HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF UNTREATED WATER FROM HOUSEHOLD ROOF CATCHMENT SYSTEMS

• Published in: Journal of the American Water Resources Association Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 1301 - 1306
• Main Author: Lye, Dennis J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2002; American Water Resources Association
• Subjects: Campylobacter; Clostridium; Cryptosporidium; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Giardia; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; infectious diseases; Legionella; microbial disease; Pollution, environment geology; rainwater collection; rainwater harvesting; roof runoff; Salmonella; Water resources; water-borne diseases; risk assessment; bacteria; atmospheric precipitation; runoff; water supply; consumption; rain water; indicators; drainage basins; prokaryotes; water quality; microorganisms; drinking water
• ISSN: 1093-474X; 1752-1688
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2002.tb04349.x

Rainwater harvesting is receiving increased attention worldwide as an alternative source of drinking water. Although collected rainwater is typically consumed without any type of disinfection, the microbial quality of this type of water source can be poor. Around the world, consumers of collected and stored rainwater may be at considerable risk to a variety of infectious diseases. This review presents studies attributing specific risks of diseases to the consumption of contaminated rainwater. Diseases attributed to the consumption of untreated rainwater include bacterial diarrheas due to Salmonella and Campylobacter, bacterial pneumonia due to Legionella, botulism due to Clostridium, tissue helminths, and protozoal diarrheas from Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Simple indicator systems such as fecal coliform measurements may prove to be inadequate for determining microbial risks associated with consumption of water from rainwater catchment systems.