Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004DC59B

DC H2O: Whats On Tap?

Institute: District of Columbia
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2004-03-01 End Date: 2005-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $15,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $30,000

Principal Investigators: Rovenia Brock-Riggins, William Hare

Project Summary: As drinking water for the District of Columbia is derived from the Potomac River a surface water supply, contaminants may be present in this source water. Rain and other precipitation and harmful contaminants such as microbes, viruses, bacteria, inorganic salts, pesticides, herbicides, and radioactive contaminants may adversely affect the quality of the water supply. To that end, the public perception of the citys water quality is less than desirable. It is felt by many consumers that bottled water is superior to that derived from the tap. Therefore, as the city seeks to improve the perception and possible quality of the water supply, it may be useful to discover the status of safety of city drinking water as it relates to possible consumer threats in specific locations and to discern if there is validity in public opinion about the safety of the District of Columbia drinking water.