Assessment of Health Risks Posed by Water Quality in the Centralized Supply Network of Private Sector Housing in Ufa

Abstract

Background: At present, high-quality drinking water supply is challenging due to natural and anthropogenic pollution of the environment and remains a priority. The Federal Clean Water Project is aimed at improving the communal infrastructure in order to ensure chemical and microbiological safety of supplied water and to inform the public. Objective: To assess priority health risk factors for the population of Ufa associated with tap water quality within the implementation of the Federal Clean Water Project in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Materials and methods: We used data of the regional information fund of public health monitoring on eight street water pumps located in six administrative districts of the city for 2016–2018. The organoleptic risk associated with drinking water quality was assessed according to Method Recommendations MR 2.1.4.0032–11. Population health risk assessment was carried out in compliance with conditions and requirements of Guidelines R 2.1.10.1920–04. Results: We established that chemical and microbiological quality indices of drinking water in street water pumps in 2016–2018 were below the permissible limits for all samples. Both organoleptic and non-carcinogenic risk estimates were within the acceptable range. The carcinogenic risk for the population was less than a case. Yet, the presence of trihalomethanes and herbicides in tap water sampled in Olimpiyskaya Street posed unacceptable total carcinogenic health risk. Conclusion: The study results were used to develop recommendations for appropriate preventive measures aimed to reduce chemical exposure of the population of Ufa through drinking water.