NewsBeat

February 2023 NewsBeat 22 By CLARK MERREFIELD Research: When water safety violations arise, quick public notice can help prevent millions of dollars in costs E ach year, there are an estimated 16 million cases of acute gastro- intestinal illness in the U.S. stem- ming from contaminants in community water systems. New research in The Review of Eco- nomics and Statistics finds quick notifi- cation of water problems can help keep households healthy, avoiding millions of dollars in lost job earnings and di- rect health care costs. The research shows that timing matters: Households noticeably change their behavior by purchasing bottled water, but only when notified immedi- ately of potential problems with their tap water. "People tend to think that the water coming out of their tap is treated and clean and safe to drink," says author Michelle Marcus, a health and environ- mental economist at Vanderbilt Univer- sity. "But it's actually fairly surprising how often these health-based drinking water violations occur even in the U.S., where we have pretty good water qual- ity." In November, for example, residents of Millwood, Washington, faced a boil water order for nearly a week after samples showed elevated levels of coli- form bacteria. In October, water at an elementary school in Honolulu tested positive for coliforms following several nearby wa- ter main breaks. In September, residents in west Baltimore were told to boil water after officials there found coliform contami- nation, including E. coli, in samples. While coliform bacteria are general- ly not harmful to humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, federal regulators long main- tained that coliforms are a bellwether for disease-causing viruses, parasites and bacteria. The Environmental Protection Agency requires that community water sys- tems, which can be public or privately owned, conduct regular tests for coli- forms. The public must be notified within 24 hours of acute violations. Acute violations happen when public health is immediately at risk — for example, if a water system detects thermotoler- ant coliforms such as E. coli, which can grow at relatively high temperatures and often indicate water contaminated with human or animal feces. E. coli live naturally in the intestines, but certain strains can cause gastro- intestinal illness, ranging from mild diarrhea to nausea and vomiting, with the risk of kidney failure in rare cases in very young and older people. Federal regulations allow local water officials to use a variety of methods to issue public violations, including the news media or postal mail. Until 2016, federal rules also re- quired that most community water systems notify residents within 30 days when 5% of their monthly samples test- ed positive for total coliforms. "Total coliforms are a group of close- ly related bacteria that are natural and common inhabitants of soil and surface waters," according to a 2015 Environ- mental Protection Agency guidance document for community water sys- Federal rules no longer require community water systems to tell the public about certain bacterial water contamination discovered during routine testing. But new research finds that prompt notification leads people to buy safe, bottled water — and avoid illness.

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