Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Public Drinking Water in the United States

  • Chapter
Managing Urban Water Supply

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 46))

  • 250 Accesses

Abstract

The provision of safe and reliable drinking water to most of the U.S. population is ranked as one of the 10 major public health achievements of the twentieth century (CDC, 1999). Over 250 million Americans, who are about 90% of the estimated population, currently are served by about 54,000 public water systems. In those systems, over 80 contaminants are regulated and hundreds of water quality parameters are monitored. Total expenditures for public drinking water in the U.S. are about $36 billion per year.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Baker, M.N., 1949. The Quest for Pure Water. The American Water Works Association, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrelli, P., 1988. Crossroads: Environmental Priorities for the Future. Island Press, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bove, F., M.C. Fulcomer, J.B. Klotz, J. Esmart, E.M. Dufficy, J.E. Savrin, 1995. “Public drinking water contamination and birth outcomes,” Am J Epidemiol 141: 850–862.

    Google Scholar 

  • Congressional Budget Office, 1987. Financing Municipal Water Supply Systems. US Congressional Budget Office, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Congressional Budget Office, 2002. Future Investment in Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure. US Congressional Budget Office, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daughton, C.G. and T.A. Ternes, 1999. “Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change?” Envir Health Perspec 107 (suppl 6): 807–938.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA, 1995. SAB Report: Safe drinking Water, future trends and challenges. EPA-SAB-DWC-95–002. Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA, 1997. 1995 Community Water System Survey. US EPA Office of Water; EPA 815-R-97–001. Washington, D.C. available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cwsreprt.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA, 1998. Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. 63 FR 69477. December, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA, 2000. National Water Quality Inventory: 1988 Report to Congress. EPA 841-S-00–001. Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA, 2002. The Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis. US EPA Office of Water; EPA 816-R-02–020. available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/gapreport.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fair, G.M., and J.C. Geyer, 1958. Elements of Water Supply and Waste-Water Disposal. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudreau, C. and H. Gilbert, 1998. “Antimicrobial resistance of clinical strains of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni isolated from 1985 to 1997 in Quebec, Canada,” Antimicrob Agents Chemother 42: 2106–2108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gostin, L.O., Z. Lazzarini, V.S. Neslund and M.T. Osterholm, “2000. Water quality laws and waterborne diseases: Cryptosporidium and other emerging pathogens,” Am J Public Health 90(6): 847–853.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haarmeyer, D., 1992. Privatizing Infrastructure: Options for Municipal Water-Supply Systems. Policy study 151. The Reason Foundation, Los Angeles, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halling-Sorenson, B., S.N. Nielsen, P.F. Lanzky, F. Ingerslev H.C. Holten-Lutzhoft and S.E. Jorgenson, 1998. “Occurrence, fate and effects of pharmaceutical substances in the environment — a review,” Chemosphere 36(2): 357–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvell, C.D., K. Kim, J.M. Burkholder, R.R. Colwell, P.R. Epstein, J. Grimes, et al., 1999. “Emerging marine diseases: climate links and anthropogenic factors,” Science 285: 1505–1510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hignite, C., and D.L. Azarnoff, 1997. “Drugs and drug metabolites as environmental contaminants: chlorophenoxyisobuyrate and salicyclic acid in sewage water effluent.” Life Sci 20(2): 337–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoxie, N.J., J.P. Davis, J.M. Vergeront, R.D. Nashold and K.A. Blair, 1997. “Cryptosporidiosis-associated mortality following a massive waterborne outbreak in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.” Am J Public Health 87(12): 2032–2035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurst, C.J., 1991. “Presence of enteric viruses in freshwater and their removal by the conventional water treatment.” Bull World Health Org 69(1): 113–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Immerman FW., 1987. Final Descriptive Summary: 1986 Survey of Community Water Systems. Prepared for: US EPA Office of Drinking Water; Washington, DC; by Research Triangle Institute; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (July).

