This week's NEWS

Aqua Man arrives in Colorado. Security group recognizes AWWA staffer's work with award. Asking a men's health magazine to rank water systems is like asking the AKC (or The Donald?) to rate beauty pageant contestants? PFOA prompts New Jersey risk assessment and drinking water guidance. A variety of water treatment problems engender a range of issues, options, and solutions. Tapping into tap water in San Francisco, Billings, NYC, and... to benefit UNICEF.

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State Updates

• Colorado's brand-new newsletter Aqua Talk introduces AQUA-MAN and the domino effect (PDF file, 534 K)
• Idaho's February Drinking Water Newsletter (PDF file, 268 K)
• California 'sprints' ahead with its IESWTR (PDF file, 77 K); the Proposed Regulation (PDF file, 220 K)
  Commentary: There is certainly irony in the fact that California can (and does) adopt some regulations in advance of action by USEPA (e.g. MTBE), but the state administrative machine seems to run in slow motion when dealing with federal rules that have already had full public review process. The thought of "adopting federal rules by reference" is crossing the minds of many in the California water universe.

Water Security

• Infrastructure Security Partnership award goes to AWWA staffer

Microbiological

• After main break, Texas town told to boil the water (Brenham Banner-Press, February 13); but no longer (Brenham Banner-Press, February 15)
• Pennsylvania DEP gives OK to emergency use of unfiltered spring but there is a catch... BWA! (Carlisle Sentinel, February 15)
• Regional Canadian water board in British Columbia wants to fine-tune turbidity criteria for boil water advisories (Penticton Herald, February 19)

Water Treatment

• Scottsdale, AZ, moving ahead with major water treatment plant upgrade (East Valley Tribune, February 19)
• Ground water extraction and treatment option favored by Washington city; lingering Mount St. Helens sediment issues shadow surface water option (Longview Daily News, February 17)
• Kansas water treatment plant expansion cost goes up $4M: 7% jump in steel price, liquid chlorine system, and... it's a dump site! (Lawrence Journal World, February 17)
• Water quality problems that affected Florida water treatment plant capacity may be solved... but drought limits ability to test (St. Petersburg Times, February 19)
• Arizona system's PCE-removal facility is upgraded with GAC via state funding (ADEQ news release, February 13)

Disinfection Byproducts

• Maine town's DBP problem has wide range of fixes: $1.5 million filter, ammonia, smaller contact basin, UV, complex computer controls (Bar Harbor Times, February 14)

Consolidation

• Private California water company with checkered past: Expansion is questioned... and questionable (Monterey County Herald, February 15); one of that company's formerly owned systems needs – and gets – $1 million grant to address quality problems (Monterey County Herald, February 17)
• Florida community to switch from private wells to centralized treatment (Lakeland Ledger, February 18)

PFOA

• New Jersey studied the occurrence of PFOAs in drinking water and issued a report (PDF file, 244 K) on its findings; state has developed a drinking water guidance level of 0.04 ppb; reacting to the report, advocates say PFOA is "screaming for regulation" (Cherry Hill Courier Post, February 18)
  Commentary: When a chemical is found in almost everyone's blood and in most water sources, the word "ubiquitous" comes to mind. The New Jersey risk assessment builds on the work done by USEPA and the SAB. The brief RA memorandum is an interesting read as it points out what the earlier reviews did "not" do, discusses the limits of using animal data to extrapolate human effects, and relies on the results of one very recent water study.
• Ohio C8 health study raises questions about consumption of homegrown produce (Marietta Times, February 20)

Perchlorate

• Massachusetts fire official reports on changes at academy to reduce town’s water concerns (Barnstable Patriot, February 15)
• Cities don't want to pay for one California county's landfill-perchlorate cleanup (Riverside Press Enterprise, February 18)

Aesthetics

• Source change = entrained air = milky water is  "perfectly safe" for Northern California district's customers (Argus, February 16)

Water Quality Perceptions

• Magazine uses fallacious data to rank drinking water quality in U.S. cities (Men's Health, March 2007); water ranking is all wet, Charlotte says (Charlotte Observer, February 16), but the media in second-rated Baton Rouge (Daily Reveille, February 16) and top-ranked Denver (CBS 4 Denver, February 15) don't have reason to complain.
  Commentary: The Charlotte utility rep said it best, accurately depicting this piece of yellow journalism as: "Pure hogwash... Men's Health needs to stick to sit-ups and health shakes."

Bottled Water

• San Francisco officials comment on "the real cost of bottled water" (San Francisco Chronicle, February 18)
• Billings, MT's water and health officials explain why they don't need bottled water (Billings Gazette, February 18)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Malcolm Pirnie UV Disinfection for Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems With finalization of the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR), ultraviolet (UV) disinfection can be one of the most cost-effective treatment methods to ensure continued regulatory compliance. To help you decide if UV disinfection is right for your water system, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., can provide assistance throughout the design process, from technology evaluation to construction and startup assistance. Because of our long-time involvement with regulatory agencies, Malcolm Pirnie offers in-depth understanding and expertise in research projects, regulatory compliance, and design of UV disinfection facilities for drinking water and wastewater facilities. We recognize that resources are limited and can help you find alternative sources of funding, the right equipment procurement strategy, and innovative approaches for retrofitting or upgrading existing facilities. For more information, visit our website to meet the UV disinfection experts: Christine Cotton and Sam Jeyanayagam.

Overview of New York City's Water

• New York's complex water supply system; the water detectives (New York Times, February 18; free registration required)

Tungsten

• State wants more study on tungsten toxicity re: ground water at Massachusetts military base (Cape Cod Times, February 14)

Arsenic

• New York county reacts negatively to "late" release of arsenic test results by utility (News Journal, February 17)
• Prescott, AZ, studies "wellhead" vs. "central" treatment options for marginal arsenic levels in wells (Prescott Daily Courier, February 18)
• 19 water systems in one California county face problems with federal arsenic MCL compliance (Appeal Democrat, February 18)
• Cambodia: Arsenic in shallow wells is widespread (Environmental Science and Technology, February 14)
• Research: Chronic Arsenic Exposure and Cardiac Repolarization Abnormalities with QT Interval Prolongation in a Population-based Study (Environmental Health Perspectives, February 14)

Invasive Species

• Metropolitan Water District of Southern California launches three-phase quagga mussel detection and control program (MWDSC news release, February 13); FAQs about invasive mussels (USGS)

Private Wells

• Poetically speaking, private well water quality may be matter of location, location, location
• Oregon well owners can get free tests and... find out what "white iron" is? (Sweet Home News, February 15)
• Debate over proposed mandatory well testing program in New York county continues (Poughkeepsie Journal, February 20)

Desalination

• AwwaRF seeks research pre-proposals to further goals of "desal roadmap"; DOE funds available

Radiological

• Is uranium in ground water at Arizona mining operations a threat to drinking water wells? (Arizona Daily Star, February 20)
• Very small New York system finds a new well location to avoid radiological problem; well will have UV and microfiltration system (Journal News, February 19)

MTBE 

• Iowa town's well shut down as precaution after MTBE is detected (Des Moines Register, February 15)
• The impact of MTBE on a community in Maryland: A personal narrative (North County News, February 16)

Water Intake

• How much water should you drink a day? (San Diego Union Tribune, February 20)

International

• The "Tap Project" enables New Yorkers and visitors to help UNICEF on UN World Water Day, which is March 22
• WHO requests public comment on draft documents for cyanide and sodium dichloroisocyanurate

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