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Title: Groundwater Vulnerability in the United States: Identifying Inequitable Contaminants and Water Sources
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2023
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Abstract: The Safe Drinking Water Act, the landmark legislation enacted in 1974 now regulates over ninety contaminants in public drinking water systems. While we have made great progress in the United States with respect to protecting humans from waterborne diseases, drinking water remains a significant vulnerability point for human health, and contaminants of concern continue to emerge. Private water sources, which are unregulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act must be tested by the homeowner or tenant to ensure water quality, but regular testing of private water supplies is rare. We still don’t know who drinks what type of water or which public systems serve which populations in the United States. We also lack understanding of potential exposure to point sources of contaminants, and the fate and transport of contaminants relative to drinking water sources. This dissertation focuses on three main questions; (1) Who is most vulnerable to sources of contamination? (2) How is our understanding of fate and transport informing how we think about vulnerability? (3) How can we use the data available from sources such as SDWA reporting to better understand the who, what, where, why and how of drinking water contamination in the United States?. In chapter one, I investigate the distribution of leaking underground storage tanks and whether they represent an environmental justice (EJ) issue, posing an inequitable exposure risk to low-income communities and communities of color. Chapter two explores how LUST sites are monitored and characterized, suggesting that carcinogenic benzene plumes may be larger than previously thought. Chapter three presents new methods for identifying what type of water people are drinking; regulated public water or unregulated private water at high spatial resolution for 2020. A countless amount of chance events, minor and major decisions, luck, support, love and work have lead me to this point in my life. There are too many people to name but I will name a few. I want to thank my high school teachers Nora Comiskey and Beth Glascott for seeing my potential and pushing me towards environmental science. Thank you to my professors at the University of Cincinnati who opened my eyes to the field of Geography and gave me the basis for the work I do today. Thank you to Dr. Diego Riveros-Iregui for being an advisor who has pushed me to be a better researcher, supported my professional development and spent a significant amount of his time helping me make my work better. Thank you to my family, especially my parents for always supporting my decisions, and especially to pursue my Doctorate. Most of all, thank you to my wife and son, who have been my unbelievably strong support system since they entered my life. Without your love and support, I never would have made the move to North Carolina and I would not be the person I am today.
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Authors: Murray, Andrew
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Department: Geography
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Pages: 1-218
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Health, Housing and Segregation, Natural Resource Management, Race and Ethnicity
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