On February 5, 2021, Oldsmar, Florida’s water treatment plant operators found themselves under attack. A hacker infiltrated the facility’s system and attempted to increase the water’s level of sodium hydroxide to over 100 times its normal amount. While sodium hydroxide is commonly used in water and wastewater treatment to remove heavy metal particles, large amounts of sodium hydroxide are poisonous to humans and can be deadly.  

Stormwater runoff, which consists of rainwater and snowmelt, can cause issues in developed areas where impervious surfaces like roofs and pavement prevent precipitation from soaking into the ground. When water can’t be absorbed into the ground, it can accumulate and cause property damage and flooding, as well as spread disease. 

The word ‘essential’ when describing an employee or business has become an iconic phrase associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some non-essential businesses have temporarily closed or found alternative ways to provide services to their customers by observing social distancing. But other businesses are deemed essential and must stay operable during the crisis, providing necessary services to communities including healthcare, law enforcement, transportation and the water and wastewater industry.  

For those who spend time in and around sewers, there is an increased risk of infection and disease from biohazard exposure. Wastewater and its treatment can generate aerosols containing microbiological and chemical constituents. Wastewater workers run the risk of exposure to both waterborne and airborne disease organisms. As a result, they can easily and unknowingly interact with biohazards through inhalation and skin contact.

Water pollution isn’t a new issue, but the widespread impact of pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP) pollution has grown more worrisome as consumer habits have changed. While treated and potable waters have long contained chemicals and medications in minuscule amounts, the increase in pharmaceutical use is leading to greater concentrations. High levels of compounds originating from PPCPs have serious health and environmental repercussions.

From medications and antibiotics to lotions and fragrances, PPCPs are part of our everyday lives, and our consumption has consequences. Humans are one of the main contributors to PPCP pollution because we are unable to fully digest and absorb these products. We’re left to excrete or wash them down the drain. We even commonly flush unused pharmaceuticals to dispose of them. 

Farms are another source of this type of pollution. Livestock are often treated with antibiotics delivered through their food and water, which can easily escape into surrounding waterways. Tainted water is nothing new, but with new livestock drugs on the market, and in higher demand than ever before, this type of pollution is on the rise and having major consequences.

Biohazards are everywhere, in every handshake, sneeze and door handle. What matters isn’t where they are, but how you protect yourself against them. For the average person, regular hand-washing and up-to-date vaccinations are ample protection. But, much like people working in hospitals and medical labs, those who work in and around sewers are at an increased risk of infection and disease from biohazard exposure. And, much like doctors and nurses take extra care to limit that exposure, so should wastewater workers take similar precautions.