Safe Drinking Water Whats New Spring 2008 Drinking

Safe Drinking Water What’s New? Spring, 2008 Drinking Water Program Office of Environmental Public Health Division Oregon Department of Human Services

Topics Drinking water and public health n Public water systems n State/county drinking water program n EPA drinking water standards n How safe is our drinking water? n Emerging contaminants n

Drinking Water Matters! n Fundamental for health n Fundamental for quality of life n Fundamental for the economy n Fundamental for fire protection

Where Do Drinking Water Contaminants Come From? n n n n 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” Source water selection/protection n Water treatment n Distribution system protection n Management and operations competence n

Drinking Water – Who’s Involved? n Public Water Systems – PROVIDE safe water n State/County Public Health/Partner Agencies – ASSURE health standards are met n US EPA – SET standards to protect health

Public Water System Ground Water Source

Public Water System Surface Water Source

Oregon Public Water Systems

Oregon Public Water Systems by Size

Oregon Population Served by Public Water Systems

Basic Health Responsibilities of Public Water Systems n n n Take water samples Report test results and treatment data Take action when standards not met Notify public when tests not done/reported n n n 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 ORS 448 – Water Systems n OAR 333 -061 – Public Water Systems n Primacy Agreement with USEPA n

State/County Drinking Water Program Mission - Assure Oregonians safe drinking water n Goals n – 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 n 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 n n n n Large water systems Pacific NW water assoc. OR Assoc. of Water Utilities Special districts Cities Private-owned systems Certified labs Engineering firms n n n n 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 n n n 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 n n n 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? n n n 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 n n 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 n Long-term exposure – same people daily (communities, schools, workplaces): – – n Acute contaminants, and Chronic contaminants Short-term exposure – different people daily (campgrounds, parks, motels, restaurants): – Acute contaminants n EPA bases drinking water exposure on 2 liters per day

Forms of EPA Drinking Water Standards n n 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 n n 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 n n n 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) n n n 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 n n Contaminant Candidate List Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring National Contaminant Occurrence Database Consider five contaminants every five years, regulate or not

Contaminant Candidate List 3 - 2008 n n 7500 contaminants evaluated 104 candidate contaminants listed: – 11 microbials – waterborne pathogens – 93 chemicals n Commercial chemicals n Biological toxins n Pesticides n 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 )

What’s Accomplished in Oregon? n n 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)

Lead at the Tap (1992 -2005)

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) n n Establish goals for safe drinking water and track/report progress annually to Oregon Progress Board, legislature, public Two-part benchmark: – Population – Water systems n Ties directly to EPA national measures and goals, and allows state-by-state comparisons

Benchmark - Population

Benchmark – Water Systems

What Threats Remain? n Chronic diseases – from long-term exposure to chemicals – increased potential as population grows? n Smaller systems – don’t reliably meet all health standards all the time – increased potential as population grows? n Very small systems – no assistance from state or local programs for years – increased potential as population grows?

What Threats Remain? n Current standards – Not yet fully implemented n Future standards – Need to implement n Emerging contaminants – Occurrence? – Significance?

Adding State/County Public Health Capacity (2007) n n 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 n n Adopts and implements all EPA rules Conducts effective and timely oversight of all public water systems: – Large and small – EPA and non-EPA n n n 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 2007 -09 legislatively approved budget n Amended county/ag intergovernmental agreements for drinking water n Adopted sanitary survey inspection fee n Revised Oregon Drinking Water Benchmark n Received 2 -year Primacy extension from EPA for new rules n

Capacity Building Underway Workforce Organization revision n Unit manager developmental assignments n Lead worker assignments n Recruitment – 11 new FTE n Initial state/county staff training (April and beyond) n

Capacity Building Remaining By July 09 n Adopt EPA rules and apply for Primacy: – Long-term 2 surface water treatment rule – Stage 2 disinfection by-products rule – Ground water rule n HB 3469 (2007) – Treatment technique variance rule

Remaining Drinking Water Concerns and Issues (2009) n n Private wells (arsenic) Monitoring Oregon’s surface and ground waters for potential contaminants identified in drinking water source assessments (pilot with DEQ) – Pesticides – Pharmaceuticals n n Flooding and landslides (2007 winter storm) Growth and development outside urban areas

Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water! n 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) n Most detections occur, or are at higher levels, downstream from wastewater treatment plants

Portland Drinking Water Sources

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) n n n 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) n 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 n n 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) 64% Non-Drugs 81% 15% Antibiotics 48% 26% Pharmaceuticals 32% 6% 23% Metabolites 69% 43% 19% DEET 74% 35% 19% Caffeine 71% 11% 54%

Treatment Effectiveness n n n 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 n n 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 n n n 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