Overview - Drinking Water Quality and Sustainability

Watson, Susan B.; Lawrence, John J.

doi:10.2166/wqrj.2003.002

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Although this study was limited to a single irrigation district -"LNID" -and one type of livestock farm family -feedlot farm families, the concern over water Water softener (24) pollution and public health observed among respondents is consistent with recent national and international data [5,[7][8][9]18]. It was observed that home water treatment devices are very popular among the respondents as a way to protect their water quality, even though most use LNID delivered treated irrigation water [26].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Therefore, the first priority for drinking water consumers must be not only to improve access to good quality water [7], but also to ensure microbial safety [8]. This "multi-barrier approach" to drinking water safety generally begins with source protection, followed by a systematic development, installation and evaluation of treatment technologies for contaminant removal and monitoring [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Farmstead drinking water sources, concerns and safety practices of livestock farm families in southern Alberta, Canada

Acharya

Kalischuk

Klein

et al. 2008

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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The province of Alberta, like other provinces in Canada, has made considerable progress in increasing supply of good quality water for domestic use and consumption. However, the quality of rural drinking water in southern Alberta has received considerable attention in recent years because of intensive agricultural activities, livestock density, floods and the highest incidence of E coli O157:H7 infection in the country. In fact relevant literature indicates that the region's water sources have high concentration levels of nitrate and/or coliform bacteria that exceed drinking water guidelines thus threatening the health of local farmers and residents. Little information is available on the farmstead drinking water safety practices of livestock farm families in southern Alberta so an inperson survey of feedlot farm families was carried out in Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID), one of the 13 irrigation districts located in southern Alberta. All respondents strongly agreed that access to safe and clean drinking water is essential for human and animal health and performance and they indicated that they use multiple water sources to avoid health problems. Other drinking water safety practices included the use of bottled water and/or home water treatment technologies for human consumption and the use of LNID monitored irrigation water for feedlot operations and gardens. Regarding the type of home water treatment technology used, a majority (over 70%) used filtered water for cooking, drinking and washing. Only 9% used the city water supply for domestic purposes and 6% depended on the LNID water supply. It was interesting to note that 66% were concerned about their local water source and 67% were concerned about waterborne illnesses and 45% of respondents reported that they tested their water quality annually.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmstead drinking water sources, concerns and safety practices of livestock farm families in southern Alberta, Canada

Acharya

Kalischuk

Klein

et al. 2008

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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“…Of paramount concern is the quality of potable water, which has been described as one of the foremost challenges facing humans in the 21st century (Elimelech 2006). While Canada has an abundance of freshwater resources, Environment Canada has targeted 13 key threats to drinking water sources, one of the most serious being impacts from acidic deposition (Watson and Lawrence 2003). Acid-impacted water supplies are also of socio-economic concern due to the expense of changes to water treatment protocols, as well as health concerns from sulphate anions (Darbi et al 2003), aluminum (Gensemer andPlayle 1999, Barabasz et al 2002), and other toxic metals (e.g., mercury, cadmium, lead; Jeffries 1997, Grubert 2003.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking long-term acidification trends in Pockwock Lake (Halifax, Nova Scotia), the water supply for a major eastern Canadian city

Tropea

Ginn

Cumming

et al. 2007

Lake and Reservoir Management

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“…In the aftermath of several recent outbreaks of serious water-borne disease in Canada, there is a growing recognition of the need for a "source-to-tap" or multibarrier approach to the prevention and removal of hazardous contaminants and pathogens from drinking water (O'Connor, 2002;Hrudey, 2003;Park & Huck, 2003;Watson & Lawrence, 2003). In comparison to such serious health threats, some policymakers might regard drinking water taste-odor (T/O) as secondary.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic Taste and Odor: A Primary Signal of Drinking-Water Integrity

Watson¹

2004

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A

Self Cite

157

107

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Aquatic taste and odor (T/O) is rarely produced by toxic contaminants or pathogens; nevertheless, it has major negative impacts on the public and the drinking-water industry. Consumers use T/O as a primary measure of drinking water safety, yet this criterion is poorly understood, and its origins and triggers often go untraced. Much surface-water T/O is produced by the increased production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by algae. These chemicals can be symptomatic of short-term problems with source, treatment, or distribution systems. At a broader level, they can signify fundamental changes in aquatic ecosystems induced by human activity. T/O varies in chemistry, intensity, and production patterns among different algal taxa, and is often linked with excessive algal growth and/or the invasion of noxious species. Some VOCs may signal the presence of potentially toxic algae and/or other associated water quality issues. Traditionally, T/O has been linked with the widespread eutrophication of many surface waters; however, there has been a recent growth in the number of T/O events reported in oligo-mesotrophic systems, for example, the Glenmore Reservoir (Calgary AB) and the Laurentian Great Lakes. From a management and public perspective, therefore, it is vitally important to monitor T/O, and to continue to work toward a better understanding of the proximal and the ultimate causes-which VOCs and algae species are involved. In the short term, odor events could be anticipated and water treatment optimized. In the long term, this approach would contribute toward more a robust management of this resource through remedial or preventative measures.

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Overview - Drinking Water Quality and Sustainability

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

Farmstead drinking water sources, concerns and safety practices of livestock farm families in southern Alberta, Canada

Farmstead drinking water sources, concerns and safety practices of livestock farm families in southern Alberta, Canada

Tracking long-term acidification trends in Pockwock Lake (Halifax, Nova Scotia), the water supply for a major eastern Canadian city

Aquatic Taste and Odor: A Primary Signal of Drinking-Water Integrity

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