Abstract
Both the regulatory community and water providers (e.g. water utilities) have become increasingly concerned with the possibility of outbreaks of microbes through the water supplies [1]. These outbreaks can occur because microbes are evolving into strains for which there are no existing defenses (including methods to disinfect water), because the public has in general lost track of the devastation caused by microbes historically, and because the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics may be decreasing due to extensive use. In response to this threat, the EPA, American Water Works Association (representing water providers), public health officials, etc, have banded together to define the risk posed by these new microbes (bacteria, viruses, protozoans, etc) and to improve those areas of risk assessment where knowledge is inadequate to either predict or control the risks.
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References
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Crawford-Brown, D.J. (1999). Assessing Exposure. In: Risk-Based Environmental Decisions. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5227-7_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5227-7_3
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