Oral

Changing climate and increasing occurrence of drought conditions present new challenges for regulators and communities who safeguard the Nation’s drinking water. Responsibility for the safety of the water we drink is shared among multiple government and private institutions. The Safe Drinking Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the responsibility for setting national drinking water standards that protect the health of the 250 million people who get their water from public water systems. Millions of people get their water from private wells that are not subject to Federal Regulations. Oversight of bottled water is given to the Food and Drug Administration. This session will present current understanding of the quality of drinking water from private sources including private drinking water wells and water bottling companies. The results of two studies that evaluated the effectiveness of treatment strategies for arsenic in well water and enteric microorganisms in a water reclamation facility will be described. Finally, the impact on communities of groundwater extraction by private bottling companies will be discussed along with two case studies of community-based campaigns to preserve public ownership of water resources. Participants in this session will obtain important information and strategies that they can apply in their own communities.

Session Objectives: 1. List major concerns associated with multinational bottled water companies taking control of a community’s water and the key elements of an advocacy campaign to preserve public management of community water. 2. Describe some studies of chemical contaminants found in drinking water from nonmunicipal sources including bottled water and private wells. 3. Describe some water treatment approaches to reduce exposure to arsenic in well water and microorganisms in a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility and their effectiveness.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)