Do you know the player? - Waterborne Illness investigation and surveillance a regulatory perspective

ABSTRACT
In the regulatory development of the Safe Drinking Water Act the public health goals (outcomes) are defined in the preamble of the proposed rule by the number of illnesses prevented, deaths avoided, etc. A risk factor of (10 -4 to 10-6) is typically used. In very simple terms, successful implementation and compliance with the provisions of the SDWA equals public health goals being achieved. While waterborne disease investigation and surveillance are not directly written in these rules, successful implementation of these regulations can play a role in reducing and preventing waterborne illness and outbreaks from occurring.

So why do outbreaks continue to occur? Why do the majority of outbreaks occur at groundwater non-community public systems? Why are many of those outbreaks associated with seasonal licensed establishments?

The SDWA is not intended to and does not allow us to measure the health of individuals, but the health of the public water supply serving the individuals. The questions raised previously have had an influence on the regulatory tools used by Minnesota’s Drinking Water Program to implement the SDWA, and allows us to better understand and identify environmental factors that may reduce and prevent waterborne illness and outbreaks, as well as being in a better position to participate and respond should an outbreak occur. In this presentation we will touch on key events and how they influenced our program, and how we have come to know our “players”.