November 2006
Older adults
are considered
especially
vulnerable to
waterborne
contaminants.
Persons living
with HIV and
those with
compromised
immune
systems are
also at greater
risk.
Water Works
Information for Older Adults
and Family Caregivers
Water is essential to our lives. We use it for
drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning, and
growing crops. Because water is so integral
to our daily activities, it is important for consumers
to know when it is safe.
Water, if contaminated, can harm our health espe-
cially that of older persons and those with chronic
conditions. Persons living with HIV and those with
compromised immune systems are also at greater
risk.
Environmental contaminants can be encountered in
drinking water and during recreational activities such
as swimming. Contact with water pollutants can also
occur when sewers overflow. You can protect your
health by learning how you can reduce or eliminate
exposure to contaminants in water.
Tap Water in the Home:
Although most drinking water is safe, incidents of
contamination can and do occur. Pollutants that may
be present in the water include chemicals such as
radon, and lead, bacteria and viruses. This section
describes some of the potential problems you can
find in your household tap water.
-------
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-------
Nearly 1 in 15 homes is estimated
to have high levels of radon. Radon
is especially dangerous because it
is odorless and invisible. Radon
naturally occurs in rock, soil and
water. If your household water
comes from a well, radon can be
released into the air while shower-
ing. If your home has high levels of
radon, well water may be one of its
sources.
How Can I Avoid
Water-Related Hazards?
The most important step is to be
aware of advisories issued by your
local health department or depart-
ment of environment and abide by
their advice. Learn about your water
and whether you should test for
certain contaminants.
• Learn About Your Drinking Water:
If your water comes from a pub-
lic water system, it must meet
EPA standards. Counties are
required to provide users with
records of testing. Check your
water provider's annual water
quality report, also called a con-
sumer confidence report or call
your water provider to find out
whether you need to be con-
cerned about certain types of
pollution. If you live in an apart-
ment building, ask the manager
to post the consumer confidence
report in a public location. If your
water comes from a well, it is
not subject to EPA standards.
Your household should take spe-
cial precautions, such as annual
testing, to ensure that your water
is safe.
Follow Public Notices on
Drinking Water: Your water sup-
plier is required to issue a notice
by newspaper, radio, TV, mail or
hand-delivery if there is a water-
borne disease emergency. The
notice will describe any precau-
tions you need to take, such as
boiling your water or using bot-
tled water. Follow the advice of
your water supplier. Boiling water
for one minute will normally kill
micro-organisms but will not
help with chemical contamina-
tion.
Contact Your Water Supplier to
See if You Should Test for Lead:
You cannot see, smell, or taste
lead. Call your local health
department or water supplier to
find out if you should test your
water for lead. Do not boil your
water. Boiling your water will not
rid lead from your water and will
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actually make the problem worse
because the concentration of
lead will increase as the water
evaporates. If you think your
plumbing system might contain
lead, use only cold water for
drinking and cooking. Run cold
water until it becomes as cold as
it can get, especially if you have
not used your water for a few
hours. To find out more, call the
National Lead Information Center
at (800) 424-LEAD.
• Test for Radon in the Air of Your
Home: There are many kinds of
low-cost, "do-it-yourself" radon
test kits that you can purchase
through the mail or at hardware
stores. You can also have a quali-
fied professional conduct a test.
If you have high levels of radon,
it may be entering your home
through the water or the soil. If
your water comes from a public
water supply, contact your water
supplier. If you have radon in
your water from a private well,
call EPA's Drinking Water Hotline
at (800) 426-4791.
Water-Related Hazards from
Swimming
Older adults are encouraged to
remain physically active. Most
beaches are safe for swimming;
however, beach water may contain
invisible disease-causing microor-
ganisms. Swimming in contaminat-
ed water may result in minor ill-
nesses, such as sore throats or diar-
rhea. Older adults with weakened
immune systems have a greater
chance of getting sick from contam-
inated water.
• Beach Closures: States, tribes,
and local government health and
environmental agencies measure
and identify microorganism levels
at beaches to see if water meets
EPA's standards for health. When
microorganism levels are unsafe,
agencies post warnings or close
the beach. Levels are most likely
to be high after storms. It is
important for older adults with
health conditions to check and
follow beach advisories, because
they may be more susceptible to
microbes than healthy adults.
Water Infiltration Hazards
in the Home, Especially
after Floods
Inadequate home maintenance is a
potential source of exposure to
contaminants for older adults. If
home repairs are not carried out as
needed, excessive moisture or
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water may accumu-
late indoors. This can
result in mold
growth, particularly if
the moisture prob-
lem remains undis-
covered. Mold can cause allergic
reactions in sensitive individuals,
such as sneezing, runny nose, red
eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis)
and, in some extreme cases,
breathing problems. Contact with
water pollutants can occur when
there is sewage back-flow into your
home. Contact can occur if your
waste water drainage pipe is
blocked connecting you to the pub-
lic sewage system or a septic sys-
tem due to infiltration from tree
roots. Sewage backflow is particu-
larly common after catastrophic rain
events that lead to flooding.
• Inspect Your Home for Leaks:
Establish a regular program to
inspect your home for water
leakage problems in bathrooms,
the laundry and around windows
and doors. Do not neglect the
roof gutters and eves. Look for
signs of leakage.
• Eliminate Water to Eliminate
Mold: Mold needs water to grow.
To prevent mold, fix plumbing
leaks and other water problems
as soon as possible. Scrub mold
off hard surfaces with detergent
and water and dry completely. To
eliminate mold in your home,
clean up the mold and eliminate
the water source. Some cleaning
products are formulated to treat
mold growth.
After the Flood, Clean Damaged
Area: Floods create health risks.
