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Learn more about the stormwater impacts to public health, get engaged about the stormwater impacts to public health, get exposed to recent research documenting diarrhea-causing viruses in drinking water, and get imaginative about how to communicate the risks posed by waterborne disease to the public and policymakers. View a dynamic diorama that dramatizes the perfect storm that results when our aging underground infrastructure meets climate change. This presentation was given by Michael Timm, Science Communications Specialist, Center for Water Policy, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences.
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Climate Change Exacerbates Rain-‐Related Disease Risk
Michael Timm Science Communica<on Specialist Center for Water Policy School of Freshwater Sciences University of Wisconsin-‐Milwaukee ma<mm@uwm.edu c. 414.378.0945
Climate Change Exacerbates Rain-‐Related Disease Risk
Michael Campbell COO & Senior Vice President Ruekert/Mielke Inc., Consul<ng Engineers mcampbell@ruekert-‐mielke.com
Audience: Who are you? • NGOs? • Engineers? • Legislators? • Policymakers? • Scien<sts? • Students? • Public Health Officers? • Others?
The Problem: Rain-‐related Disease Risk
Stormwater
Climate Change
Waterborne Disease
Failing Infrastructure
Policy Solu<ons: Rain-‐related Disease Risk
Reduce Health Risk
Disinfect Public Wells
Statewide Stormwater Standards
Incen<vize Private
Sewer Repair
I. Climate Change
Energizing storms & loading the dice
Adapted from Trenberth 1999
>?<
Historical 2” 24-‐hr storm events per decade for southern Wisconsin
Green Bay Packers playoff appearances 2000-‐2010
12 13
Historical 2” 24-‐hr storm events per decade for southern Wisconsin
Green Bay Packers playoff appearances 2000-‐2010
Downscaled models by WICCI
WICCI 2011
Significant increase in intense storm frequency by 2055
increase in intense storm frequency
25% Historical Expected by 2055
WICCI 2011
increase in storm intensity 10-‐40%
Historical Expected by 2055
WICCI 2011
More storms for warmer Wisconsin
Historical
Expected by 2055
Historically, Wisconsin is weger in some areas and drier in others. Drier areas may face added stormwater burden.
NOAA
Historically we’ve already been geing warmer and weger
Data from 1950 to 2006: • Nighime lows temps up ~1-‐4°F • Average annual day<me highs up ~0.5-‐1°F
• Southern precipita<on increased by ~2-‐4”
• Northern precipita<on decreased by ~1-‐2” 10-‐15%
Kucharik et al. 2010
Rainfall over S. Wis.
The past is no longer an adequate guide
1950 ≠ 2006
Shioing trends mean our pipes were not designed or constructed to convey
actual or expected flows
• 90 million gallons of sewage overflows at 61 communi<es • 700 drinking water wells contaminated • $34 million in damage claims paid
Slide courtesy of David Liebl, WICCI
Credit: WICCI; UW-‐Extension -‐ David S. Liebl and Bill Bland
Reedsburg 2008 Baraboo River Flooding
II. Waterborne Disease
>?<
% of U.S. waterborne disease outbreaks (1948-‐1994) preceded by top 20% of most intense storms
Breg Favre’s winning percentage (games won / total played)
68% 63% 186 wins & 112 loses Curriero et al. 2001
Waterborne Disease in U.S.
• More than half of U.S. waterborne disease outbreaks followed heavy storms
• Contaminated water is responsible for between 6% and 40% of diarrhea-‐related illness
• Remember Crypto? – 403,000 sick – 69 dead – $96 million costs to society – $406 million in public investment as cure
Curriero et al. 2001; Gaffield et al. 2003; Corso et al. 2003
Acute Diarrhea (AGI)
• 10% of U.S. hospital admissions • 300 U.S. kids’ deaths per year • $1 billion in annual costs to U.S. society
• Biggest concern is for kids age 5 and under – Less immunity – Smaller body size – More complica<ons Elliot 2007
Rela<onship between rain & diarrhea
• 11% increase in AGI ER visits for kids four days aoer rainfall (2002-‐2007 Children’s Hospital)
• Associated with rain, not overflows • Probably underes<mates disease incidence • These kids were primarily served by surface waters, but highlights role of rain in transpor<ng pathogens
• Pathway/s not iden<fied in this study Drayna et al. 2010
Kids seem to be geing more sick from well water than surface water
• Another Children’s Hospital study • Top 3 illness risk factors in order of odds
ra<os: – Ill contacts in the home (2.52) – Well water (1.38) – Primarily bogled water (1.27)
Gorelick et al. 2011
Viruses in Wisconsin groundwater • Diarrhea linked with sep<c tank proximity in central Wisconsin (Marshfield) – Risk for viral diarrhea increased 8% per addi<onal holding tank per sec<on
• Viruses in pre-‐treated drinking water from groundwater, with sources both from river and elsewhere (La Crosse)
• Tap water from 14 of 14 non-‐disinfec<ng communi<es tested posi<ve for viruses Borchardt et al. 2003; Borchardt et al. 2004; Borchardt et al. 2012
2011 Wis. Act 19 leaves some 60 communi<es vulnerable by not requiring municipal well disinfec<on. ~65,000 people (1.1% of Wis. pop) and about 4,000 kids under age 5
Seeley in Wisconsin State Journal, 2012
U.S. Census Bureau
That’s just municipal systems
• Popula<on served by non-‐community public water systems* and private wells is ~1.65 million (28% of state popula<on)
*Public non-‐municipal systems include sites like mobile home parks, hotels, churches, schools, etc.
