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Vol. 2, No. 2 --  January 10, 2001

This week's NEWS

Calgon shocks drinking water community with demand for patent license fee for ultraviolet treatment technology. The hexavalent chromium issue results in adoption of California's unregulated contaminant monitoring regulation through an emergency rule-making procedure.  The high level of interest in chromium is reflected in an upcoming technical symposium in Glendale, where discussions continue between the City and USEPA Region 9 about what to do with treated ground water.  In Tahoe, a water agency initiates a unique ground water management plan aimed at LUST and MTBE.  Interesting reports emerge from USEPA on vulnerable subpopulation research and economics analyses.

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UV Technology

• Calgon Carbon Corporation wants patent fee from all water users for its UV technology

 Regulations

• California unregulated contaminant monitoring rule adopted; effective January 3, 2001
  Commentary: The need to get occurrence data on hexavalent chromium in California water sources has resulted in adoption of the California unregulated contaminant rule by emergency rule-making procedures.  CDHS will be notifying water utilities by letter soon indicating how vulnerability will be determined and when sampling must be completed.
• EPA provides additional information on implementation of its unregulated contaminant monitoring regulation

Chromium

• Groundwater Resources Association symposium on hexavalent chromium in groundwater to be held in Glendale on January 25

• Media and public confusion about hexavalent chromum risk and drinking water standard continues (LA Daily News, January 7)

• Glendale continues to discharge treated groundwater into LA River while USEPA ponders the issue (LA Times, January 5)
  Commentary: The media's use of words like "enforcement" and "violations" when reporting on this issue has left the mistaken impression that the city water utilities in the area might be doing something wrong.  Not true. The Cities are part of a "consent decree" with EPA to clean up the area ground water contaminated by various industrial companies who are the RPs (responsible parties) and also part of the agreement.  The Cities agreed to accept the ground water, highly treated to remove various contaminants, for possible use as a source of drinking water.   However, when it was determined that hexavalent chromium present in the ground water was not removed by the treatment processes installed, the City chose to not start serving the water to its customers. The treatment facilities continue to operate to remove the organics-contaminated water from the Basin and the treated water is discharged in full compliance with RWQCB requirements.  Discussions between the City and EPA are continuing.

• Full scale chromium monitoring in Central Valley area planned (Modesto Bee, January 7)

• Local experts reassure residents about hexavalent chromium findings in Davis (Davis Enterprise, January 5)

• L.A.County may embark on 15 month project to define hexavalent chromium treatment plan (San Diego Union-Tribune, January 8)

Perchlorate

• Summary of perchlorate detections in California drinking water sources updated by CDHS

• $2.7 billion given to states through federal drinking water SRF program (watertechonline, January 8)
  Commentary: A November, 2000 EPA report indicates that through June 30, 2000, the DWSRF program established by the 1996 SDWA amendments has enabled states to make nearly 1200 low-interest loans with 75% going to small water systems. Meanwhile, CDHS announces a January 31 public hearing on its 2001 Intended Use Plan and related priority lists.

• Results of research into certain water contaminants and childhood leukemia (Epidemiology, Volume 12, No. 1, January 2001)

Sensitive Subpopulations

• As required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA reported to Congress on its research into what sensitive subpopulations may be more impacted by drinking water contaminants and why 
  Commentary: In an apparent coincidence, outgoing USEPA Administrator Browner also released another report assessing trends in environmental factors (air, water, tobacco smoke, etc.) affecting the health of children. Drinking water was cited as one area where there was progress in curbing environmental threats to kids. The report gives data showing that the percentage of children living in areas that logged violations of drinking water standards decreased from 19% in 1993 to 8% in 1998. 

• Korean distributors of poor quality bottled water to be punished (Korea Times, January 8)
• High lead levels found in Aboriginal community (The Australian, January 8)

• Walkerton inquiry hears from medical officer (Edmonton Journal, January 8)
• Walkerton utilities commission to be dissolved due to outbreak (Canadian Broadcasting Corp, January 8)

• South Tahoe water agency enacts unique groundwater management plan (Reno Gazette-Journal, January 4)
  Commentary: Because of serious threats to their groundwater sources from leaking underground gasoline storage tanks, the South Tahoe PUD board adopted a first-of-its-kind groundwater management plan aimed at preventing and correcting future problems. 
• CDHS has updated the summary of MTBE detections in California drinking water sources

TCE

• High TCE levels found in residential wells (Chicago Sun-Times, January 5)

• USEPA has prepared guidelines for preparing economic analyses on environmental regulations
  Commentary: These new guidelines should contribute to improved economic assessments of new environmental regulations, including drinking water rules.  However, anyone looking for a resolution of the concern, long held by many, that USEPA costs of compliance are understated will not find the answer here.  Most of the attention is on the benefit side of the cost-benefit equation.

Welcome to safedrinkingwater.com NEWS, the premier newsletter for the drinking water quality community. The focus of this electronic newsletter is strictly drinking water quality with a combination of timely articles and incisive commentary from the leading observers in the industry. We will bring you information on the latest EPA and state regulations, and on legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. Our emphasis in the beginning will be on California drinking water issues.

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