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A risk‐based methodology for contaminant prioritization
Author(s) -
Spiesman Anne L.,
Speight Vanessa L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.5942/jawwa.2014.106.0034
Subject(s) - prioritization , context (archaeology) , risk analysis (engineering) , water quality , risk assessment , environmental science , contamination , environmental planning , computer science , business , computer security , process management , paleontology , ecology , biology
Water utilities must continuously ensure safe drinking water within the context of multiple competing objectives and considerable uncertainty. Systematic, transparent prioritization of contaminants can improve utility decision‐making. A methodology was developed to identify, screen, evaluate, and determine appropriate actions for a wide range of contaminants, including regulated parameters, contaminants of emerging concern, and aesthetic issues. Actions were assigned on the basis of “utility risk,” defined as the risk that the utility may produce undesirable water through potential health effects of unregulated contaminants, exceeding aesthetic levels, or regulatory noncompliance. Application of this methodology at Washington Aqueduct in Washington, D.C., narrowed a list of more than 700 candidate contaminants down to about a dozen priority contaminants, allowing the utility to focus on the most beneficial actions when considering future capital improvements and nontreatment approaches to enhance drinking water quality.