Grantee Research Project Results

Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program (E-MAP) for Healthy Water

EPA Grant Number: R827968
Title: Environmental Monitoring and Awareness Program (E-MAP) for Healthy Water
Investigators: Meuli, R. Larry , Fortney, Rick D. , McCall, C. Elizabeth , Wilson, Dorothy
Current Investigators: Meuli, R. Larry , Wilson, Dorothy
Institution: Laramie County Information Technology Office
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: November 1, 1999 through October 31, 2000
Project Amount: $235,782
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (1999) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Air

Description:

The goals of this project are to:

Reduce misinformation on water availability and quality;

Train the public to find data on neighborhood water quality;

Educate the public on obtaining tests of wells and septics and data on public water/sewer systems;

Teach the public to check septic conditions/problems in their neighborhood;

Activate public efforts for obtaining public water/sewer systems for the urban density areas; and

Alert the public to the meaning and significance of bacteriological tests for total and fecal coliform, total dissolved solids, sulfates, nitrates and nitrites.

E-MAP builds on the local "201 Study Area" project which promotes the use of city sewers in the urban density area.

Approach:

Partners will achieve project goals through the following approaches:

Automate the local water quality and testing program and small wastewater permits, evaluation and inspection program.

Host a speaker series and distribute written materials.

Access water quality and quantity data on web page.

Develop a notification system protocol and electronic message center board network for notifications of emergency health situations related to water.

Expected Results:

A decrease in illnesses found in sensitive populations (children, elderly, pregnant women, those genetically predisposed to diseases) that will be protected from the cumulative ecological effects of dose-related toxins, organisms and carcinogens found in water at levels that would not affect a normal healthy adult.

Early detection of drinking water and well contamination problems (related to fecal coliform and/or total coliform, total dissolved solids, sulfates, nitrates and nitrites) and projected problem areas for wells will lead to proactive mitigation providing alternative sustainable development which should lead to innovative technological improvements.

Accessibility to timely information will result in a decrease in the time expended for researching well water and septic information as well as answering water/septic related questions.

Active use of the Internet and written materials to decrease the purchase of "non-serviceable" property. This will provide effective tools for communicating, interpreting and applying environmental data and information.

Reduced problems regarding inadequate water knowledge in regard to annexation requirements for obtaining City sewer and water service as evidenced by fewer "aborted" annexation applications.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

environmental health, decision making, wastewater, water quality, Region 8, Wyoming., RFA, Health, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geographic Area, Water, Toxics, National Recommended Water Quality, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Ecological Indicators, EPA Region, State, Ecosystem Protection, genetic susceptability, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, exploratory research environmental biology, Monitoring/Modeling, Children's Health, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Drinking Water, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, EMAP, fecal coliform, environmental hazard exposures, health risks, infants, sensitive populations, public health alerts, urban environment, water quality, well and septic system, lead, treatment, pregnancy, environmental monitoring, emergency health situations, Region 8, elderly, bacteria monitoring, community outreach, real-time monitoring, water supply, monitoring, web site development, total dissolved solids, sensitive population, wastewater permits, Wyoming, exposure, children, ecological exposure, other - risk assessment, community water quality information system, environmental health, WY, public information, community tracking, pre-existing conditions, EMPACT, dose related toxins, exposure and effects

Progress and Final Reports:

Final Report