Water

Water Quality
Promotores Training
Vickie Leonard, RN, FNP, PhD

Program Coordinator
Western States Pediatric Environmental Health
Specialty Unit
University of California, San Francisco
Water quality: What are the concerns?
• Where does our water come from?
• Will there be enough water?
• What is in our water??
Where does our water come from?
• Groundwater
• Surface water
Well Water
• Source is groundwater
• Not tested by health
department or county.
• Homeowner must test.
Water from a public water system
What if you rent?
• Ask your landlord whether you have well
water or water from a public water system.
Bottled water
• Does not undergo the same testing and
reporting as water from a Public Water
System.
• Is expensive.
• Chemicals can leach from the plastic.
Will we have enough water?
DROUGHT!
Why should we be concerned about
our water?
Infographic © Kelly Shea / Circle of Blue

What is in our water?
What is in our water?
How do we know what is in our water?
• If you have a well, you must test the water to
know what is in it.
• The state has a list of approved laboratories.
• If you test your well and find problems, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a
Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791)
for consumers who have questions about
water quality or water safety issues.
If your water comes from a Public
Water System
• Your water is protected by the Safe Drinking
Water Act.
• Consumer Confidence Reports tell you what
contaminants have been detected in your
drinking water.
• Your water is filtered and disinfected.
When water reaches your home
• Plumbing within your home may contain lead.
• Testing your water at the tap will show if you

have a problem with lead in your water, even
if it comes from the Community Water
System.
Regional water issues: The New River
• The New River flows
from Mexico into the
U.S. to the Salton Sea.
• It has been called the
most polluted river in
America.
New River:
• The New River is
severely polluted by
discharges of wastes
from domestic,
agricultural and
industrial sources in
Mexico and the Imperial
Valley.
• https://youtu.be/9zErM Warning sign on the banks of the New River in Calexico | Photo: Jason Carter/Flickr/Creative
Commons License
7CrySw
Problems persist after improvements:
There is still work to do
Tests from June 2015 show persistent pollution.
What is an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical
(EDC)?
Very small doses of EDC’s can harm people in

different ways, by tricking the body into
responding to chemicals as hormones during
key stages of development.
Endocrine Disrupting Effects of
Triclosan
• Thyroid-blocking
Alters metabolism &
transport of thyroid
hormone
• Estrogen-enhancing
Synergizes estrogen action
• Testosterone-blocking
Decreases testosterone &
sperm production
What can you do about water quality?
• Become informed about your rights to clean
drinking water!
• Test your well.
• Filter your water.
• Buy water.
• Avoid buying water from a vending machine; it is
the same as the community water.
Look for a filter certified by the California
Department of Public Health : Registered Water
Treatment Devices
Don't flush drugs down the drain!
• Turn unused drugs in to
your pharmacy or your
local hazardous waste
disposal facility.
What can we do about water quality?
Contact
• Community Water Center provides organizing, education, and advocacy
assistance to communities seeking to secure safe, clean, and affordable
water in the San Joaquin Valley.
www.communitywatercenter.org
(559) 733-0219
Read the Community Water Center’s CWC Guide to Community Drinking
Water Advocacy
• Clean Water Action / Clean Water Fund provides advocacy and

technical assistance to help secure safe and affordable drinking water.
http://www.cleanwateraction.org
http://www.cleanwaterfund.org
(415) 369-9160
Formemos Grupos Pequeños
Por favor, tome 20 minutos para discutir cualquiera o todas las siguientes
preguntas. Asigne a alguien en su grupo para tomar notas de sus ideas o
conclusiones y alguien para presentarlos al grupo general.
1. ¿Qué medidas implementa su comunidad, organización o casa para abordar
los problemas de agua?
2. ¿Cómo se puede poner en práctica las ideas discutidas hoy para mejorar su
salud y la salud de su familia y la comunidad?
3. ¿Además de lo que se discutió hoy, ¿qué otras acciones están haciendo o se

puede hacer para abordar los problemas de agua?
4. ¿Qué otros recursos o información se necesitan para abordar los problemas

de agua en su hogar y en la comunidad?
Small Group
Please take 20 minutes to discuss any or all of the following questions below.
Assign someone in your group to take notes of your ideas or conclusions and
someone to present them to the general group.
1. What measures are your community, organization, or home taking to address

water concerns?
2. How can you implement the ideas discussed today to improve your health
and the health of your family and community?
3. In addition to what was discussed today, what other actions are you doing or
can do to address water concerns?
4. What additional resources or information do you need to address water

concerns in your home and community?
Resources
• Community Water Center Guide to Community
Drinking Water Advocacy
• English
http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/communitywatercenter/pages/56
/attachments/original/1394398974/CWC_Community-
Guide_Eng_Final.pdf?1394398974
• Spanish
http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/communitywatercenter/pages/56
/attachments/original/1394399024/CWC_Community-
Guide_Esp_Final.pdf?1394399024
• Water On Tap: What You Need to Know
– El Agua del Grifo - lo que usted debe saber (PDF)
http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide/upload/book_waterontap_enespanol_
full.pdf
– Water On Tap: What You Need To Know (PDF)
http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide/upload/book_waterontap_full.pdf
• This presentation was supported by the American
College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and funded (in
part) by the cooperative agreement FAIN:
U61TS000238 from the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
• Acknowledgement: The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) supports the PEHSU by providing partial
funding to ATSDR under Inter-Agency Agreement
number DW-75-92301301. Neither EPA nor ATSDR
endorse the purchase of any commercial products or
services mentioned in PEHSU publications

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Water Quality

Vickie Leonard, RN, FNP, PhD

Infographic © Kelly Shea / Circle of Blue

• Testing your water at the tap will show if you

Very small doses of EDC’s can harm people in

• Clean Water Action / Clean Water Fund provides advocacy and

3. ¿Además de lo que se discutió hoy, ¿qué otras acciones están haciendo o se

4. ¿Qué otros recursos o información se necesitan para abordar los problemas

1. What measures are your community, organization, or home taking to address

4. What additional resources or information do you need to address water

• Acknowledgement: The U.S. Environmental Protection

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