Analysis of Kansas Water Well Policies and Proposal of Nonpublic Household Water Well Recommendations. 2020

Elizabeth Ablah, and Mary Winston Marrow, and Jack Brown, and Allison Honn
Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita, Kansas, USA.

Many nonpublic water well users unknowingly consume contaminated groundwater containing unsafe levels of pollutants. This has important implications for more than 13 million households in the United States that rely upon nonpublic water wells for drinking, cooking, and other household uses. Although public water quality is regulated through the Safe Drinking Water Act, there are no drinking water standards for nonpublic water well quality in Kansas, nor is there an adequate public health infrastructure in place to prevent or address potential exposures to contamination. This project was conducted to identify promising action steps that would protect Kansans relying on nonpublic water wells for drinking, cooking, and other household purposes. The project team consisted of public health, environmental health, and legal professionals with experience working on groundwater quality issues impacting nonpublic water wells in Kansas. From 2015 through 2018, the team established and convened an advisory group; reviewed relevant state statutes and regulations, all Kansas county environmental codes, and a representative sample of 23 city water well codes; conducted an extensive review of academic literature to identify best practices; conducted dozens of key informant interviews; proposed recommendations; engaged dozens of stakeholders through a survey of these proposed recommendations; and conducted interactive webinars to identify which organizations need to lead each of the recommendations. The project team developed 18 recommendations. The recommendations are organized by survey respondents' perceptions of potential public health impact. There are very few standard practices in Kansas that ensure safe water for nonpublic household water wells. Although not all of the 18 recommendations may be applicable to other communities and states, many likely would be useful for governmental agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and others to consider. These recommendations offer more protections for nonpublic household water well users than any resource we have found. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5507.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007615 Kansas State bounded on the north by Nebraska on the east by Missouri, on the south by Oklahoma, and on the west by Colorado.
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014876 Water Pollution Contamination of bodies of water (such as LAKES; RIVERS; SEAS; and GROUNDWATER.) Thermal Water Pollution,Water Pollution, Thermal,Pollution, Thermal Water,Pollution, Water,Pollutions, Thermal Water,Pollutions, Water,Thermal Water Pollutions,Water Pollutions,Water Pollutions, Thermal
D014881 Water Supply Means or process of supplying water (as for a community) usually including reservoirs, tunnels, and pipelines and often the watershed from which the water is ultimately drawn. (Webster, 3d ed) Supplies, Water,Supply, Water,Water Supplies
D058735 Environmental Policy A course of action or principle adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual that concerns human interactions with nature and natural resources. Environmental Policies,Policies, Environmental,Policy, Environmental
D060587 Groundwater Liquid water present beneath the surface of the earth. Aquifers,Ground Water,Ground-Water,Subterranean Lakes,Underground Lakes,Underground Streams,Underground Water,Water Table,Aquifer,Ground Waters,Ground-Waters,Groundwaters,Lake, Subterranean,Lake, Underground,Lakes, Subterranean,Lakes, Underground,Stream, Underground,Streams, Underground,Subterranean Lake,Table, Water,Tables, Water,Underground Lake,Underground Stream,Underground Waters,Water Tables,Water, Underground,Waters, Underground
D060753 Water Quality A rating of a body of water based on measurable physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Quality, Water
D060986 Water Wells Constructions built to access underground water. Artesian Wells,Artesian Well,Water Well,Well, Artesian,Well, Water,Wells, Artesian,Wells, Water

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