Environmental Health Specialist Network: Drinking Water Program By: Joyce Tuttle, REHS, PHM

The Program  Environmental Health Specialist Network Drinking Water Program – EHS-Net Water  Working under a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  Main interest water systems not regulated by Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)  EHS-Net Water started 2005  Five states involved  California received funding 2007

EHS-Net Goals  Identify contributing factors and environmental precursors to waterborne illness and disease outbreaks  Translate findings into improved prevention efforts using a systems approach  Offer training opportunities to current and future environmental health specialists  Strengthen collaboration among epidemiology, laboratory, environmental health, and water safety programs

Goals of CA Program  Increase awareness of waterborne disease outbreaks in California  Encourage better communication between environmental health, public health, epidemiologists, and laboratories  Be available for assistance in case of a waterborne disease outbreak (WBDO)  Assist training new environmental health specialists

CA EHS-Net  Working with five states to develop investigation tool  Working with six counties on individual projects  Training new EHS  Available to all counties for assistance

HISTORY WBDO IN CA  Waterborne illness has been under- reported  Fifty-four reported cases in the last thirty- six years  This includes recreational and drinking water  Good News: the cases of unknown WBDO has gone significantly down from the 1970’s to present

WBDO REPORTING IN CA

County Data on WBDO  Contacting counties regarding WBD investigations  Procedures on how to handle possible waterborne illness  Develop procedures with references

County Projects  Sacramento – Labor Camp Water Survey  San Joaquin – State Small Water Systems  Yolo – State Small Water Systems  Monterey – Data from State Small and Local Small Water Systems  Tulare – Private Well Water Survey

QUESTIONS?

Contact Information  Joyce Tuttle    P. O. Box , MS 7402  Sacramento, CA

Funding for this presentation was made possible by the cooperative agreement award #5R01EH from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The views expressed in these written materials and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U. S. Government. DISCLAIMER