Whether your drinking water system depends on a "ground water source" (well) or a "surface water source" (streams, rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, etc.), it faces many threats to the quality and quantity of water it can supply.
Threats are those conditions, which would affect people's health, if the water is used for drinking, cooking and general hygiene purposes and could be either a quality issue or quantity issue. Threats to your drinking water system may be either "man made" or naturally occurring.
Naturally occurring drinking water threats, including bottled water, may include small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water. The natural constituents of water that may affect its suitability for drinking and other purposes most commonly found in groundwater are dissolved solids, calcium carbonate, and iron. Concentrations of chlorides and nitrates can also restrict use of water.
While tap water that meets federal and state standards it is generally safe to drink, yet threats to drinking water are increasing. Short-term disease outbreaks and water restrictions during droughts have demonstrated that we can no longer take our drinking water for granted.
Outside of the naturally occurring contaminants in water, other "man-made" threats can exist.
There can be deliberate introductions of biological contaminants like viruses, cysts, E. coli, and anthrax spores, as well as, some type of hazardous chemical compound threat.
Physical attacks against water companies can bring about threats to our waste treatment facilities, or reservoir dams.
For many years it was generally believed that the filtering capabilities of the soil protected groundwater from contamination by human activities on the surface.
But with the discovery in the 1970's of human-made organic chemicals in groundwater, we began to realize how extensively our activities could affect groundwater. In fact, in a nationwide study commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 65% of the private wells tested failed to meet at least one drinking water standard.
http://www.brodheadwatershed.org/drinkingwaterthreats.html
http://www.cyber-nook.com/water/Terrorism.html#threats
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/hfacts.html
Threats are those conditions, which would affect people's health, if the water is used for drinking, cooking and general hygiene purposes and could be either a quality issue or quantity issue. Threats to your drinking water system may be either "man made" or naturally occurring.
Naturally occurring drinking water threats, including bottled water, may include small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water. The natural constituents of water that may affect its suitability for drinking and other purposes most commonly found in groundwater are dissolved solids, calcium carbonate, and iron. Concentrations of chlorides and nitrates can also restrict use of water.
While tap water that meets federal and state standards it is generally safe to drink, yet threats to drinking water are increasing. Short-term disease outbreaks and water restrictions during droughts have demonstrated that we can no longer take our drinking water for granted.
Outside of the naturally occurring contaminants in water, other "man-made" threats can exist.
There can be deliberate introductions of biological contaminants like viruses, cysts, E. coli, and anthrax spores, as well as, some type of hazardous chemical compound threat.
Physical attacks against water companies can bring about threats to our waste treatment facilities, or reservoir dams.
For many years it was generally believed that the filtering capabilities of the soil protected groundwater from contamination by human activities on the surface.
But with the discovery in the 1970's of human-made organic chemicals in groundwater, we began to realize how extensively our activities could affect groundwater. In fact, in a nationwide study commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 65% of the private wells tested failed to meet at least one drinking water standard.
http://www.brodheadwatershed.org/drinkingwaterthreats.html
http://www.cyber-nook.com/water/Terrorism.html#threats
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/hfacts.html
Water Threats