The Mountain West is known for its panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. But beneath the picturesque landscape lies major environmental concerns. We see the effects of them in this area on a regular basis as specialty doctors in children’s environmental health. The Rocky Mountain west hosts an example of a tribal community working to find the resources to research and address known and long-standing contamination issues in home well water. Within the Crow Reservation community, many people live in areas too rural to be served by a public water and sanitation source. Well water is sourced from an aquifer that is contaminated with manganese, strontium, uranium, arsenic, and nitrates. Maintenance issues are common with well water and septic systems closely located and in disrepair. Limited housing resources often require occupancy levels double the design capacity of wastewater handling systems, so drain fields are failing. This so-called ‘owner neglect’ makes households ineligible for abatement funding.
Full article in AAP Voices Blog (click view resource button on the top right).