This week's NEWS

"Aquanoia" hits Minnesota locale where trace amounts of chemicals have been found in ground water. Federal research on hexavalent chromium shows unexpected carcinogenicity. With arsenic, there is always some type of residuals issue. More Ontario, Canada, systems find elevated lead at customers' taps. First it was what's in bottled water... now they want to know where it came from.

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Federal Updates

• USEPA has two new issue papers related to development of a new Total Coliform Rule:
  • Effectiveness of Disinfectant Residuals in the Distribution System (PDF file, 222K)
  • Invalidation of Total Coliform Positive Samples (PDF file, 52K)
• The National Rural Water Association releases two white papers related to affordability and compliance with SDWA regulations:
  • Relationship between household financial distress and health implications of drinking water regulations (PDF file, 121K)
  • Applicability of laboratory data generated for compliance with safe drinking water regulations (PDF file, 229K)

Chromium

• NIEHS research: Hexavalent chromium in drinking water causes cancer in lab animals (NIEHS press release, May 16)
  Commentary: What has been generally viewed as a California issue may get broader attention with the results of this study. The background is that there currently is no MCL for Hexavalent chromium and USEPA raised the Total Chromium MCL from 50 to 100 ppb a few years ago (although California kept theirs at 50).  

Arsenic

• Newport, VT's report on pilot testing of arsenic removal options (PDF file, 27 MB)
  Commentary: While this report is dated July, 2005, it was just recently posted on the internet. Of interest is the observation that the city was experiencing excessive arsenic levels in their wastewater sludge, creating problems with disposal of the solids. Implementation of a treatment facility at the drinking water well was expected to resolve both SDWA and CWA compliance issues.
• Connecticut country club finds arsenic... installs filtration system! (Norwich Bulletin, May 19)
• One third of private wells in one Michigan county exceed arsenic standard (Ann Arbor News, May 19)

Lead

• Ontario, Canada, addresses problem of lead findings in water systems:
  • Province convenes water experts to discuss elevated lead findings (London Free Press, May 18) 
  • Water systems advised to do lead sampling in distribution systems (Kinston Whig-Standard, May 19)
  • Another Ontario city has had high lead results for several years with no public notices (London Free Press, May 19)
  • Another town's sampling comes up with elevated lead results (Sarnia Observer, May 16) and still another! (London Free Press, May 21)
• North Carolina water authority tests new buildings for lead after university building tests high (Raleigh News and Observer, May 19)

Perchlorate

• Perchlorate levels drop at pond that is a possible water source for Massachusetts town (Dedham Daily News transcript, May 17)

Cross-Connection Control

• Report: 85,000 New York City buildings lack required water device (New York Newsday, May 19)

PCE

• Chemical found in Queens, NY, drinking water (Astoria Times Ledger, May 17); water declared safe, but residents are wary (Queens Chronicle, May 17)

Water Treatment

• Collaborative research project in UK will review chlorination options
• Alberta, Canada, reports progress in correcting problems at the province's water treatment plants (Edmonton Journal, May 18)

Radium

• Waukesha, WI, initiates eminent domain process to acquire out-of-city land for five new wells (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, May 15); editorial: City is on right track to reduce radium levels under regulatory pressure (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, May 20)

Source Water Protection

• USEPA announces six finalists for $3.2 million in grants from Targeted Watershed Program (USEPA news release, May 17)
• New York coalition launches multimedia campaign to increase public awareness (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, May 19)

Fluoridation

• Mandatory fluoridation bill falls short in Oregon legislature (Salem Statesman Journal, May 17) 
• Pennsylvania city decides not to fluoridate water (Altoona Mirror, May 17)
• One of seven retail agencies in Northern California wholesale group votes for studying fluoridation (Eureka Reporter, May 18)
• Last in a series of public hearings on Massachusetts town's fluoridation has several loudly voicing opposition (Cape Cod Times, May 22)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

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Perfluorochemicals

• Updates on PFCs in Minnesota (Pioneer Press, May 19); some people in the area are ailing and they blame the water (Pioneer Press, May 20)
  Commentary: The same "outbreak" has occurred in a lot of places! "...All blame Washington County drinking water, in which traces of chemicals... have been found. No one doubts that the ailments are real. But state officials say there is no measurable increase of health problems there compared to other areas. Scientists say the chemicals in question are not considered harmful to humans at the levels that have been detected. If there is any outbreak, say experts, it's a case of what could be called 'aquanoia' - fear that your water is hurting you."

Water System Recognition

• Wyoming city gets USEPA SRF award for water treatment plant rehab project (USEPA Region 8 news release, May 14)
• Honolulu, HI, receives ‘Aquarius Award’ for Board of Water Supply work (USEPA Region 9 news release, May 14)

Bottled Water

• Proposed California legislation would require ID of sources of bottled and vended water (San Diego Union Tribune, May 21); Assembly Bill 1521

Carbon Tetrachloride and TCE

• Contaminated water plume moves closer to Kansas town's drinking water well (Hutchinson News, May 17)

MTBE

• Maryland residents air concerns about problems with health and property values caused by MTBE contamination of ground water (Frederick News Post, May 18)
• Vermont supreme court rules realtors at fault for not disclosing MTBE in home's private well (Rutland Herald, May 19)
• Lawsuit pits community against oil companies over MTBE contamination and will be watched closely by all (New York Times, May 22; free registration required)

Pesticides

• Pesticides in Surface Drinking Water Supplies of the Northern Great Plains (Environmental Health Perspectives, May 15)

PFOAs

• High PFOA levels are found in Osaka, Japan (Japan Times, May 22)

Desalination

• Western Australia announces plan for a second seawater desalination plant (Government of Western Australia media release, May 15)

Water Reuse

• The latest Water Reuse News
• WateReuse Foundation's 11th annual research conference to be held in El Paso, TX, on June 4-5
• AWA's third Water Reuse and Recycling Conference will be July 16-18 in Sydney, Australia

Conferences

• Texas CEQ's 2007 Public Drinking Water Conference will be held August 14-15 in Austin... and it's free!

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