Important Facts for Drinking Water: Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)

Definition

__Mean Trihalomethane Levels for Utah__ [[br]] 1) Yearly distribution of number of community water systems (CWS) by mean trihalomethane (THM) concentration [[br]] 2) Yearly distribution of number of people served by CWS by mean THM concentration [[br]] [[br]] __Maximum Trihalomethane Levels for Utah__ [[br]] 3) Yearly distribution of number of CWS by maximum THM concentration [[br]] 4) Yearly distribution of number of people served by CWS by maximum THM concentration [[br]] [[br]] __Mean Trihalomethane Levels for Utah by Quarter__ [[br]] 5) Quarterly distribution of number of CWS by mean THM concentration [[br]] 6) Quarterly distribution of number of people served by CWS by mean THM concentration [[br]] [[br]] __Mean Haloacetic Acid Levels for Utah__ [[br]] 7) Yearly distribution of number of CWS by mean haloacetic acid (HAA5) concentration [[br]] 8) Yearly distribution of number of people served by CWS by mean HAA5 concentration [[br]] [[br]] __Maximum Haloacetic Acid Levels for Utah__ [[br]] 9) Yearly distribution of number of CWS by maximum HAA5 concentration [[br]] 10) Yearly distribution of number of people served by CWS by maximum HAA5 concentration [[br]] [[br]] __Mean Haloacetic Acid Levels for Utah by Quarter__ [[br]] 11) Quarterly distribution of number of CWS by mean HAA5 concentration [[br]] 12) Quarterly distribution of number of people served by CWS by mean HAA5 concentration

Numerator

Counts of community water systems (CWS) by year, number of people served by a CWS by year, counts of CWS per quarter, and number of people served by a CWS per quarter.

Denominator

Not applicable.

Data Interpretation Issues

A community water system (CWS) is a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. The current measures are derived for CWS only. Transient non-community water systems, which are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), may also be an important source of disinfection byproducts (DBP) exposure. Measures do not account for the variability in sampling, numbers of sampling repeats, and variability within systems. Concentrations in drinking water cannot be directly converted to exposure because water consumption varies by climate, level of physical activity, and between people (EPA 2004). Due to errors in estimating populations, the measures may overestimate or underestimate the number of affected people. (Modified from the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network [NEPHTN] Nationally Consistent Data and Measures [NCDM] DBP indicator document, version 4) The Safe Drinking Water Act compliance data include only a handful of the hundreds of known disinfection byproducts, most of which occur in chemical classes other than trihalomethanes (THM) and haoacetic acids (HAA) (Weinberg et al. 2002). While compliance sampling for THMs and HAAs are directed at the DBPs thought to be the most commonly produced by chlorination, non-regulated DBP exist even among the THMs and HAAs. (Modified from the NEPHTN NCDM DBP indicator document, version 4) Concern has also been expressed about iodinated THMs and HAAs which, while present in lower concentrations than the brominated and chlorinated THMs, are thought to be toxic at lower doses (e.g. Plewa et al. 2004). THMs and HAAs may not be the most comprehensive indicators of DBP levels in water, because alternative disinfection methods produce different DBPs and may result in high levels of these unregulated DBPs. Little is known about the quantitative occurrence of these DBPs in the distribution system (Richardson et al. 2002, Krasner et al. 2006). While the health effects of different DBPs may vary, with some suspected to be hazardous, few have been characterized for their effects on human health (Woo et al. 2002). (Modified from the NEPHTN NCDM DBP indicator document, version 4) DBP levels vary seasonally. Quarterly samples may not capture maximum levels and may not even adequately reflect short term levels. Therefore, they may be inadequate for estimating exposure during critical periods of a pregnancy which may be as short as two to three weeks, especially if peak exposure matters more than average exposure. Furthermore, these fluctuations make it difficult to characterize levels with a single number, such as an annual average, and thus pose challenges to the development of meaningful synopses of patterns and trends. (Modified from the NEPHTN NCDM DBP indicator document, version 4)

Why Is This Important?

People drink and use water every day. The majority of Americans are provided with high quality drinking water. About 90% of people in the U.S. (262 million in 2006) get their water from a community water system (CWS) versus a smaller water supply such as a household well. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets regulations for treating and monitoring drinking water delivered by CWS. Currently, there are water quality standards and monitoring requirements for over 90 contaminants. Drinking water protection programs play a critical role in ensuring high quality drinking water and protecting the public's health. Because people drink and use water every day, contaminants in drinking water have the potential to affect many people. The number of people served by a CWS varies from at least 25 people to hundreds of thousands. CWS in the U.S. provide among the highest quality drinking water in the world. However, some contaminants are present at low levels, and it is still possible that drinking water can become contaminated at higher levels. If a person is exposed to a high enough level of a contaminant, they may become ill. Effects can be seen by the duration (time) of the exposure. Short-term or long-term effects depend on the specific contaminant, the level of contaminant in the water, and the person's individual susceptibility. As additional information is obtained about how specific contaminants affect public health, standards may change in order to better protect public health. In order to ensure the public's safety with regards to drinking water, community water suppliers treat their water with several products including: chlorine, ozone, chlorine dioxide, ultraviolet light, etc. These products that are used to kill pathogens, however, sometimes react with naturally-occurring organic matter, and create disinfection byproducts (DBPs). DBPs for which the EPA has created standards include: total trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacetic acids (HAA5), bromate, and chlorite. Although the risk of illness from drinking water that has not been disinfected is much higher than illness from DBPs, some increased health risks do occur from consumption of DBPs. Consumption (through inhalation, ingestion, and absorption through the skin) at high levels over a long period of time has been shown to increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. Rectal and colon cancer along with problems involving the liver, kidney, and nervous system have also been shown to have a correlation with those who have been exposed to DBPs over a long period of time. DBPs are formed when disinfectants are used to inactivate microbial contaminants in water and react with materials, primarily organic matter, in the water. Several hundred DBPs in over a dozen chemical classes have been identified. (Modified from the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (NEPHTN) Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM) DBP indicator document, version 4). DPB levels tend to be highest in water derived from surface sources because ground water generally has little organic matter. Ground water can, however, produce relatively high levels of the more brominated DBPs when the water, due to either geological circumstances or salt water intrusion in coastal areas, has elevated levels of bromide. (Modified from the NEPHTN NCDM DBP indicator document, version 4).