Children under age 5 are most vulnerable to acute diarrhea and its complication of severe dehydration. The viruses that cause diarrhea are routinely found in groundwater and migrate into public water distribution systems even after treatment.
Improving sewer infrastructure should reduce rain-related disease risk
Impending hydrological changes in Wisconsin due to climate change combined with vulnerabilities due to failing infrastructure pose a public health threat, with increasingly extreme precipitation and leaky pipes promoting waterborne diseases that hit children hardest. More than half of the documented waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States have followed heavy storms.
Climate Change Impacts on Rain-Related Disease in Wisconsin
Impending hydrological changes due to climate change, combined with vulnerabilities due to failing infrastructure, pose a threat to public health. More frequent and intense storm events combined with leaky wastewater and drinking water pipes can promote waterborne diseases, often affecting children the most. This series of policy briefs explores the linkages between climate change and rain-related disease, providing details about the potential challenges facing Wisconsin and what policymakers can do to overcome them.
Spring 2013 Executive Summary (PDF)
Policy Briefs
- A Warmer Wisconsin (PDF)
- Well Water Vulnerability (PDF)
- Water Main Breaks (PDF)
- Stormwater Risks (PDF)
- Proactive Surveillance and Alert Systems (PDF)
- Increased Storm Frequency (PDF)
- Long-Term Epidemiological Studies (PDF)
- Kids At Most Risk (PDF)
- Lateral Replacement (PDF)
- Improving Infrastructure (PDF)