This week's NEWS

Drink up! It's National Drinking Water Week in the U.S. The fallout from a "seems-like-so-long-ago" volcano eruption is still impacting water treatment plant decisions in Washington. AwwaRF is looking for a few good researchers who want to get on the "fast track"... it's that carbon sequestration thing! To err is human, to point fingers is... also very human. Another chapter in the "no good deed goes unpunished" saga. What did the EPA's AA tell the senators about TCE and perchlorate?

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Federal Updates

• It is National Drinking Water Week May 4-10, 2008:
  • CDC focuses on 100th anniversary of drinking water disinfection
  • USEPA provides lots to do and how to help!
  • AWWA: Only Tap Water Delivers!
• GAO criticizes EPA's revised process for handling IRIS risk process (AWWA WaterWeek, May 5)
• USEPA holds a webcast on climate change strategy (USEPA news release, May 5)
• U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works holds a May 6 hearing on TCE and perchlorate in water
• USEPA has a new program (PNiWriter) to help water systems develop their public notice

Security/Emergency Communications

• Ohio's EPA has a good little brochure on emergency communication strategies (PDF file, 73.6 K)
  Commentary: The message is sweet and simple: APP! (Anticipate, Prepare, and Practice) and it builds on the WaterISAC program. Sure, the emergency plan specifies that a lot of people need to be notified... but what if the telephone doesn't work?
•  "Water Security 2008: A Maryland and National Update" is set for May 14th... in Maryland, of course (PDF file, 557 K)

Disinfection Byproducts

• Headline writers in Missouri city treat slight exceedance of TTHM standard quite differently:  
  • Columbia reports first drinking water violation in three decades (Columbia Missourian, May 2)
  • Carcinogen elevated in city’s water (Columbia Tribune, May 2)
• California water utility will switch to chloramines to counter deteriorated raw water quality (San Jose Mercury News, May 1)

Water Treatment

• Follow-up reports say failure of TCE removal plant in Arizona was due to "human error"? (Arizona Republic, May 1)
  Commentary: The separate investigations by the two entities under the microscope say the failure was caused by either "operator error" or "the plant's systems and components were not designed or operated in an optimal manner;"  Arizona DEQ's take on the plant failure (PDF file, 46.3 K)
• Washington city faces a unique problem: Fallout (literally!) from Mount St. Helens deteriorates water treatment plant; shift to ground water wells is considered (Longview Daily News, May 1)
• Indiana community gets better water (Indianapolis Star, May 5)

Compliance Through Consolidation

• Dueling editorials on acquisition of private water company by California city:
  • Residents need to make informed water decision (Yuba City Appeal Democrat, May 4) 
  • Beware city's campaign to educate homeowners (Yuba City Appeal Democrat, May 4)
  Commentary: Not all the motives on the part of the parties in this dispute can be discerned. However, what is real is the issue of who is going to pay for needed improvements when a city or district takes over a smaller water system with existing water service/water quality problems. Should the costs be spread over the entire rate base, or should only those receiving the service pay the tab? This issue is frequently an obstacle to getting larger, well-operated entities to take on a beleaguered neighborhood.

Microbiological

• Wisconsin city quickly shuts down well after positive total coliform sample found (UW Badger Herald, April 30)

Research

• AwwaRF announces "fast track" study of potential effects of underground carbon sequestration on ground water (PDF file, 36.3 K); the RFP (PDF file, 198 K)

Nitrate

• Nebraska village is proactive: Gets funding help to drill new well BEFORE nitrate level exceeds MCL (North Platte Telegraph, May 3)

Legal Matters

• USEPA levies fine against "former" owner of small problematic water system in Arizona (USEPA Region 9 news release, April 30)
• Montana power plant owners pay $25 million settlement for contaminating ground water at subdivision for four years with no notification (Seattle Post Intelligencer, May 2)

Arsenic

• Oregon town notifies residents that arsenic MCL is exceeded; city has water treatment plant well underway (KVAL, May 1)

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.

PPCPs

• USGS study: A national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United States (Science Direct, April 23)
• The CliffsNotes version: What to know about drugs in water (Washington Post, May 1)

Fluoridation

• Tennessee utility moves ahead with plan to fluoridate despite threat of lawsuit (Knoxville News Sentinel, May 1)
• People living in Florida city's water service area can't use private wells – whether or not they agree with fluoridation (Vero Beach Press-Journal, May 2)

Naturally Occurring Fluoride

• Virginia town is between a rock (high fluoride) and a hard place (no state water extraction permit) (Newport News Daily Press, May 1)
• Extremely high natural fluoride (17 times optimum level) blamed for deaths and paralysis in Pakistan (Pakistan Daily Times, May 4)

Source Water Protection

• USEPA's latest Watershed News
• West Virginia DEP proceeds with industry-favored plan to eliminate drinking water source protections from some streams (Charleston Gazette, May 1)
• New York Governor gets working group's report on important regional reservoir (NY DOH press release, April 30); Hinckley Reservoir Report

Bisphenol A Plastic Bottles

• National Toxicology Program seeks public input on BPA draft report (Environmental Factor, May 2008); draft report (PDF file, 543 K)
• REI removes bottles with plastic additive chemical (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, May 1)

Conferences

• Call for Papers due by May 15–Sustainable and Safe Drinking Water in Developing and Developed Countries: Where Science Meets Policy –November 5-6, 2008
• Call for Papers due by August 10: GRA Emerging Contaminants in Groundwater Symposium – November 19-20, 2008 – San Jose, CA

Private Wells

• Maine private well owners warned to test wells because of flooding (Bangor Daily News, May 3)
• Many Maine residents do not have their wells tested for uranium (Lincoln County News, May 1)
• Wisconsin offers financial help to residents whose wells have quality problems (Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, May 1)
• PCE found in many private wells at Nebraska industrial site (Grand Island Independent, May 1)

Desalination

• A look at desalination in Northern California (ABC 7 News, May 2)

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