There are rural residents of Central Appalachia that collect their drinking water from roadside springs despite having access to in-home piped point-of-use (POU) water. Residents have cited perceptions about water availability/quality as primary motivators for collecting drinking water from roadside springs. Water from roadside springs has been found to contain total coliform and E. coli, suggesting that consumers may be at an increased risk of contracting gastrointestinal illnesses. This research effort seeks to better understand roadside spring usage in Central Appalachia, by exploring motivations influencing potable water source selection and comparing household and spring water quality to Safe Drinking Water Act recommendations. Households were recruited from communities surrounding springs in three states (Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia). 24 tap water samples were collected from participating households and paired with samples from six roadside springs. Samples were analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria and inorganic ions. Study participants also completed short surveys to inventory their perceptions of their household drinking water. The majority of participants did not trust their home tap water, indicating water aesthetics as primary motivators for distrust of their homer water source. Statistical comparisons indicated that 10 water quality constituents (Cd, F, NO3-, Cu, Pb, Ag, Mn, Zn, Na, and Sr) were significantly higher in tap water samples and four constituents (total coliform, U, Al, and SO2-4) were significantly higher in spring samples. These results suggest that residents might be exposed to different risks based on their drinking water source and that water quality solutions must be devised case-by-case. / Master of Science / Some rural residents of Central Appalachia collect their drinking water from roadside springs, despite having access to piped drinking water at their homes. Water collected from roadside springs can contain harmful bacteria, suggesting that people may risk exposure to illness when consuming spring water. Through a household water quality study, this research effort aims to compare roadside spring and in-home tap water quality in order to determine what contaminants are present at each source, and why residents are choosing spring water over tap water. Households were recruited from communities surrounding roadside springs in three states (Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia). A total of 24 tap water samples were collected from participating households, and compared with samples from six nearby roadside springs. Samples were analyzed for bacteria, metals, and nutrients. Study participants were also asked to complete short surveys to better understand their perceptions of their drinking water sources. The majority of participants did not trust their home tap water, citing aesthetic concerns as the primary reason behind their distrust. When comparing roadside spring and home samples, 10 contaminants (Cd, F, NO3-, Cu, Pb, Ag, Mn, Zn, Na, and Sr) had greater concentrations in home tap water samples and four (total coliform, U, Al, and SO2- 4) had greater concentrations in spring samples. While home water samples had higher levels of metals, roadside spring samples had higher levels of bacteria, suggesting that residents might be exposed to different risks based on water source and that water quality solutions must be developed case-by-case.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/95042 |
| Date | 24 October 2019 |
| Creators | Patton, Hannah Elisabeth |
| Contributors | Biological Systems Engineering, Krometis, Leigh-Anne H., Hession, W. Cully, Sarver, Emily A. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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