Is the Ice and Water You Drink Every Day Safe?

Current systems and legislation regarding water safety standards may not be supported by solid scientific research or best practice in public health, warns a new study.

From Legionella bacteria and Non-tuberculous mycobacteria, safe transport of mains water depends on best practice and good policy, environmental health experts say.

Microplastics Are Contaminating Our Drinking Water
Plastics in our waste streams are breaking down into tiny particles and getting infused with water causing great harm to human life.

‘The complexities of water quality, materials of construction, microbial contamination, and public health risks are not well understood. ’

Tweet it Now

However, Flinders University academics warn current systems and legislation regarding the practice in public health.

“There are major inconsistencies in Australia, and overseas jurisdictions, in managing Legionella and other contaminants in water systems,” says Flinders University Associate Professor Richard Bentham, who will present on shortfalls in Legionella disease policy at the Environmental Health Australia National Conference in Adelaide this week (6-8 November 2019).

“For example, some of the requirements, to keep cold-water systems at the European standard below 20C, is not possible in Australia.

Economic Development in India, China Key to Achieving MDG for Safe Drinking Water
India and China's economic development is the key to achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for safe drinking water, reveals a new study.

“Other policy settings on warm-water, hot- and cold-water systems are not always based on evidence-based science, and usually rely solely on a localized tick-box protocol, which opens the gate for all sorts of things to happen.”

Environmental health experts, including Dr. Bentham, also warn that some positive policy changes can lead to other potential problems.

Public's Drinking Water Is Low On Arsenic Than Ever: Here's How
Public systems that supply more than 80 percent of the United States are toughened by the federal standard for arsenic in 2001.//

“For example, the removal of all lead-based tapware and pipeline systems, as introduced recently in Victorian schools, might inadvertently lead to increased public health risk from microbial contamination, such as opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs),” Dr. Bentham and colleagues say in a new scientific article.

“We recommend that future research into plumbing materials also weigh up its effect on OPPPs such as Non-tuberculous mycobacterium (which can cause serious pulmonary illness) ahead of changes in legislation.

Drinking Water Contamination: More Than 5.6 Million Americans Are Exposed To Nitrate
More than 5.6 million Americans are exposed to increased nitrate levels as a result of drinking water contamination.

Any changes in regulation regarding materials for potable water infrastructure need to be evidence-based and must consider all potential risks to public health, the paper concludes.

“Current data indicates limited scientific evidence to support the removal of brass fittings as a means of reducing lead exposures.”

Source-Medindia