What Does
Impaired Mean?
Impaired means weakened or damaged, and when water loses its quality due to contaminants, the water is known as impaired water. Impairment of water can happen due to many reasons, from source contamination to impairment of potable water by inflow/infiltration (I/I) into pipelines along the way. Compromised water pipelines can be repaired or replaced using trenchless rehabilitation techniques such as cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), sliplining and pipe bursting. Spot repairs can also be carried out using robots with the help of video cameras.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Impaired
Just like water in a pipeline with cracks, tree root intrusions and other deformities can allow the water to become impaired or unfit for consumption, water bodies can also be considered impaired when they fail to meet water quality standards. There is a set limit of allowable pollutant such as bacteria that can be present in water to categorize it as usable in forms such as drinking, swimming and fishing. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of waterways that are impaired, which means that those water bodies do not meet the water quality standards set forth by states, territories and authorized tribes according to the Clean Water Act.