Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Water and Public Health: Broadening the Dialogue

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) include a variety of chemicals that have been detected in water supplies, are unregulated in the United States, and have real or perceived potential adverse effects. Examples include endocrine disrupting compounds and a variety of pharmaceutically-active compounds, among many others. Research regarding the relevance and human health effects of CECs in water is ongoing, yet improved analytical methods allow their detection at increasingly low levels. Such detections are frequently discussed in the media, which raises concern among the public. As a result, water utilities are often placed in the spotlight and questioned about detections of CECs in water supplies. To respond to these questions, utility representatives would benefit from partnerships with public health professionals who could help speak to the safety and quality of water supplies. Such collaborations would be mutually beneficial as well, as the public health community would also benefit from a better understanding of water supply systems and water quality.

An inter-disciplinary workshop was held in July 2013 to enhance communication and dialogue about the potential health risks of CECs in drinking water and facilitate collaboration among water utilities, public health agencies, researchers, and other organizations. This workshop led to cross-disciplinary interaction and information exchange among the diverse group of attendees. Workshop participants recognized the value of future collaborations between water quality and public health groups. They identified common ground between different organizations and discussed next steps to maintain dialogue and collaboration moving forward.

The proposed presentation would summarize the workshop proceedings, discussion topics, and key recommendations to foster communication and collaboration on CECs in water and public health. Some examples of the types of recommendations to be presented include cross-discipline participation and outreach, interagency collaborations, online resources and networking, local resources and networking, and focus groups and pilot studies.