Introducing Right to Know H2O ’24, dedicated to a fundamental principle of Sustainable Development Goal 6: the right to safe drinking water requires the right to know water is safe, including on the planet’s 25,000-plus college and university campuses.
Top to bottom, L-R: Ian Shimba, Isabella Coraci, Lizi Imedashvili, Sebastian Roman, Phoenix Ellrodt, Victor Lima, Charles Metayer.
There are more than 270 million water consumers on the world’s 25,000-plus college and university campuses. They have a right-to-know if their drinking water is clean.
Education and innovation can make it so. Let’s get started!
Our pledge:
In our role as United Nations Millennium Fellows, we pledge to advance the human right-to-know the quality of the water people drink, as reflected in the fundamental principles of United Nations declarations on the right to information, the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, and in Sustainable Development Goal 6. As centers of learning, research, and community service, higher education institutions have a special role in making this goal a reality. Right-to-Know H2O ’24 will dedicate itself to helping colleges and universities fulfill this objective, beginning with our own campus.
What is Sustainable Development Goal 6?
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 is: “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.” The U.N. SDG6 site states:
Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right. To get back on track, key strategies include increasing sector-wide investment and capacity-building, promoting innovation and evidence-based action, enhancing cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders, and adopting a more integrated and holistic approach to water management.
Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education.
In 2022, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, including 703 million without a basic water service; 3.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation, including 1.5 billion without basic sanitation services; and 2 billion lacked a basic handwashing facility, including 653 million with no handwashing facility at all.
By managing our water sustainably, we are also able to better manage our production of food and energy and contribute to decent work and economic growth. Moreover, we can preserve our water ecosystems, their biodiversity, and take action on climate change.
What is right-to-know?
Right-to-Know is an internationally recognized principle of human rights that guarantees people easy access to information that is vital to the protection of their health, safety, and well being. To provide proper protection, that principle must be applied in advance of any questionable, dangerous or hazardous situation to which a person may be exposed — at home, in the environment, at the workplace (see example, right), or on a college campus. More than 2 billion people are exposed to dangerous drinking water around the globe. They have a right to know. Many of their sources are public supplies. We believe that if higher education institutions worldwide committed themselves to performing the research and creating the necessary innovations for their own populations, that work will spread globally. Our objective is to begin with our own campus and work with fellow students around the globe.
See the petition by RTKH2O ’23 to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres on Right-to-Know
Our mission:
To build upon the work of the 2023 RTKH2O team, but with the objective of instilling in colleges and universities the same fundamental principle implied in SDG 6 – the right to safe drinking water requires the right-to-know water is safe, including on our campuses. The world’s 25,000-plus higher education institutions have an estimated 270 million water consumers. The combined population of these students, faculty and staff would place it fourth among the world’s most populous nations. Our goal is to leverage technology to create a model that other campuses can emulate. Our first step is a Pleasantville campus awareness campaign: a water quality summit with local officials, an online learning site, and a campus water quality survey. Second is implementation of a data-collection system, a digital information and reporting system, and an upgraded university alert app for water emergencies. Through the Millennium Fellowship network, we will then provide other campuses with tools to institute similar practices. Our seven-student team from Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems brings together the talents, expertise and technology necessary for success.
Begin by learning about our Pace Pleasantville campus drinking water, prepared by our predecessor RTKH2O team in 2023
Below is an easy to navigate guide to campus drinking water — thanks to our fellow Blue CoLab members, Leanna Machado, Joseph Turner, Vincent Ret, and Kenji Okura. Answers to commonly asked questions can be found in the “FAQ” tab. For required yearly Water Quality Reports dating back to 2017, click on the “Annual Reports” tab. Explanations on some of the key contaminants that are tested can be found under the “Contaminant Info” tab. For regulations and resources used to monitor water quality, click on the “EPA Manuals” tab. See the map below for an animation of the route Pace Pleasantville drinking water travels.
Learn more about campus drinking water.
Go to bluecolab.blogs.pace.edu/pace water for detailed information about campus water, including answers to commonly asked questions, yearly Water Quality Reports dating back to 2017, explanations on some of the key contaminants, regulations and resources used to monitor water quality, and a map with an animation of the route Pace Pleasantville drinking water travels.
Pace Pleasantville Water
From Source to Tap
To comply with State and Federal drinking water regulations, Pace University issues an Annual Water Quality Report on May 31st that provides water quality data for the previous calendar year (January – December). The purpose of the reports is to enable you, the consumer, to make informed decisions about your health as it relates to the consumption of water, and raise your awareness about the need to protect our drinking water.
