Transcript Assuring Safe Drinking Water in Oregon

Safe Drinking Water
What’s New?
Spring, 2008
Drinking Water Program
Office of Environmental Public Health
Public Health Division
Oregon Department of Human Services
Topics
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Drinking water and public health
Public water systems
State/county drinking water program
EPA drinking water standards
How safe is our drinking water?
Emerging contaminants
Drinking Water Matters!
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Fundamental for health
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Fundamental for quality of life
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Fundamental for the economy
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Fundamental for fire protection
Where Do Drinking Water
Contaminants Come From?
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Pollution of the source of supply - natural
and people-caused
Water treatment failure
Water treatment chemicals
By-products of water treatment
Water system materials, coatings
Pipe breaks, leaks in storage tanks
Cross connections
Plumbing materials
Protecting Drinking Water
from “Source to Tap”
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Source water selection/protection
Water treatment
Distribution system protection
Management and operations
competence
Drinking Water – Who’s
Involved?
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Public Water Systems
– PROVIDE safe water
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State/County Public Health/Partner Agencies
– ASSURE health standards are met
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US EPA
– SET standards to protect health
Public Water System Ground Water Source
Public Water System Surface Water Source
Oregon Public Water Systems
3,620 total public water systems
Community (cities, mobile
home parks)
882
921
Semi-residential (schools,
employers), nontransient
noncommunity
346
1471
Transient (campgrounds,
parks, restaurants, motels)
Very small systems (4-14
connections, 10-24 people),
ORS 448
Oregon Public Water
Systems by Size
91% of water systems serve fewer than 500 people
1%
0%
91%
1%
7%
More than 100,000
people (4)
10,001-100,000
people (50)
3,301-10,000
people (54)
501-3,300 people
(260)
10-500 people
(3,252)
Oregon Population Served
by Public Water Systems
54 large water systems serve 70% of population
302,000
945,000
337,000
305,000
1,332,000
More than 100,000
people (4 systems)
10,001-100,000
people (50)
3,301-10,000
people (54)
501-3,300 people
(260)
10-500 people
(3,252)
Basic Health Responsibilities
of Public Water Systems
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Take water samples
Report test results and
treatment data
Take action when
standards not met
Notify public when
standards not met
Notify public when
tests not
done/reported
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Keep records
Maintain minimum 20
psi pressure
Prepare/submit plans
Conduct cross
connection program
Supervision by a
certified operator
Respond to user
complaints
State Drinking Water
Authorities and Rules
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ORS 448 – Water Systems
OAR 333-061 – Public Water Systems
Primacy Agreement with USEPA
State/County Drinking
Water Program
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Mission - Assure Oregonians safe
drinking water
Goals
– Contamination of public water systems is
prevented or reduced, by protecting
drinking water sources and adequately
treating water
– Water system personnel have knowledge,
skills, and abilities to produce safe
drinking water
Drinking Water
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Goals (continued)
– Public water system facilities are
adequate to reliably and continuously
produce safe drinking water
– Water users are knowledgeable about
safe drinking water and support their
local water supplier
– All safe drinking water standards are fully
implemented and met by water suppliers
Drinking Water Advisory
Committee Members
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Large water systems
Pacific NW water
assoc.
OR Assoc. of Water
Utilities
Special districts
Cities
Private-owned systems
Certified labs
Engineering firms
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Local health officials
OR Environmental
Health Assoc.
League of Women
Voters
Environmental groups
Plumbers/backflow
testers
Water consumers
Watershed councils
Federal Drinking Water
Authorities and Rules
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US Environmental Protection Agency
Safe Drinking Water Act
– 1974
– 1986 amendments
– 1996 amendments
Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR parts
141, 142, 143, 149)
USEPA Functions
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Establish national drinking water standards
Oversee and assist state Primacy programs
Administer grants and work plans of states
Directly oversee tribal water systems
Directly implement federal drinking water
rules until state applies for and receives
Primacy
Which Contaminants Does
EPA Regulate?
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May have adverse effect on the health of
persons, and
Known or likely to occur in public drinking
water systems with frequencies and levels
of health concern, and
Regulation presents meaningful opportunity
for health risk reduction for persons served
by public water systems
Setting Standards - Health
Effects Matter
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Acute effects – occur within hours or days of
the time that a person consumes a
contaminant at high levels. Example: acute
gastrointestinal illness.
