Federal study examines water in Scott County

A two-and-a-half-million-dollar drinking water study is being launched in the Davenport area. The federal study will use some 400 Scott County families as test subjects who will have water treatment devices installed in their homes. Some of the devices will work — others won’t — on purpose. He says they’re trying to determine the risk of microbilogical pollutants from water systems that meet federal standards.Ron Hoffer is a senior advisor for the U-S Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Drinking Water. Hoffer says the Iowa Quad Cities wasn’t chosen because there’s a water problem, but because the water there meets or exceeds all federal guidelines and safety standards. Test families will have to keep water usage diaries, fill out questionaires and provide blood samples. The Davenport area is the only area being tested and will represent the entire nation in the study. Hoffer says the E-P-A has been well received by Iowa-American Water Company, which serves the area.The name of the effort is called WET — Water Evaluation Test. Families will be recruited to take part in the study, which should last well into 2001. Towns involved include: Davenport, Bettendorf, Riverdale & Panorama Park.