This indicator is a population-weighted average of Safe Water Drinking Act violation points accrued by a community water system over the last 5 years.

Everyone should have access to safe, affordable drinking water. Water is an essential human right needed for healthy outcomes. Contamination can occur from natural or human sources. Natural sources of contamination may include soil, rocks and fires. For example, arsenic, which is known to cause cancer, is naturally present in some rocks and soils and can lead to groundwater contamination.¹⁵⁹ Human sources of contamination can include sewage, industrial pollutants, factories, and runoff from farms. Nitrates from fertilizer or animal manure can contaminate groundwater and wells. Nitrates can cause birth defects, miscarriages and a blood condition in infants called blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia).¹⁵⁹ Lead can enter drinking water from aging lead service pipes, connections, and plumbing fixtures. Housing built before 1986 is more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solders. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children, babies or soon-to-be-born babies. Lead is linked to premature birth, central and peripheral nervous system damage, learning disabilities, impaired growth, anemia and hearing problems.¹⁶⁰

Drinking water standards are called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Rule R309-200 Monitoring and Water Quality: Drinking Water Standards details MCLs standards for the state. There are two basic types of MCLs standards. Primary MCLs address health concerns. Secondary MCLs include issues of aesthetics, or appearance, which include taste and odor and can affect consumer intake and confidence. The Division of Drinking Water maintains up-to-date information on water related laws and regulated contaminants.

Our water system is very complex and for many, knowledge of water infrastructure is limited to what flows from the faucet. It may take some time to assess the water landscape in your community. Questions to consider: Where does your water come from and are there publicly available water testing reports? Does available data indicate that drinking water is meeting health and safety levels? How is drinking water safety perceived, especially among low-income communities and communities of color? What agencies, providers, community organizations and local coalitions are dedicated to water issues in your area? For more information, contact your local water district and the Utah Division of Drinking Water.

Communities can work to reduce water contamination from water sources themselves, as well as stormwater runoff or industry-related contaminants that ends up in the drinking water supply. To negate possible contamination from infrastructure, communities should comply with state and federal water laws, remove lead pipes, and address cross connections and other building-related  plumbing infrastructure issues. To create more water resilient communities, jurisdictions should follow the recommendations detailed in A Guide to Low Impact Development within Utah. To prevent contamination from agriculture, pharmaceuticals or oil and gas industries, jurisdictions should ensure inspections, provide economic incentives, and address various sources of contamination. Another essential strategy is Improving Water Quality Data, Monitoring and Reporting by the local water agencies, as well as proper disclosure to community members of water contamination issues and offering resources for consumers and water purveyors alike. Local governments should also Improve Water Infrastructure to prevent contamination and may want to explore creating dedicated funding streams to pay for infrastructure improvements. These improvements should prioritize areas that have failed drinking water standards in the past or present. They should also be context-sensitive to areas with small water systems and domestic wells that are more decentralized and more difficult to monitor.