Pathogenic Contamination Project
Waterborne pathogens are organisms that live and thrive in water supplies, including rivers, lakes, streams, and even some aquifers that are used as drinking water sources. Though widespread waterborne pathogen outbreaks are typically rare, they do occur and have the potential to impact a large number of people. In 1993, Milwaukee, Wisconsin suffered the largest outbreak of Cryptosporidium in history. Over 400,000 people became ill and about 100 died. In Walkerton, Ontario a 2000 outbreak of E. Coli caused over 600 illnesses and seven deaths. In 1999, an outbreak at the Washington County Fair in New York caused over 780 illnesses and two deaths. The vast majority of pathogenic contamination events are small, generally isolated, and unreported.
Eight public workshops were held as part of this project which concluded in 2007. Learn more about pathogenic contamination by downloading these educational documents from The Groundwater Foundation (PDF format):
- Bad Bugs: Pathogen Basics
- Major Sources of Pathogenic Contamination
- Case Studies in Pathogenic Contamination and Prevention
Funding for this project was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Public Entity Risk Institute. Additional support for the workshop held in Nebraska on April 3, 2007, was provided by Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Attorney General’s Environmental Court Ordered Settlement Fund.
Pathogen Primer
A major outcome for this project was the development of a primer titled Protecting Our Water: A Primer for Preventing Pathogenic Contamination of Drinking Water Sources. The guide describes how pathogens get into drinking water, how to identify and monitor land use for potential sources of pathogens, and how to prevent pathogenic contamination of drinking water sources. The primer includes six case studies that describe how communities can take action to reduce pathogenic threats to their source water and is available to the public.
Download a free copy of the primer, Protecting Our Water: A Primer for Preventing Pathogenic Contamination of Drinking Water Sources. Published copies are also available for purchase through the online catalog.
