Problem: Water can become unsafe when contaminated with TTHM, perchlorate, or uranium. Approximately 45 million people in the U.S. get their water from private wells. They do not always know they need to test for these contaminants, or may not know what the harmful health effects are. Examples of health effects include kidney and liver damage (TTHM), delayed growth and development (perchlorate), heart disease, high blood pressure and lung cancer (uranium).
Solution: Region 1 PEHSU created 3 new water-related factsheets on TTHM, perchlorate, and uranium. This community education project was a collaboration with professors and students from Harvard University School of Public Health.
Impact: A family contacted Region 1 PEHSU after they found out there was uranium in their well water. Region 1 PEHSU provided factsheets to the family with uranium in their well water. The factsheet project helped educate the family. The Harvard public health students involved in creating the factsheets learned about best practices in community education, and the importance of being proactive, in this case.