![]() ![]() EPA’s secondary drinking water standards, which are unenforced unlike their primary counterparts 8.Īlthough water quality is well-regulated in the U.S., there is considerable variation in contaminant levels by location. Physical water quality components are mainly covered by the U.S. The trace chemical contaminants are sometimes less than one part per billion and may be set at or near the limits of analytical detection methods 7. The standards focus on biological and chemical contaminants. Primary drinking water standards are defined by maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) established by the U.S. were developed to address all three classes of contaminants. Toxic chemicals may lead to both acute and chronic health effects. Chemical components include trace organic and inorganic compounds, which may be toxic to humans and can also cause discoloration, poor taste, or odor 6. Biological contamination is often an immediate health risk: crippling outbreaks of typhoid, cholera, salmonella, and other diseases have been spread through contaminated water supplies. Biological quality refers to protozoan, bacterial, and viral pathogens. ![]() Physical water quality descriptors include turbidity, total, settleable, filterable and dissolved solids, color, taste, odor, and temperature. Water quality can be broken into numerous physical, biological, and chemical components 5. In the United States, drinking water standards were gradually developed over the 20th century, culminating in the passage of the Clean Water Act (1972) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974), which were part of a landmark decade of promulgating new environmental regulations. The filters removed suspended solids, but did not address pathogenic microorganisms or chemical contaminants since microbiology and analytical chemistry were not yet adequately established 4. By 1852, the Metropolis Water Act in London required the use of sand filters in part of the city 3. In modern times, sand filters were first documented as a water treatment device in 1804. Hippocrates, often referred to as the “father of medicine,” found that water could be made purer by filtering it and, in 500 BC, he designed a simple sediment filter by running water through cloth 2. References to water purification and filtration methods can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit and Egyptian writings-including descriptions of boiling, solar heating, and sand filtration 1. The smartness of commercially available POU water filters is critiqued and a definition of smart water filter is proposed.Īccess to clean water is of utmost importance for human health and society at large. We conclude by briefly reviewing emerging smart water technologies and the needs for advances in the state-of-the-art technologies. as well as state-of-the-art POU technologies and systems with an emphasis on their effectiveness at removing the contaminants most frequently reported in notices of violations. Herein, we review water quality regulations and violations in the U.S. While the technologies are well-proven, highly commoditized, and cost-effective, most systems offer little in the way of real-time performance monitoring or interactive technology like other smart home appliances (e.g., thermostats, smoke detectors, doorbells, etc.). POU treatment technologies include various combinations of string-wound sediment filters, activated carbon, modified carbon, ion exchange and redox media filters, reverse osmosis membranes, and ultraviolet lamps depending on the contaminants of concern. Due to the high risk of exposure to various contaminants in drinking water, point-of-use (POU) drinking water treatment is rapidly growing in popularity in the U.S. In 2019, about 6% of public water utilities in the U.S. Ensuring safe water supply for communities across the United States is a growing challenge due to aging infrastructure, impaired source water, strained community finances, etc. ![]()
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