Chronic effects – occur after people
consume a contaminant at low levels over
many years. Examples: cancers, organ
damage
Setting Standards Exposure Matters
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Long-term exposure – same people daily
(communities, schools, workplaces):
– Acute contaminants, and
– Chronic contaminants
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Short-term exposure – different people daily
(campgrounds, parks, motels, restaurants):
– Acute contaminants
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EPA bases drinking water exposure on 2
liters per day
Forms of EPA Drinking
Water Standards
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Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) –
no known or anticipated adverse health
effects, with margin of safety
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) –
enforceable standard set as close as feasible
to MCLG considering technology, treatment,
cost, field conditions
Treatment Technique (TT) – in lieu of MCL
when levels can’t be measured
Action Level (AL) – triggers action by water
supplier
EPA Regulations, Trends
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1976: 22 regulated contaminants, 20 pages
of federal rules
2005: 91 regulated contaminants, 280
pages of federal rules
2008: ___ pages of federal rules
Newer rules are highly complex, “targeted
risk”
91 Regulated Drinking
Water Contaminants
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7 Microbials (bacteria, viruses, parasites)
7 Disinfection by-products (trihalomethanes,
haloacetic acids)
16 Inorganic chemicals (arsenic, nitrate,
lead)
56 Organic chemicals (solvents, pesticides)
5 Radiologic contaminants (uranium)
Newest EPA Standards
(2005-07)
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Parasitic microorganisms
(Cryptosporidium in source waters)
Disinfection by-products (distribution “hot
spots”)
Arsenic (increased protection)
Groundwater (viruses)
Lead and Copper revisions (improve
education)
Setting Future EPA Standards
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Contaminant Candidate List
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
National Contaminant Occurrence Database
Consider five contaminants every five years,
regulate or not
Contaminant Candidate
List 3 - 2008
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7500 contaminants evaluated
104 candidate contaminants listed:
– 11 microbials – waterborne pathogens
– 93 chemicals
 Commercial chemicals
 Biological toxins
 Pesticides
 Disinfection by-products
How Safe Is Oregon’s
Drinking Water?
Safer than it was!
Not as safe as it should be
Oregon Waterborne
Disease Outbreaks
(bacteria, viruses, parasites )
Number of Outbreaks
Total Cases, 26 Outbreaks-7,000 sickened (CDC)
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15
6
3
1970s
(federal Act)
1980s (State
Act, Primacy)
2
1990s (federal
2000s (new
revolving fund) EPA standards)
Decades
What’s Accomplished in
Oregon?
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Getting surface water sources filtered and
disinfected
Reducing Lead and copper at the tap
Identifying and reducing inorganics
Identifying and reducing organics
Unfiltered Water Systems
(1988-2004)
Year
Community
Noncommunity
20
04
20
02
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
19
88
Number of water systems
to filter
Filtration Deadline - 1993
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
Number of Lead Action
Level Exceedences
Lead at the Tap
(1992-2005)
Lead Rule Deadline - 2000
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Year
Top 3 Inorganics
Contaminant
(MCL, mg/l)
No. of
detections
No. of water
systems
Low-High
Concentration
mg/l
Nitrate (10)
2070
436
3-28.5
Arsenic (0.010)
397
194
0.010-0.411
Fluoride (4)
22
15
2.4-5.9
Top 3 Volatile Organics
(75 water systems with detections)
Contaminant (MCL,
mg/l)
No. of
detections
No. of
water
systems
Low-High
Concentration
mg/l
Tetrachloroethylene
(0.005)
99
21
>0-0.0177
Xylenes (10)
40
22
>0-1.86
Toluene (1)
26
25
>0-0.0548
Top 3 Synthetic Organics
(53 water systems with detections)
Contaminant
(MCL, mg/l)
No. of
detections
No. of water
systems
Low-High
Concentration
mg/l
Phthlalate (0.006)
39
33
>0-0.25
Ethylene
Dibromide
(0.00005)
8
2
>0-0.0016
Pentachlorophenol 7
(0.001)
7
>0-0.0007
Oregon Drinking Water
Benchmark (#69)
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Establish goals for safe drinking water and
track/report progress annually to Oregon
Progress Board, legislature, public
Two-part benchmark:
– Population
– Water systems
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Ties directly to EPA national measures and
goals, and allows state-by-state
comparisons
Benchmark - Population
100
80
60
40
20
0
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
2
20 00
11 7
go
al
Percent
% of Oregonians served by community
water systems that meet health-based
standards throughout the year
Benchmark – Water Systems
100
80
60
40
20
0
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
2
20 00
11 7
go
al
Percent
% of Oregon community water systems
that meet health-based standards
throughout the year
What Threats Remain?
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Chronic diseases
– from long-term exposure to chemicals
– increased potential as population grows?
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Smaller systems
– don’t reliably meet all health standards all the time
– increased potential as population grows?
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Very small systems
– no assistance from state or local programs for
years
– increased potential as population grows?
What Threats Remain?
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Current standards
– Not yet fully implemented
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Future standards
– Need to implement
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Emerging contaminants
– Occurrence?
– Significance?
Adding State/County Public
Health Capacity (2007)
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Approved current fees raised in 2006
Increased general funding,
Authorized sanitary survey inspection fee,
and
Established statutory Drinking Water
Advisory Committee
The Fully Capable Program
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Adopts and implements all EPA rules
Conducts effective and timely oversight of all
public water systems:
– Large and small
– EPA and non-EPA
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Addresses and prevents significant
noncompliance
Performs timely sanitary surveys and assures
deficiencies are corrected
Assures timely, accurate, and complete water
system data
Capacity Building Completed –
Setting Up
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2007-09 legislatively approved budget
Amended county/ag intergovernmental
agreements for drinking water
Adopted sanitary survey inspection fee
Revised Oregon Drinking Water
Benchmark
Received 2-year Primacy extension from
EPA for new rules
Capacity Building Underway Workforce
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Organization revision
Unit manager developmental
assignments
Lead worker assignments
Recruitment – 11 new FTE
Initial state/county staff training (April
and beyond)
Capacity Building Remaining By July 09
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Adopt EPA rules and apply for Primacy:
– Long-term 2 surface water treatment rule
– Stage 2 disinfection by-products rule
– Ground water rule
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HB 3469 (2007) – Treatment technique
variance rule
Remaining Drinking Water
Concerns and Issues (2009)
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Private wells (arsenic)
Monitoring Oregon’s surface and ground
waters for potential contaminants identified
in drinking water source assessments (pilot
with DEQ)
– Pesticides
– Pharmaceuticals
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Flooding and landslides (2007 winter storm)
Growth and development outside urban
areas
Pharmaceuticals in
Drinking Water!
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AP survey of 62 large water providers and
independent researchers
– Pharmaceuticals in 24 systems, serving ~41
million people
– Antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and
sex hormones
– Detections at very low levels (ppb-ppt)
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Most detections occur, or are at higher levels,
downstream from wastewater treatment
plants
Portland Drinking Water
Sources
Pharmaceuticals and
Personal Care Products
(PPCPs)
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Thousands of diverse chemical compounds:
used by people, pets, and livestock
Virtually constant loading into the
environment
Prescription drug use has increased by
~12% since 2003
Pharmaceuticals and
Personal Care Products
(PPCPs)
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Includes prescription and over-the-counter
substances
– Antibiotics, steroids, synthetic hormones
– Therapeutic drugs, herbal remedies
– Cosmetics, fragrances, shampoos, sun
screen additives
– Veterinary drugs
– Feed additives
Source of PPCPs
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Agriculture: Animal
waste, feed
supplements
Veterinary drug use,
especially antibiotics
and steroids
Wastewater Treatment
Facilities
Land application of
sludge
PPCPs Not Fully
Metabolized by the Body
This drawing shows the
pathway between homes and
septic or municipal sewage
facilities.
Discarding unused drugs
and personal care products
down the toilet is a common
but poor disposal method.
Disposal of Drugs Federal Guidelines
•Take unused, unneeded, or expired
prescription drugs out of their original
containers and throw them in the trash.
•Mixing prescription drugs with an
undesirable substance, such as used coffee
grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in
impermeable, non-descript containers, such
as empty cans or sealable bags, will further
ensure the drugs are not diverted.
•Drug take-back programs!!!!
USGS Reconnaissance
Study 1999-2000: 139
Streams
PPCPs in 1999-2000
Reconnaissance Study
Surface Water
(139)
Groundwater
(47)
Drinking
Water
(74)
Non-Drugs
81%
15%
64%
Antibiotics
48%
26%
26%
Pharmaceuticals
32%
6%
23%
Metabolites
69%
43%
19%
DEET
74%
35%
19%
Caffeine
71%
11%
54%
Treatment Effectiveness
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Major source is from wastewater treatment
plant effluent discharged to surface water
Surface water treatment, study evaluated
– Conventional/Direct filtration
– Slow sand
– Variety of coagulants/conditioners
Limited ability to remove these chemicals
Ranking of Treatment
Methods Removal of PPCPs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Nanofiltration
Advanced Oxidation (AOP)
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
Ozone
Chlorine
Micro/Ultrafiltration
UV
Pesticides and PPCPs in
Drinking Water
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Concentrations of many of these chemicals
are very low, in the ng to ug range
Generally more than one contaminant in any
given water source
Human health impacts at these low
concentrations unknown but probably low
Studies lacking however, and possible health
impacts of additive or synergistic effects
uncertain
Pesticides and PPCPs in
Drinking Water
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Regulation of these chemicals via the SDWA
in the near future?
Impact on aquatic organisms higher because
of constant exposure
Conventional treatment is not an effective
barrier for these compounds
For More Information!
971-673-0405
oregon.gov/dhs/ph/dwp