The Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 (Y2K) Technology Problem has released a report warning of possible computer problems for U.S. water and wastewater systems next Jan. 1.
The General Accounting Office study said while most major water utilities are believed to be prepared for the year 2000, there is a lack of information on the preparedness of the nations 70,000 smaller water utilities.
It explained there has been little state oversight of Y2K compliance efforts and the federal regulatory framework for addressing Y2K problems at drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities is inadequate.
Chairman Bob Bennett (R-Utah) said, "Ultimately, there must be accountability at all levels of government for meeting the Y2K challenge, from the federal government on down.
"This report reaffirms that states, cities and towns must double their efforts to ensure that vital services - water, electricity, and emergency services - continue to function on Jan. 1, 2000."
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), committee vice chairman, said, "A key part of any water utilitys mission is to ensure our citizens access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. The Y2K bug must be treated with the same seriousness as any other parasite that may prey upon public health."
The GAO survey, while making no assessment of water utilities Y2K readiness, examined Y2K oversight and regulatory efforts among cabinet-level state water administrations and public utility commissioners.
It found that state water administrations, which oversee most water utilities, took less oversight responsibility for facility Y2K compliance or contingency planning than public utility commissions. Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that current regulations "do not require states to take responsibility for the year 2000 issue."
GAO said, "Because of the large number of state regulators that are not collecting facilities readiness information, there is insufficient information to assess and manage Year 2000 efforts in the water sector. Further, little additional information is expected under the current regulatory framework."
The congressional watchdog agency gave 34 public utility commissioners its highest "proactive" rating with regard to Y2K. In states such as Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut and Utah, the report said that public utility commissions were actively addressing the Y2K problem.
But it said cabinet-level state administrators were less involved in Y2K oversight, giving the "proactive" label to only two state drinking water administrations. A less favorable "active" rating was given to 28 state drinking water administrations.
Among cabinet-level wastewater regulators, three were rated "proactive" and 30 were rated "active." Twenty-one wastewater public utility commissioners were rated "proactive" and two were rated "active."
GAO gave 44 public utility commissions and 17 state administrations its lowest "non-regulatory" or "inactive" rating. It estimated that 245 million people are served by facilities with inactive Y2K drinking water regulators and 186 million people are served by facilities with inactive Y2K wastewater regulators.
GAO found widespread vulnerabilities to Y2K failures among large and small water treatment facilities that rely on electronic and automated controls for pumps, valves and sensors. Also, it said water and wastewater facilities are "heavily dependent" on external power, telecommunications and chemical suppliers.
Microbial Threat
The American Society for Microbiology has warned that contamination of U.S. drinking and recreational waters with disease-causing microorganisms is a growing public health and environmental problem that is not being adequately addressed.
Microbial Threat
In a report, ASM called for the establishment of an integrated national initiative on the microbial quality of the nations water supply. "Control of water pollution in the U.S. over the past two decades has focused on chemical risks, overshadowing the significant risks associated with microbial pollutants.
Microbial Threat
"However, current evidence indicates that microbial pollutants in water, when compared to chemicals, pose far greater risks to communities." ASM noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates in the U.S. up to 900,000 cases of illness and possibly 900 deaths per year occur as a result of waterborne diseases.
Microbial Threat
It said the Safe Drinking Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to set standards for public drinking water systems, but EPA has set a limit for only one type of microorganism, known as coliform bacteria, as an indicator of fecal contamination of water.
Microbial Threat
ASM said, "While many different types of disease-causing bacteria can be found in water, not all are transmitted by fecal contamination. In addition, coliform bacteria are not useful for assessing risks due to viruses and protozoa. For example, in 1993 an outbreak of the parasite cryptosporidium infected an estimated 400,000 residents in the city of Milwaukee."
Microbial Threat
It said traditional wastewater treatment does not always adequately reduce the number of pathogens, and released water could still contain enough pathogenic microorganisms to threaten human health.
Microbial Threat
It said most waterborne disease outbreaks in the last 30 years have resulted from use of contaminated groundwater that was assumed to have been safe without treatment to kill microorganisms.
Microbial Threat
"More than 100 million Americans rely on groundwater for drinking and only half of communities disinfect that water prior to distribution. In rural and nonincorporated areas, almost none of the water is treated."
Recommendations
ASM recommended more scientific research and risk assessment, and creation of an extensive database on exposure and outcomes.
Recommendations
"A usable database must include information about sources, occurrence, concentrations, frequency, survival, and transport of specific microorganisms in the environment. A great deal of basic research, field study and statistical surveying needs to be done to build a sound microbial pollutants database," the report said.
Recommendations
ASM said there is a threat of new waterborne diseases that have yet to be identified. The report called for development of new methods for detecting microbial pollution in water.
Recommendations
"New, more sensitive molecular detection methods developed in recent years, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), have indicated much more microbial contamination of water that previously thought. Research is needed to assess the ability of these newly detected organisms to cause disease in humans."
Recommendations
ASM said responsibility for the nations water quality is fragmented among numerous federal, state, county, and local governments, all with different methods and standards.
Recommendations
"The absence of consistent, nationwide standards, regulations, and legislation regarding microbial pollutants is an obstacle to guaranteeing safe drinking water to all consumers. The current state of fragmentation and inaction can be overcome only by active participation of various government agencies, academic researchers and industry.
Recommendations
"There is a critical need for an integrated, national initiative on the microbial quality of water and on risk assessment as related to public health." ASM urged the establishment of a national task force of government agencies, universities and other key nongovernment groups to outline a national initiative with the goal of protecting the public from waterborne pathogens.
Recommendations
It also recommended that an independent scientific assessment be made of the human and financial resources needed, and programs and methods necessary, to ensure the microbial quality of the nations water.
