1. Prescription for Public Acceptance Guy Carpenter Past-President WateReuse Association September 11, 2018

2. We’ve learned from survey data that opinions from Medical and Public Health Professionals matter most.

3. WateReuse Members have asked for support in this regard.

4. Talking about Water to a Skeptical Public

5. Topics Water Availability & Scarcity The Safety of Drinking Water
Resilience & Reliability
Risk & Perception
Potable Reuse
Treatment Technologies
Other Risk Mitigating Practices
Q/A

6. Water Availability and Scarcity

7. Jacques Cousteau said “We forget the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” I don’t think anyone here forgets that, but it’s important to help people outside this room make this critical connection.
Water is the lifeblood of our economy, our quality of life and our standard living. When we start the conversation about direct potable reuse, it’s important to frame the conversation around the big picture.

8. Water covers 70% of the earth’s surface, but…
The largest sphere is all the water on the planet - fresh, salt, atmospheric. The smaller one over Tenn/North Carolina is all the fresh water, including polar icecaps, groundwater, etc. The very small one over Atlanta is all the readily accessible fresh surface and ground water (not deep groundwater or brackish ground water).
Source: USGS, 2012 8

9. Water stress is increasing, particularly where populations are high
Nature: International Journal of Science, 9/29/2010

10. The Public Doesn’t Pay Much Attention to Water Until Something Bad Happens

11. The Safety of Drinking Water

12. Water Supplies Surface Water Groundwater Reclaimed or Recycled Water
“Fresh”
Stormwater
Brackish
Ocean
Contaminated
Groundwater
Under the Influence of Surface Water
Reclaimed or Recycled Water

13. Potential Contaminants
Acute
Chronic
Aesthetic
Nitrate
Pathogens
Parasites
Bacteria
Viruses
Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
Inorganic chemicals (IOCs)
Synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs)
Radionuclides
Taste
Odor
Color
Total dissolved solids

14. Water Quality Standards are based upon acceptable risk of exposure
EPA uses default exposure assumptions that are based on national data in its recommended Human Health Criteria:
A drinking water intake of 2 liters per day
An average body weight of 70 kg
Over 70 years
Pathogens: 1/10,000 risk of infection
Chemicals: 1/10,000 to 1/1,000,000 risk of effect
Cancer
Nervous disorders
Organ damage
Teratogen

15. So, depending upon the source and potential contaminants, we treat the water to reduce the risk of infection or effect
Safe Drinking Water Act is supported by updates and rules
Operators of treatment plants have to be certified based upon size of treatment plant, complexity of treatment technologies, and population served
A disinfectant residual is typically maintained within the piping system
Safety is demonstrated through regular laboratory testing
Industry involves engineers, chemists, microbiologists, and public health officials

16. Resilience and Reliability

17. Sole & Limited Source Communities are Scrambling to Increase Reliability – Creates conflict

18. Most large community water systems have moved to a portfolio approach to water resources

19. Risk & Perception

20. The general public has difficulty with the concept of relative concentrations and risk
There is a concern that “presence” in any amount is a problem
Adverse health effects are presumed if anything can be detected.
There is no “zero” of anything… including risk.

21. As scientists, we have to remind ourselves that feelings AND facts matter
… there can also be strong, spiritual references and connectedness to water, particularly among native people groups.

22. Risk Perception Summary
We are sometimes irrational and react to our perception of risk rather than to the risk itself
We are generally more accepting of risks that:
We voluntarily expose ourselves to - as opposed to those over which we have no control
Are natural - as opposed to human made
Are familiar – as opposed to unfamiliar
Are well-defined - as opposed to uncertain
We have good understanding of - as opposed to our fear of the unknown

23. Pharmaceutically Active Compounds

24. Amount of Water to Meet Acceptable Daily Intake (for Humans) - Pharmaceuticals
Prozac
Credit: Shane Snyder, University of Arizona

25. Contagion mentality: Once contaminated, always contaminated

26. Stigmatization
Our capacity to absorb factual information is blocked by negative associations of “dirty” water
The negative associations (based on FEAR rather than FACT!) scare us!

27. What’s the Solution?
Engineering technology and science can remove the chemicals and micro-organisms in water…
… and negative associations and fears can be reframed by creating a better understanding of water.

28. The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle with Human Influence
Discuss ways in which contaminants can be introduced into water
Water is not used once and then discharged to the ocean – most of us live downstream
Graphic credit:

29. De Facto Water Reuse in the US
Assessment of De Facto Wastewater Reuse across the U.S.: Trends between 1980 and 2008
Jacelyn Rice†*, Amber Wutich‡, and Paul Westerhoff†

30. Graphic credit: www.wef.org
Aimed at removing the biological component of waste. Some chemicals are also incidentally removed.
Discuss high microbial content
Disease outbreak
Discuss Source water control
Graphic credit:

31. Potable Reuse
Significantly increases resiliency and reliability

32. Reclaimed Water Supply
Non-Potable Reuse
Reclaimed Water Supply
Source: AWWA Potable Reuse 101

33. A Key Element of Potable Reuse is the ATWF
Additional treatment in an Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF)
Direct (with engineered storage)
Indirect
Source: AWWA Potable Reuse 101

34. Advanced Water Treatment Facility removes pathogens and chemicals to make drinking water
Advanced technology includes ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and disinfection/advanced oxidation.

35. In addition to effective treatment technologies, other Risk Mitigating Practices are used
Supported by pilot and full scale testing
Multiple barrier approach, with lots of built in conservatism
Based upon hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)
Trained operators
Checklists
Real-time water quality monitoring
Source control

36. Questions? Guy Carpenter Past-President
PS – In addition to questions on this presentation, I’m happy to answer questions on specific policy-related happenings (or not) in Washington DC with respect to water and infrastructure investment issues.
Guy Carpenter
Past-President
WateReuse Association