This week's NEWS

USEPA says FIFRA trumps CWA when it comes to certain pesticide uses including maybe... algae control. Greater Vancouver area residents told they don't need to boil water any longer... after 12 days. Salt is subject of salinity summit set for San Diego soon. Will recent CDC report on perchlorate impact California's MCL?

Quick Links Navigation:

Federal Updates

• USEPA issues new rule clarifying murky situation re: use of pesticides in or near water,  but environmental groups decry decision; legal action could ensue (Sacramento Bee, November 28)

State Updates

• Primacy Program Newsletters:
  • Hawaii's October/November Water Spot (PDF file, 282 K)
  • Idaho's November Drinking Water Newsletter (PDF file, 329 K)
    Commentary: Idaho's rules on using POU devices (PDF file, 1.5 MB) for compliance are highlighted, along with information on making sure SCADA systems are not vulnerable to security threats.
• The states are making rules:
  • The Eyes of Texas are upon... the state's new LCR, FBRR, and LT1ESWTR regulations as USEPA says... they're OK! (Federal Register, November 22)
  • EPA gives its tentative approval to Pennsylvania's new uranium MCL... but bottled water isn't an acceptable compliance method (Federal Register, November 24)
  • Colorado is looking for public comment on its proposed LT2ESWTR and Stage 2 D/DBP rule
    Commentary: Colorado has an interesting technique for soliciting and allowing "on line" public input on what are called "discretionary statements."

Microbiological

• Sample site blamed for positive E. Coli sample in Vancouver as follow-up samples are negative (Vancouver Sun, November 25); boil water advisory will continue for Greater Vancouver area until turbidity drops to 5 NTUs... or so? (National Post, November 26); BWA lifted after 12 days (Globe and Mail, November 28)
  Commentary: Water utilities in the U.S., with its SWTR, ESWTR, LT1ESWTR, etc., will have a hard time identifying with this situation as the Vancouver health authorities lifted the health warning when the turbidity got down to six NTUs. Over 1000 negative coliform tests helped them arrive at their decision.

Water Treatment

• MWDSC's Skinner water treatment plant down for major upgrade (+110 MGD, ozone, fluoride); conservation urged (San Diego Union Tribune, November 27)
• Columbia, SC, celebrates 100 years of service from one of its water treatment plants... and it's still churning out good water (The State, November 27); more about the plant and its history (Word document, 1.86 MB)

Bromate

• Research: Bromate formation models and ammonia impact on bromate formation with UV (Abstracts, IWA, Journal of Water Practice & Technology)

Lead

• Durham, NC's routine distribution system flushing is unrelated to lead issue (News and Observer, November 22)
• Research: Effects of chlorine on release of lead (Abstract, IWA, J. of Water Practice & Technology)
• Connecticut private wells tested for MTBE come back high in lead (The Day, November 27)

Manganese

• With many more wells to be drilled, Madison, WI, wants to understand the problem of manganese in the groundwater (Madison Commons, November 24), and the city will replace 80-year-old well with Mn and carbon tetrachloride problems with a new well (Wisconsin State Journal, November 28)

Perchlorate

• Conjecture surrounds California perchlorate standard setting:
  • "State may revisit public health goal" (Gilroy Dispatch, November 21)
  • "At this point, the PHG stays at 6 ppb" (San Bernardino County Sun, November 26)
  • "If MCL goes to 2 ppb, cleanup costs could go to $1 billion" (San Gabriel Valley Tribune, November 28)

Tungsten

• Lack of analytical method hampers investigation of tungsten in groundwater from non-leaded ammunition used at a Massachusetts military base (Cape Cod Times, November 24)

• Years of "unsafe water" warnings make small California system consumers wary even after nitrate problem resolved (Monterey County Herald, November 25)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Malcolm Pirnie DBP Control Services Malcolm Pirnie Environmental Consultants is a leader in assisting utilities with disinfection by-product (DBP) control efforts, including evaluating alternative strategies for DBP compliance, predicting DBP occurrence in distribution systems, and assessing trade-offs in DBP control with other water quality objectives. Malcolm Pirnie has also provided technical leadership in the development of the Stage 1 and 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products Rules (D/DBPR), and has a profound knowledge of the regulatory and treatment arena. For more information on these services, please contact Nicole Graziano at either ngraziano@pirnie.com or visit mcguireinc.com/dbpcontrol.

