Parasites Home > Healthy Drinking Water > Value of Tap Water
Health on Tap: The Value of Tap Water
 |
 |
|
The availability of tap water is an important part of daily life in the United States. |
|
|
- Public health protection and quality of life
- Fire protection
- Support for the economy
Water for Life
Clean drinking water is one of the world’s most precious resources. Before the 1900s, we really didn’t have an effective means for mass disinfection of drinking water. Consequently, waterborne diseases, such as typhoid and cholera, were common and deadly in the United States. (1) Unfortunately, this is still the situation that exists in much of the world today. An estimated 1.1 billion persons still lack access to an improved potable water source,* and approximately 3 million people in developing regions of the world die each year from infectious diseases related to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation. (2)
 |
|
| Clean drinking water is one of the world’s most precious resources. | |
|
|
During the past century, much of the improved health and prosperity of the U.S. population can be attributed to improvements in water quality. In fact, the provision of safe drinking water and drinking water fluoridation have been called two of the greatest public health achievements in the 20th century. (3-5) Today, we generally assume our tap water is safe and healthy and we take for granted that safe water is always available to drink, to wash our clothes, to water our lawns, and to use for many other tasks that improve the overall quality of life we enjoy. Yet, water service interruptions do occur, reminding us of the value of water resources and services. Similarly, waterborne diseases also occur in this country. An estimated 4 million to 33 million cases of gastrointestinal illness associated with public drinking water systems occur annually. (6) However, these estimates are imprecise and do not include illness in the estimated 45 million people served by small or individual water systems (7, 8) or illness other than gastrointestinal illness. New challenges, including the emergence of chlorine-resistant pathogens, chemical contamination of water sources, aging water distribution system infrastructure, and increasing water reuse demand that we remain vigilant in protecting all aspects of our water supply.
Water-related activities throughout CDC address the relationship between water and public health from various perspectives. These efforts include reducing the adverse health effects from contaminated drinking water and recreational water, strengthening waterborne disease outbreak surveillance and investigations, supporting water-related programs at local and state health departments, and addressing bioterrorism concerns related to waterborne pathogens. Additionally, CDC provides technical assistance in water fluoridation practice in the United States. Fluoridation of community drinking water is a major factor responsible for the decline of tooth decay in the US population.(5) Internationally, CDC is working to improve access to safe water and basic sanitation. More information about healthy drinking water and CDC’s efforts in this area can be found at the following websites:
- Health Topic: Water Quality
- Healthy Drinking Water
- Water-Related Environmental Public Health
- Water-Related Diseases
- Water Fluoridation
- Surveillance for Waterborne Disease and Outbreaks Associated with Drinking Water and Water not Intended for Drinking – United States, 2003-2004
- CDC’s efforts to improve access to safe water and basic sanitation around the world
- Safe Water System (SWS)
- Water Plus/Aqua y Mas available at Environmental Health Office of Global Health.
Water for Safety
|
 |
|
Municipal drinking water supplies also help protect against fires. |
|
|
Water systems that provide sufficient volumes of water at high pressure are critical for fire fighting and are vital for community protection and development. National Drinking Water Week is an occasion to remember the important role that tap water service plays in protecting the public against fires.
For more information about CDC’s role in preventing fire deaths and injuries visit Fire Deaths and Injuries: CDC Activities.
Water for Jobs
 |
|
| Tap water is a vital component for day-to-day business operations. | |
|
|
Tap water is critical for the daily operation of businesses and for the viability of new commercial and residential developments. Entrepreneurs and employers must consider the availability and quality of water supplies when determining where to locate such income-generating enterprises as stores, restaurants, offices, manufacturing facilities, and housing developments. In the year 2000, community water systems delivered an average of nearly 1,700 gallons of water per day to each nonresidential customer, compared to approximately 325 gallons per day to each household. In total, nonresidential customers consumed an estimated 34% of the water delivered by community water systems (excluding wholesale deliveries).(13) Therefore, tap water supplies support businesses and jobs and are essential for the economic success of our communities. For more information about public drinking water systems, visit the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Drinking Water Systems Programs website.