    Google Scholar 

  • Karalekas P.C, J.R. Trax, 1989. “Compliance by public water supply systems with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations,” In: Safe Drinking Water Act: Amendments, Regulations and Standards (Calabrese E.J., C.E. Gilbert and H. Pastides, eds); Chelsea, Michigan; Lewis Publishers: 105–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lagos N., 1998. “Microalgal blooms: a global issue with negative impacts in Chile.” Biol Res 31(4): 375–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson C., 1989. “Historical development of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.” In: Safe Drinking Water Act: Amendments, Regulations and Standards (Calabrese E.J, Gilbert C.E, Pastides H, eds); Chelsea, Michigan; Lewis Publishers: 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeChevallier, M.W, W.D. Norton and R.G. Lee, 1991. “Occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. in surface water supplies.” Appl Environ Microbiol 57(9): 2610–2616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin R, P.R. Epstein, T.E. Ford, W. Harrington, E. Olson and E. Reichard, 2002. “US drinking water challenges in the twenty-first century.” Environ Health Perspect 1 l0(supplementl): 43–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levitus, S., J.I. Antonov, T.P. Boyer and C. Stephens, 1998. “Warming of the world’s oceans.” Science 287: 2225–2229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, S.B., 1998. “Multidrug resistance—a sign of the times.” N Engl J Med 338: 1376–1378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, W.R, N.J. Hoxie, M.E. Proctor, M.S. Gradus, K.A. Blair, D.E. Peterson, J.J. Kazmierczak, D.G. Addiss, K.R. Fox, J.B. Rose and J.P. Davis, 1994. “A massive outbreak in Milwaukee of Cryptosporidium infection transmitted through the public water supply.” New Eng J Med 331: 161–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDermott, H. 1973. “Federal drinking water standards — past, present and future.” J Environ Eng Div ASCE 99(EE4): 469–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, R.D., A. Ardet, I.F. Angelillo, T.C. Chalmers and F. Mosteller, 1992. “Chloramination, chlorination by-products and cancer: a meta-analysis.” Am J Public Health 82: 955–963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Natural Resources Defense Council, 1994. Victorian Water Treatment Enters the 21st Century. Washington, D.C. (March).

    Google Scholar 

  • Payment, P., L. Richardson, J. Siemiatycki, R. Dewar, M. Edwardes and E. Franco, 1991. “A randomized trial to evaluate the risk of gastrointestinal disease due to the consumption of drinking water meeting current microbiological standards.” Am J Public Health; 81: 703–708.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raucher RS, A.M. Dixon, E. Trabka and J. A. Drago, 1994. “Cost effectiveness of SDWA regulations.” J Am Water Works Assoc 88 (8): 28–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, J.B., C.P. Gerba and W. Jacobowski, 1991. Survey of potable water supplies for Cryptosporidium and Giardiar EnvironSci Tech 25(8): 1393–1400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, J., R. Levin and K. Hodge, 1997. “Drinking water turbidity and pediatric hospital use for gastrointestinal illness in Philadelphia.” Epidemiol 8:615–620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, J., R. Levin and R. Goldstein, 2000. “Drinking water turbidity and gastrointestinal illness in Philadelphia’s elderly.” J Epidemiol Comm Health; 54: 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, F.B., 1977. “Drinking Water Standards Principles and History 1914 to 1976.” J New England Water Works Accoc. 91(4): 237–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999. “Ten great public health achievements — United States, 1900–1999.” Morbid Mortal Wkly Rpt (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 48(12):241–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waller, K., S.H. Swan, G. DeLorenze and B. Hopkins, 1998. “Trihalomethanes in drinking water and spontaneous abortion.” Epidemiol 9: 134–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    Ronnie Levin

Authors
  1. Ronnie Levin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Donald E. Agthe (Consultant and retired Professor) (Consultant and retired Professor)

  2. Department of Economics, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    R. Bruce Billings

  3. Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    Nathan Buras

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Levin, R. (2003). Public Drinking Water in the United States. In: Agthe, D.E., Billings, R.B., Buras, N. (eds) Managing Urban Water Supply. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0237-9_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0237-9_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6470-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0237-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation