The Army is sampling drinking water outlets in Army Family Housing (AFH) units for lead as a proactive measure to protect children's health. This effort began in 2013 and aims to test 20% of AFH units annually over five years. While Army installations meet regulatory water testing standards, routine tests do not require individual testing of all outlets. Testing specific outlets can help identify potential lead issues and inform policy. Elevated lead levels above 15 parts per billion will trigger corrective actions like providing alternative water or installing filters. The goal is to ensure children's safety through detailed information on housing unit water quality.
Bathing Waters - Measurement and modelling of coastal bathing water quality in Wales: do we need a radical new approach to regulation to deliver resilient coastal communities?
Bathing Waters - Measurement and modelling of coastal bathing water quality in Wales: do we need a radical new approach to regulation to deliver resilient coastal communities?
Well Water Groundwater Pennsylvania- Private Well Owners Manual- Our New Educ...Brian Oram
Pennsylvania Groundwater Quality: Your Private Well - A Guide to Drinking Water and Well Water Quality in Pennsylvania. The goal of this booklet is to help educate and inform citizens on issues related to water conservation, ensuring that private water supply systems produce safe drinking water for your family, protecting the long-term quality of our streams and drinking water sources, and helping you to understand the potential sources of pollution to our water resources. The booklet provides general information explaining certified water testing, chain-of-custody, and drinking water regulations and standards. It provides information related to the health (primary standards) or aesthetic (secondary standards) concerns for each parameter and provides information on water quality parameters that do not specifically have a drinking water limit. This reference is intended as a guide to understand water quality by providing guidance on selecting water quality testing parameters for baseline testing from a citizen's perspective and by serving as a tool to help interpret water quality data. In some cases, this document provides guidance on what actions you may want to consider.
Comments about the New Booklet (unsolicited)
Source: PA State Representative - " Your Guide very helpfully for me and my constituents who own private wells... and is an instructive guide to me as a policy maker as I strive to protect our water supply" (October 31, 2012).
For Slatington, PA - Yes- We received , thank you very much. The information is great! (December 2012).
WOW ! that was fast !! our son has moved in to his house at Harvey's Lake, read the book, and we both learned a lot (December 2012).
Happy new year! I received your package in the mail today. You have really developed a wonderful educational guide. I read the consent form as well and your idea is something I would really like to get behind. (January 2013)
Hydrofracturing and Its Impact on GroundwaterBrian Oram
2011 Private Well Symposium - The importance for Fixing Private Wells in Pennsylvania - The Marcellus Shale Factor-Concurrent Session 3: Hydrofracturing and Its Impact on Groundwater
WHAT’S IN YOUR WATERPreviousNextWe take for granted the water.docxphilipnelson29183
WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER?
PreviousNext
We take for granted the water we use to brush our teeth, wash our clothes and keep our lawns green. However, water is an extremely limited resource on the planet and we need to conserve and protect it from pollution. Today you will learn how the levels of chemicals (natural and added) are measured in different sources of water and learn whether they are a danger to your health.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this laboratory you will learn:
· To identify what factors can contribute to water quality
· To use negative and positive controls to validate experimental results
· To use laboratory techniques to test for the presence of chemicals/molecules in our water
· To find other resources of information on water quality
ACTIVITIES
What you will do in lab today-
· Each pair of students will choose a sample of water to test
· Each pair of students will perform assays on their water sample to determine whether it contains iron, chlorine, ammonia, calcium or magnesium, nitrates and oxygen
· Each pair will report their results on their water sample
ASSESSMENTS
· Lab report (75): This is your first lab report of the semester – make sure you read the resources on writing a lab report and use the rubric – you can link to those here.
INTRODUCTION
PreviousNext
Water is a chemical (H2O) that all life depends on. It makes up about 60% of the human body and our cells and organ systems are dependent on its unique characteristics. It is an important solvent, which means that many things dissolve into it (see below for a short list). For example, table salt easily dissolves in water. Also, water naturally has a pH of 7, but when other chemicals are present the pH can change. When pH decreases, we call that acidic.
As human population grow, so do their needs for, including their need for water. Many researchers believe that in the next 20 years over half the world’s population will have a shortage of potable or drinkable water. Despite the fact that 75% of the surface of earth is covered in water, 97% is salt water in the oceans and another 2% is frozen in glaciers, leaving us with less than 1% to use. Scientists hope to develop methods to increase potable water using desalination techniques, but in the meantime we have to take care not to contaminate or pollute our current drinkable water sources.
Toxins in the water are absorbed or consumed by primary producers and primary consumers – those “low”on the food chain – like bacteria, algae, protists and invertebrates. As toxins are transferred “up the food chain” or from one trophic level to the next, they are concentrated and become even more toxic to the organism. This phenomenon is called bioaccumulation or biologic magnification (Figure 1). This is one reason that humans need to be concerned about pollution in natural rivers and lakes in addition to our public drinking water.
Figure 1. Bioaccumulation or biomagnification. The accumulation of a chemical (in this case the + s.
Palm bay Utilities Annual Drinking Water Report - 2011Jason Yarborough
An innovative publication initiated by Jason Yarborough, Palm Bay Utilities Director, to present the annual drinking water quality report highlighting the utilities department’s annual achievements and providing an economic development tool.
Test strips, Colorimeters, and test reagents are typically fast and easy to use for testing your pool water. You want them to produce results that are sensitive, accurate, and reliable. With accurate results you can simplify the maintenance of swimming pools and spas, which makes your customers happy. This leaves more time to sell your skills to new customers; and word will spread that you know how to keep a sparkling clean pool.
Getting the Waters Tested - The Marcellus Shale Factor (Private Wells)Brian Oram
Presentation related to private wells and baseline groundwater quality in NEPA. Also an introduction into the citizen groundwawter and surfacewater database.
Safe Drinking Water Act How Safe is My Drinking WaterMichael Klein
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards. This presentation provides an overview of the SDWA.
Running Head WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION1WATER QUALITY A.docxtoltonkendal
Running Head: WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION 1
WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION 7
Water Quality and Contamination
Brenda Rouse
SCI 207: Our Dependence upon the Environment
Instructor: Haleh Keshtkar
Date: August 17, 2017
Water Quality and Contamination
Introduction
Water is one of the most important factors for any animal’s survival (Teixeira, De Azevedo, Mendl, Cipreste, & Young, 2007). One could go for days without food, but could not last the same time without water. Therefore, everyone is often vulnerable to harmful organisms in the water, particularly when he or she is desperate enough for it. Notably, although about seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water, a significant population of people does not have access to clean drinking water (Arheimer, 2016). In response to the demand, the government often avails alternatives to its citizens in the form of tap water, while investors make a more ambitious plan in providing bottled water.
Like any other business, the bottled water investors often seek to make a profit. On the other hand, tap water also comes at a price since the government running the program needs funds to maintain the purification and delivery systems (Whelton et al., 2015). Therefore, it is necessary that the consumers understand whether they get enough value for their money, based on the differences in prices of the different water sources. This experiment hopes to provide, with certainty, the differences between some of the most common sources of water in the household. Since its quality determines the price of a product, the differences in quality, in this case, will be based on the level of contamination.
If Dasani, Fiji, and tap water were tested for mineral components, then tap water would have the highest concentration of minerals, followed by Dasani, while Fiji would contain the least concentration of minerals. The difference would result from the fact that tap water goes through drainage pipes, which could at times be corroded, which adds to the minerals present in the water that could be absent in the Fiji and Dasani water (Dolnicar, Hurlimann, & Grün, 2014). Compared to Fiji, Dasani has more contaminants since I can often taste the minerals when I use the water.
Materials and Methods
To test for the presence of contaminants, different materials were necessary for recording and collection of the water utilized for the test process. We put the test strips in the water for duration of 5, 30, or 45 seconds determining which test was used and compared the strips to the chart after removing them from the water. This was repeated for the ammonia, phosphate, 4 in 1, iron and chloride tests. The charts provided a scale which would then determine the concentration of the iron in either of the Dasani, Fiji, and tap water samples. We then recorded the results on a table for each of the tests. The PH test included the use of jiffy juice, whose 5 ml was added to 25 ml of each of the water ...
Well Water Groundwater Pennsylvania- Private Well Owners Manual- Our New Educ...Brian Oram
Pennsylvania Groundwater Quality: Your Private Well - A Guide to Drinking Water and Well Water Quality in Pennsylvania. The goal of this booklet is to help educate and inform citizens on issues related to water conservation, ensuring that private water supply systems produce safe drinking water for your family, protecting the long-term quality of our streams and drinking water sources, and helping you to understand the potential sources of pollution to our water resources. The booklet provides general information explaining certified water testing, chain-of-custody, and drinking water regulations and standards. It provides information related to the health (primary standards) or aesthetic (secondary standards) concerns for each parameter and provides information on water quality parameters that do not specifically have a drinking water limit. This reference is intended as a guide to understand water quality by providing guidance on selecting water quality testing parameters for baseline testing from a citizen's perspective and by serving as a tool to help interpret water quality data. In some cases, this document provides guidance on what actions you may want to consider.
Comments about the New Booklet (unsolicited)
Source: PA State Representative - " Your Guide very helpfully for me and my constituents who own private wells... and is an instructive guide to me as a policy maker as I strive to protect our water supply" (October 31, 2012).
For Slatington, PA - Yes- We received , thank you very much. The information is great! (December 2012).
WOW ! that was fast !! our son has moved in to his house at Harvey's Lake, read the book, and we both learned a lot (December 2012).
Happy new year! I received your package in the mail today. You have really developed a wonderful educational guide. I read the consent form as well and your idea is something I would really like to get behind. (January 2013)
Hydrofracturing and Its Impact on GroundwaterBrian Oram
2011 Private Well Symposium - The importance for Fixing Private Wells in Pennsylvania - The Marcellus Shale Factor-Concurrent Session 3: Hydrofracturing and Its Impact on Groundwater
WHAT’S IN YOUR WATERPreviousNextWe take for granted the water.docxphilipnelson29183
WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER?
PreviousNext
We take for granted the water we use to brush our teeth, wash our clothes and keep our lawns green. However, water is an extremely limited resource on the planet and we need to conserve and protect it from pollution. Today you will learn how the levels of chemicals (natural and added) are measured in different sources of water and learn whether they are a danger to your health.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this laboratory you will learn:
· To identify what factors can contribute to water quality
· To use negative and positive controls to validate experimental results
· To use laboratory techniques to test for the presence of chemicals/molecules in our water
· To find other resources of information on water quality
ACTIVITIES
What you will do in lab today-
· Each pair of students will choose a sample of water to test
· Each pair of students will perform assays on their water sample to determine whether it contains iron, chlorine, ammonia, calcium or magnesium, nitrates and oxygen
· Each pair will report their results on their water sample
ASSESSMENTS
· Lab report (75): This is your first lab report of the semester – make sure you read the resources on writing a lab report and use the rubric – you can link to those here.
INTRODUCTION
PreviousNext
Water is a chemical (H2O) that all life depends on. It makes up about 60% of the human body and our cells and organ systems are dependent on its unique characteristics. It is an important solvent, which means that many things dissolve into it (see below for a short list). For example, table salt easily dissolves in water. Also, water naturally has a pH of 7, but when other chemicals are present the pH can change. When pH decreases, we call that acidic.
As human population grow, so do their needs for, including their need for water. Many researchers believe that in the next 20 years over half the world’s population will have a shortage of potable or drinkable water. Despite the fact that 75% of the surface of earth is covered in water, 97% is salt water in the oceans and another 2% is frozen in glaciers, leaving us with less than 1% to use. Scientists hope to develop methods to increase potable water using desalination techniques, but in the meantime we have to take care not to contaminate or pollute our current drinkable water sources.
Toxins in the water are absorbed or consumed by primary producers and primary consumers – those “low”on the food chain – like bacteria, algae, protists and invertebrates. As toxins are transferred “up the food chain” or from one trophic level to the next, they are concentrated and become even more toxic to the organism. This phenomenon is called bioaccumulation or biologic magnification (Figure 1). This is one reason that humans need to be concerned about pollution in natural rivers and lakes in addition to our public drinking water.
Figure 1. Bioaccumulation or biomagnification. The accumulation of a chemical (in this case the + s.
Palm bay Utilities Annual Drinking Water Report - 2011Jason Yarborough
An innovative publication initiated by Jason Yarborough, Palm Bay Utilities Director, to present the annual drinking water quality report highlighting the utilities department’s annual achievements and providing an economic development tool.
Test strips, Colorimeters, and test reagents are typically fast and easy to use for testing your pool water. You want them to produce results that are sensitive, accurate, and reliable. With accurate results you can simplify the maintenance of swimming pools and spas, which makes your customers happy. This leaves more time to sell your skills to new customers; and word will spread that you know how to keep a sparkling clean pool.
Getting the Waters Tested - The Marcellus Shale Factor (Private Wells)Brian Oram
Presentation related to private wells and baseline groundwater quality in NEPA. Also an introduction into the citizen groundwawter and surfacewater database.
Safe Drinking Water Act How Safe is My Drinking WaterMichael Klein
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards. This presentation provides an overview of the SDWA.