Source: Jeff Helmuth
Viruses in deep Madison groundwater
Bradbury et al. 2013
How are they geing there?
Data from six wells from 2007 to 2009
• Leaky sanitary sewer pipes implicated, transported by recharge from heavy rains
Bradbury et al. 2013
III. Failing Infrastructure
>?< Length of pipe under America
Dwight Burdege NASA
Distance from Earth to Moon
> 13 billion feet
Dwight Burdege NASA
1.3 billion feet
42 feet of pipe per capita
Leaky pipes
• Old sewer pipes leak, pathogens get out, especially when hydrology is conducive, e.g. when stormwater changes the game
• Old water mains break (1 per 10 miles per year or ~800/day), allowing viruses to seep into municipal distribu<on systems
American Water Works Associa<on 2012; Folkman 2012
Laid Lifespan Replacement 1880s 90-‐150 yrs 1970s-‐2030s 1920s 100 yrs 2020s 1950s+ 75 yrs 2025+
Systemic Vulnerability • Even with best treatment, if the distribu<on system is vulnerable, then we remain at risk
• Proximity of water and sanitary pipes: WI: 8o; other states, 10o; in reality there is likely communica<on when groundwater tables rise under heavy recharge & stormwater flows
• Remember those 14 non-‐disinfected communi<es? The distribuGon system was implicated as the entry point for viruses from sewage.
Lamber<ni et al. 2012
Wisconsin budget priori<es • $94 million in low-‐interest loans for drinking water infrastructure (short of projected 20-‐yr need by a lot)
• State highways get $3.6 billion over 2 years
Wisconsin’s es<mated 20-‐yr needs • $2.5 billion for treatment upgrades
• $3.5 billion for distribu<on upgrades U.S. EPA 2007
Wis 2013 Act 20
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Then there are leaky laterals…
Sta<c & Dynamic Dioramas
Credit: Michael Campbell
MMSD video on I/I problem
• hgp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tA7HCFF23c&list=UUe19V3fMPZ0Q9LAvv4X0SQg&index=14
MMSD Cue up <me index 1:24 – 3:46
IV. Policy Recommenda<ons
Policy Priori<es
• Inventory state’s sewer and water infrastructure vulnerabili<es.
• Disinfect all public municipal wells.
• Codify comprehensive statewide stormwater design standards.
For example: ATCP 48.26
• DRAINAGE CAPACITY. Every district drain constructed aoer July 1, 1995 shall be designed and constructed so that it is capable of removing the volume of water from a 10-‐year 24-‐hour rainfall event within 48 hours aoer that rainfall event. For each county, a 10-‐year 24-‐hour rainfall event is the amount of rain shown in table 1 falling in 24 hours.
Funding Priori<es
• Invest $3.5 billion through 2027 to bring Wisconsin’s aging underground infrastructure up to date.
• The state should assist municipali<es in incen<vizing the replacement of privately-‐owned sewer laterals.
For example: Lateral Replacement Incen<ves
• When the city rips up the street • Madison offers 75% of lateral replacement costs from main up to property line
• Marshfield forgives replacement costs of lateral under public right-‐of-‐way if private replaced
• 90% par<cipa<on w/ opt-‐out default
Research Priori<es
• Research human health risks of stormwater vs. sewage overflows.
• Access broader health data sets to clarify rela<onships between rainfall and disease.
Out-‐of-‐box Solu<ons?
• Green infrastructure to promote infiltra<on
• Waterless toilet infrastructure a la Gates Founda<on Challenge in 2012
• Remapping ci<es and towns to account for hydrology instead of history
Where’s Our Water? Out of sight, but not out of mind
Where’s My Water’s lovable alligator, Swampy, knows a thing or two about failing pipes
Where’s My Water? app • Instant gra<fica<on • Addic<ve memes • Widely disseminated • Youth oriented • Makes hidden visible • Puts face to issue
Use as communicaGon tool to reach your consGtuencies
hgp://www.flashgamesplayer.com/Free/Where-‐is-‐my-‐Water/Play.html
Thank you! Michael Campbell
Jenny Kehl Megan Christenson Sandra McLellan
Larry Timm Michael Carvan David Liebl Jeff Helmuth
Henry “Andy” Anderson Kristen Malecki Jonathan Patz
Deb Dila
Randy Metzger Greg Barske
Tomorra Smith Madeline Gotkowitz Marc Borchardt
Jen Yauck Cheryl Nenn
MMSD CDC WDPH
UWM SFS CWP WICCI
Healing Our Waters – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 2013
Climate Change Exacerbates Rain-‐Related Disease Risk
Policy Briefs hgp://home.freshwater.uwm.edu/mclellanlab/736-‐2/
Contact ma<mm@uwm.edu
mcampbell@ruekert-‐mielke.com
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