Septic Systems and Rainfall Influence Human Fecal Marker and Indicator Organism Occurrence in Private Wells in Southeastern Pennsylvania

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 3159-3168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. Murphy ◽  
Shannon McGinnis ◽  
Ryan Blunt ◽  
Joel Stokdyk ◽  
Jingwei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Septic Systems ◽  
Indicator Organism ◽  
Private Wells

scholarly journals Under-Sink Activated Carbon Water Filters Effectively Remove Lead from Private Well Water for over Six Months

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3584
Author(s):  
Riley Mulhern ◽  
Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
The United States ◽  
Well Water ◽  
Point Of Use ◽  
Metals Removal ◽  
Lead Levels ◽  
Minimal Data ◽  
Water Filters ◽  
Private Wells

Children who rely on private well water in the United States have been shown to be at greater risk of having elevated blood lead levels. Evidence-based solutions are needed to prevent drinking water lead exposure among private well users, but minimal data are available regarding the real-world effectiveness of available interventions like point-of-use water treatment for well water. In this study, under-sink activated carbon block water filters were tested for lead and other heavy metals removal in an eight-month longitudinal study in 17 homes relying on private wells. The device removed 98% of all influent lead for the entirety of the study, with all effluent lead levels less than 1 µg/L. Profile sampling in a subset of homes showed that the faucet fixture is a significant source of lead leaching where well water is corrosive. Flushing alone was not capable of reducing first-draw lead to levels below 1 µg/L, but the under-sink filter was found to increase the safety and effectiveness of faucet flushing. The results of this study can be used by individual well users and policymakers alike to improve decision-making around the use of under-sink point-of-use devices to prevent disproportionate lead exposures among private well users.

Microbial contamination in groundwater supply in a cold climate and coarse soil: case study of norovirus outbreak at Lake Mývatn, Iceland

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1114-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gunnarsdottir ◽  
S. M. Gardarsson ◽  
H. O. Andradottir
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Septic Systems ◽  
Groundwater Velocity ◽  
Groundwater Supply

This paper explores the fate and transport of microbial contamination in a cold climate and coarse aquifers. A confirmed norovirus outbreak in a small rural water supply in the late summer of 2004, which is estimated to have infected over 100 people, is used as a case study. A septic system, 80 m upstream of the water intake, is considered to have contaminated drinking water. Water samples tested were negative for coliform and strongly positive for norovirus. Modelling predicts that a 4.8-log10 removal was possible in the 8 m thick vadose zone, while only a 0.7-log10 and 2.7-log10 removal in the aquifer for viruses and Escherichia coli, respectively. The model results support that the 80 m setback distance was inadequate and roughly 900 m aquifer transport distance was needed to achieve 9-log10 viral removal. Sensitivity analysis showed that the most influential parameters on model transport removal rate are grain size diameter and groundwater velocity, temperature and acidity. The results demonstrate a need for systematic evaluation of septic systems in rural areas in lesser studied coarse strata at low temperatures, thereby strengthening data used for regulatory requirements for more confident determination on safe setback distances.

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