Water for All
|
 |
|
Children collecting water in Sierra Leone. |
|
|
National Drinking Water Week is the perfect occasion to reflect on how safe, reliable water supplies are central to our lives and to our communities and to emphasize water resources stewardship. We often take our water resources for granted and are reminded of their importance only when supplies are compromised, such as during droughts or when water mains break. Other broad societal issues also impact the availability of fresh water, including the deterioration of ground water and surface water quality, competition for water between different segments of society (for example, between agricultural, industrial, and domestic users), and even social and financial barriers limiting access to water. (14)
While approximately three quarters of the earth is covered by water, only a small proportion of it is available as fresh water. Of the available fresh water supplies, nearly 70% is withdrawn and used for irrigation to produce food – and the demand just keeps growing.(15) Many regions of the world are chronically short of water.(14) At present, 1.1 billion people have little choice but to use potentially harmful sources of water, and 2.6 billion people – half the developing world – lack access to adequate sanitation.(16) By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with an absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population may be under stress conditions. This situation will only worsen as rapidly growing urban areas place heavy pressure on neighboring water supplies. (14)
Managing our water resources is a growing concern in the United States. Communities across the country are beginning to be challenged by water supply and infrastructure problems. Source water protection, new technologies like water reuse, and water conservation are important components in the effort to meet community water supply needs, now and in the future. Water consumers play an important role in conserving our water resources. According to a 1999 study by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation, the average daily indoor water use per person in America was 59.8 gallons. (17) We use more than ten times the minimum daily per capita water consumption recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking, cooking, and personal and domestic hygiene (20 liters or 5.3 gallons per day). (18) Even more concerning, this is just the amount of water we use inside the home and does not include outdoor water use for lawns and gardens, which adds an additional 100 gallons per person per day. (17)
Households can take simple steps to conserve water:
- Water your yard wisely. Some estimates indicate that more than 50% of the water used for residential and commercial irrigation is wasted due to evaporation, runoff, or over-watering. Water early in the morning or late at night when it is cooler to reduce excess evaporation and don’t over-water. Test your lawn by stepping on the grass; if it springs back, it doesn’t need watering. (19)
- Fix leaks. Faucets leaking one drop of water per second can waste up to 7 gallons of water each day and leaky toilets can waste up to 200 gal2lons of water each day. (0)
- Turn off faucets. Washing dishes by hand with the tap running can use 30 gallons of water, compared to 5 gallons if you fill the sink instead. Bathroom faucets generally flow at about 2 gallons per minute. Simply by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving, you can save more than 500 gallons of water per month. (21)
- Choose to shower rather than bathe. A bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water to fill, while a five-minute shower requires about 10 to 25 gallons. (20)
- Use water-efficient fixtures. If all US households installed water-efficient appliances, we would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $17 billion each year. (22) One high-efficiency toilet in the home would save a family of four about $1,000 over 10 years. (20)
- Make it a full load. Run washing machines and dishwashers with full loads, rather than with multiple small loads, and consider water and energy efficiency when purchasing new machines. High-efficiency washing machines can use less than 27 gallons of water per load, compared to average washing machines that use almost 41 gallons per load. (20) High-efficiency dishwashers use 6-10 gallons of water per load (some as little as 3.7 gallons), compared to average dishwashers that use 9-12 gallons per load. (23)
For more information about how to manage water wisely, visit:
Find Your Water Utility
Do you know where your tap water comes from? Do you know your water utility and the quality of water it provides? Water utility companies are required to provide Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), sometimes called Water Quality Reports, to their customers each year. The CCR provides information on the substances found in the water and shows whether the levels of these substances are above the levels recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To find more information about public drinking water in general and about your local drinking water CCR, visit:
- Drinking Water Contaminants
- National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
- Local Drinking Water Information
- Consumer Confidence Reports
- State Environmental Agencies
- State Departments of Health
References
1McGuire MJ. Eight revolutions in the history of US drinking water disinfection. Journal AWWA. March 2006;98(3):123-149.
2Hutton G, Haller L. Evaluation of the costs and benefits of water and sanitation improvements at the global level. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2004. Available at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/en/wsh0404.pdf.
3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ten great public health achievements—United States, 1990–1999. MMWR Weekly Report 1999;48(12):241-3. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm.
4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Achievements in public health, 1900–1999: control of infectious diseases. MMWR 1999; 48(29):621-629. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4829a1.htm.
5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Achievements in public health, 1900–1999: fluoridation of drinking water to prevent dental caries. MMWR 1999; 48(41):933-940. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4841a1.htm.
6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2006 national estimate of waterborne disease associated with public drinking water. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/healthywater/estimate.htm.
7US Environmental Protection Agency. Private drinking water wells. Available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/index2.html.
8US Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the population for the United States, regions, and states and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (NST-EST2006-01). Available at http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html.
9Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Metropolitan Boston’s water system history. Aug. 9, 2006. Available at http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/hist1.htm.
10New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. A partial history of public water systems. 1999. Available at http://www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/ws/ws-16-2.htm.
11Seattle.gov. Seattle Public Utilities – water system history. Available at http://www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/Water_System/History_&_Overview
/WATERSYST_200312020908156.asp.
12The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco. The high pressure water system. Available at http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/hpfs.html.
13US Environmental Protection Agency. 2000 community water system survey. Volume 1: Overview. December 2002. Available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cwssvr.html.
14UN-Water. Coping with water scarcity: UN-Water thematic initiative. August 2006. Available at: http://www.unwater.org/wwd2007.html.
15UN-Water. World Water Day 2007 official brochure. Available at: http://www.unwater.org/wwd07/campaign.html.
16World Health Organization. Meeting the MDG drinking water and sanitation target: a mid-term assessment of progress. Available at: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp2004/en/.
17American Water Works Association. Residential end uses of water. American Water Works Association Research Foundation. Denver, CO. Ed. 2000.
18World Health Organization. Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Volume 1: Recommendations.Third Edition. Geneva. 2004.
19US Environmental Protection Agency. Outdoor water use in the United States. April 2, 2007. Available at http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/pubs/outdoor.htm.
20US Environmental Protection Agency. Simple steps to save water. April 2, 2007. Available at http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/simple.htm.
21US Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor water use in the United States. April 2, 2007. Available at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.htm.
22US Environmental Protection Agency. Benefits of water efficiency. April 2, 2007. Available at http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/benefits.htm.
23 Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Water-efficient appliances and fixtures. November 9, 2006. Available at http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/lctoilet.htm .
*Potable water that is supplied through a household connection, public standpipe, borehole well, protected dug well, protected spring, or rain water collection.
Division of Parasitic Diseases
Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services
Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects
Office of Global Health NCEH/ATSDR
Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne, and Enteric Diseases
National Center for Environmental Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.