TITLE:
Potable Water in the United States, Contaminants and Treatment: A Review
AUTHORS:
Kaleh Karim, Sujata Guha, Ryan Beni
KEYWORDS:
Potable Water, Water Contaminants, Water Treatment, Drinking Water, Lead, Copper, Ultraviolet Treatment
JOURNAL NAME:
Voice of the Publisher,
Vol.6 No.4,
December
31,
2020
ABSTRACT: Potable water is a basic need for humans, but attaining clean drinking
water is a significant challenge for many developing and underdeveloped
countries around the globe. In the United States, potable water is obtained
from ground and surface sources and treated with various chemicals to meet
federal and state standards, prior to its delivery to consumers. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established standards for the
maximum level of contaminants (MCLs) to regulate their amounts in the public drinking water. Raw water can be compromised of
physical, chemical, and biological contaminants and can pose a health
burden among immunocompromised individuals such as elderly, pregnant women, and
especially children. The EPA publishes a contaminant candidate list (CCL) every
five years. However, many of the drinking
water regulations were established decades ago. This review aims to
explore factors impacting water safety, processes used to purify water, the by-products that might remain
after the purification process, and their impact on the health of the
general populace, especially the immunocompromised individuals. In addition to
the multibarrier water treatment process, ultraviolet treatment is also
evaluated to determine its benefits and limitations.