Safe home water access for low-income families with young children

Abstract

Background: From 2015-2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found 7,463 public water systems serving 51 million people in the U.S. reported at least one health-based violation. Communities across the United States have unsafe drinking water due to aging public water supply infrastructure and home wells with unsafe levels of contaminants like arsenic and nitrate. Aim: This presentation describes the costs, population reach, and considerations for local and state policies and programs that can ensure safe water access for pregnant people and low-income families with young children. Methods: This study used a mixed-methods analysis including legal review, case interview, and economic evaluation to identify the activities, resources, and costs associated with actions to provide more equitable access to safe home drinking water strategies for low-income families with children aged 0-5. Results: Researchers identified six strategies used in state and local settings to improve access to safe drinking water at home via home water quality testing, home well water treatment device installation, filter pitcher distribution, and lead service line replacement. If implemented over 5 years in their respective geographic areas, these strategies could reach 480 to 135,000 households each with annual costs per household of $75 to $1000 (USD). Conclusions: Opportunities for improving access to safe drinking water at home should be tailored to features of the local water system, water source, and community context. In particular, policies and programs can be tailored to reach pregnant people and low-income families with young children, who are most at risk. Keywords: child, infant, drinking water, equity, lead, arsenic, nitrate