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GUELPH, ONTARIO, May 28, 2010 (Water Tech) — In a column posted on nationalpost.com, John B. Challinor II, director of corporate affairs for Nestle Waters Canada, responded to a recent study that showed that bottled water contains more nonpathogenic heterotropic (HPC) bacteria than tap water. Challinor quoted Health Canada as stating, “Like most foods, bottled water may contain naturally occurring bacteria which typically have little or no health significance. In numerous studies, heterotropic bacteria isolated from water have been shown to be of no human health consequence.” He also referenced a 2003 World Health Organization study found that these bacteria pose “no significant risk to consumers.” Challinor concluded by saying, “HPC bacteria can sometimes be found in trace amounts in bottled water and municipal water systems, even after disinfection.” EPA takes action to reduce pesticides in American waters WASHINGTON, June 2, 2010 (Water Tech) — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a new permit requirement that would decrease the amount of pesticides discharged to the nation’s waters, according to a press release. This action is in response to an April 9, 2009 court decision that found that pesticide discharges to US waters were pollutants, thus requiring a permit, the release stated. The proposed permit, released for public comment and developed in collaboration with states, would require all operators to reduce pesticide discharges by using the lowest effective amount of pesticide, prevent leaks and spills, calibrate equipment and monitor for and report adverse incidents. Additional controls, such as integrated pest management practices, are built into the permit for operators who exceed an annual treatment area threshold, according to the release. “EPA believes this draft permit strikes a balance between using pesticides to control pests and protecting human health and water quality,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. Manufacturing facilities significant source of pharmaceuticals in water EPA takes action against Iowa beef feedlots for Clean Water Act violations Residents call for city to delay conversion to chloramine disinfection Pennsylvania House committee to hold public hearing on chloramines California Water Board releases list of 1,700 severely polluted waterways Please Note: iwaterdrops is intended to be an informational and educational news bulletin for Multi-Pure Independent Distributors. The news articles included are excerpted from the publications shown. The contamination problems and health |
The American Water Works Association EPA to revise Total Coliform Rule
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2010 (Water Tech) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a revision to the 1989 Total Coliform Rule in order to achieve greater public health protection against waterborne pathogens in public water systems, according to a press release.
With the revision, EPA aims to incorporate improvements recommended by a federal advisory committee that included representatives from a broad range of stakeholder groups, including public health and public interest groups, environmental groups, state drinking water agencies and drinking water utilities, the release stated.
The revised rule will better protect people from potential exposure to dangerous microbes because it requires water systems to take action when monitoring results indicate that contamination or a pathway to contamination may be present.
Under the proposed rule, when monitoring results are positive, systems must find and fix any pathways leading to microbial risk.
The proposal also provides incentives for better system operation by improving the criteria for public water systems to qualify for and stay on reduced monitoring, which provides an opportunity to reduce system burden, according to the release.
EPA approves New York State’s list of impaired waters
NEW YORK, June 30, 2010 (Water Tech) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the 2010 list of waters in New York State that are considered either impaired or threatened by pollutants, according to a press release.
New additions on the 2010 list include waters in Long Island’s South Shore Estuary, shore areas of Lake Ontario, and water bodies contiguous with the lands of several Native American Nations, including the Onondaga, Tonawanda Seneca and St. Regis Mohawk, the release stated.
An impaired water body is one that does not meet water quality standards even after pollution controls have been put in place. A threatened water body is one that is expected to be impaired within two years.
The list helps to set priorities for addressing current water pollution threats.
The Clean Water Act requires states to assess the quality of their waters and to report their findings every two years to EPA.
The list is compiled by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and is a valuable tool for reaching the Clean Water Act goal of “fishable and swimmable” waters for all of New York State.
“Identifying and prioritizing the state’s most seriously polluted waters are important steps in the effort to reduce water pollution,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck. “In the almost 40 years since the Clean Water Act was adopted, water quality in many of the state’s rivers, lakes and streams has improved, but we still have a very long way to go. The list of impaired waters helps governments, concerned citizens and businesses take action to reach the goal of being able to safely fish and swim in all of our waters.”
Wastewater overflows into Blue River in Kansas City, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, MO, June 30, 2010 (Water Tech) — More than 52,000 gallons of wastewater has overflowed into a creek leading to the Blue River in Kansas City, Mo., KCTV 5 News reported.
The discharge, which was caused by a clogged 18-inch sewer main, was discovered on June 25, but crews did not start working to stop the leak until June 28, the article stated.
City officials stated they are working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to mitigate the impact of the discharge, according to the story.
Three-mile project will help polluted area
ROCHESTER, Ind., July 6, 2010 (Water Tech) – Plans are in the works for extending a water line nearly three miles to reach homes where the area’s groundwater has been polluted, according to an article from the Chicago Tribune.
The water line extension, proposed by Textron Inc., is believed to be a viable option to provide safe water to 41 homes, stated the article.
The company’s agreement with state and federal agencies permits it to pay for installation of water lines, maintenance for 75 years and, continued the article, pay the residents’ water bills for 20 years.
