Browsing by Author "Johnson, Pauline"

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    Analysis of the impacts of drinking water infrastructure on water quality in Alabama's Black Belt
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Forehand, Richard Warren; Johnson, Pauline; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Research has suggested that residents of Alabama's Black Belt are at elevated risk of waterborne disease due to a problem with failing septic tanks in the area. At the same time, cities and towns across the nation are realizing the dire need for replacing and rehabilitating America's declining water infrastructure to protect public health. An EPA-STAR project is being conducted in three Black Belt counties to further assess the situation and help local water utilities combat the increased risk of contamination. Water loss, low pressure, low chlorine, high residence time, and presence of total coliforms were used as indicators to assess which service areas of one Black Belt system were most likely vulnerable to contamination. Collected data from 195 households within the system and simulated data from an EPANET model of the system were used for the analysis. The results identified the regions with the highest prevalence of these indicators and suggested further system level sampling to evaluate if the problem is more associated with system water mains or households.
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    Associations between Perceptions of Drinking Water Service Delivery and Measured Drinking Water Quality in Rural Alabama
    (MDPI, 2014) Wedgworth, Jessica C.; Brown, Joe; Johnson, Pauline; Olson, Julie B.; Elliott, Mark; Forehand, Rick; Stauber, Christine E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia State University
    Although small, rural water supplies may present elevated microbial risks to consumers in some settings, characterizing exposures through representative point-of-consumption sampling is logistically challenging. In order to evaluate the usefulness of consumer self-reported data in predicting measured water quality and risk factors for contamination, we compared matched consumer interview data with point-of-survey, household water quality and pressure data for 910 households served by 14 small water systems in rural Alabama. Participating households completed one survey that included detailed feedback on two key areas of water service conditions: delivery conditions (intermittent service and low water pressure) and general aesthetic characteristics (taste, odor and color), providing five condition values. Microbial water samples were taken at the point-of-use (from kitchen faucets) and as-delivered from the distribution network (from outside flame-sterilized taps, if available), where pressure was also measured. Water samples were analyzed for free and total chlorine, pH, turbidity, and presence of total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Of the 910 households surveyed, 35% of participants reported experiencing low water pressure, 15% reported intermittent service, and almost 20% reported aesthetic problems (taste, odor or color). Consumer-reported low pressure was associated with lower gauge-measured pressure at taps. While total coliforms (TC) were detected in 17% of outside tap samples and 12% of samples from kitchen faucets, no reported water service conditions or aesthetic characteristics were associated with presence of TC. We conclude that consumer-reported data were of limited utility in predicting potential microbial risks associated with small water supplies in this setting, although consumer feedback on low pressure-a risk factor for contamination-may be relatively reliable and therefore useful in future monitoring efforts.
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    Associations between Self-Reported Gastrointestinal Illness and Water System Characteristics in Community Water Supplies in Rural Alabama: A Cross-Sectional Study
    (PLOS, 2016) Stauber, Christine E.; Wedgworth, Jessica C.; Johnson, Pauline; Olson, Julie B.; Ayers, Tracy; Elliott, Mark; Brown, Joe; Georgia State University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Georgia Institute of Technology
    Background Community water supplies in underserved areas of the United States may be associated with increased microbiological contamination and risk of gastrointestinal disease. Microbial and health risks affecting such systems have not been systematically characterized outside outbreak investigations. The objective of the study was to evaluate associations between self-reported gastrointestinal illnesses (GII) and household-level water supply characteristics. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of water quality, water supply characteristics, and GII in 906 households served by 14 small and medium-sized community water supplies in Alabama's underserved Black Belt region. Results We identified associations between respondent-reported water supply interruption and any symptoms of GII (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.65-5.49), as well as low water pressure and any symptoms of GII (aOR: 4.51, 95% CI = 2.5-57.97). We also identified associations between measured water quality such as lack of total chlorine and any symptoms of GII (aOR: 5.73, 95% CI = 1.09-30.1), and detection of E. coli in water samples and increased reports of vomiting (aOR: 5.01, 95% CI = 1.62-15.52) or diarrhea (aOR: 7.75, 95% CI = 2.06-29.15). Conclusions Increased self-reported GII was associated with key water system characteristics as measured at the point of sampling in a cross-sectional study of small and medium water systems in rural Alabama in 2012 suggesting that these water supplies can contribute to endemic gastro-intestinal disease risks. Future studies should focus on further characterizing and managing microbial risks in systems facing similar challenges.