Waterborne illness can be caused by ingesting contaminated water from public drinking water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Illness can also be caused by swallowing or breathing in mists or aerosols from contaminated recreational waters like swimming pools, hot tubs, or other treated or untreated swimming waters, or through contaminated water contacting the skin, ears, nose, or other mucous membranes.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) works with local health departments to investigate cases and outbreaks of waterborne illness. Depending on the water source, additional agencies may be involved, such as the local public water supplier, or the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
Epidemiologists analyze surveillance data for trends and identify clusters of cases with common exposure sources.
