Evaluation of Point of Use Water Treatment Devices for Removal of Mine Wastes from Well Water

摘要

U.S. EPA Region VII and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) are conducting a large-scale study to identify the prevalence of lead (Pb) and other contaminants in drinking water at four mine waste areas in Washington County, Missouri. Numerous households in Potosi, Richwoods, Old Mines, and Furnace Creek mine waste areas are receiving bottled water as a short-term alternative. The project is designed to provide homeowners with contaminated wells above the action level with Point-of-Use (POU) treatment units as an interim alternative water system until a permanent water system becomes available. The objectives of this project are to collect water samples from a representative set of households, conduct field measurements for the collected water samples, and analyze the collected water samples for total metals, dissolved metals, anions, inorganic parameters, total organic carbon (TOC), and microbiological parameters (E. coli). This paper summarizes all aspects of sampling, analysis, POU selection, economic considerations, and issues resulting from the installation of household POU water treatment devices.