Environmental Agency Says 13 Percent Of Airline Drinking Water Is Unfit

The EPA says results from initial testing of drinking water onboard 158 randomly selected passenger airplanes shows that most of the aircraft tested (87.4%) met EPA drinking water quality standards. However, 12.6 percent of domestic and international passenger aircraft tested at US airports carried water that did not meet EPA standards.

The EPA said a lot of the below-standards water was infected with a bacteria called coliform. Enforcement chief Tom Skinner said passengers who have problematic immune systems might consider bringing their own H2O.

Skinner said the EPA reviewing existing guidance to determine areas where it might be strengthened, concluding water quality protection agreements with the airlines, and taking enforcement actions where warranted.

In response to the aircraft test results, EPA has accelerated its priority review of existing water supply regulations and guidance. The Agency is placing specific emphasis on preventive measures, adequate monitoring, and sound maintenance practices such as flushing and disinfection of aircraft water systems.

Hard on the heels of that announcement from the EPA, the Department of Transportation issued its own statement on airline water quality:

The US Department of Transportation supports the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its effort to ensure clean and safe drinking water for airline passengers. While there is concern about EPA's findings, the Department is encouraged that the airline industry is already taking action to address the quality of its drinking water. The Department will continue to cooperate with the EPA as the government and industry work together to address the issue of water quality aboard airlines.

Then there's this statement from the Air Transport Association:

While we are confident that airline drinking water is safe, we take the EPA’s findings seriously and are working collaboratively with the agency to resolve any questions about the quality of airline drinking water.

However, we are concerned that the agency’s findings are inconsistent with recent studies that have demonstrated the safety of drinking water on commercial aircraft. Those studies include tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration as well as a comprehensive study conducted by the Air Transport Association with EPA oversight. Both studies found that airline drinking water is free of contaminants that might pose health risks.

In contrast with the ATA study, EPA's findings are based on a small sample (approximately 1% of the worldwide fleet) that does not allow any statistical conclusions about aircraft drinking water. There also are questions about how the EPA collected water samples, specifically what measures were taken to safeguard against cross-contamination.

Fortunately, no one has gotten sick from airline drinking water. There are no reported cases of illnesses due to aircraft drinking water. And there were no adverse health effects found in the EPA study or any other federal study, for that matter.

Additionally, US airlines continue to follow well-established practices to ensure a safe supply of drinking water on board commercial aircraft, including the routine disinfection of water tanks under longstanding EPA and FDA guidelines.

FMI: www.airlines.org/os/d.aspx?nid=8260