This week's NEWS

Important guidance from EPA on new SDWA rules is available for use... and feedback. In the world of water treatment, the mundane, routine, regular, and reliable don't always make the headlines. What is the best way to do a cross-connection survey... and ensure 100% involvement? D.C. begins public workshops on stopping its lead-line replacement program. Research proposed on sidebar issues with changes to hypochlorite disinfection.

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Federal Updates

• The agenda for the TCR/DS Advisory Committee's February 20-21 meeting in D.C. includes possible options for revising the rule (Federal Register, February 4)
• USEPA has three draft guidance documents available for public input:
  • Sanitary Survey Guidance Manual for Ground Water Systems (PDF file, 1.7 MB) (Note: Sanitary surveys are required under the Ground Water Rule)
  • Consecutive Systems Guidance Manual (PDF file, 1 MB) (Stage 2 D/DBP rule)
  • Operational Evaluation Guidance Manual (PDF file, 3 MB) (Stage 2 D/DBP rule)
  Commentary: Water systems need to be familiar with the details behind the specifics of drinking water regulations. One example is the "operational evaluation level" requirements of the Stage 2 D/DBP where the monitoring results of three consecutive quarters come into play. Noteworthy is that "an OEL exceedance is not a violation of the Stage 2 DBPR. However, failure to submit an evaluation report to the State in the required time frame is a violation and requires Tier 3 public notice..."
• February 26-27 workshop to discuss possible EPA rules on geological sequestration of CO₂ under the UIC (Federal Register, January 30)

State Updates

• Idaho's DEQ provides assistance to PWSs for preparing CCRs for 2007
• Missouri and USGS to investigate radionuclide source (DNR news release, January 24)
• Information from USGS on Arizona’s ground water available on the web (USGS news release, January 31)

Cross-Connection Control

• Nebraska city tells customers they have to report on potential cross-connection problems (Ashland Gazette, January 31)
  Commentary: This survey of EVERY customer is apparently a mandate of the state drinking water primacy agency. While the value and validity of information obtained through this type of self-evaluation by laypersons is open to question, the certainty of 100% response is not: "If a water customer does not return the survey... the city will mail another survey. If a response is still not received, they will take further action by shutting off the water to the home or business. 'We will disconnect until we determine if there is a hazard,' he said."

Legal Matters

• Nevada Supreme Court denies homeowner association's lawsuit to stop construction of an arsenic treatment plant (Lahontan Valley News, February 3)

Research: Hypochlorite

• AWWA and AwwaRF issue RFP on possible side effects of using hypochlorite (PDF file, 65 K)
  Commentary: This research is driven largely by the possibility that federal security legislation could force water systems to switch away from use of chlorine gas. There are also potential ramifications for compliance with other drinking water regulations because of the formation of regulated contaminants such as perchlorate, bromate, chlorite, and chlorate.

Lead

• Series of public meetings on the proposal by Washington, D.C.'s water agency proposal to stop lead-line replacement program off to a rocky start (Washington Post, January 31); one resident's perspective of the public meeting (Washington Post, February 2)
  Commentary: It will be very surprising if either of the following statements are true about the next four scheduled public meetings on this hot-button topic: "We just did not come prepared to get into that level of detail," or "...didn't seem to know his data well and joked about not knowing how to pronounce orthophosphate..."