The report must list contaminants for which testing has been conducted, and separately list any that have exeeded state or federal standards. Contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. The State and the EPA have promulgated regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants allowed in water delivered by public water systems.
Who is responsible for maintenance of the water supply?
The water & wastewater specialists of Allied Pollution Control Inc. are Pace University’s water system operators. Pace’s water source is purchased from the Town of Mount Pleasant which purchases its water from the Town of New Castle Water District, whose primary source is the Catskill Aqueduct System and its secondary is the Croton Aqueduct System.
How and where is water sampled? What frequency?
The water is sampled at the New Castle Water District. The water is sampled by having ten samples collected from our water system. On a frequency basis, the State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old. Field turbidity readings are recorded 5 days a week. The samples for these in-house testing are taken from varying locations on-site. Testing for total coliform is done 3 times a month by the State. Throughout the month, the three tasting dates fall between the 1 – 7th, 8 – 14th, and 15 – 21st of the month. Disinfection byproducts are tested 4 times a month, with samples taken at two different sites. Lead and copper may be tested every 6 months. However, if no contamination is found, the testing frequency would change to annual testing or testing every 3 years if there continues to be no contamination. Since Pace is a recipient of water that is already treated, we are not required to monitor additional contaminants.
What is tested?
Pace University is required to monitor for total coliform, lead, copper, total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and turbidity. Additional contaminants are monitored in the New Castle Water District, including microbiological contaminants, inorganic compounds, volatile organic compounds, radiological compounds, and synthetic organic compounds.
What are the regulations Pace has to follow?
Regulations under the New York State Sanitary Code and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act require Pace University to routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants.
What is Pace’s Water Emergency Management & Response Plan?
Pace University can send notifications through Pace Alert, the university’s emergency notification system (via e-mail, text, and Pace Safe App). Students, staff, and faculty are automatically enrolled. To update your preferences, see Emergency Notifications.
How can I stay informed about water quality emergencies?
Annual Water Quality Reports are published by Facilities and Capital Projects every May. Reports are published on Facility Updates page. In the future, this page will display updated water quality data so you can make informed decisions.
What should I do in the event of a water emergency? Where can I report concerns?
In the event of a water emergency, if you have any questions concerning your drinking water, please contact the Pace University Facilities Management Office at (914) 923-2840. We want you to be informed about your drinking water. To obtain additional information on the drinking water provided to Pace University, you may contact the Mount Pleasant Water District directly, at 119 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, New York 10595-1268, or by telephone at (914) 742-2313.
What are regular precautions I should take?
If the faucet or showerhead has not been used recently, defined as a week or more, the CDC recommends flushing them before use. It is recommended that you run the cold water for two minutes; then switch to hot water until the water starts to feel hot (CDC). Regularly clean any device that uses water (CDC). Read more on the CDC’s website. There are steps that you as a Pace Community member can do to protect our water source. Don’t dispose of hazardous waste (i.e. mothballs, cleaners, medication) down your sink, on the ground, or in storm sewers. Help clean up local water sources (EPA).
What are my rights?
Since 2010 the UN has declared that clean water is a human right. Furthermore, one needs to know what’s in their water to make informed decisions, a human right recognized by the UN in 2015. You can read more about this on the UN’s website. Current federal regulations (§ 141.151) only require reports to be posted yearly – having water quality that could be a year old can not be used to make informed decisions. Blue CoLab seeks to give regular reports so community members can actively make informed decisions on their water.
Where does Pace wastewater go?
Wastewater from most of the Pocantico River watershed goes to the Yonkers plant, which is the largest contributor of liquid waste/sewage to the Lower Hudson and is also a combined sewer system.
Pace University Pleasantville is required to issue a yearly water quality report because its drinking water system is considered a “community water system” within the meaning set forth in the State Sanitary Code and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. All findings from each of the below analyses are contained in the Report and presented in tables divided in different sections pertaining to the type of contaminant, the date of each sample, and whether the testing of a given contaminant revealed a violation of New York State drinking water regulations.
For an explanation on the contaminants listed in the reports, see the “Contaminant Information” tab.
Pace Water Quality Report for 2021 (PDF 
)
The drinking water analyses conducted for the Pace University Pleasantville campus during the January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 period, and presented in that year’s Annual Water Quality Report, found that all results were in accordance with the water quality regulations set forth in the New York State Department of Health Sanitary Code.Read more.
Pace Water Quality Report for 2020 (PDF )
The drinking water analyses conducted for the Pace University Pleasantville campus during the January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 period, and presented in that year’s Annual Water Quality Report, found that all results were in accordance with the water quality regulations set forth in the New York State Department of Health Sanitary Code. Read more.