Sewage and other materials can
enter your home through flood
water. Even when the flood
water is clean, standing water
and wet materials are a breeding
ground for microorganisms.
Remove standing water, dry out
your home, and remove wet
materials. Clean and disinfect the
damaged area to reduce your
risk of disease. Rugs, curtains,
and furniture may need to be
replaced if sewage entered your
home.
After the Flood, Inspect Your
Wells: If you have a private well,
do not turn on the pump or use
well water for drinking or wash-
ing. Talk to your state or local
health department to find out
what precautions to take.
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How Can I Protect My Private
Well Water?
Private drinking water supplies are
not subject to EPA standards. If
your water comes from a well, it is
not automatically tested by experts
to identify problems. You must take
special precautions to ensure the
protection and maintenance of your
drinking water:
Identify Potential Problems
Identifying potential problems is
the first step to safeguarding your
drinking water. Start by consulting a
local expert such as your local
health department, agricultural
extension agent, a nearby public
water system, or a geologist at a
local university. Ask them about
problems that may affect the water
quality of your well.
Test Your Well Water
Every Year
Test your well water every year for
bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved
solids, and pH levels. If you suspect
other contaminants, test for those
as well. Many contaminants are col-
orless and odorless, so you will not
be able to tell if you have a prob-
lem without a test.
More frequent water tests may be
needed when:
• there are unexplained illnesses in
the family
• your neighbors find a dangerous
contaminant in their water
• you note a change in water taste,
odor, color or clarity
• there is a spill of chemicals or
fuels into or near your well
• you replace or repair any part of
your well system
Prevent Problems
Keep fertilizers, pesticides, herbi-
cides, fuels, and other pollutants
away from the well. Take care when
working or mowing grass around
your well. Contact your local public
health department to find out how
often you should pump and inspect
your septic system. Do not dispose
of hazardous materials in septic
systems.
How Can I Learn More?
EPA's Aging Initiative is working
to protect older adults from
environmental health risks
through the coordination of
research, prevention strategies,
and public education. For more
information, visit
www.epa.gov/aging.
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What Should I Do If I
Can't Drink My Water?
During spills or temporary treatment problems, you may not be able
to drink your water for a short time. People with special health
needs or people living in areas of known water contamination may
need to consider alternative water sources for the long term.
• Follow Public Notices on Drinking Water: Your water supplier is
required to issue a notice by newspaper, radio, TV, mail or hand-
delivery if there is a waterborne disease emergency. The notice
will describe any precautions you need to take, such as boiling
your water or using bottled water. Follow the advice of your water
supplier. Boiling your water for one minute will normally kill
microorganisms but will not help with chemical contamination.
• Drink Bottled Water: Some companies lease or sell water dis-
pensers or bubblers and regularly deliver large bottles of water to
homes and businesses. Bottled water can be expensive compared
to water from a public water system. Bottled water quality varies
among brands, because of the variations in the source water
used, costs, and company practices. Persons with compromised
immune systems may want to read bottled water labels to make
sure more stringent treatments have been used, such as reverse
osmosis, distillation, UV radiation, or filtration by an absolute 1
micron filter. For more information on whether your bottled water
meets FDA standards, check with NSF International
(http://www.nsf.org/consumer/bottled water/
or call 877-8-NSF-HELP).
• Install a Home Treatment System: If you have a long-term water
problem, home treatment may be necessary. Home treatment
can include filters used at the tap or at the connection between
the water main and the connection to the house. If radon is a
problem, home treatment may be a solution.
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Dehydration
Older adults can be at risk for
dehydration because as people
age the thirst sensation decreas-
es and they do not feel the urge
to drink as often as when they
were younger. They may also
take medications that increase
the risk of dehydration or have
physical conditions that make it
difficult to drink. Exposure to
microorganisms in water can
make people sick, and may
cause diarrhea increasing the
risk of dehydration.
Signs of dehydration include:
• Dry or sticky mouth
• Low or no urine output; con-
centrated urine appears dark
yellow
• Lack of tear drops
• Sunken eyes
• Lethargic or comatose (with
severe dehydration)
Because dehydration can be life
threatening, drink plenty of
water each day. If you have
decreased your tap water intake
because you do not like the
taste or are concerned for its
quality, you should treat it or
find an alternative source of
water until the problem is
resolved.
Additional Resources:
Recursos adicionales:
Water on Tap:
What You Need to Know
www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/
index.html
Arsenic in Drinking Water
www.epa.gov/safewater/
arsenic.html
Beaches
www.epa.gov/beaches/
Consumer's Guide to Radon
Protection
www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/
consguid.html#howenters
Emergency Disinfection of
Drinking Water
www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/
emerg.html
Floods
www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/
flood.html
Guidance for people with Severely
Weakened Immune
Systems
www.epa.gov/safewater/
crypto.html
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Information for Private
Well Owners
www.epa.gov/safewater/
privatewells/whatdo.html
Mold Resources
www.epa.gov/mold/
moldresources.html
Safe Drinking Water
www.epa.gov/safewater/
dwinfo/index.html
www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/
index.html
www.epa.gov/safewater/
arsenic.html
www.epa.gov/beaches/
www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/
consguid.html#howenters
www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/
emerg.html
www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/flood.
html
www.epa.gov/safewater/
crypto.html
www.epa.gov/safewater/
privatewells/whatdo.html
www.epa.gov/mold/
moldresources.html
www.epa.gov/safewater/
dwinfo/index.html
ENDNOTES
1 Mead PS, Slutsker L, Dietz V,
McCaig LF, Bresee JS, Shapiro C,
Griffin PM, Tauxe RV. Food-Related
Illness and Death in the United
States. Emerging Infectious
Diseases, 1999; 5(5):607-625
EPA Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-4791
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