Running Head WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION1WATER QUALITY A.docxtoltonkendal
Running Head: WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION 1
WATER QUALITY AND CONTAMINATION 7
Water Quality and Contamination
Brenda Rouse
SCI 207: Our Dependence upon the Environment
Instructor: Haleh Keshtkar
Date: August 17, 2017
Water Quality and Contamination
Introduction
Water is one of the most important factors for any animal’s survival (Teixeira, De Azevedo, Mendl, Cipreste, & Young, 2007). One could go for days without food, but could not last the same time without water. Therefore, everyone is often vulnerable to harmful organisms in the water, particularly when he or she is desperate enough for it. Notably, although about seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water, a significant population of people does not have access to clean drinking water (Arheimer, 2016). In response to the demand, the government often avails alternatives to its citizens in the form of tap water, while investors make a more ambitious plan in providing bottled water.
Like any other business, the bottled water investors often seek to make a profit. On the other hand, tap water also comes at a price since the government running the program needs funds to maintain the purification and delivery systems (Whelton et al., 2015). Therefore, it is necessary that the consumers understand whether they get enough value for their money, based on the differences in prices of the different water sources. This experiment hopes to provide, with certainty, the differences between some of the most common sources of water in the household. Since its quality determines the price of a product, the differences in quality, in this case, will be based on the level of contamination.
If Dasani, Fiji, and tap water were tested for mineral components, then tap water would have the highest concentration of minerals, followed by Dasani, while Fiji would contain the least concentration of minerals. The difference would result from the fact that tap water goes through drainage pipes, which could at times be corroded, which adds to the minerals present in the water that could be absent in the Fiji and Dasani water (Dolnicar, Hurlimann, & Grün, 2014). Compared to Fiji, Dasani has more contaminants since I can often taste the minerals when I use the water.
Materials and Methods
To test for the presence of contaminants, different materials were necessary for recording and collection of the water utilized for the test process. We put the test strips in the water for duration of 5, 30, or 45 seconds determining which test was used and compared the strips to the chart after removing them from the water. This was repeated for the ammonia, phosphate, 4 in 1, iron and chloride tests. The charts provided a scale which would then determine the concentration of the iron in either of the Dasani, Fiji, and tap water samples. We then recorded the results on a table for each of the tests. The PH test included the use of jiffy juice, whose 5 ml was added to 25 ml of each of the water ...
Similar to FAQ: Lead sampling in Army Family Housing Units (20)
A “suspicious odor” reported this morning at the Cody Child Development Center on the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall has led to the relocation of the center’s children to another portion of the center as JBM-HH Fire and Rescue services investigate.
A “suspicious odor” reported this morning at the Cody Child Development Center on the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall has led to the relocation of the center’s children to another portion of the center as JBM-HH Fire and Rescue services investigate.
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
What is the point of small housing associations.pptxPaul Smith
Given the small scale of housing associations and their relative high cost per home what is the point of them and how do we justify their continued existance
This session provides a comprehensive overview of the latest updates to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly known as the Uniform Guidance) outlined in the 2 CFR 200.
With a focus on the 2024 revisions issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), participants will gain insight into the key changes affecting federal grant recipients. The session will delve into critical regulatory updates, providing attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and comply with the evolving landscape of federal grant management.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the rationale behind the 2024 updates to the Uniform Guidance outlined in 2 CFR 200, and their implications for federal grant recipients.
- Identify the key changes and revisions introduced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the 2024 edition of 2 CFR 200.
- Gain proficiency in applying the updated regulations to ensure compliance with federal grant requirements and avoid potential audit findings.
- Develop strategies for effectively implementing the new guidelines within the grant management processes of their respective organizations, fostering efficiency and accountability in federal grant administration.
Presentation by Jared Jageler, David Adler, Noelia Duchovny, and Evan Herrnstadt, analysts in CBO’s Microeconomic Studies and Health Analysis Divisions, at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Conference.
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
1. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND (IMCOM)
LEAD SAMPLING IN ARMY FAMILY HOUSING UNITS
Q. Why is the Army sampling the water for lead now?
A. This sampling effort is a continuation of the effort begun in 2013 to ensure that the
Army is being as protective as possible of the children in its care. The Army’s
installations are in compliance with regulations for testing for lead in drinking water.
However, the regular water sampling conducted at Army installations in accordance
with Federal, State, and Local standards does not require 100% sampling of Army
Family Housing (AFH) units. Because exposure to lead, even at low levels, may
cause developmental issues in children ages 6 years old and under, the Army is
proactively conducting this additional sampling in an abundance of caution.
