Assessment of Impact and Recovery Needs in Communities Affected by the Elk River Chemical Spill, West Virginia, April 2014.
In January 2014, 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol spilled into the Elk River near Charleston, West Virginia, contaminating the water supply for about 120 000 households. The West Virginia American Water Company (WVAWC) issued a "do not use" water order for 9 counties. After the order was lifted (10 days after the spill), the communities' use of public water systems, information sources, alternative sources of water, and perceived impact of the spill on households were unclear to public health officials. To assist in recovery efforts, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER).



We used the CASPER 2-stage cluster sampling design to select a representative sample of households to interview, and we conducted interviews in 171 households in April 2014. We used a weighted cluster analysis to generate population estimates in the sampling frame.



Before the spill, 74.4% of households did not have a 3-day alternative water supply for each household member and pet. Although 83.6% of households obtained an alternative water source within 1 day of the "do not use" order, 37.4% of households reportedly used WVAWC water for any purpose. Nearly 3 months after the spill, 36.1% of households believed that their WVAWC water was safe, and 33.5% reported using their household water for drinking.



CASPER results identified the need to focus on basic public health messaging and household preparedness efforts. Recommendations included (1) encouraging households to maintain a 3-day emergency water supply, (2) identifying additional alternative sources of water for future emergencies, and (3) increasing community education to address ongoing concerns about water.
1 Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, GA, USA.
Sherry L
SL
Burrer
2 Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Ethan
E
Fechter-Leggett
1 Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, GA, USA.
Tesfaye
T
Bayleyegn
3 Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Charleston, WV, USA.
Miguella
M
Mark-Carew
3 Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Charleston, WV, USA.
Carrie
C
Thomas
3 Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Charleston, WV, USA.
Danae
D
Bixler
1 Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, GA, USA.
Rebecca S
RS
Noe
2 Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Public Health Scientific Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Joy
J
Hsu
3 Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Charleston, WV, USA.
Loretta
L
Haddy
1 Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, GA, USA.
Amy
A
Wolkin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055884:Chemical Hazard Release; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000032:analysis*; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014903:West Virginia; D055815:Young Adult
D003510:Cyclohexanes; C000607184:4-methylcyclohexanemethanol
disaster; environmental health; water