This week's NEWS

Water systems get closer to falling under Homeland Security scrutiny... hopefully the Feds won't be dictating treatment methods. News-gathering organization makes news with its own "study" on PPCPs in drinking water sources. A few more systems address arsenic issue with... $$$$. In the world of drinking water fluoridation, both 6 years and 48 years are a long, long time. Happy Ground Water Awareness Week!

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Federal Updates

• USEPA provides helpful brief guidelines on monitoring for small water systems
• This is National Ground Water Awareness Week

State Updates

• Rhode Island proposes increases in PWS licensing fees; seeks public input (PDF file, 402 K)
• Washington's March Water Tap newsletter (PDF file, 679 K) and small water system chlorine control tips (PDF file, 463 K)
• Florida DEP's consumer info pamphlet on the state drinking water program includes a "subtle" message... a badge in a glass! (PDF file, 889 K)
• California's updated complete drinking water regulations (PDF file, 1.16 MB)
• USEPA has given tentative approval to South Carolina for its Long Term 2 SWTR and Stage 2 DBP rule (Federal Register, March 6)

Security

• U.S. House of Representatives security committee's proposed Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act will impact drinking water systems:
  • Committee draft of proposed bill
  • AMWA: DHS would get permanent oversight (AMWA news release, March 6)
  • AWWA: Inherently Safer Technology is still on the table (AWWA Washington Report, March 7)
• AWWA's 2008 Water Security Congress set for Cincinnati in April

PPCPs

• AP probe finds drugs in drinking water sources (Washington Post, March 10) and part 2 of their 3-part report examines effects of PPCPs on fish and wildlife (Patriot Ledger, March 11)
• Utilities vary widely in whether and how they notify public about sampling drinking water for non-regulated exotics (The Reporter, March 10), including Milwaukee, which posts its sampling report on its website
• Las Vegas utility rep explains mini-detections of PPCPs in drinking water (Las Vegas Review Journal, March 10) and the information reported for San Francisco wasn't correct (SFGate, March 11)
  Commentary: If you are the AP, it is not surprising that an in-depth investigation would result in massive news coverage, with follow-up interviews with local water agencies from the largest cities to the smallest villages. The reactions to the report were highly variable.  Uncertainty surrounds this issue–where, when, and what to sample? How to test? What do the results mean?–and uncertainty is very hard to explain.

Laboratory Issues

• EPA helps New England laboratories test their readiness under regional laboratory response plan (USEPA Region 1 news release, March 6)

Epidemiology

• Hair samples may help track murderers... and drinking water sources (LA Times, March 1)
  Commentary: This may be another arrow in the epidemiologists' quiver! But that use is not completely new: In the 1960's, hair and toenail clippings were used to assess accumulation of arsenic from drinking water in the Death Valley area.

Compliance

• Consolidation of small troubled systems should help with compliance in California (Santa Cruz Observer, March)

Legal Matters

• Canadian city fined for violating drinking water rules (Pembroke Daily Observer, March 5)

Additives

• California has adopted new Waterworks standards, including NSF 61 and annual testing for NSF 60; information on NSF Standard 61
• Small California water system given clearance after tank-repair material tainted water (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, March 5)

Fluoridation

• CDC reaffirms Fairbanks, AK's 48-year fluoridation practice (Parsons Sun, March 6)
• It took a long time but... fluoridation re-starts in Kansas city (Fairbanks News Miner, March 7)

Arsenic

• New Hampshire town votes on $12 million bonds for arsenic removal (SeacoastOnline, March 11); Seabrook's public notice
• California desert agency plans two water treatment plants to remove excess arsenic from four wells (Daily Independent, March 8)
• Grant from state will help small Indiana system remove arsenic from water (Muncie Star Press, March 6)
• Breast Feeding Protects from Arsenic Exposure in Bangladeshi Infants (Environmental Health Perspectives, March 6)
• Arizona city leader calls neighbor town's alleged lack of cooperation in siting arsenic treatment facility... horse manure! (Prescott Daily Courier, March 6)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Malcolm Pirnie Water Resources Management Services Malcolm Pirnie offers clients assistance in developing strategies to protect, enhance, and secure water resources. Malcolm Pirnie's staff has extensive practical experience in the development of ground water storage and conjunctive use programs, water management, and incentive programs. Our staff also has a wide range of experience as facilitators in helping utilities to develop strategic and water resources plans through consensus-based decision-making processes. For questions regarding any of these services, please feel free to contact Jim Scholl, or visit our website.

Lead

• Washington, D.C., water agency agrees to independent review of water quality issues (SF Examiner, March 11)

PFCs

• Study shows that all PFCs are not the same re: neurotoxicity (Environmental Health Perspectives, March 3)
• Minnesota residents not sure about state's action raising safety level (Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 4)
• Researcher says his study on 3M workers' health is inconclusive (Minnesota Public Radio, March 7)

Source Water Protection

• New USGS website provides ground water information for Wisconsin (USGS news release, March 5)
• USEPA's March Watershed News

Perchlorate

• Research report: Developmental Exposure to Perchlorate Alters Synaptic Transmission in Hippocampus of the Adult Rat (Environmental Health Perspectives, March 6)

Private Wells

• Montana provides helpful information for private well owners
• Drought may be cause of well water contamination in southeast US (WFMY News 2, March 7)

Climate

• Eight major water utilities join in alliance on climate research (AWWA, March 3); a fact sheet on the Water Utility Climate Alliance

International

• Philippines health agency says typhoid outbreak was water-related (GMANews.TV, March 10)

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