Multiple barriers of protection are the key to produce safe drinking water. Much of northern Europe has adopted this paradigm ardently. For surface water sources, they insist on watershed protection, infiltration of source water through river bank or groundwater, disinfection with ozone and ultraviolet light, biologically-extended activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and a clean distribution system. They abhor the taste and odor of chlorine and, thus, they do not use chlorine disinfectants. (The Netherlands, where disinfection by-products were first discovered by Johannes Rook in 1970, has banned the use of chlorine chemicals except in emergency situations.) These countries maintain their distribution systems better than the U.S., and their pipes are generally newer, cleaner, and with fewer breaks and cross-connections. Although, they do not use chlorine to carry a residual in the distribution system, they do not report evidence of disease. Rather, disease outbreaks are fewer than those in the U.S. The U.S. has a good record of producing safe drinking water, too, while using mostly chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or chloramines to maintain a residual. However, the difference in philosophies between the two approaches is certainly worthy of consideration. The age of the distribution systems in many cities of the U.S., is deplorable and in terrible need of investment. Also, we must recognize and address the community health hazard that exists from lead pipes, solder and faucets throughout the nation. The greatest number of disease outbreaks in the U.S. from drinking water is from Legionella, an airborne disease from inhalation of water aerosols. The second greatest number of disease outbreaks is from intermittent groundwater sources that are not chlorinated. We can improve our water infrastructure while addressing multiple barriers for the production of safe drinking water. EPA will not be able to keep-up with all the new and emerging chemicals, so it is incumbent on water professionals to continuously improve overall treatment standards. A common sense approach is not chemical-by-chemical, but rather adoption of high treatment standards, pollution prevention, and infrastructure renewal.

Drinking water from the source to the tap: Ordering our priorities

255th National Meeting (2018)

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