Page 10 - SPRING SUMMER 2020 FINAL 5.12.20_Neat

Spring/Summer 2020 Page 10

Health and Safety Information

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes
be expected to contain at least small amounts of some regulations, which limit the number of certain
contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not contaminants in water provided by public water
necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
information about contaminants and potential health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled
effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental water, which must provide the same protection for
Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800- public health.”
426-4791.
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and
bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds,
reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the
surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves
naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases,
radioactive material, and can pick up substances
resulting from the presence of animals or human
activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic
systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban
stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides can come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and
residential uses.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, are by-products of industrial processes
and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, can be occur naturally or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Water and COVID-19 FAQs Continued from page 6

The risk of transmission of the virus that causes COVID- wastewater. These include
19 from the feces of an infected person is also unknown. using engineering and
However, the risk is expected to be low based on data administrative controls, safe
from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such work practices,
as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle and PPE normally required
East respiratory syndrome (MERS). There has been no for work tasks when handling
confirmed fecal-oral transmission of COVID-19 to date. untreated wastewater. No
additional COVID-19–specific
Should wastewater workers take extra precautions to
protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus? protections are recommended for employees involved in
wastewater management operations, including those at
Wastewater treatment plant operations should ensure wastewater treatment facilities.
workers follow routine practices to prevent exposure to