This week's NEWS

NRC report focuses attention on distribution water-quality issues. Will the popular press pay attention to new DBP health-effect findings? Lots of good information for small water systems from EPA. Does advertising by the bottled-water industry mislead even when it makes no specific claims? Training opportunities available on diverse topics. New technology: Destroying perchlorate, not just removing it.

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Federal Update

• Small water systems get more helpful information from USEPA: Seven new best practice, reference, and information guides on SWS management

State Updates

• USEPA, Region 8 touts its enforcement record in conducting SDWA program in Wyoming (USEPA Press Release, September 5)
• News from the California regulatory front:
  • Revised secondary MCL rule is effective on September 27 
  • Updated public notification rule meets EPA primacy requirements
  • The whole enchilada: California drinking water regulations with latest updates (PDF file, 1.88 MB)
    Commentary: While there are no dramatic new elements in the revised California secondary MCL rules, their unique difference from EPA continues: Secondary MCLs are enforceable in California! There are also the multiple ranges of "allowable" TDS values and the "customer survey" study mandate for avoiding compliance or for allowing use of sequestering for iron and manganese.

Water Security

• Indiana city cautious; shuts off well after break-in, apparently for copper wire theft (Ball State Daily News, September 7)
• Break-in at Eugene, OR, reservoir leads to draining it... and a new look at police non-response to alarms at critical facilities (Register Guard, September 8)

Disinfection Byproducts

• Exposure to Drinking Water Disinfection By-Products and Pregnancy Loss (Abstract, American Journal of Epidemiology, September 6); findings indicate drinking tap water during pregnancy does not affect unborn fetus (Medical News Today, September 9)
  Commentary: Will the popular press trumpet this significant finding with dramatic headlines as they did a decade ago, when a single study suggested dire impacts using the hot-button "spontaneous abortion" terminology for miscarriage? Not likely.
• Long detention time in small Vermont system may have contributed to HAA MCL violation (Franklin County Courier, September 6)

Perchlorate 

• Research center at University of Illinois campus identifies new catalytic method to destroy perchlorate in water (EurekAlert, September 11); CAMPWS (Center for Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems) is an NSF-affiliated research facility.
• CDHS website is updated
• California city wants state regulators to require action by Olin Corp (Gilroy Dispatch, September 9)
• It's all over... except for the shouting and signing and designing and building and starting operations... but the clean-up has begun? (Los Angeles Daily Times, September 10)

Distribution System Quality

• Important report by committee of National Research Council – Drinking Water Distribution Systems: Assessing and Reducing Risks
  Commentary: The NRC committee of recognized water quality experts produced two reports containing excellent recommendations to deal with a variety of distribution system issues, such as cross-connections, sustained pressure, Legionella, and biofilms.  AWWA's WaterWeek noted the committee's conclusion that utilities will have to go beyond regulatory mandates to address potential water quality/public health issues.

Arsenic

• The high cost of arsenic compliance:
  • Small Ohio town's treatment plant will cost $8 million (Warren Tribune Chronicle, September 11)
  • And... nearby Ohio school district's $50,000 bill is a budget hit (Warren Tribune Chronicle, September 11)
  • Utilities in one California county are beginning to tally the "bitter-tasting" cost to meet new MCL... while California continues down path to adopting a state standard (Stockton Record, September 6)
• Australian town concerned about treatment options for elevated arsenic levels (ABC Western Victoria, September 11)

Training

• Water Treatment
  • AWWA Webcast: Cost-Effective Management of Water Treatment Plant Residuals, October 4
  • NWRI short course on Membrane Bioreactors, November 14-15
• Microbiological
  • NGWA "Webinar" Ground Water and Well Microbiology - the first of three modules on September 27
• Desalting
  • AWWA Seminar: Principles of Desalting, October 5-6 in Houston

PFOA

• New Jersey city and state regulators take exception to claims by environmental/union groups on PFOA testing (New Brunswick Home News Tribune, September 6)
• Mississippi city concerned about DuPont's plan to treat New Jersey PFOA waste at local sewage facility (Biloxi Sun Herald, September 6)

