Out of the Tap: Can I Drink That?

Presenters:

Sharon Verzal, MPH, LEHP, REHS/RS Kane County Health Department Environmental Health Supervisor

Kimberly Harris United States Environmental Protection

Agency, Region 5 Health Effects Specialist/Bacteriologist

Ground Water and Drinking Water Branch

OutlineBackground - Sources of Water

Sources of Water In Kane County

How Drinking Water Sources Are Regulated

Contaminant of Concerns for Kane County Children

What is Groundwater?

Groundwater is an underground source of water

Groundwater statistics

Groundwater vs. Surface Water

There is a relationship between groundwater and surface water.

Hydrologic Cycle

Groundwater SupplyGroundwater is a significant water supply

source — the amount of groundwater storage dwarfs our present surface water supply.

Ground water is used for drinking, cooking, bathing, irrigation, mining and thermoelectric power.

Groundwater is a renewable resource.

How do we get to Groundwater?Groundwater is tapped through wells placed

in water-bearing soils and rocks beneath the surface of the earth.

Adequate time is needed to allow replenishment of underlying groundwater reservoirs (aquifers); also such areas must be properly managed in order to prevent water-soluble waste products stored in these areas from infiltrating and polluting the underground supply.

How do we get to Groundwater?

Groundwater MythsThe following myths continue to be

perpetuated about groundwater: Groundwater moves rapidly. Groundwater migrates thousands of miles. There is no relationship between

groundwater and surface water. Groundwater removed from the earth is

never returned. Groundwater is mysterious and occult. Groundwater is not a significant source of

water supply.

Kane County Drinking Water SourcesCommunity Water System s (CWS): A

regulated water system that serves the same population year-roundCWS s using Surface Water (Fox River)CWS s using Ground Water (Wells)Examples: Municipalities and Mobile Home

ParksRegulated by Illinois EPALots of monitoring requirements

Kane County Drinking Water Sources (cont’d)

Non-Community Water Systems (First Classification)

Non-Transient, Non-Community Water System

Serves at least 25 of the same people at least 6 months per year

Examples: schools, factories, office buildings, hospitals with their own water systems

In Kane County - Well Water Sources OnlyRegulated by Illinois EPA, KCHD, IDPHLess monitoring requirements than CWSs

Kane County Drinking Water Sources (cont’d)

Non-Community Water Systems : (Second Classification)

Transient, Non-Community Water SystemsA regulated water system that provides

water to a transient population at least 60 days of the year

Examples: gas stations, restaurants, or campground where people do not remain for long periods of time

In Kane County - Well Water Sources OnlyRegulated by Illinois EPA, KCHD, IDPHTotal coliform and nitrates/nitrites monitoring

Non-Community Water Well RegulationsWhat does Kane County do for Non-Community Water

Wells:Monitoring of sample collectionsInitiating new systems and ensuring old systems are

properly inactivatedBiennial InspectionsEnforcement action when needed

Private Water Wells

• Nearly all of unincorporated Kane County is served by private water wells.

• Wells in Kane County vary in depth and range from 40 feet to 780 feet deep depending on the location in the county.

Private Water WellsRegulations

Permit for construction requiredWho can work on a wellNo monitoring requirementsNo testing requirements

RecommendationsTest once per year for total coliforms and

nitrates / nitritesWhat are total coliforms and nitrates/ nitrites

Why are they importantKane County Farm Bureau

Private Water WellsWhat does Kane County offer:

PermitsTest kits for total coliforms and chemistryHomeowner’s Workshop on how the care for a well and

septic system Last workshop: September 19, 2012

Mortgage Surveys for the sale or purchase of a home

Abandoned Water WellsThe risks: Abandoned wells pose one of the greatest

threats to groundwater. It provides a direct, unhindered route for pollutants to reach

an aquifer—an underground water supply. Properly abandoned water wells protect aquifers and

drinking water of others.

Human Exposure

Health Risks

ContaminantSelected MCLG

MCL orTreatment Technique

Drinking Water Regulations (cont’d.)Over 80 regulated standards and TT with Acute and Chronic Health Effects

Adverse health effects from acute exposure Pathogens Nitrate

Adverse health effects from chronic exposure Carcinogens

Adverse health effects from exposure during critical periods Infants and children Elderly people Immuno-compromised individuals Highly exposed individuals (athletes and people working at strenuous

occupations who drink more than 2 liters of water per day)A list of the regulated contaminants and their MCLGs, MCLs, and TTs is

available at: http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm

Kane County Contaminants of Concern for Children

Nitrate/Nitrite

Lead

Copper

Radium

Nitrates/NitritesPrimary Adult Exposure-

Dietary Ingestion.Water Sources of Nitrates-

naturally-occurring, fertilizers and waste.

Sensitive sub-population-Bottled Feed Infants < 6 months of age where formula is prepared with tap water.

NO3–N MCL= 10 mg/lStudy estimated 40,000 infants

under 6 months old living in homes with high NO3–N tap water.

Health Effect of ConcernMethemoglobinemia or blue-baby syndrome (name due to

bluish or lavender skin color). Nitrite converts hemoglobin to methemoglobin

(unable to transport oxygen from lungs to tissues).

Methemoglobin levels > 50% can quickly lead to coma or death if not recognized and treated promptly.

Most At Risk: Infants under six months of age.

Why Are Infants Under 6 Months More Vulnerable?

•Stomach pH levels are higher than adults - allow for proliferation of nitrate-reducing bacteria to grow in stomach.•Consume more fluids per body weight than adults.•Fetal hemoglobin in infants is more rapidly oxidized than adults.•Methemoglobin reductase enzyme is not completely developed in infants.

Nitrate/Nitrite StandardsThree regulated standards:

Nitrate: 10 mg/l; Nitrite: 1 mg/l Total nitrate-nitrite 10 mg/l.

1951 survey by the APHA (Walton) found 278 cases in 14 States.Why don’t we see more cases today? Public education efforts and

well construction requirements.Public Health Messages:

Condition still occurs due to widespread use of nitrate fertilizers and can quickly lead to death if not recognized/treatment appropriately.

Private wells should be tested annually for nitrates/nitrites (and total coliforms).

If in doubt, use bottled water for mixing formula.

Lead•Exposure Routes for children:

• Paint; • Lead dust; • Contaminated residential soils;• Contaminated drinking water; and• Food.

• Lead in drinking water can occurs from 2 sources:

• Raw water (rare); or • Corrosion of household plumbing materials or water service lines containing lead.

Health Effects of ConcernMost at risk: pregnant women and their fetuses,

infants and children.Adverse health effects can occur at any level of

exposure.At very low levels - delay in normal physical and

mental development in babies and children.Severity of health effects is dependent upon the

Pb concentration, total amount consumed, and exposure duration.

Because lead accumulates in the body, all sources of Pb should be controlled or eliminated.

Why Are Children At Greater Risk From Lead Exposure ?

Children consume more water compared with body size than adults.

Pb adsorption from GI tract is inversely related to age.

Children put their hands in their mouths more than adults and ingest more lead.

Developing fetuses and infants are more susceptible to lead brain and nerve effects due to immature BBB.

Lead Action LevelLead MGLG: ZeroTreatment technique rather than MCLAction Level: 15 μg/lAnticipated Revisions to Lead/Copper Regulation.Recent reduction of “Lead-free” plumbing definition.Public Health Messages:

Prevention is key If concerned, test drinking water tapsUse cold water for consumption, especially for diluting

baby formulaPeriodically remove and clean faucet aerators of particlesCheck that new faucets and fixtures meet new lead-free

standards (look for NSF ® - 61-G certificant mark)

CopperReddish metal that occurs

naturally.Essential nutrient:

RDA: 2 mg for adultsRDA: 1 mg for < 4 yrs.Copper in food thought to be

in organic form, low potential for gastric irritation.

• Copper in drinking water can occurs from 2 sources: • raw water (rare); or • corrosion of household

plumbing materials or water service lines containing copper.

Copper Health Effect of Concern and Those Most At Risk

Excess copper causes acute HE: Stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

Children are more susceptible because: they consumer more fluids per body weight

than adults.they are have a less developed metabolic capacity. Children with liver or kidney disease are at an even higher

risk. Sensitive Sub-population highly susceptible

to copper toxicity and accumulate excess copper in their livers (e.g., Wilson’s disease).

Copper Action LevelMCLG = 1.3 mg/l

MCLG based on lowest observed adverse health effect level of 5.3 mg/l and gastrointestinal HE.

Action level of 1.3 mg/l is intended to be a measure of optimal corrosion control.

Radium

• Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that usually is present at low levels in rocks, soils, and groundwater.

• Two isotopes of interest: Radium-226 and Radium-228.

Health EffectsOver-exposure to radium increases the risks

of developing certain cancers, particularly bone cancer.

Over time, radium can damage bones, tissue or genetic material.

How Are Children More Vulnerable?

Body recognizes radium as calcium and deposits significant amounts to bones after repeated ingestion.

Since children are still growing, they are at a higher risk of absorbing larger amounts of radium in their bones, especially if exposure occurs during a critical growth stage.

Radium StandardEPA uses a measurement called a "picocurie"

to describe the amount of radium in water. Radium MCL = 5 pCi/L Costly contaminant to remove for CWSs.

Sources [1] National Geographic, April 2010, p. 47 [2] Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005, U.S. Geological Survey

Circular 1344, October 2009 [3] Sustainability of Ground-water Resources, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1186,

1999 [4] Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005, U.S. Geological Survey

Circular 1344, October 2009 [5] "Water" map, National Geographic Society, November 1993 [6] Calculations derived from multiple sources [7] Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005, U.S. Geological Survey

Circular 1344, October 2009 [8] Ibid. [9] Estimate prepared by the National Ground Water Association from various federal

data sources at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Census

[10] Estimate prepared by the National Ground Water Association from various Association-sponsored industry surveys

[11] Resident population of the U.S. 2005 was 296,410,404, U.S. Census [12] American Housing Survey, U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2008 [13] Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005, U.S. Geological Survey

Circular 1344, October 2009; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics 2007, March 2008

[14] U.S. Census, 1990 (best available data by state) [15] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 2008,

November 2009, and U.S. Geological Survey, October 2009 report on 2005 water use [16] Scientific American Water 3.0, March 2008; Understanding Water Risks, World

Wildlife Fund, March 2009; State of the Water Industry, TechKnowledgey Strategic Group, March 2009

[17] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 2008, November 2009