October 2021: Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services
Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services Column
Journal of Environmental Health (Volume 84, Number 3)
Editor's Note: The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal.
In these columns, authors from CDC's Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share insights and information about environmental health programs, trends, issues, and resources. The conclusions of these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.
Making Data-Driven Decisions for Safe Water
Raquel Sabogal, MSPH, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Description
From 2015–2020, the National Center for Environmental Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded 19 health departments to use the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services (www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/10-essential-services/index.html) to improve services for residents relying on wells and other private drinking water systems. Approximately 1 in 8 U.S. residents gets their drinking water from a private well. Furthermore, approximately 1 in 5 sampled private wells was found to be contaminated at levels that could affect health. Environmental health departments have an important role in reducing harmful exposures from wells and private water systems.
This month's column highlights the work of several health departments that used data to help inform decisions to ensure safe water in their communities for residents that rely on private drinking water wells and systems.