Unsafe water still a problem for millions
The problem of contaminated drinking water extends far beyond Flint, Mich. A study found tens of millions of Americans could be exposed to unsafe drinking water in any given year, consuming a wide spectrum of contaminants, including fecal coliform, lead and arsenic.
In 2015, nearly 21 million people relied on community water systems that violated health-based quality standards, according to the study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It’s the first nationwide assessment of drinking water quality over several decades.
The research, led by Maura Allaire, an urban planner at the University of California-Irvine, looked at 17,900 community water systems from 1982 to 2015. Allaire found that the amount of violations varied by year, affecting as many as 45 million people in some years.
Although not all infractions pose immediate health concerns, drinking water contaminants can cause shortterm illnesses such as gastroenteritis, as well as chronic conditions including cancer and neurological disorders.
“We felt in the aftermath of the Flint lead crisis, there was an urgent need to assess the current state of drinking water in the U.S.,” Allaire said.
Although the majority of the nation’s water supply is in good shape, she said many areas are continually prone to poor water quality.
The authors wrote that water quality was particularly poor in Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho, where water systems had repeat violations. Violations were more frequent in rural areas than in urban areas, and low-income, rural areas were hit hardest.
The study found violations were less likely to occur in privately owned utilities and in systems that purchase treated water from other utilities.
One major problem is state enforcement agencies lack a systematic procedure to select systems for additional inspection and monitoring, the study warned.