Safety public drinking water supplies

Safety IS the PRACTICAL CERTAINTY that injury will not result from a substance when used in the quantity and in the manner proposed for its use (I). The goal of all public health and water authorities is to assure that public drinking water supplies are safe, pure, and wholesome in the broadest sense, that is, free from contamination by substances of possible health concern as well as free from adulterants that would detract from the water quality and reduce acceptance by consumers. Not only should public water supplies be safe, but they should be perceived to be safe. 

M3 Safety Practices for Water Utilities. Valuable information on protecting the professionals that produce the supplies of high-quality drinking water, as well as the safeguarding of the general public from construction sites and operations, (order 30003)... 

A Safe drinking water has a major effect on public health and the spread of disease. In many parts of the world, the water supply is unsafe to drink. In the United States the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with maintaining water safety. 

In Turkey, in the city of Bursa, a study was carried out to assess the concentration of radon in 27 wells (mineral water) and 19 public supplies (tap water). It was observed that only 7 of the 27 wells exceeded the safety value recommended by the USEPA for drinking water (1 000 Bq/L) (Tarim et al., 2012) and for the others 20 wells the values ranged between 0.91 and 53.64 Bq/L. As expected, the results showed that tap water had lower radon concentration than the well water. In addition, the results from this study showed a correlation between radon concentration and the geological structure of this region (Tarim et al., 2012). 

The fluoride ion, at proper levels of intake, assists in the prevention of dental caries. When children under 9 years of age consume drinking water containing 1 part per million of fluorine, the teeth have fewer dental caries in childhood, adolescence, and throughout life. This has led to the fluoridation of water supplies in many countries. Fluoridation of water supplies to bring the concentration of fluoride to 1 ppm (one part of fluorine to a million parts of water) has proved to be safe, economical, and an efficient way to reduce tooth decay—a highly important public health measure in areas where natural water supplies do not contain this amount. Extensive medical and public health studies have clearly demonstrated the safety and nutritional advantages that result from fluoridation of water supplies. In communities in which fluoridation has been introduced, the incidence of tooth decay in children has been decreased by 50% or more. 

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