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Water quality
Worldwide water quality is declining mainly due to human activities.
Increasing population growth, rapid urbanisation, discharge of new pathogens and new chemicals from industries and invasive species are key factors that contribute to the deterioration of water quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets standards that, when combined
with protecting ground water and surface water, are a critical to ensuring safe drinking water. EPA works with its regional offices, states, tribes
and its many partners to protect public health through implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act.
For a table of currently regulated contaminants, potential health effects, and sources, read National Primary Drinking Water Standards, which lists the legally enforceable standards that apply to public water
systems as well as National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations, the non-enforceable guidelines regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic or aesthetic effects in drinking water.
Water quality affect human health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 4 billion cases of diarrhoea each year in addition to millions of other cases of illness are associated with lack of access to water that is safe for human consumption.
hildren under the age of five. Human health is severely impacted by water-related diseases (waterborne, water-washed, water-based, and water-related vector-borne infections) as well as by chemical
pollution despite progressive improvement in the provision of sanitation since 1990, providing safe water and sanitation to large parts of the
human population remains a challenge. Today, 1.1 billion people around the world still lack access to improved water supply and more than 2.6 billion people lack access to improved sanitation.
Workshop on
Water Conservation and Water Quality challenges
Speaking during a workshop on adaptive strategies for Water Conservation and
Water Quality challenges as part of the celebrations to mark the World Water
Day, Ms. Burgers said: “It will continue to be a burden to the rural people for
quite sometime to come. Sources; previously considered to be not contaminated
are being identified as contaminated by the time and new contaminants are also
coming to light like heavy metals and radioactive elements. Many of these, if
not ....most are most likely to be a result of manmade pollution.”
Ms. Burgers also said that India has a lot to be proud of as it has achieved a
lot in the last couple of years. However, there are many challenges
in front of us. “We see that out of 150 million, 134 million living in rural
India have no access to water. It is also critical to look at safety of water as
it is directly linked to health and social stability.”
Safe Drinking Water Act
Nineteen ninety-nine marked the 25th year of public health protection under the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA). The Act, passed in 1974 and amended in 1986 and 1996, gives the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)the authority to set drinking water standards. Setting Standards for Safe Drinking Water explains how drinking water standards are set, and how the
public is involved in the process. Fact sheets are available on regulated contaminants that may be found in some public or private drinking water supplies.
Health advisories provide information on certain contaminants. Health Advisories are guidance values based on non-cancer health effects for different durations of
exposure (e.g., one-day, ten-day, longer-term, and lifetime). Drinking Water Contaminant Regulations: From 1987-92, EPA issued six rules limiting the levels of more than 80 drinking water contaminants.
This fact sheet explains those rules. For links to drinking water regulations and guidance dealing with standards and their implementation, see Regulations and Guidance.
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