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Viruses in Drinking Water
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Viruses are the cause of 50% of
groundwater-related diseases worldwide. Contact with fecal matter from humans,
livestock or wildlife can contribute viruses to water. This can come from
sources such as leaky sewer lines or improperly functioning septic systems, or
where manure or unsterilized sewage sludge is present in agricultural areas. Municipal
sewer systems are often bypassed during high-rainfall - this can result in raw
sewage entering streams, which in turn can affect water supplies downstream. Well
water should be checked for coliform bacteria to see if it is at risk for
contamination by sewage or fecal matter, which may contain viruses that can
infect humans.
filterwater.com
Many
people have heard of “traveler’s diarrhea,” where a traveler gets sick from
drinking the local water.
This is usually caused by a virus in the water. Viruses are very small parasites (ranging in size from 0.000010 to 0.000025 millimeters or between 0.1 and 0.004 micron) that can take over individual cells in their host and use them to reproduce themselves.
Viruses
are the cause of 50% of groundwater-related diseases worldwide. Even in the
U.S., it is common for well water to be contaminated with viruses.
Contact
with fecal matter from humans, livestock or wildlife can contribute viruses to
water.
This
can come from sources such as leaky sewer lines or improperly functioning
septic systems, or where manure or unsterilized sewage sludge is present in
agricultural areas.
Municipal
sewer systems are often bypassed during high-rainfall events when the flow of
sewage is greater than the ability of treatment systems to handle it.
This
can result in raw sewage entering streams, which in turn can affect water
supplies downstream.
Well
water should be checked for coliform bacteria to see if it is at risk for
contamination by sewage or fecal matter, which may contain viruses that can
infect humans.
If
your water supply is contaminated with coliform bacteria, it may also be
contaminated with other harmful organisms such as protozoa or worms, which can
cause health problems such dysentery, vomiting and chronic diarrhea.
Viruses
can be killed or deactivated by chlorination or boiling of water.
In
most private well water systems and even some municipal water supplies, the
water is not disinfected. Viruses can persist in non-disinfected water and
infect humans.
Health
Effects Associated with Viruses in Drinking Water
Enteric
viruses are a type of virus that infects the gastrointestinal tracts of humans
and animals and are excreted in their feces.
These
viruses cause stomach flu (gastroenteritis), especially in children.
In
fact, rotaviruses are the main cause of stomach flu in children and “traveler’s
diarrhea” in adults.
“Rotaviruses are the main cause of stomach flu
in children and ‘traveler’s diarrhea’ in adults.”
Another
common enteric virus that is spread through infected drinking water is
Hepatitis A.
During
the most contagious stage of this illness, the victim usually shows no sign of
infection, making it difficult to prevent spreading the germs.
The
virus is excreted from the infected person, then it is carried by water.
Mild
cases of Hepatitis A require rest for one or two weeks, and severe cases may
cause liver damage or death.
Other
common viruses that infect drinking water are noroviruses, which cause
gastroenteritis, and enteroviruses, which cause polio and non-polio related diseases.
Most
people with polio either do not get sick or experience minor symptoms, but
permanent damage to muscle function in the legs or arms occurs in rare cases
(the U.S. has been polio-free since 1979, but it still exists in some other
parts of the world).
Non-polio
enteroviruses are one of the largest sources of viral infections in humans.
Most
infections do not result in symptoms, but people that do become ill from these
viruses usually develop cold or flu-like symptoms.
Interesting
fact:
There are about one million virus particles in one milliliter of seawater.
For
drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set a
maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for viruses of zero virus particles per
100 milliliter sample of municipal water.
The
MCLG is the level at which no adverse health risks are likely to occur, with an
adequate margin of safety, meaning that no virus particles should be present in
the water.
How
to Treat Drinking Water for Viruses
Problems
with infected well water can often be fixed by taking measures to prevent
surface water from contaminating the water supply, such as sealing a spring box
or using a sanitary well cap.
Properly
maintaining a septic system or controlling sources of animal waste near a well
or spring may also help with the problem.
Boiling
water at a rolling boil for one minute will safely kill all viruses and other
infectious organisms, but this is not a good long-term solution because it is
energy and labor intensive and only produces a small amount of water.
If
the source of infection to the water supply cannot be controlled, drinking
water contaminated with viruses and infectious organisms can be treated
continuously by ultraviolet (UV) light, ozonation, or chlorination.
Ultraviolet
disinfection works by killing viruses and other infectious organisms by
exposing them to ultraviolet (UV) light. In this type of system, UV light kills
viruses and other organisms by irradiating the water as it flows over a glass
sleeve that contains the light source.
This
method of disinfection consumes a small but significant amount of electricity.
It
is important that the water be very clear so that the UV light can reach the
viruses, so anything that would make the water less than perfectly clear (such
as sediment or organic matter) must be filtered out before the water enters the
light chamber.
Likewise,
the glass sleeve enclosing the light source must also be kept clear of scale or
other deposits that would block the light.
In
contrast with UV, a chlorination system kills viruses and other microorganisms
chemically.
This
type of system continuously adds chlorine (in liquid or solid form) to the
water through a feed system. Because sediment in the water could interfere with
disinfection, a filter should be placed before the chlorine injector.
Chlorine
is consumed as it kills viruses and other organisms in the water and also as it
reacts with other impurities (such as iron or organic matter).
However,
this residual chlorine can affect the taste of the water, so it may be
desirable to remove it before drinking.
Chlorination
also requires a certain amount of contact time for it to kill microorganisms
(usually 30 minutes).
This
is why water is often stored in a large holding tank or run through a series of
coiled pipes after being chlorinated.
Chlorine
systems must be maintained to ensure that they function properly, and the
chlorine supply must be replenished periodically.
Ozonation
is similar to chlorination in that ozone is injected into the water and kills
viruses and other organisms.
Ozone
is an oxidizing gas that is produced using electricity and then injected into
the water.
Ozonation systems are more costly than UV or chlorination systems, but they can treat water for multiple contaminants, such as viruses, bacteria, iron and manganese.
Our company was created with the goal to
provide clean drinking water along with best overall customer experience, and
promote healthy lifestyle and clean water supply. We are happy to offer our
customers best water testing and water purification products on the market at a
guaranteed low price.
We are proud to be partnered with an ISO-9001
certified manufacturer where we have an ability to custom-build residential and
commercial Water Filter Systems for most water problems. https://www.filterwater.com/t-viruses.aspx
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