Groundwater, wells, drinking water and COVID-19

“The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water in either private wells or public drinking water systems”, as this article reveals in the Water Well Journal. The following summary is based on COVID-19 is not a reason by itself for home treatment systems and bottled water article which was written by William M. Alley, Ph.D., and Charles A. Job.

Source: https://waterwelljournal.com/covid-19-and-groundwater/

“Human feces would be the most likely source of the COVID-19 virus in drinking water, but according to the World Health Organization, "the risk of catching COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person appears to be low."¹

Filtration and disinfection methods used in most municipal drinking water systems should remove or inactivate viruses. Despite the low risks, the question has arisen about the vulnerability to COVID-19 of homeowners with private wells and those who rely on untreated public groundwater supplies. In general, groundwater contains fewer microbial contaminants (pathogens) than surface water, yet the biological integrity of groundwater cannot be taken for granted.² Approximately half of all waterborne disease outbreaks are associated with contaminated groundwater.³

Many of these outbreaks are from wells that serve businesses or small water systems that do not require water disinfection and have minimal microbial monitoring requirements. People drinking from household wells also can become exposed to waterborne pathogens. Pathogens can be introduced to groundwater through septic tanks, leaking sewers, and land applications of livestock manure and septage, among other sources. Groundwater contamination also can occur from poor well design and construction.

A proper sanitary seal around the well casing is essential to block contaminants that might migrate from the land surface down the outside of the casing (well annulus) to the water table, bypassing the unsaturated zone that naturally helps cleanse groundwater. Reduction of pathogens in the subsurface generally relies on three processes: filtration, adsorption, and die-off/inactivation.

The COVID-19 virus has been detected in the feces of some patients diagnosed with the coronavirus. The amount of virus released from the body (shed) in stool and whether the virus in stool is infectious are not known. The risk of transmission of COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person is expected to be low, based on data from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). There have been no reports of fecal-oral transmission of COVID-19 to date.7

Previous coronaviruses have been reported to die off rapidly in wastewater, with a 99.9% reduction in two to three days. Coronaviruses might survive for weeks in groundwater based on limited studies of water.8

All in all, drinking water from private wells presents a low risk for COVID-19, especially compared to direct human-to-human transmission or by touching a contaminated surface. By far and away, the best protection against COVID-19 is to follow the public health recommendations for social distancing, washing hands, and other measures. Concerns about the COVID-19 virus in groundwater serve as a reminder of the importance of protecting against pathogens through proper care and maintenance of wells and septic systems.

By itself, COVID-19 is not a reason to start drinking bottled water or installing home water treatment systems.”

References:
[1] World Health Organization. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19). March 9, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
[2] Alley, W.M., and R. Alley. 2017. Pathogens. In High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World’s Growing Dependence on Groundwater, 195-202. New Haven: Yale University Press.
[3] Craun, G.F., et al. 2010. Causes of outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United States from 1971 to 2006. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 23, no. 3: 507-528.
[7] Heger, S., ONSITE Installer. March 17, 2020. Are septic system professionals at a greater risk for COVID-19? https://www.onsiteinstaller.com/online_exclusives/2020/03/are-septic-system-professionals-at-a-greater-risk-for-covid-19
[8] Gundy, P.M., C.P. Gerba, and I.L. Pepper. 2009. Survival of coronaviruses in water and wastewater. Food Environmental Virology 1: 10–14; John, D.E., and J.B. Rose. 2005. Review of factors affecting microbial survival in groundwater. Environmental Science and Technology 39, no. 19: 7345−7356.

More details can be found in the source of this post: WWJ