Waterborne Disease Outbreak Summary

Water is the most plentiful liquid on Earth and humans depend on it in order to sustain life. Most people don’t even think about where their water ultimately comes from. All they do is turn on a faucet, and it is delivered to them. They take for granted that when they do turn on a faucet, they will always get safe water to drink.

Many people are behind the scenes when it comes to providing an unlimited and safe drinking water supply to the millions of people throughout the country. State, local, and industry personnel work together on a daily basis to provide safe water and prevent waterborne disease outbreaks. However, there are times when the water supply is compromised and problems occur. Fortunately, these instances are not a common occurrence, but they do remind us that attention to detail and regulations is important in preventing future outbreaks.

It is important for public drinking water consumers to be aware of any compromises in the water supply so that corrective measures can be taken immediately and preventative measures taken for the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a federal agency recognized as protecting the health and safety of people of the United States. The CDC has a surveillance system that includes data for outbreaks associated with drinking water disease outbreaks. The following link takes you to outbreak summaries: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/healthywater/publications.htm

Another site of interest for U.W. Waterborne Disease Statistics is: http://www.waterandhealth.com/newsletter/new/spring_2003/waterborne.html