This week's NEWS

No surprise: California adopts 6-ppb perchlorate MCL. Final report sheds light on lead issues in D.C. ...and other places. To flush is fine... to do it automatically raises lots of questions. New Hampshire study proposes to look at arsenic link to children's intelligence... if enough subjects can be found.

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State Updates

• Ohio provides guidance on the installation of "automatic-flush" hydrants in distribution systems (PDF file, 21 K)
  Commentary: These well-intentioned devices raise regulatory compliance concerns in three areas: For drinking water, there is the potential for cross-connections (backsiphonage) and questions about using the devices to assist in compliance with DBP rules. For ambient water, there may be the issue of de-chlorination when a discharge occurs. 
• USEPA is conducting a statutory review of variances and exemptions issued by Colorado (Federal Register, September 25)
• Alabama proposes regulatory changes to conform to federal Stage 2 DBPR and LT2ESWTR: summary (PDF file, 70 K); complete rule (PDF file, .99 MB); public hearing is on November 2
• California OEHHA reports on its activity in developing new or revised PHGs
• Washington promotes building trust in tap water

Disinfection: Hypochlorite

• Ohio's AWWA Section has a discussion paper on disinfection with hypochlorite (PDF file, 180 K)
  Commentary: This paper provides interesting background information and some guidance for utilities who are evaluating making a change from gas chlorine to hypochlorite. This topic is of current interest because of the lingering threat that federal security legislation could limit the use of gas chlorine.

Capacity Development

• Help is available for small water systems! (Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin, Vol. 4, No. 14)

Arsenic

• USEPA reports on two water system arsenic success stories:
  • Coldwater Canyon Water Company, AZ: Testing Emerging Technologies to Reduce Treatment Costs  
  • City of Lemoore, CA: Water Quality-Based Well Design
• Alaska town advised to drill new well rather than try treatment for arsenic reduction (and color removal!) (Peninsula Clarion, September 21)
• North Dakota system faces multiple problems, including high arsenic and a flooded pipeline; new well field offers hope (In Forum, September 21)
• University researchers sweeten pot to get more New Hampshire families into study on arsenic levels and children's intelligence (Nashua Telegraph, September 23); New Hampshire geology leads to high arsenic in many private wells (Nashua Telegraph, September 23)
• Elevated arsenic in Florida county's private wells attributed to historical use of arsenic pesticides (St. Petersburg Times, September 23)
• Small Irish system arsenic level is elevated; warning issued and treatment planned (Gorey Echo, September 24)

Lead

• USEPA's final summary report: Elevated lead in D.C. drinking water: A study of potential causative effects (PDF file, 2 MB)
  Commentary: The value of this report is definitely not limited to Washington, D.C., as the significance of changes in source water quality and water treatment are examined along with the mechanisms of lead-release.
• NSF/ANSI Standard 61 testing for lead is tightened up... effective 2012 (NSF press release, September 19)

Water Treatment

• Kentucky utility implements temporary switch to free chlorine "to goose up city water's bacteria-killing power"   (Evansville Courier Press, September 25)

Microbiological

• Increased number of cryptosporidiosis cases in western U.S. attributed to recreational splash parks (Houston Chronicle, September 21)

Perchlorate

• California's perchlorate MCL will be effective October 18
• Perchlorate is included in Enviro-primer on chemicals, fertility, and reproduction (Grist Magazine, September 18)

Chloride

• Chloride has increased in New York village's well despite decreased use of salt for de-icing highways (White Plains Journal News, September 24)

Boron

• Boron shows up in several private wells near Indiana power plant (Princeton Daily Clarion, September 20)

Nitrate

• Small Delaware system's nitrate level spikes above MCL despite treatment; change in type of septic system is proposed (Delmarva Daily Times, September 19)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

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Security

• Testing shows no contamination after vandalism at Oregon city's reservoir; criminal investigation continues (Oregonian, September 21)

Aesthetics

• Fall color shows up in Portland, OR's water; normal for Bull Run source (Salem News, September 21)

Source Water Protection

• Minnesota legislature establishes new committee on drinking water source protection; lack of geological information in much of state noted (Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 19) (Note: There are links to the newspaper's just-completed three-part series on ground water contamination issues.)

Desalination

• Three California coastal communities join to study desalination options (Santa Maria Times, September 23)

Bottled Water

• Water tasting at Sacramento, CA, church seeks the reality of bottle vs. tap (Sacramento Bee, September 24)
• Smith College encourages students to use tap water... by providing "Smith-blue" bottles and multiple filtered water taps (The Republican, September 25)

Newsletters

• Australia's Health Stream for September 2007
• Small Water Systems newsletter features novel approach to controlling THMs and assistance sources (PDF file, 1.7 MB)

Fluoridation

• Nationally recognized critic of fluoridation hosted by opponents in Juneau, AK, after being rejected by local hospital (Juneau Empire, September 23)
• Opponents get enough signatures on petition to force a referendum on Corning, NY, decision to fluoridate (Elmira Star-Gazette, September 25)

Private Wells

• New York county's new law requires private wells be tested prior to sale (Westchester news, September 25)
• Wisconsin community's private wells have E. coli (Fond Du Lac Reporter, September 23)

International

• Ontario, Canada's Premier says drinking water has improved (Ottawa Citizen, September 24)
• Study raises questions about EDCs in South African water (Pretoria News, September 24)

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