Drinking Water Surveillance

File: 970207_aadbo_001.txt
Page: 001
Total Pages: 2

  FROM: USCENTAF/SG
            
TO: ALL ATH & SME/SG & SGPB
INFO: HQ TAC/SGPB
SUBJECT: Drinking Water Surveillance

            1. Water Potability & Vulnerability. Two things have to be
          addressed before declaring a water source as safe to use for
           human consumption - potability of the water itself, and
           vulnerability of the water to contamination via terrorist
          activities.
           	a. Water Monitoring Capabilities. We have very limited
          	     water monitoring capability either through in-country U.S.
                 resources or host nation laboratories.
                 
                 b. We can check for:
                 
                      1) Potability via chlorine demand and bacteriological
                      monitoring.
                      
                     2) Chemical agent contamination using M272 kits.
                     
                     [(b)(l)sec3.4(b)(4)]
                     
                d. Bottled Water: Most, if not all, bottled water
                currently being consumed is bottled in-country. We should
                be asking the question whether this water is safe from
                terrorist activities. Is anyone securing these bottling
                plants? Has anyone looked at these bottling plants?
                
                e. The key to declaring a water source as safe to use lies
                with whether it is vulnerable or not. If the water is found
                to be potable, we may still not want to use it if the
                distribution system is vulnerable to contamination. The
                decision to use a water source for potable purposes is not
                solely a BEE call - the vulnerability aspects is based on an
                SP, CE, BEE eval. The ultimate decision should be made by
                the Wing Commander after he has been informed of our
                vulnerability findings and our monitoring limitations and
                capabilities.
                
                NOTE: We may end up using the water distribution source to
                run our toilets and showers, and use bottled or ROWPU water
                for potable purposes. We have to be flexible in our
                thinking.
                
                f. CENTAF'S SG RECOMMENDATION: Use bottled water if the
                water distribution system is vulnerable and there is a