This sampling effort will give the Army more detailed information about the status of
the drinking water in Army Family Housing, facilitate the correction of any issues that
are discovered, and guide policy discussions regarding whether or not to develop
additional testing standards.
Q. What prompted the Army to do this testing?
A. The Army began this effort in 2013 as a proactive response to information
suggesting water faucets used for drinking and food preparation at facilities where
children age six and under, who are a sensitive population, could receive a
significant amount of drinking water be tested individually for lead. Although the
Army’s installations are in compliance with regulations for testing for lead in drinking
water, the routine water sampling conducted in accordance with Federal, State, and
Local standards does not require additional site-specific testing at child development
centers, youth centers and schools. Based on the suggested safeguard for this
sensitive population, the Army surveyed its installations regarding their policies for
testing the facilities. Although the majority of the installations do test drinking water
at child development centers, youth centers and schools, the Army found that there
was no standard sampling procedure in place for these facilities and that records
were incomplete regarding sampling and response measures taken when lead in
drinking water was above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recommended level.
Recently, the Army made the decision to include AFH units in this ongoing sampling
effort. 100% of Army Family Housing (AFH) units will be sampled for the presence
of lead in drinking water over the next five years. The goal is to sample no less than
20% of AFH units each year.
2. Q. Is this sampling being done because of what has occurred in Flint, MI?
A. No. The Army’s installations are in compliance with regulations for testing for lead
and numerous other regulated contaminants in drinking water. Water sampling is
conducted regularly at Army installations and reported to water system users in
accordance with Federal, State, and Local standards. This sampling is a
continuation of an effort begun by the Army in 2013. At that time the Army realized
there were no specific drinking water requirements to sample CDCs, schools, and
youth centers; places where children spend a lot of their time and may consume a
significant amount of drinking water. The lack of requirements in current drinking
water regulations for routine sampling of lead in water at these locations calls for the
development and implementation of a routine sampling program for testing drinking
water outlets (sinks and fountains) primarily used for consumption in facilities used
by children age six and under. The Army intends to continue sampling these
facilities on a routine basis, and recently included AFH units in this sampling effort.
Q. What is the difference between testing a public water supply and testing at
specific water outlets in AFH units?
A. Lead testing for public water systems under the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule is
aimed at identifying system-wide corrosion problems that could cause elevated
levels of lead in drinking water. For these tests samples are collected at many
locations known or likely to have leaded plumbing components such as older lead-
soldered copper plumbing (high-risk residences), throughout the public water
system. Results are analyzed for individual samples and if more than 10 percent of
all the samples exceed 15 ppb, system-wide corrosion control treatment may be
necessary.
For sampling of AFH units, the Army follows the EPA recommendation to collect
samples from any sinks used for food preparation or identified as a primary source
of drinking water. EPA recommends that any sink be taken out of service if the lead
level exceeds 20 ppb. However, based on recent research that identified drinking
water as an increasing contributor of lead exposure and more strongly links elevated
water lead levels to increased blood lead levels, the Army is using a more stringent
15 ppb lead level to determine if any water fountain or sink used for drinking or food
preparation will be taken out of service.
Both the 15 ppb action level for public water supply testing and the EPA
recommended level of 20 ppb (and the more stringent 15 ppb the Army is using) for
testing at child development centers, schools and AFH units are triggers for
treatment and/or corrective action to reduce lead levels in drinking water and to
prevent lead levels from elevating further.
3. Q. Is this testing different than regular drinking water testing?
A. Yes. This IMCOM lead testing initiative is a proactive Army effort and not required or
regulated by the EPA. The Army asked its experts at the U.S. Army Environmental
Command and the Army Public Health Center (Provisional) to develop the sampling
protocols. The sampling protocols are based on EPA recommendations and are
meant to target sinks and fountains where children get a large amount of their
drinking water. This will ensure that the samples accurately reflect the quality of the
water these children may actually consume.
Routine drinking water testing is typically conducted at many locations throughout
the water distribution system. Lead and Copper Rule testing samples high-risk
residences, but those do not usually include child development centers, youth
centers and schools and also do not include 100% of AFH units. Routine drinking
water testing and Lead and Copper Rule testing is required, as are the use of their
associated sampling protocols.
Q. If lead is found in the drinking water does that mean that the children in that
AFH unit are at risk?
