Benefits Of Safer Drinking Water

Nitrates in drinking water, which may come from nitrogen fertilizers applied to crops, are a potential health risk. This report evaluates the potential benefits of reducing human exposure to nitrates in the drinking water supply. In a survey, respondents were asked a series of questions about their willingness to pay for a hypothetical water filter, which would reduce their risk of nitrate exposure. If nitrates in the respondent's drinking water were to exceed the EPA minimum safety standard, they would be willing to pay $45 to $60, per household, per month, to reduce nitrates in their drinking water to the minimum safety standard. There are 2.9 million households in the four regions studied (White River area of Indiana, Central Nebraska, Lower Susquehanna, and Mid-Columbia Basin in Washington). If all households potentially at risk were protected from excessive nitrates in drinking water the estimated benefits would be $350 million.

Global water crisis is a challenge to the security, political stability and environmental sustainability of developing nations and with climate, economically and politically, induces migrations also for the developed ones. Currently, the urban population is 54% with prospects that by the end of 2050 and 2100 66% and 80%, respectively, of the world's population will live in urban environment. Untreated water abstracted from polluted resources and destructed ecosystems as well as discharge of untreated waste water is the cause of health problems and death for millions around the globe. Competition for water is wide among agriculture, industry, power companies and recreational tourism as well as nature habitats. Climate changes are a major threat to the water resources. This book intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in integrated assessment of water resource management in the urbanizing world, which is a foundation to develop society with secure water availability, food market stability and ecosystem preservation.

This volume describes the methods used in the surveillance of drinking water quality in the light of the special problems of small-community supplies, particularly in developing countries, and outlines the strategies necessary to ensure that surveillance is effective.

Small communities violate federal requirements for safe drinking water as much as three times more often than cities. Yet these communities often cannot afford to improve their water service. Safe Water From Every Tap reviews the risks of violating drinking water standards and discusses options for improving water service in small communities. Included are detailed reviews of a wide range of technologies appropriate for treating drinking water in small communities. The book also presents a variety of institutional options for improving the management efficiency and financial stability of water systems.