Arsenic

• Scottish university students develop simple arsenic water test (EDIE News, November 23)
• Pennsylvania communities face significant costs for arsenic compliance (Centre Daily Times, November 26)
• With compliance extension, Michigan village's arsenic treatment plant is on schedule (Huron Daily Tribune, November 27)
• New Jersey school gets jump on compliance with 5 ppb MCL; filtering system authorized (Hillsborough Beacon, November 23)
• Canadian professor's equation for arsenic in Bangladesh: Saskatchewan lentils = selenium + ingested arsenic = lessened health impact? (Saskatoon Star Phoenix, November 28)

Radium

• Wisconsin town hopes to treat one less well for radium and save $1 million (Sussex Sun, November 22)

Fluoridation

• Oregon city's council sends message to Legislature; passes ordinance banning adding fluoride to water (Register-Guard, November 24)
• Small Massachusetts' towns get their water from New Bedford... but they don't want the fluoride that is about to be added (Standard Times, November 28)

PFOA/C8

• USEPA and DuPont sign consent order to lower PFOA treatment-trigger level by factor of 300 for water sources near West Virginia facility (USEPA Region 3 news release, November 21); change is temporary until final determination can be made on effects of C8 (Marietta Times, November 22)
• Petition seeks prohibition on discharge of PFOA from plant treating DuPont wastes (Pascagoula Mississippi Press, November 23)
• California carcinogen advisory group splits on expediting review of PFOA (Capitol Weekly, November 23)

MTBE

• Southern California water agency shuts down well with MTBE above state MCL (Crescenta Valley Sun, November 24)
• Very low MTBE levels do not assuage private well owners' fears in Massachusetts (Westford Eagle, November 22)
• MTBE plume adds impetus to Michigan city's plan to drill new wells (Cadillac News, November 28)

Desalination

• The National Salinity Summit will be held January 10-12 in San Diego (PDF file, 1.02 MB)
  Commentary: The emphasis is on desalting of both ground water and seawater with a comprehensive agenda and tours of facilities in the area.
• TecH2O desalting learning center at El Paso Utilities desal plant is set to open May, 2007

Ground Water Cleanup

• USEPA settles for $2.1 million from two PRPs for cleanup costs at San Gabriel Valley, CA, Superfund site (USEPA Region 9 release, November 27)

Publications

• Journal of Water Practice and Technology (Table of Contents, Volume 1, Issue 4, 2006) (Note: Abstracts of articles on NOM and membrane treatment)
• Australia's Winter 2006 Small Water Systems Newsletter (PDF file, 644 K) features "PlayPumps" as fun way to help obtain drinking water in developing countries

Water Reuse

• Australian Happenings:
  • Phase One of National Guidelines for Water Recycling completed
  • Survey shows Melbourne residents' acceptance of drinking recycled water is higher than expected (Melbourne Herald Sun, November 24), but governments should let communities decide (Melbourne Herald Sun, November 27)

International

• China's ground water has significant contamination threats; government action promised, but small portion of 5-year, $125 BILLION action plan focused on ground water (WorldWatch Institute, November 28)
• Pakistan official orders sweeping actions to fix existing drinking water filtration plants and get others operating (Daily Times, November 28)

Relevant Links

To post a job on Job Reservoir, please visit the following address:
http://www.jobreservoir.com/postajob.html

For feedback or a news story suggestion, please visit the following address:
http://www.safedrinkingwater.com/contact/feedback.htm

To recommend safedrinkingwater.com NEWS to a colleague, please visit the following address:
http://www.safedrinkingwater.com/contact/sharenewsletter.htm

For e-mail delivery problems, please send an e-mail to info@safedrinkingwater.com.

To view the staff for safedrinkingwater.com NEWS, please visit the following address:
http://www.safedrinkingwater.com/about/staff.htm

To subscribe to safedrinkingwater.com NEWS, please visit the following address:
http://www.safedrinkingwater.com/subscribe/subscribe.htm