Quantifying Risk Implications of Distributed Approaches to Water Services Using a Technology-Policy Approach

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Distributed waste water systems already exist in rural and less developed areas in the form of septic systems, and are widely regarded as ineffective and a danger to source water. In places where tap water is not reliably potable, bottled water serves as a distributed approach to delivering safe drinking water. However, bottled water use in the developed world is often derided as wasteful and criticized for not being safer (and potentially being less safe) than municipally treated tap water. Why then, should we consider the ramifications of adopting a distributed approach to water more broadly? First, distributed approaches are a reality in many parts of the world, which lack both sanitation infrastructure and the resources to build them. These approaches have significant implications for the use and quality of water, and more generally for the health of humans and ecosystems which rely on that water. Moreover, distributed systems are increasingly being considered to address water scarcity, remote developments and the economic delivery of highly purified water for consumption and contact purposes. Under the umbrella of distributed water systems, we consider non-traditional approaches to water distribution, particularly dual systems, such as gray water or rain collection for non-contact uses. These approaches are sometimes adopted for sustainability reasons as much as for economic ones. At present, these systems are not informed by regulation, either because adequate regulations do not yet exist to address the risks posed by these systems or because they are explicitly banned by existing regulation. In both cases, regulatory bodies are unable to adequately characterize the risks associated with non-traditional approaches to water distribution for two reasons: (1) comprehensive studies evaluating the human health risks and costs of these systems do not exist and (2) they lack a framework for characterizing and contrasting the risk of non-traditional water distribution with traditional, municipally delivered water and waste water services. The proposed research will fill an important gap in understanding the implications of distributed water systems while extending literature on quantitative risk assessment and impact assessment.