Global Environmental Health Research Gaps and Barriers for Providing Sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services: Workshop Summary (2009) / Chapter Skim
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2 Global Water Services: Short- and Long-Range Views
2 Global Water Services: Short- and Long-Range Views
Pages 7-16
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From page 7... ...
The situation may also differ if one lives in a community with a small water technology or a large urban one with a community water services system. Currently, there is a movement toward sustainable water services that incorporate technological, economic, and social aspects in a holistic manner.
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From page 8... ...
For example, of the 230 million people served by wastewater treatment facilities in the United States, more than 98.5 percent are served by systems that provide secondary treatment. Furthermore, an estimated 31 million pounds of pollutants have been kept from waterways in the past 35 years as a direct result of the Clean Water Act and its amendments; the EPA is expanding its efforts to include the impacts of nonpoint sources (water pollution from diffuse sources)
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From page 9... ...
Water Infrastructure: Asset or Emerging Threat The United States has an approximately 1.6 million miles of water pipeline, which allows approximately the entire nation to have direct access to high-quality and regulated drinking water. Yet many of these pipes are over 100 years old or far past their intended period of use; thus there is an increasing possibility of the presence of pathogens in the pipes that pose risks for vulnerable populations, such as elderly or immunocompromised people.
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Climate Change: Not Just an Energy Problem As the impacts of climate change become well recognized, areas in addition to energy production and transportation are being investigated to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases. The EPA and the National Water Program, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Ocean Dumping Act, and programs for the protection of coastlines and wetlands are being reviewed for modifications to mitigate climate change.
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From page 11... ...
Several government agencies plan to combine their efforts at multiple stages, from introduction into the waste stream to exposure to health impacts, in addition to creating new guidelines on disposal and water treatment for products disrupting endocrine function. To reach a sustainable water infrastructure, implementation of full-cost pricing, such as charging users a fee based on water usage, would cover the cost of the water and its infrastructure construction and maintenance.
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From page 12... ...
The miasmatic theory strongly influenced what became the first sanitary awakening in the United States between 1830 and 1880. In the United States prior to this time, residents of cities suffered from a range of diseases and a series of problems that could not be corrected by public action because the prevailing attitudes of the time were that private citizens were ultimately responsible for their water and waste.
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From page 13... ...
Owing to the availability of clean water, the use of unfiltered but fresh water for household purposes had a significant impact. This, however, was only a mechanistic or water transportation system, rather than an integrated drinking water delivery system with treatment technology.
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The bacteriological period saw the construction of major public works projects for both water distribution and sanitation. They were supported financially by public agencies and were intended to be permanent; the permanent nature of theses projects led to future limitations and diminished adaptability.
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From page 15... ...
Ultimately, however, a more ecological approach to sanitary service delivery led to greater attention to incorporating environmental concerns into new projects
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From page 16... ...
The original design never regarded the need to address environmental contamination that was not from a point source. Historic trends are critical to the current situation, as the infrastructure and limitations owing to public health and cultural ideas of sanitation have shaped the current path, making it difficult to change direction.
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