Water Quality

This data is included as part of the Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0 map. To see this map, visit our webpage. For more technical information on this map and the model used, visit our Environmental Health Disparities Map Report Version 3.0. Background Water is vital for drinking, aquatic life, agriculture, and recreation. It is also crucial for ecosystems and has cultural significance. This measure assesses the quality of waterbodies, which can affect aquatic life and impact human and animal health. For example, pollutants like dioxins can impact the reproduction and development of both people and fish. People who use well water are more affected by environmental water quality because their water is not treated or regulated like water from municipal systems. Water quality and health risk vary by location. This puts some communities at greater risk. These communities often have less economic access and more people of color. Testing water quality is important for the health of humans, animals and aquatic life. Under the federal Clean Water Act, all states must keep a list of polluted waters. In Washington, the Department of Ecology (ECY) assesses waterbodies based on the credible data submitted to the agency. From the data that is submitted, Ecology determines which waters are polluted, which are clean, and which do not have enough data to make a determination. Assessing water quality helps find where water is most impacted by pollutants. This information guides water quality improvement plans. Evidence Polluted water is linked to sickness in both humans and animals, aquatic habitat damage, and bad smells [1, 2]. Communities with both less economic access and more of people of color often face more pollution in their waters [3]. Climate extremes, such as droughts, can impact water quality by concentrating pollutants and increasing water temperature. This can affect health and safety [4]. Heavy rain can also wash pollutants into waterways [5]. Data source Washington State Ecology Water Quality Atlas: Water Quality Atlas - Start Page Washington State Ecology Water Quality Assessment: Assessment of state waters 303d - Washington State Department of Ecology Method This measure displays the total number of unique pollutants in each census tract, based on findings from all water bodies within that tract assessed by ECY as falling under categories 4a, 4b, or 5. This measure is modeled after CalEnviroScreen’s Impaired Water Bodies Measure. Caveats This measure is not comprehensive. Areas that do not have the resources for water assessment, or that capture their water quality by different metrics, are not included. This measure should be used as a starting point, and not as a sole basis for funding decisions. Water quality on Tribal lands is not included. Tribal governments have requested that Ecology not assess Tribal waters as part of the State’s Water Quality Assessment. Some Tribes in Washington have their own Clean Water Act standards. We plan to confer with Tribes about their level of interest in exploring a process for including their data in this measure, and how we might collaborate on other ways Tribes would like water quality to be represented. This measure represents the entire census tract, not individual areas within it. These data should always be supplemented with local data and equitable engagement for more accurate insights. Additional Resources California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment CalEnviroScreen, Impaired Water Bodies Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, New home for Treaty Rights at Risk Tribal Water Quality Resources: EPA Actions on Tribal Water Quality Standards and Contacts | US EPA, FAQs CWA TAS IR | US EPA ARCHIVE DOCUMENT Washington State Department of Ecology, Water Quality Water Quality Standards: Water quality standards - Washington State Department of Ecology Ecology Data Credibility Standards: Water Quality Policy 1-11 Chapter 2. Ensuring Credible Data for Water Quality Management Sources Lin, L., Yang, H., & Xu, X. (2022). Effects of water pollution on human health and disease heterogeneity: a review. Frontiers in environmental science, 10, 880246. Haxton, T. J., & Findlay, C. S. (2008). Meta-analysis of the impacts of water management on aquatic communities. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 65(3), 437-447. Liévanos, R. S. (2018). Impaired Water Hazard Zones: Mapping Intersecting Environmental Health Vulnerabilities and Polluter Disproportionality. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(11), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi7110433 Health impacts of drought. (2024, March 28). Drought and Health. https://www.cdc.gov/drought-health/health-implications/index.html National Climate Assessment. (2023.). National Climate Assessment. https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/ Citation Washington Tracking Network, Washington State Department of Health. Web. "Water Quality". Data obtained from the Department of Ecology, 2018 Water Quality Assessment Data. Published September 2025.本数据集为《环境健康差异第三版》（Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0）地图的组成部分。如需查看该地图，请访问我们的官方网页。如需了解该地图及所用模型的更多技术细节，请参阅《环境健康差异地图报告第三版》（Environmental Health Disparities Map Report Version 3.0）。 ## 背景 水是饮用水、水生生物生存、农业生产与休闲娱乐的核心资源，同时对生态系统至关重要，且具备文化价值。本指标用于评估水体质量——其优劣不仅会影响水生生物，还会对人类与动物健康造成影响。例如二噁英（dioxins）这类污染物，可干扰人类与鱼类的生殖与发育过程。依赖自备井水的人群受水环境质量的影响更为显著，因为这类水源未经过市政供水系统那样的处理与监管。 水环境质量与健康风险存在显著的地域差异，这使得部分社区面临更高的健康风险，这类社区往往经济资源匮乏，且少数族裔人口占比更高。 水质检测对人类、动物及水生生物的健康均至关重要。根据联邦《清洁水法》（Clean Water Act），全美各州均需编制受污染水体清单。在华盛顿州，生态部（Washington State Department of Ecology, ECY）依据提交至该机构的可靠数据对水体进行评估。通过分析提交的数据集，生态部可判定哪些水体受到污染、哪些水体水质达标，以及哪些水体因数据不足无法作出判定。 水质评估有助于明确受污染物影响最严重的水域，相关信息可用于指导水质改善规划。 ## 研究证据 受污染水体与人类、动物患病、水生栖息地破坏及恶臭问题存在关联[1, 2]。经济资源匮乏且少数族裔人口占比高的社区，其水域往往面临更严重的污染问题[3]。 极端气候事件（如干旱）会通过浓缩污染物、提升水温的方式影响水质，进而威胁健康与安全[4]。强降雨也会将污染物冲刷至河道中[5]。 ## 数据来源 1. 华盛顿州生态部水质地图集：水质地图集 - 首页（Washington State Ecology Water Quality Atlas: Water Quality Atlas - Start Page） 2. 华盛顿州生态部水质评估：州水域303(d)条款评估（Washington State Ecology Water Quality Assessment: Assessment of state waters 303d - Washington State Department of Ecology） ## 计算方法 本指标统计每个普查区内所有被ECY评估为4a、4b或5类的水体中检出的独特污染物总数量。该指标参考了CalEnviroScreen受损水体指标（Impaired Water Bodies Measure）进行构建。 ## 局限性说明 本指标并非全面覆盖所有区域：未纳入缺乏水质评估资源的区域，或采用不同指标体系衡量水质的区域。本指标仅可作为分析起点，不应作为资金分配决策的唯一依据。 部落领地内的水质数据未被纳入本指标。部落政府已要求ECY不得将部落水域纳入本州水质评估体系。华盛顿州的部分部落已制定自有《清洁水法》标准。我们计划与各部落沟通，了解其是否有意愿探索将本部落水质数据纳入本指标的流程，并探讨其他符合部落需求的水质表征方式。 本指标以普查区为整体统计单元，而非普查区内的单个区域。如需获得更精准的分析结果，需始终结合本地数据与公平参与式调研进行补充完善。 ## 附加资源 1. 加州环境健康危害评估办公室（California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment）：CalEnviroScreen受损水体指标（CalEnviroScreen, Impaired Water Bodies） 2. 西北印第安渔业委员会（Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission）：《条约风险新阵地》（New home for Treaty Rights at Risk） 3. 部落水质资源：美国环境保护署（US EPA）部落水质标准行动与联系方式 | US EPA, 常见问题解答：CWA TAS IR | US EPA档案文件 4. 华盛顿州生态部：水质 水质标准：华盛顿州生态部水质标准（Water quality standards - Washington State Department of Ecology） 5. 生态部数据可信度标准：水质政策1-11 第2章：确保水质管理的可靠数据（Water Quality Policy 1-11 Chapter 2. Ensuring Credible Data for Water Quality Management） ## 参考文献 1. Lin, L., Yang, H., & Xu, X. (2022). Effects of water pollution on human health and disease heterogeneity: a review. *Frontiers in environmental science*, 10, 880246. 2. Haxton, T. J., & Findlay, C. S. (2008). Meta-analysis of the impacts of water management on aquatic communities. *Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences*, 65(3), 437-447. 3. Liévanos, R. S. (2018). Impaired Water Hazard Zones: Mapping Intersecting Environmental Health Vulnerabilities and Polluter Disproportionality. *ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information*, 7(11), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi7110433 4. Health impacts of drought. (2024, March 28). *Drought and Health*. https://www.cdc.gov/drought-health/health-implications/index.html 5. National Climate Assessment. (2023.). *National Climate Assessment*. https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/ ## 引用 华盛顿追踪网络（Washington Tracking Network），华盛顿州卫生部（Washington State Department of Health）. 网络资源. "水质". 数据源自生态部2018年水质评估数据集. 2025年9月发布.