This week's NEWS

EPA announces significant grants for research on microbiological issues. In Pennsylvania, it's all about optimization of filtration processes. D.C. lead-line replacement program is changed to lower cost and increase effectiveness. California chromium cleanup gets industry help.

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Federal Updates

• The Total Coliform Rule Distribution System Advisory Committee will meet September 18 in Washington, D.C. (Federal Register, September 3)
• USEPA announces Safe Drinking Water Research grants re: pathogens and cyanobacteria (USEPA news release, September 4); details on the five grants are available

State Updates

• California risk-assessing agency releases two new documents: including Evidence on the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology of Chromium (PDF file, 644 K) and a compilation of relevant studies on Particulate Matter and Trihalomethanes (PDF file, 471 K)
  Commentary: These assessments are related directly to California's Prop. 65 but not specifically to the establishment of drinking water standards. In general, they are another review of toxicology and epidemiology data for the contaminants. No hint is given for the establishment of a Public Health Goal for drinking water for hexavalent chromium—which has been widely anticipated for months. The publication of the health effects information on trihalomethanes is more curious. According to the document on particulates and trihalomethanes: "The purpose of this compilation is to provide information so that the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee can advise OEHHA concerning whether to develop hazard identification materials for these substances." Because trihalomethane exposure is exclusively by drinking water and because Proposition 65 specifically EXCLUDES drinking water from its requirements, to what purpose could this exercise be directed?
• Pennsylvania provides report on state's Filter Plant Performance Evaluation and Partnership for Safe Water programs

Microbiological

• Hadley, MA, works on water woes (Springfield Republican, September 5)
• Australian tourist spot hit with gastrointestinal diseases; may be related to E. coli in reservoirs (Courier-Mail, September 6)

Arsenic

• Nevada official still trying for relief from new arsenic standard (Reno Gazette-Journal, September 5)

Chromium

• Private funding will help in California chromium cleanup (Glendale News Press, September 9)
  Commentary: The anticipated Glendale City Council action will begin the next critical phase in cleaning up San Fernando Valley ground water from hexavalent chromium contamination. Industries are stepping up to the plate to help fund two innovative demonstration-scale projects that will show how high levels of the metal can be reduced to very low concentrations—far below the current maximum contaminant level and below local levels of concern.

Disinfection Byproducts

• Testing finds THM problem in Orange County, NC, water (Burlington Times News, September 7)

Lead

• D.C. Water and Sewer Authority announces major change in its lead service line replacement program (WASA Press Release, September 4), but not everyone thinks it is a great idea (Washington Post, September 4)
  Commentary: Once again, D.C. WASA is looking for the cheap way out of its lead pipe dilemma. For years, there have been partial lead line replacements, which nobody thought was a good idea, and data showed continued potential for leaching high levels of lead. Certainly, the use of orthophosphate has dramatically decreased the lead levels at the tap under the required sampling regime. But sampling does not catch all of the lead exposure, and research has shown the potential for lead particulates to shear off of the interior surfaces of lead pipes still in service. D.C. WASA needs to get the lead out now—ALL the way out with an aggressive replacement of ALL lead service lines.

• Almost 300 Australian schools have high lead levels (Sydney Daily Telegraph, September 8)

Fluoridation

• Tempers flare during Nebraska town debate over fluoride (Grand Island Independent, September 4)
• Fluoridation will be hot topic at southern California water board meeting (Agoura Hills Acorn, September 4)
• Brooksville, FL, will reconsider halt to adding fluoride to water (St. Petersburg Times, September 5)
• Fluoride in UK communities is about to begin, yet opposition continues (BBC, September 8)
• Virginia town council public forum debates the continuation of fluoridation (Rocktown Daily News Record, September 9)

PPCPs

• Testing for drugs in Tennessee River system underway (Chattanooga Times Free Press, September 7)

Invasive Species

• Asian clams another possible threat to Lake Tahoe (Reno Gazette-Journal, September 3)
• Mussel invasion threatens Manteca, CA, water supply (Manteca Bulletin, September 5)
• Arizona lakes brace for mussel invasion (Arizona Republic, September 8)

Legal Matters

• Alaskan zinc producer agrees to pay up to $120 million for water pipeline (Bloomberg, September 3)

Water Treatment

• Nanofilter's electropotential eliminates contaminants (Environmental Science and Technology, September 4)
• EPA orders $6 million New York water line built for two river towns to access higher quality drinking water (Glens Falls Post Star, September 6); towns face EPA fines (Albany Times Union, September 7)
• The water plant under New York (Associated Press, September 7)
• Delaware water system gets funding to expand its plant (Bethany Beach Wave, September 9)

Desalination

• UNESCO Water Portal bi-monthly newsletter: Water and Salinization/Desalination

Perchlorate

• Hamilton, MA, water is now safe to drink (Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, September 4); Hamilton water scare false alarm (Salem News, September 4)

Bisphenol-A Plastic

• National Toxicology Program finalizes its report on Bisphenol A (NTP news release, September 3); the report on BPA (PDF file, 3.03 MB); group's tests of Bisphenol A conflict with FDA's findings that it's harmless (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 3)

Source Water Protection

• USEPA's September Watershed News

Small Water Systems

• Drinking water clearinghouse gets $1 million to help smaller water systems

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