washington was monitored over the potential peak algae bloom season (June-August). An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) quantified total MCs in two drinking water systems. Varied concentrations occurred between June and July, whereas concentrations peaked in August. Overall, MC prevalence was higher in Lake Manatee than Lake Washington. Colorimetric assays measured phosphate and nitrite in environmental water samples. Phosphate and nitrite concentrations strongly correlated with total MCs (p < 0.01). The results indicate the intrinsic nature of environmental MCs in surface drinking water supplies and the need to examine hepatotoxin dynamics to preserve drinking water quality in community served areas.

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Watershed monitoring and modelling and USA regulatory compliance

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2004.0666 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 50 (11) ◽

pp. 7-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

B.G. Turner ◽

M.C. Boner

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Water Chemistry ◽

Water Environment ◽

Drainage System ◽

Monitoring Network ◽

Regulatory Compliance ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Weather Data ◽

Water Supplies

The aim of the Columbus program was to implement a comprehensive watershed monitoring-network including water chemistry, aquatic biology and alternative sensors to establish water environment health and methods for determining future restoration progress and early warning for protection of drinking water supplies. The program was implemented to comply with USA regulatory requirements including Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) rules of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) rules under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The USEPA Office of Research and Development and the Water Environment Research Foundation provided quality assurance oversight. The results obtained demonstrated that significant wet weather data is necessary to establish relationships between land use, water chemistry, aquatic biology and sensor data. These measurements and relationships formed the basis for calibrating the US EPA BASINS Model, prioritizing watershed health and determination of compliance with water quality standards. Conclusions specify priorities of cost-effective drainage system controls that attenuate stormwater flows and capture flushed pollutants. A network of permanent long-term real-time monitoring using combination of continuous sensor measurements, water column sampling and aquatic biology surveys and a regional organization is prescribed to protect drinking water supplies and measure progress towards water quality targets.

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Environmental Justice and Drinking Water Quality in U.S. Public Water Supplies

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isesisee.2018.o03.02.44 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Laurel Anne Schaider ◽

Lucien Swetschinski ◽

Ruthann Rudel

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Environmental Justice ◽

Drinking Water Quality ◽

Water Supplies

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Managed Aquifer Recharge at a Farm Level: Evaluating the Performance of Direct Well Recharge Structures

Water ◽

10.3390/w12041069 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1069 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Prahlad Soni ◽

Yogita Dashora ◽

Basant Maheshwari ◽

Peter Dillon ◽

Pradeep Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Water Levels ◽

Water Supplies ◽

E Coli ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Dug Wells ◽

And Control ◽

Dug Well ◽

Recharge Structures

A field study evaluated the performance of direct well recharge structures (DWRS) in order to harvest and filter farm runoff and its discharge into open dug wells to augment groundwater recharge. This was undertaken between 2016 and 2018 using a total of 11 wells in the Dharta watershed, situated in a semi-arid hardrock region of Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India. The depth to water level in each DWRS well was monitored weekly for 1 to 3 years before and after the DWRS was established, and water samples were taken for water quality analysis (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, fluoride, and Escherichia coli) before and during the monsoon period. For each DWRS well, two control wells in close proximity were also monitored and sampled. Five of the DWRS established in 2018 also had flow meters installed in order to measure discharge from the filter to the well. The volume of water recharged through DWRS into individual wells during the 2018 monsoon ranged from 2 to 176 m3 per well. Although the mean rise in water levels over the monsoon was higher in DWRS wells than in nearby control wells, the difference was not significant. Values of pH, EC, TDS, and F decreased in DWRS and control wells as each monsoon progressed, whereas the turbidity of wells with DWRS increased slightly. There was no significant difference between DWRS and control wells for pH, EC/TDS, turbidity, or fluoride. The presence of E. coli in DWRS wells was higher than in control wells, however, E. coli exceeded drinking water guidelines in all sampled wells. On the basis of this study, it is recommended that rural runoff should not be admitted to wells that are used for, or close to, wells used for drinking water supplies, even though salinity and fluoride concentrations may be reduced. For this study, none of the 11 DWRS wells produced sufficient additional recharge to potentially increase dry season irrigation supplies to justify expenditure on DWRS. This even applies to the DWRS well adjacent to a small ephemeral stream that had a significantly larger catchment area than those drawing on farmers’ fields alone. An important and unexpected finding of this study was that no sampled open dug well met drinking water standards. This has led to a shift in local priorities to implement well-head water quality protection measures for wells used for drinking water supplies. It is recommended that parapet walls be built around the perimeter of such dug wells, as well as having covers be installed.

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Waterborne pathogens in urban watersheds

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2006.001 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 149-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

Russell D. Arnone ◽

Joyce Perdek Walling

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Quality Standard ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Ambient Water ◽

Indicator Organisms ◽

Combined Sewer Overflows ◽

Sanitary Sewer ◽

Sewer Overflows

A serious concern for managers of water resources, pathogens in the urban environment easily enter waters through a number of pathways, including discharge of inadequately treated sewage, stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. Pathogens in US ambient water bodies are regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA), while pathogens in drinking water supplies are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) are developed in accordance with CWA regulations for ambient water bodies with bacterial concentrations exceeding the water quality standard, which generally is a measure of a bacterial indicator organism. However, developing a TMDL for a supplementary indicator or pathogen is also required if a use impairment would still exist even after the water body is in compliance with the standard. This occurs because indicator organisms do not reflect the presence of pathogen contamination with complete certainty. The evaluation of pathogen indicators and summary of epidemiological studies presented are resources for those developing TMDLs to achieve water quality standards and restore water bodies to their intended uses.

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Drinking water quality management: a holistic approach

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2003.0485 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 47 (9) ◽

pp. 31-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

S. Rizak ◽

D. Cunliffe ◽

M. Sinclair ◽

R. Vulcano ◽

J. Howard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Water Quality ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Quality Management ◽

Water Quality Management ◽

Drinking Water Quality ◽

Water Supply Systems ◽

System Management ◽

Compliance Monitoring ◽

Water Supplies

A growing list of water contaminants has led to some water suppliers relying primarily on compliance monitoring as a mechanism for managing drinking water quality. While such monitoring is a necessary part of drinking water quality management, experiences with waterborne disease threats and outbreaks have shown that compliance monitoring for numerical limits is not, in itself, sufficient to guarantee the safety and quality of drinking water supplies. To address these issues, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed a Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality (the Framework) for incorporation in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the primary reference on drinking water quality in Australia. The Framework was developed specifically for drinking water supplies and provides a comprehensive and preventive risk management approach from catchment to consumer. It includes holistic guidance on a range of issues considered good practice for system management. The Framework addresses four key areas:•Commitment to Drinking Water Quality Management,•System Analysis and System Management,•Supporting Requirements, and•Review. The Framework represents a significantly enhanced approach to the management and regulation of drinking water quality and offers a flexible and proactive means of optimising drinking water quality and protecting public health. Rather than the primary reliance on compliance monitoring, the Framework emphasises prevention, the importance of risk assessment, maintaining the integrity of water supply systems and application of multiple barriers to assure protection of public health. Development of the Framework was undertaken in collaboration with the water industry, regulators and other stakeholders, and will promote a common and unified approach to drinking water quality management throughout Australia. The Framework has attracted international interest.

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