Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on (404) 498-1210.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

Evaluation of Efficacy of Household Water Filtration/Treatment Devices in Households with Private Wells—New—National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Approximately 42.4 million people in the United States are served by private wells. Unlike community water systems, private wells are not regulated by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Under the SDWA, EPA sets maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for contaminants in drinking water. A 1997 U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report on drinking water concluded that users of private wells may face higher exposure levels to groundwater contaminants than users of community water systems. Increasingly, the public is concerned about drinking water quality, and the public's use of water treatment devices rose from 27% in 1995 to 41% in 2001 (Water Quality Association, 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey). Studies evaluating the efficacy of water treatment devices on removal of pathogens and other contaminants have assessed the efficacy of different treatment technologies.

The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate how water treatment device efficacy is affected by user behaviors such as maintenance and selection of appropriate technologies. Working with public health authorities in Florida, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, NCEH will recruit 600 households to participate in a study to determine whether people using water treatment devices are protected from exposure to contaminants found in their well water. We plan to recruit households that own private wells and use filtration/treatment devices to treat their tap water for cooking and drinking. Study participants will be selected from geographical areas of each state where groundwater is known or suspected to contain contaminants of public health concern. We will administer a questionnaire at each household to obtain information on selection of water treatment type, adherence to suggested maintenance, and reasons for use of treatment device. We will also obtain samples of treated water and untreated well water at each household to analyze for contaminants of public health concern. There is no cost to respondents.