Despite the fact that you may never have heard of it, the bowel infection giardiasis afflicts more than 2.5 million people in the United States every year. In undeveloped countries, it can affect as much as 20-30% of the population. The reason it’s so widespread is that it is caused by a protozoan parasite that infiltrates water systems all over the globe. If these protozoans infect your system, you will start feeling very sick. Therefore, it’s vital for municipal water systems to maintain strict standards on groundwater under the direct influence of surface water in order to eliminate protozoan populations and maintain public health.

Groundwater is determined to be under the influence of surface water if there is a direct connection between the two. Groundwater includes private cisterns and underground springs. Surface water is more prone to contaminants which, if a direct link exists, can pass through to the groundwater. Water treatment facilities have to be able to specify the source of the parasites so that they can eliminate the problem at the source. Since surface water can feed into numerous underground water reserves, the problem of giardiasis can spread quickly unless the source is located and taken care of.

As per the Surface Water Treatment Rule established in 1989, the acceptable tolerance for Giardia and other common parasites in drinking water is zero. That is because these parasites present a health risk to the populace. This rule also set up the guidelines for the methods that have to be used to get rid of the contaminants and established the requirements that drinking water which is going into the distribution system must have continuous sanitation and a measure of disinfectant in the system that that is discernible.

The Federal government requires that all groundwater under the influence of surface water be put through a three-step process in order to determine the amount of contamination. These steps are:
1. Testing in order to establish the purity of the water and the kinds of contaminants that
are in it.
2. Monitoring every day for the long-term.
3. Continued checks for water quality.

The Department of Health insists that water systems using contaminated groundwater under the direct influence of surface water must take other precautions it has outlined in order to eliminate the problems. The water treatment system may be required to filter or sanitize all of its water and that the facility has to be run by licensed technicians. The guidelines are believed to be working in almost all of the areas, too. Unfortunately, some Giardia and other parasites are still figuring out ways to get through the systems that are in operation. This is not acceptable, and water management will continue to be checked until the zero tolerance set up by the rule is the way it really is.