Textron’s attorney Jamie Schiff is interested in determining the long-term maintenance costs with the city’s officials, added the article.
Ghastly trend is leading to ground contamination
FREMONT, CA., July 7, 2010 (Water Tech) – Answering the call to address dozens of abandoned and closed gas stations throughout the state, which have been leaking contaminants and threatening groundwater for years, the State Water Resource Control Board has authorized more than $3 million to invest in the cleanup, according to KGO-TV.
Fifty-five gas stations in the state have been focused on for the $3 million investment, added the article, and three of these hazardous sites are in the Bay Area.
According to the article, at least one station is contaminating the ground with gas, diesel fuel and MTBEs that have been leaking out of the tanks for untold years.
Fremont resident Norma Broussard said: “I think it’s ridiculous, and if it’s seeping into the drinking water … hello! That’s worse than ridiculous. We live here, we’re affected.”
“We tried to get the owners to step up to the plate and to date, they haven’t, and that’s why we pursued the route to the state,” said Walter Wandow, general manager from the Alameda County Water District. “While there is no immediate threat to drinking water, eventually over time, that kind of contamination could migrate into the groundwater.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53 to reduce MTBE.
Historic water levels and turbidity could raise taxes
Montreal, July 7, 2010 (Water Tech) – St. Lawrence River’s water levels are historically low and are causing an increase in costs at municipal water-filtration plants due to increased turbidity, according to the Gazette.
The article reported that officials said costs will probably be passed along to taxpayers.
Lower water levels are attributed to the increase in turbidity, which means more sediment to filter out.
In the article Peter Yeomans, a senior Canadian official with the International St. Lawrence River Board, a Canada-United States agency that manages water levels in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence, said water-filtration plants all along the St. Lawrence are now being forced to draw in more raw water and to use more purification agents in order to produce the same amount of clean water.
Yeomans added: “The process has been slowed down and costs more.”
Pointe Claire’s Mayor Bill McMurchie said Pointe Claire is already spending an extra $1,000 a day on chalk, activated carbon and other purification agents that are used to filter the raw water drawn from Lake St. Louis, explained the article.
According to the article, Mayor McMurchie added that these costs could rise and eventually have to be passed along to taxpayers.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53 to reduce Turbidity.
EPA begins cleanup of Ottawa River
CHICAGO, December 28, 2009 (Water Tech) — In cooperation with the Ottawa River Group and the state of Ohio, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started construction on phase one of a cleanup effort of the Ottawa River and Sibley Creek in Toledo, Ohio, according to a press release.
The project, which is part of the EPA’s Great Lakes Legacy Act, aims to reduce impacts to human health and the environment by removing approximately 260,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the creek and river, the release said.
The presence of heavy metals, PCBs and PAHs in the sediment is the main reason that fish advisories are currently in place, the release added.
“The start of this cleanup brings us closer to the day when the public can safely eat all fish from the Great Lakes and their tributaries,” said Bharat Mathur, EPA acting regional administrator.
Polluted groundwater concerns officials
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, CA, January 4, 2010 (Water Tech) — According to officials, contaminated groundwater in San Gabriel Valley is safe enough for humans, but not for fish, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.
Perchlorates and other dangerous chemicals used by the aerospace industry were leaked into the groundwater, causing concern among the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local officials, the story stated.
A $100 million plan was devised to clean the polluted water and discharge it into the San Gabriel River, but it has faced setbacks as officials are struggling to rid the water of all the contaminants, according to the article.
“Although they meet drinking water standards, they don’t meet water quality standards,” said Ray Chavira, a spokesman for the EPA. “It affects freshwater fish and microorganisms and their ability to reproduce. It doesn’t affect humans.”
San Gabriel Valley water officials plan to meet with representatives from the EPA on Jan. 7 to discuss several options, the article reported.
Is your drinking water safe?
January 5, 2010 (Cool Site of the Day/EWG) — These days, fewer of us drink tap water. Many prefer bottled water.
Unfortunately, the cost of bottled water can add up quickly. If you've resolved to save money in 2010, you may be thinking about ditching bottled water.
Before you do that, head over to today's Cool Site. It will help you find out how safe your tap water is.
The site will tell you what contaminants and chemicals have been found in your water. You'll see if the contaminants exceed legal or recommended health limits.
Chances are you won't want to drink the tap water. That is, without filtering it first. In that case, you'll also find information on selecting the right water filter.
To read complete article, go to:
www.ewg.org/tap-water/whats-in-yourwater
Tests reveal high arsenic levels near schools
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC, January 6, 2010 (Water Tech) — Tests performed on the soil and groundwater near Castle Hayne Elementary and Holly Shelter Middle School revealed arsenic levels that exceed North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources standards, according to an article on WECT.com.
The schools are located near a US Environmental Protection Agency superfund site, which caused concern among parents and led to the testing, the article stated.
