Drinking Water and Human Health
Overview
Pollutants
such as pesticides, nitrates and pathogens entering groundwater
and surface waters are health hazards to the community. Ground water
is the primary source of drinking water for most of the private
and many of the public water supplies in the Pacific Northwest,
except for Alaska. In Alaska, while larger public water systems
utilize ground water, surface water is the primary source outside
larger cities. Groundwater is generally more reliable both in quantity
and quality than surface water. As a result it is generally less
expensive and more reliable to develop a groundwater source. Public
water supplies are regularly tested under the Safe Drinking Water
Act; however, private wells are generally not tested on a regular
basis since testing is not required. Failing onsite sewage systems,
excessive fertilizer or animal manure applications are a particular
threat to human health, especially in areas where surface waters
or shallow well supplies are used for drinking, recreation and shellfish
harvesting. The region’s four Land Grant Universities have
a broad range of research-based educational materials that relate
to protecting drinking water including groundwater and surface waters
from pollutants, as well as wellhead protection and proper onsite
sewage system maintenance and operation.
Desired Outcomes
- Homeowners properly maintain and operate their on-site sewage systems
- On-site septic system users properly dispose of potentially harmful household chemicals
- Water well users understand the potential health threats of contaminants
- Water well users proactively protect wellheads and fill and/or seal unused wells
- Contamination of groundwater is reduced
ALASKA Contact
Fred Sorensen, Water Quality Coordinator, Anchorage, (907)
786-6300, dffes@uaa.alaska.edu
ALASKA Publications
GWQ-00547 Protect Water Resource-Understand Pesticide Movement
GWQ-00548 Protecting Alaska’s Water Resources ***NEW***
HCM-01557 Water Cistern Construction for Small Houses
HCM-02020 Water Softeners Annual Maintenance
HCM-04950 Suggestions for Installing Domestic Water Storage
Tanks
HCM-04954 A Guide for Assessing Risks and Costs of Water
Well Drilling…