Description
Water conservation technologies and strategies are profoundly changing drinking water use in buildings. Water and energy saving faucets, showerheads, toilets, pipes, and water heaters are being installed in the stewardship of minimizing the impact of buildings on the environment. Although, evidence is emerging that these technologies can sometimes greatly lengthen the age of your drinking water in buildings. Also discovered is that building design practices and government policies have not kept pace with our ability to avoid elevated lead levels, off-tastes and odors, high levels of disease-causing organisms, or even drinking water caused illnesses. Hospitalizations and even some deaths have been reported for some buildings designed to conserve water. The scientific community, policy makers, technology innovators, and the public must act to reverse this disturbing trend from reaching a tipping point – A tipping point where unsafe drinking water and waterborne disease outbreaks become routine in buildings designed to conserve water.
Location
STEW 206
Start Date
10-4-2016 3:30 PM
DOI
10.5703/1288284316601
Why is Our Plumbing Harming Us?
STEW 206
Water conservation technologies and strategies are profoundly changing drinking water use in buildings. Water and energy saving faucets, showerheads, toilets, pipes, and water heaters are being installed in the stewardship of minimizing the impact of buildings on the environment. Although, evidence is emerging that these technologies can sometimes greatly lengthen the age of your drinking water in buildings. Also discovered is that building design practices and government policies have not kept pace with our ability to avoid elevated lead levels, off-tastes and odors, high levels of disease-causing organisms, or even drinking water caused illnesses. Hospitalizations and even some deaths have been reported for some buildings designed to conserve water. The scientific community, policy makers, technology innovators, and the public must act to reverse this disturbing trend from reaching a tipping point – A tipping point where unsafe drinking water and waterborne disease outbreaks become routine in buildings designed to conserve water.
Infographic