Pace Water Quality Report for 2019 (PDF )
The drinking water analyses conducted for the Pace University Pleasantville campus during the January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 period, and presented in that year’s Annual Water Quality Report, found that all results were in accordance with the water quality regulations set forth in the New York State Department of Health Sanitary Code. Read more.
Pace Water Quality Report for 2018 (PDF )
The drinking water analyses conducted for the Pace University Pleasantville campus during the January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 period, and presented in that year’s Annual Water Quality Report, found that all results were in accordance with the water quality regulations set forth in the New York State Department of Health Sanitary Code. Read more.
Pace Water Quality Report for 2017 (PDF )
The drinking water analyses conducted for the Pace University Pleasantville campus during the January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 period, and presented in that year’s Annual Water Quality Report, found that all results were in accordance with the water quality regulations set forth in the New York State Department of Health Sanitary Code. Read more.
Below are common contaminants tested for in the Pace Water Quality Reports. Contaminants include total coliform, lead, copper, total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and turbidity. The description of the contaminant, how it is tested, and its effect on health are explained for each. Words with numerical citations are defined below the list of contaminants.
Total Coliform
Description: Total coliforms are a group of bacteria that includes non-fecal coliform (found in soil and surface water) and fecal coliform. Fecal coliform is a subset of coliform that is heat tolerant and found in animal waste and human sewage. This group consists of Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is a bacteria that is commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans.
How it’s Tested: A method of determining bacteria contamination in water is to count the number of bacteria colonies that grow on a prepared medium. The number of total coliform bacteria is widely used as an indicator for drinkable water in the United States. E. coli present in water is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste contamination. Total coliforms were originally believed to indicate the presence of fecal contamination, but they have been found to be widely distributed in nature, not always associating with the gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. However, high numbers of even harmless bacteria can indicate high numbers of harmful bacteria, viruses, or protozoa¹, as well.
Effect on Health: Sewage and animal waste can contain organisms that cause disease, which may result in severe illness if consumed. While minor gastrointestinal discomfort is one of the most common symptoms, pathogens that cause only minor sickness in some people may cause serious conditions or death in others, especially in the very young, old, or those with weakened immune systems.
Read more from The United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Lead
Description: The likely source of lead contamination in water is from corrosion of household plumbing systems and erosion of natural deposits. It is possible that levels of lead at different homes in the community may be higher than others as a result of materials used in the home’s plumbing. Pace University’s water system is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. To minimize the potential for lead exposure, you can flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.
How it’s Tested: The Safe Drinking Water Act requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up goals for the level of contaminants in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health with an adequate margin of safety. These goals are solely based on possible health risks and are called maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs)². EPA has set the MCLG for lead in drinking water at zero because even at low exposure levels, lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health.
Effect on Health: Lead is persistent and can accumulate in the body over time. Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women, infants, and young children. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, slowed growth, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells such as anemia.
Read more from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Copper
Description: Like lead, copper primarily enters drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials and erosion of natural deposits. Additionally, copper enters the environment from industrial and domestic waste, mining, and mineral leaching.
How it’s Tested: Similar to lead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must determine a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG)² for copper in water. If the concentration of copper exceeds an action level of 1.3 parts per million (ppm) in more than 10% of the taps sampled, a number of additional actions must be undertaken to control corrosion. Action level (AL)³ is the concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
Effect on Health: Exposure to copper may cause stomach and intestinal distress, liver and kidney damage, and in high doses, anemia and brain damage.
Read more from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and The United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Haloacetic Acids
Description: Similar to trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids (HAA5) are disinfection byproducts³ and include the individual chemicals chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, bromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid. This group of chemicals is formed in drinking water during disinfection when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic material in water sources such as rivers and lakes.
How it’s Tested: Chlorination of drinking water is needed to kill harmful organisms such as bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illnesses. However, factors such as the amount of organic matter in water sources, temperature, and the amount of chlorine added affect the amount of HAA5 formed. Specifically, the source of potential HAA5 in Pace’s drinking water would come from the chlorination of water provided by the Mount Pleasant Water District. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a maximum contaminant level goal² of 0.06 parts per million (equivalent to 0.06 milligrams per liter) for HAA5.
Effect on Health: In regards to health, some studies suggest that drinking chlorinated water containing HAA5 for long periods of time, such as 20 to 30 years, can lead to an increased risk of cancer, low birth weight, miscarriage, birth defects, and other health effects. However, the evidence in these studies is not strong enough to conclude that HAA5s were a major factor contributing to the observed increased risks. Compared to the risks for illness from drinking inadequately disinfected water, the risks for adverse health effects from HAA5s in drinking water are small.
