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Drinking Water Disinfection in the United States: Balancing Infectious Disease, Cancer and Costs, Market and Nonmarket Failures

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Managing Urban Water Supply

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 46))

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Abstract

Arguably, the most important public health improvement of the 20th century is the virtual elimination of the most deadly waterborne infectious diseases, such as cholera, through the treatment of drinking water (CDCP, 1999). But current treatment practices have not reduced health risks to zero. Recent studies indicate that waterborne infectious disease (WBID) — albeit less severe — remains more widespread in the U.S. than previously thought. On the other hand, the disinfection methods used in the U.S., most commonly chlorine species, produce a variety of disinfection by-products (DBPs), some of them carcinogenic. Addressing microbial risks by increasing disinfectant doses or longer exposure times will exacerbate the DBP problem. There are solutions that address both WBID and DBPs simultaneously, such as filtration, especially microfiltration and nanofiltration, or improved distribution operations and maintenance, but they also have their advantages and disadvantages, including higher costs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard University School of Public Health, USA

    Ronnie Levin

  2. University of California, Los Angeles, USA

    Mark A. R. Kleiman

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  1. Ronnie Levin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Donald E. Agthe (Consultant and retired Professor) (Consultant and retired Professor)

  2. Department of Economics, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    R. Bruce Billings

  3. Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    Nathan Buras

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Levin, R., Kleiman, M.A.R. (2003). Drinking Water Disinfection in the United States: Balancing Infectious Disease, Cancer and Costs, Market and Nonmarket Failures. In: Agthe, D.E., Billings, R.B., Buras, N. (eds) Managing Urban Water Supply. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0237-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0237-9_11

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