Lead

• Drinking fountains at temporary Missouri school will be kept turned off as precaution despite low follow-up levels (St. Louis Post Dispatch, September 6)
• Small Maine housing project continues to deal with elevated lead levels after arsenic treatment is installed (Kennebec Journal, September 9)

Source Water Protection 

• USEPA's September Watershed News
• Colorado city adopts ordinance to protect source watershed (Grand Junction Sentinel, September 7)
• Sodium-laden wastewater from coal bed methane operations causes schism between Montana and Wyoming (New York Times, September 10; free registration required)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Water Treatment Residuals: From Troublesome Sludge to Desirable Commodity McGuire Malcolm Pirnie Environmental Consultants offers specialty services to assist utilities in managing water treatment residuals (WTRs). We can assist utilities with recycle audits, Filter Backwash Recycle Rule (FBRR) compliance, arsenic residuals management, selection of innovative dewatering methods, and optimization of existing WTR facilities. Most importantly, we can help utilities determine the unique chemical and physical characteristics of their WTR, evaluate and recommend options, and establish a viable beneficial use program. For more information on these services, please contact Jim DeWolfe at jdewolfe@pirnie.com or visit mcguireinc.com/wtr. Mr. DeWolfe was recently honored with the Ivan M. Glace Award by The Water Works Operators’ Association of Pennsylvania (WWOAP).

MTBE

• New York: MTBE found in only one public water system since state ban approved (Poughkeepsie Journal, September 9) but the lawsuits have not ceased (Times Herald-Record, September 11)
• State blames clerical error for delay in advising Maryland county of elevated MTBE levels in private wells (Baltimore Sun, September 12)
• New Hampshire woman wants a $0 tax bill because MTBE has made a "cleanup site" out of her property (Manchester Union Leader, September 11)
• Ex-California mobile home park residents finally get settlement out of lawsuit (Bakersfield Californian, September 8)

Fluoridation

• North Carolina county gives nod to fluoridation with one caveat: Dentist must "show us the money" (Fayetteville Online, September 6)
• New York city council wants cost information before proceeding with fluoridation decision; approves funding cost analysis (Elmira Star Gazette, September 6)
• Soon after Port Angeles, WA, initiated fluoridation, anti-F groups try two new initiatives (Peninsula Daily News, September 12)
  Commentary: The anti-fluoridation forces are seeking two bites out of the apple with multiple initiatives: One appears to be the usual "additives" gambit and the other is "medical independence."

Bottled Water

• Australasian bottled-water industry group will seek approval to add fluoride to counter arguments over tooth decay (Australian, September 12)
  Commentary: U.S. Food and Drug standards do not regulate the amount of fluoride naturally present or added to bottled water, but mandate correct labeling.
• Bottled water industry advertising criticized; reasons why buying bottled water might be a bad idea are cited (Chicago Tribune, September 10)

Aesthetics

• Savannah wins the best-tasting Georgia water award (Creative Coast Initiative, September 11)

Desalination

• Two pilot desalination plants proposed for central California coast; different treatment and ocean-intakes to be evaluated (Monterey County Herald, September 8)

Private Wells

• Debate continues about proposed New York legislation on private well testing (Poughkeepsie Journal, September 8)
• Private well monitoring advocated in Missouri-Illinois area (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 10)

Water Reuse

• Dual distribution system provides recycled water for irrigation in new California foothill community (El Dorado Hills Telegraph, September 5)
• New Hampshire city finds irrigating golf course with recycled wastewater could save drinking water and benefit environment (WCAX 3, September 8)
• Proposed Melbourne recycling project would be Australia's largest (Australian, September 9)
• Recycling to make development "drought-proof" increases property values in Australian community (Australian, September 11)

Conferences

• National Association of Water Companies Annual Conference, October 8-11 in La Quinta, CA

International

• Discharge of "arsenide" waste to Chinese river causes alerts and corrective actions (China Daily, September 10)
• Top Chinese official promises full-scale effort to conserve water and prevent pollution, including $125 billion investment by 2010 (International Herald Tribune, September 10)

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