A. Not necessarily, although the Army will take corrective action if lead levels exceed
15ppb in any of the samples taken. It is important to note that the EPA sets action
levels and recommended maximum levels for contaminants in drinking water with a
goal of identifying and correcting issues before negative health effects are
experienced. Exposure to lead above action levels can pose a potential health risk,
but whether or not an individual experiences any negative health effects depends on
many factors. If parents or guardians have any questions or concerns about
whether their children are experiencing negative health effects as a result of possible
lead exposure, they are encouraged to contact their child’s primary care provider.
Generally, clinics and pediatric providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) recommendations for lead screening and testing in children and infants.
Providers also have the benefit of considering information about the child’s medical
history, current health, and potential for exposure to other sources of lead when
making medical decisions and recommendations.
Q. How does lead get into drinking water?
A. Measures taken during the last two decades have greatly reduced exposures to lead
in tap water. These measures include actions taken under the requirements of the
1986, 1996, and 2011 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Lead and Copper Rule, and the
Department of Defense (DoD) Final Governing Standards (FGS), as applicable.
Even so, lead can enter the water through contact with the plumbing that carries it, a
process called leaching. Lead leaches into water through corrosion – a dissolving or
wearing-away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and plumbing
4. that contains lead. Lead can leach into water from pipes, solder, fixtures and
faucets (brass), and fittings. Lead can also be found in water in particulate (solid)
form that could become dislodged from pipes and be ingested. The amount of lead
in water also depends on factors such as the types and amounts of minerals in the
water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the
water’s acidity and its temperature.
Q. How do I know if tap water is contaminated with lead?
A. The only way to know whether tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You
cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water.
Q. How do I learn more about the safety of drinking water?
A. The EPA and Army Regulation (AR) 200-1 require all community water systems to
prepare and deliver an annual consumer confidence report (CCR) (sometimes called
an annual water quality report) for their customers by July 1 of each year.
The CCR summarizes information regarding the sources of water used (i.e., rivers,
lakes, reservoirs, or aquifers), any detected contaminants, compliance and
educational information. Some water suppliers post their CCRs on the EPA’s web
site. If your water supplier does not, you may request a copy by contacting them
directly.
Recommend each installation provide a link to their water system’s most recent CCR
here, as applicable.
Q. What are the potential negative health effects of lead exposure?
A. High levels of lead in tap water can cause negative health effects if the lead in the
water enters the bloodstream and causes an elevated blood lead level.
Risk will vary, however, depending upon the individual, the circumstances, and the
amount of water consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with
lead-contaminated water may be at a higher risk because of the large volume of
water they consume relative to their body size. Infants and children may be at a
higher risk of experiencing delays in their physical or mental development. Children
may show deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water
over many years may develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. (This is not
a comprehensive list of the potential health effects of lead exposure, but includes the
most common effects.)
5. Q. What type of water sampling is currently performed on a regular basis?
A. Community water systems regularly conduct bacterial and chemical sampling,
including lead, to ensure they are in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act
standards. Results showing exceedances during these samplings are included in
the consumer confidence report (CCR) each community water system is required to
publish annually.
Your water system is also sampled at multiple locations throughout the distribution
system to ensure that there is enough chlorine or disinfectant to sanitize the water
and to test for the presence of bacteria such as E.coli.
Q. If water sampling indicates an elevated level of lead in the water, what will be
done?
A. If lead is detected above 15 ppb in the drinking water from any sink or faucet
sampled in an AFH unit, occupants will either be provided with an alternate water
source for drinking and food preparation, or will have carbon filters installed at the
affected water outlet. Follow-up sampling will be conducted to identify the source of
the lead, appropriate corrective actions will be taken, and additional samples will be
collected to ensure that the corrective actions were successful.
Similarly, if a water system exceeds the 15 ppb action level under the Lead and
Copper Rule, the system must take corrective actions to reduce lead levels system-
wide. This usually involves installing or improving corrosion control treatment. It
takes about 2-3 weeks to receive validated results after the samples are collected.
Those results will be communicated in a timely manner to the staff and users of each
facility, whether or not there are any elevated lead levels.
If you have any questions about this water sampling effort, please contact {INSERT
garrison POC(s) (e.g., PAO, DPW/Environmental)} at (phone number) or (e-mail).
Please visit the following sites for additional information:
Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water (EPA):
https://safewater.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/202366328
http://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family#water
http://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-schools-and-child-care-facilities
Lead Home, Prevention Tips, Source of Lead, Water (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention):
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm