The following links provide some useful information on water quality: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links: Drinking Water and Health: What You Need To Know http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwhealth.html
Water on Tap: A Consumer's Guide to the Nation's Drinking Water http://www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/index.html -
Citizen's Guide to Groundwater Protection http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/pubs/citguid.pdf -
Other EPA Links http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/ny.htm http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/wategroundwater.html
Link to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (a really nice site): http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/wq-fact-sheets/publications.htm
Link to the American Groundwater Trust: http://www.agwt.org
Water quality definitions commonly used: acid - Water that contains substances that lower the pH value below 7.0 (neutral).
acidity - The capacity for neutralizing an alkaline substance.
alkaline - Water that contains substances that raise the pH value above 7.0 (neutral).
alkalinity - The capacity for neutralizing an acid.
acute, chronic - Bacteria in water can cause immediate symptoms of flu or intestinal distress. Such acute illnesses are generally of the highest priority among water utility managers, who are less concerned with longer-term, poorly understood chronic disorders that result from exposure to metals, industrial chemicals, and pesticides. Acute cases are rarely fatal, and thousands of U.S. cases of water-based ailments such as cramps, diarrhea are probably never reported to physicians.
aquifer - An underground body of water that is more protected from contaminants than surface water, but is still susceptible to perils such as fecal coliform from septic tanks. Half of all Americans get drinking water from such underground sources. Of these, roughly a third have their own wells, which are not regulated by government. The remainder use municipal water systems, which draw on underground supplies that are subject to the same rules as surface water.
action levels - With some contaminants, the [EPA] does not establish hard and fast levels allowed in water supplies, but does set a course of events for the most extreme cases. Lead is an example of a water pollutant that has no primary or secondary standards but does have an action level that is calculated on a community-wide basis.
bacteria - Single-cell organisms that can reproduce in the human gut and cause vomiting and diarrhea, bacteria also cause acute health problems that can kill AIDS and cancer patients. See chlorine, fecal coliform, protozoan.
blue-baby disorder - A possibly acute disorder also known as methemoglobinemia that despite its name, turns blood cells brown. Nitrates from fertilizers lock up hemoglobin in an infant's bloodstream, displacing the oxygen. If left untreated, the condition can be fatal.
chloride - Chloride imparts a salty taste, and can indicate contamination from sea water, brackish water, or salt storage.
chlorine - Chloride may make your water taste salty and indicates contamination from an outside source such as salt storage, seawater, or septic waste.
coliform bacteria - This is the most common and basic test for contamination. Coliform bacteria should not be found in drinking water. When present it indicates that the water supply may have a connection with an unsanitary source. Septic waste and surface water are common sources of coliform bacteria. Health effects include gastrointestinal illness, cryptosporidium and giardia lambia.
color - Determines the coloration level. MCL - 5 units.
copper - Usually associated with the corrosion of copper pipes. Can cause stomach or gastrointestinal illness, liver and kidney damage and anemia.
cryptosporidium - A protozoan one-half as large as a red blood cell, cryptosporidium is so small and tough that it is very hard to detect, much less kill. It causes acute health problems in healthy individuals and may be fatal to individuals whose immune systems are compromised by illness, old age, or medical treatments. See protozoan.
detergents - Indicates wash water contamination. MCL - 0.5 mg/L.
disinfection - To water experts, disinfection is a general process to kill living organisms. It does not refer to the removal of unwelcome chemical compounds in the water supply.
fecal coliform - Bacteria from excrement, fecal coliform are not necessarily harmful by themselves, but are indicative of the presence of other disease-causing organisms that may cause diarrhea, vomiting, or a more serious illness.
fecal streptococcus - These are another group of bacteria that indicate human or animal waste. In some situations, these bacteria survive better than Total or Fecal Coliform. Therefore, they are useful as an indicator of human or animal waste contamination.
first draw - This term refers to water that has been sitting in pipes or plumbing fixtures for at least six hours and is first drawn when taps are opened. Such samples will usually have the highest levels of lead contamination. In homes with severe lead problems, first-draw readings for lead may be three times as high as purged-line samples. See purged line.
fluoride - Studies have repeatedly shown that fluoride is effective in reducing dental cavities when consumed in the right quantities. A level of approximately 1.0 ppm is considered ideal. When the level of fluoride is excessive (4.0 ppm), damage to the teeth can occur. Sometimes Fluoride is added artificially to public water supplies and may occur naturally, sometimes excessively. flushed line - A faucet that has been opened and allowed to run for a specified length of time, usually 1-5 minutes. ground water - Water from a well or underground aquifer.
hardness - Hardness is the total of the Calcium and Magnesium expressed as Calcium Carbonate. While hardness minerals are generally considered to be beneficial to human health, excessive levels can cause damage to plumbing systems, especially when the water is heated. As a general guideline: the levels are 0-50 ppm = soft, 51-100 ppm = moderately hard, 101-170 ppm = hard, and 171+ ppm = very hard.
health advisory level (HAL) - The amount of a contaminant which may indicate a long-term potential for chronic health problems if discovered by a local water treatment plant, but which poses no immediate acute danger. See MCL.
immune system - The immune system is the body's way of identifying and destroying diseases, intruders, or foreign cells. The immune system weakens with age, and during medical treatments for some cancers and organ transplants. Persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) can have particularly weakened immune systems that are vulnerable to organisms such as cryptosporidium. The EPA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise people with such immune deficiencies to boil their water.
