Terrorism and Natural Disaster Preparedness
In the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, water security and safety is a major concern of state environmental laboratories. Collaborating with EPA, laboratories are enhancing their ability to respond to unintentional and intentional water contamination. APHL is working with EPA’s Water Laboratory Alliance, to help environmental laboratories address water security concerns and prepare for natural and man-made disasters.
Health effects of contaminants in drinking water
Contaminants can cause two types of health effects: acute or chronic.
Acute effects occur immediately (within hours or days) after a person drinks a contaminant. Microbes, such as bacteria and viruses, in drinking water are often causes of acute reactions because they have a high probability of reaching high enough levels to cause this effect.
Chronic effects occur after a person has been exposed to a contaminant for many years. In drinking water chronic health effects are typically caused by contaminants such as chemicals, radioactive substances (such as radium), and minerals (such as arsenic compounds).
Who is Responsible for Drinking Water Quality?
The Environmental Protection Agency, through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), is responsible for drinking water quality. The EPA sets standards for over 80 contaminants that may occur in drinking water and which pose a potential risk to human health. EPA works with local governments and private water suppliers have direct responsibility for the quality of water that consumers drink. To ensure quality water, they test and treat their water and report on their water quality to the state.