Water Treatment

• The innovative water treatment tricycle, Aquaduct, was featured recently in SDW.com NEWS but we didn't have the demonstration video (YouTube video)
• South Dakota rural system gets new microfiltration water treatment plant (Rapid City Journal, February 5)
• Arkansas city upgrades some mundane but critical features of its water treatment plant: Filter underdrains and clarifier laundering weirs (Batesville Daily Guard, February 1)
• A New York city's water treatment plant is recognized for its routine reliability (Auburn Citizen, February 2)
• Washington town will get treatment facility to remove arsenic and hydrogen sulfide from wells (Everett Daily Herald, February 4)
• Connecticut utility's water treatment plant upgrade is bigger, partly because of switch from chlorine gas to hypochlorite; neighbors unhappy with larger size (Greenwich Times, February 4)
• Very small Canadian systems face huge water treatment upgrade costs (Elliot Lake Standard, January 30)

PPCPs in Wastewater

• Montreal proposes "world's first" use of ozone to disinfect wastewater at "world's third largest" wastewater treatment plant (Montreal Gazette, February 1)
  Commentary: The choice of ozone over UV to replace chlorine (which apparently has been banned for wastewater disinfection in Quebec?) is predicated, in part, on the fact that there are a number of pharmaceutical companies in the city's service area.

Household Water Treatment

• CDC has new fact sheets on household water treatment for developing countries:
  • Ceramic treatment (PDF file, 128 K)
  • Flocculent/disinfectant powder (PDF file, 162 K)
  • Household chlorination (PDF file, 213 K)
  • Safe water system (PDF file, 244 K)
  • Solar disinfection (PDF file, 161 K)
  • Proven household treatment options (PDF file, 143 K)
  • Interventions to reduce diarrheal disease (PDF file, 116 K)
• Canadian city warns residents about home water filter scams (Ottawa Start, January 31)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

UV Disinfection Services 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.

Fluoridation

• Alabama agency gets thumbs-up from citizen advisory group on fluoride health effects; fluoridation will continue (Baldwin County Now, January 30)
• Florida city's pro-fluoridation vote is confirmed; startup within a few months (Treasure Coast Palm, January 31)
• England's health secretary reopens fluoride debate; directs local authorities to consider water fluoridation (London Times, February 3)
• California city has not yet been ordered to start fluoridation... funding has not been offered (Contra Costa Times, February 4)
• Canadian city will decide on fluoridation (Ottawa Citizen, January 30)

Bottles and Water

• Editorial: Bottling city water doesn't make sense in Austin, TX... but drinking tap water does (Austin American Statesman, February 4)
• Grand Rapids, MI, will take another look at logic of bottling city water (Grand Rapids Press, February 5)
• Chicago imposes nation's first bottled water tax; bottlers immediately sue the city (Heartland Institute, February 4)
• Tests show boiling water releases bisphenol A (BPA) from polycarbonate bottles... what does it mean? (Belleville Intelligencer, February 1)

Sodium

• Warning issued to health providers in Canadian community re: elevated sodium levels (Pembroke Daily Observer, February 1)

Iron and Manganese

• Massachusetts town's discolored water linked to iron and manganese in wells... and treatment not working properly (Westborough News, February 1)

MTBE

• California city shuts down another well with low-level MTBE (The Capistrano Dispatch, February 1)

TCE and PCE

• Arizona utility's stored water from problem water treatment plant will not be served, even though it meets standards; may be discharged to canal (East Valley Tribune, February 2)

Source Water Protection

• Colorado county worried about impact of mining drainage on sources of drinking water (Pueblo Chieftain, February 4)
• Ground water testing to check on fly ash contamination in Illinois (Urbana News Gazette, February 4)
• Montana county will use state grants to help protect ground water (Missoulian, February 3)

Water Reuse

• WateReuse Foundation has issued an RFP to look at water reuse in 2030
• North Carolina city outlines its program for selling trucked reclaimed wastewater (Charlotte Observer, February 3)
• Opinion: It's time to drink toilet water (Dallas Morning News, February 3)

International

• CDC guide to help establish a community-based safe drinking water program (PDF file, 658 K)
• New UK drinking water guidance includes requirement for "risk assessment" in 2008 (UK Drinking Water Inspectorate, January 25)
• Engineers Without Borders' University of Pennsylvania chapter provides safe water to a Cameroon community (Daily Pennsylvanian, January 30); a summary of the water project (PDF file, 3.3 MB) and the national program

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