iron - Usually comes from a natural source. High levels of iron may cause a bad taste in the water and cause severe staining of laundry and plumbing fixtures. Excessive iron can be a health risk to people with a medical condition known as hemochromatosis.
lead - Usually comes from lead pipes or solder joints, as well as some plumbing fixtures. Lead in drinking water has been in the public spotlight for a number of years. It has been linked with numerous health disorders from lead poisoning to a reduction in intelligence quotient scores. The standards for lead in drinking water have been made more stringent over the years so that on June 7, 1991, the maximum contaminant level of 0.05 ppm was replaced by an action level of 0.015 ppm. A "first-draw" and a "flushed-line" sample is offered in a package. If your first-draw sample is over the limit and the flushed-line sample is significantly lower, you may greatly reduce your lead intake by running the water for a few minutes before taking your drinking water. If both samples are over the limit, either bottled water or water treatment should be considered.
manganese - Naturally occurring metal. Not usually considered a health threat. Can cause brownish-black stains on laundry, dishes, and fixtures.
maximum contaminant level (MCL) - The MCL is the amount of a water contaminant which must be reported to state authorities if discovered by a local water treatment plant .
maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) - The MCLG is the desired, targeted amount of a contaminant allowed in water which the EPA hopes to be able to achieve in the future.
mtbe - Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is a chemical added to gasoline to promote cleaner combustion. As a result of leaking underground storage tanks and pipelines, as well as recreational lakes, MTBE is increasingly being found in drinking water sources. fact sheet
nitrate - Nitrate is one of the components of the nitrogen cycle. There are numerous sources of nitrate including natural deposits. High nitrate levels are often found in agricultural areas due to fertilization of the soil. Other sources of nitrate include decaying organic material such as is found in septic tanks. Excessive nitrate may cause a serious and sometimes fatal blood disorder known as Methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder in infants (Blue Baby Syndrome). Nitrate causes decreased oxygen carrying capacity in infants and some adults. High levels of nitrate indicate possible contamination from agriculture and suggest the need for pesticide testing.
nitrite - Similar to nitrate, nitrite may also cause decreased oxygen carrying capacity.
nonpoint source of pollution - These are wastes that come from so many sources over such a wide area that they are impossible to pinpoint or regulate. In the spring planting season, wastes from agricultural fields and livestock are a significant source of cryptosporidium, triazines, and nitrates. But suburban lawn chemicals also qualify as nonpoint wastes. Well-meaning attempts to control nonpoint pollution have failed, at least so far, because of an independent mindset in farmers and anti-environmental sentiments in Congress.
odor - Determines the odor level. MCL - 5 units.
PCB's - Environmentally persistent compounds that were used in electronic components and some well pumps. They can cause an increased cancer risk. pesticides, chlorinated - Commonly used agricultural pesticides. Some people who drink water contaminated with these compounds could experience problems or damage to the eyes, liver, kidneys, or spleen and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. pH - In household water, pH is used as an indicator of the corrosive tendencies of the water supply. Low pH numbers indicate that the water is acidic. This is typically corrosive to any metal part of the plumbing system. Acidic water damages plumbing systems and often results in elevated levels of lead, copper, and cadmium. High pH numbers indicate alkaline water. Alkaline water coupled with a high hardness level may exhibit unacceptable scaling in the plumbing system. The acceptable pH range is 6.5 to 8.5. If your pH is 6.5 or less, we suggest that you perform a test for toxic corrosion by-products (i.e. lead, copper, and cadmium).
primary or secondary standards - The EPA divides contaminants into many lists, charts and tables. Some contaminants are dubbed primary, while others are labeled secondary. But the only contaminants that require immediate notification of the public are bacteria and nitrates. Water systems will have to send a report to their consumers once a year.
protozoan - Protozoan are organisms, such as cryptosporidium, that have a life-cycle with several stages, some of which allow them to pass through a chlorine disinfection process unharmed.
radon - Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. The worst exposure to radon probably occurs when a person takes a shower.
sulfate - Naturally occurring but can indicate outside contamination of the water supply. Causes gastrointestinal discomfort in individuals who are not accustomed to drinking the water. surface water - Water from rivers and lakes. Roughly half of all Americans get drinking water from surface water sources. See ground water. trace metals - Trace metals may come from industrial contamination or natural deposits. They can cause increased cancer risk, damage to organs and changes in blood chemistry. Examples include: Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, Selenium, and Thallium. triazines - Triazines are herbicides, or weed killers, that are used on a variety of U.S. crops, including grains and citrus. Triazines are currently present in both ground and surface waters. They're banned in Europe; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing two triazines--atrazine and simazine--but is unlikely to ban them. These and other triazines are a cheap way for farmers to kill a wide range of weeds.
turbidity - To water engineers, turbidity means cloudiness. Turbidity in water can be harmless, or it may indicate to water engineers that extra filtration, flocculation, and sedimentation is needed.
VOC's - Compounds which are found in many household products, paints, petroleum products and industrial solvents. People who drink water containing these compounds in excess of the MCL could experience damage to liver, kidneys, spleen, or circulatory system, or changes in the blood. There is also an increased risk of cancer associated with most of these compounds. |
