While water supply questions are first at the forefront when thinking of Arizona’s water woes, the matter of water quality is an important part of the efforts municipalities are making. Climate change is driving a lot of issues people are facing when it comes to water, contributing also to what ends up in the water that people consume, officials say.
There are some concerns about what’s unseen in the water that we consume, from naturally occurring microbacteria to synthetic chemicals such PFAS, that can seriously impact people’s health.
In Arizona, experts say current practices for monitoring and managing water are up to par for handling and addressing any public health concerns that could be spread by water.
Industry opinion
Whether you prefer more highly filtered water or simply tap, the water we consume has been thoroughly treated and tested before it reaches your spout at home.
Any “funny” flavors tasted in tap are just reflective of environmental factors and should pose no threat to one’s health, according to Treavor Boyer, professor at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, whose research focuses on drinking water and wastewater treatment.
Differences people detect in the quality of water are typically aesthetic issues, Boyer explained. Changes in taste or odor could be because of higher levels of dissolved solids, which is more likely in warmer summer months.
He noted Arizona water utilities are required to produce consumer confidence reports on water quality, and these reports typically show a given city has safe drinking water.
“The water is safe, but it is kind of diverse, because the state gets water from surface water, from groundwater,” Boyer said.
Broadly speaking, there are two categories of water treatment for surface water and ground water.
Surface water originates from bodies of water such as lakes or reservoirs, traveling through canals to get to customers, while groundwater is stored in the spaces beneath the earth’s surface.
Boyer explained surface water treatment involves removing particulate material like clay or silt and natural organic material like dissolved plant material. The standard process for treating surface water includes coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration followed by disinfection.
For groundwater, treatment focuses on removing dissolved minerals, such as calcium or magnesium, also addressing any further contaminants like iron or arsenic. Treatments for groundwater include softening or precipitation.
“They’re very effective. I mean, they’re kind of the standard,” Boyer said.
According to him though, the main area researchers examine when it comes to improving methods of treating and monitoring water quality is PFAS, manmade chemicals that can contaminate water supplies, causing long-term health effects to those who consume it.
Boyer said by talking to his students, he knows PFAS is the topic to tackle when it comes to water quality, along with the further development of water reuse methods.
Biological contaminants
But organic and nonorganic particles are not the only things water experts are monitoring when it comes to water quality.
Chuck Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, has conducted research in the transmission of pathogens through the environment — most recently including the transmission through water.
He explained while groundwater and surface water sources are well monitored, issues arise with bacteria in distribution systems like Legionella and Mycobacterium. Hospitals in particular are vulnerable to such contaminations.
“The only issues that we have are with when you’re talking about drinking water systems, it’s the bacteria growing in the systems here (that) are very tolerant to the chlorine,” Gerba said.
Certain places like health care or recreational water like public pools are more challenging to address because of how easy it is for a water system to become contaminated. Gerba noted with water reuse, viruses and other bacteria can be more difficult to remove than chemicals.
Water contaminated by bacteria takes more effort and time to treat, according to Gerba.
“It takes a lot analytically. It can take 24 hours to a couple of weeks to assay it, so that’s one of the limitations we have is trying to come up with more rapid methods,” he said.
Bacteria can be detected within a day, but other pathogens can be slow-growing so it’s more challenging to identify and address those.
Additionally, Gerba pointed to the impact on water quality from climate change. For drinking water, he said rising temperatures make it more likely for bacteria like Legionella to grow more as well as more bacteria are likely to contaminate surface water and other areas of water.
Despite the challenges the world is facing at large when it comes to water quality, both Gerba and Boyer say Arizona is in a good position to take on any quality issues that occur.
“We’re kind of desperate for water in Arizona. We’ve got to go to potable reuse if we’re going to continue any development,” Gerba said.
A local look
When it comes down to it, it’s up to municipalities to take an active role in ensuring there is not only an ample water supply for residents, but a supply that is consumable and safe.
At a macro scale, the Central Arizona Project conducts an annual water quality report of the Colorado River, which compiles data collected monthly throughout a given year. This data helps to guide municipalities on how to filter the water they receive.
Scott Bryan, water quality and biology administrator at CAP, explained that while CAP does its monitoring of the Colorado River, it’s really up to the local water distributors to make sure it’s consumable for customers.
“Our program is basically a customer service program, so we’re just there to monitor the water quality and provide that information to our stakeholders and to the public in general, just to let them know what’s going on with the water quality,” Bryans said.
CAP monitors samples each month for metals and non-metals, organics, nutrients and a variety of contaminants that their water treatment plants might have concerns about.
Bryan noted in the past they have done some monitoring of invasive species, specifically Quagga mussels, which were a previous concern to CAP delivering water.
Like Gerba and Boyer, Bryan also highlighted the tie that water quality and supply have when thinking of long-term conservation. As water supply decreases, slower flows are seen in the canal, which can lead to an increase in temperatures.
“That means temperatures can warm up, sunlight can penetrate (and) you can get some different things,” Bryan said.
As a result, things like algae can appear, but this is something CAP monitors so officials can provide information to customers so they can best handle the treatment of the water for its customers.
Bryan Scott conducting a water quality sampling test.
Courtesy Central Arizona Project
(Courtesy Central Arizona Project)
While CAP conducts monthly water quality samples, Bryan noted local municipalities are concerned with a stricter standard of water quality and monitoring, where it’s almost an “every minute” kind of compliance.
“They have very rigorous water quality that they keep an eye on and they’re constantly testing, so they’ve got pretty sophisticated equipment and laboratories to take care of that we’re giving them,” he said.
Bryan says the partnership between CAP and municipalities is more like a canary in a coal mine, where CAP is the first line of defense when identifying water quality concerns so that local utilities are best prepared to treat the water that they receive.
He emphasized how communication between CAP and its partners has really made an impact in the ways CAP monitors water quality, allowing its customers to treat water received efficiently. Transparency in this data has only increased over the years of CAP monitoring its water.
“Relaying that information is going to be important for us to have our finger on the pulse of the water quality for sure,” Bryan said.
Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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“The water is safe, but it is kind of diverse, because the state gets water from surface water, from groundwater,” Boyer said.
“The only issues that we have are with when you’re talking about drinking water systems, it’s the bacteria growing in the systems here (that) are very tolerant to the chlorine,” Gerba said.
“Our program is basically a customer service program, so we’re just there to monitor the water quality and provide that information to our stakeholders and to the public in general, just to let them know what’s going on with the water quality,” Bryans said.
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