Read more from the NYS Department of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Total Trihalomethanes
Description: Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are disinfection byproducts³ and include the individual chemicals chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and chlorodibromomethane. Disinfection byproducts are formed in drinking water during disinfection when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic material in water sources such as rivers and lakes.
How it’s Tested: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a maximum contaminant level goal² of 0.08 parts per million (equivalent to 0.08 milligrams per liter) for TTHMs. Chlorination of drinking water is needed to kill harmful organisms such as bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illnesses. However, factors such as the amount of organic matter in water sources, temperature, and the amount of chlorine added affect the amount of TTHMs formed. Specifically, the source of potential TTHM in Pace’s drinking water would come from the chlorination of water provided by the Mount Pleasant Water District.
Effect on Health: In regards to health, some studies suggest that drinking chlorinated water containing TTHMs for long periods of time, such as 20 to 30 years, can lead to an increased risk of cancer, low birth weight, miscarriage, birth defects, and other health effects. However, the evidence in these studies is not strong enough to conclude that TTHMs were a major factor contributing to the observed increased risks. Compared to the risks for illness from drinking inadequately disinfected water, the risks for adverse health effects from TTHMs in drinking water are small.
Read more from the NYS Department of Health, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the CDC.
Turbidity
Description: Turbidity is the measure of the relative clarity of water. The greater the suspended particles, the higher the level of turbidity and the cloudier the water. Materials that cause water to be turbid include clay, silt, very tiny inorganic and organic matter, algae, dissolved colored organic compounds, and plankton and other microscopic organisms. Some pollutants, such as metals, insoluble toxins, and bacteria, can attach themselves to suspended particles. The particles in cloudy water provide “shelter” for microbes by reducing their exposure to disinfectants. A likely source of contamination that leads to higher turbidity levels is soil runoff.
How it’s Tested: Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) by shining a light through a sample of water. The higher the NTU, the more cloudy/opaque the water is. New York State’s maximum regulatory contamination level⁵ limit is 5 NTU.
Effect on Health: Turbidity readings are a good indicator of water quality and potential pollution. The same conditions that cause high turbidity can promote the regrowth of pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, leading to waterborne disease outbreaks, which have caused intestinal sickness throughout the United States and the world.
Read more from The United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Definitions
- [1] Protozoa – A group of single-celled eukaryotes that are either free-living or parasitic. They feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris.
- [2] Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up these goals of the maximum concentration of a contaminant with an adequate margin of safety. These goals are solely based on possible health risks. - [3] Action level (AL) – The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
- [4] Disinfection Byproduct – Chemicals formed during disinfection of drinking water containing suspended or dissolved organic material. The process of disinfection is when water systems add chlorine to drinking water to eliminate harmful organisms. During this process, chlorine also reacts with naturally occurring organic material (e.g., decomposing vegetation such as tree leaves, algae, or other aquatic plants) that may be present in drinking water. Organic compounds may come from water sources such as rivers and lakes. The toxic compounds created during the water purification process may negatively affect the health of those with compromised immune systems and the elderly.
- [5] Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible.
EPA Manual (click here), On this page, you will find the regulations and resources used to monitor water quality published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Federal requirements for drinking water, water quality standards in your area, and additional resources for research are all included on this helpful website.
Laboratory Certification Manual (click here), The Laboratory Certification Manual for Drinking Water describes implementation procedures, laboratory procedures, and the technical criteria for laboratories that analyze samples of drinking water for compliance. Certified laboratories must use approved methods to analyze drinking water samples for compliance from public water systems (PWS). This to ensure that PWSs are provided with reliable information regarding the quality of their water, which then enables the average consumer to make informed decisions about their health.
Laboratories must:
- Be certified by EPA or the state to analyze drinking water samples for compliance monitoring
- Successfully analyze proficiency testing (PT) samples at least annually for each method and analyze for which they desire certification
- Use approved methods
- Pass periodic on-site audits
PFAs Analytical Methods Development and Sampling Research (click here), Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic chemicals that present numerous analytical challenges. The EPA has various methods for analyzing PFAS in environmental media that are in differing stages of development and validation. EPA scientists are not only developing analytical methods for drinking water, but also ground water, surface water, wastewater, and more. These may eventually all become standard methods for research, meaning that they have been through a laboratory validation process following a particular rulemaking or guidance effort and are available to support regulatory or guidance activities.