Contrary to the data from the tests, officials claim the sites have been cleaned up, the story reported.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
Tests reveal trace levels of hexavalent chromium in two cities’ water supplies
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, January 8, 2010 (Water Tech) — Drinking water tests conducted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources revealed trace levels of hexavalent chromium in the cities of Hannibal and Louisiana, according to an article on infozine.com.
The level of hexavalent chromium in Hannibal’s water was 0.6 ppb, which exceeds the health-screening level set by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the story reported.
Despite the contamination, officials said that the water in both cities is safe to drink, the article stated.
Hexavalent chromium, which is used in industrial processes like the making of stainless steel, has been shown to cause cancer, according to the article.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Hexavalent Chromium.
Uranium, Arsenic and water softener salts found in New Mexico wells
SANTA FE, January 15, 2010 (Water Tech) — According to a study by the New Mexico Environment Department and the Good Water Company, many of the private domestic wells in the Santa Fe area are contaminated with high levels of salt, uranium, arsenic and chloride, The New Mexican reported.
Arsenic and uranium occur naturally in New Mexico rocks, so it is no surprise that they leached into well water. The salt, however, originates from water softeners, the article stated.
Domestic wells are not required to meet federal or state drinking water standards, but Dennis McQuillan, an environmental geologist with the New Mexico Environment Department, said well owners need to be aware of quality of their water.
“This type of comprehensive testing has never been done in the state of New Mexico with this many parameters from so many private domestic wells,” McQuillan said. “We’re going to be able to map the groundwater of Santa Fe like it has never been mapped before.”
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
MA town faces $82K fine for drinking water violations
BOSTON, December 4, 2009 (Water Tech) — Gloucester, a city on Massachusetts’ North Shore which was forced to issue a 20-day boil-water order during August and September, now faces more than $82,000 in fines from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for violating safe drinking water regulations, The Boston Globe reported December 4.
The total fine is $82,187.50: $15,000 for clean water violations during the drinking water crisis and a $67,187.50 penalty that will be suspended if the city complies with the terms of the consent order, the DEP said in a December 3 news release.
The consent order requires the city on Cape Ann to make improvements to its water supply system, including $8 million in upgrades to equipment at its Babson water treatment facility.
Water testing detected fecal coliform at the Babson plant; the plant eventually was temporarily shut down, as WaterTech Online® reported.
According to a December 3 Gloucester Daily Times story, “In their first report on what went wrong this summer, DEP experts cited ‘years of neglect’ of the systems at Babson combined with ‘lax oversight’ by the city of its private water contractor as central causes of persistent bacteria blooms.”
Drinking water violations examined by NY Times
NEW YORK, December 8, 2009 (Water Tech) — Regulatory and water system data analyzed by The New York Times show that more than 49 million people in the US have consumed polluted drinking water since 2004, according to a report in the December 8 print edition of The New York Times.
Pollutants of concern included concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as bacteria often found in sewage, the report said.
Analyzing data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulators and water systems, the New York Times reported: “More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.”
Fewer than 6 percent of the water systems that broke the law were ever fined or punished by state or federal officials. According to the article, which quoted current and former EPA enforcement officials who wished to remain anonymous, federal regulators were informed of violations, but in many cases, unless the violations would make sensational news stories or target big money, pursuing the violations were overlooked.
EPA spokeswoman Adora Andy, in response to questions regarding the agency’s drinking water enforcement, told the New York Times: “This administration has made it clear that clean water is a top priority. The previous eight years provide a perfect example of what happens when political leadership fails to act to protect our health and the environment.”
High levels of lead at taps in NJ community
HIGH BRIDGE, NJ, December 10, 2009 (Water Tech) — The Borough of High Bridge Water Department recently conducted water quality monitoring tests and discovered higher-than-normal levels of lead in several homes’ and buildings’ tap water, according to a December 10 article from the Hunterdon Review.
During August 2009 testing, water samples surpassed the federal action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) and reached as high as 89 ppb.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some compounds, such as lead and copper, typically enter drinking water through onsite plumbing fixtures; the news article said the municipal water system here is not the source.
High Bridge Director of Public Works Mike Hann noted that “there are about six homes/buildings affected.”
“The lead is leaching out of the solder sites and any lead parts that are in the (plumbing) fixtures,” Hann said. He said the community’s water is safe to drink.
Although the borough has tested its water for lead every three years, which is required by state and federal law, Hann said that testing frequency will increase to every six months.
Tap water report reveals best and worst supplies
December 14, 2009 (Water Tech) - A report from the Environmental Working Group has been released ranking the top 100 (those serving a population over 250,000) water supplies.
According to the Environmental Working Group website, the report based its findings on the "total number of chemicals detected as of 2004; the percentage of chemicals found of those tested; and the highest average level for an individual pollutant, relative to legal limits or national average amounts, including for the most common pollutants (disinfection byproducts, nitrate and arsenic)."
Pensacola, FL, was ranked at the bottom of the list and was found to have the highest amount of pollutants and chemicals. Arlington, TX, was ranked in the top spot and had the least amount.
The report, released on Dec. 12, surprised some, including Jim Neustadt, a spokesman for the Montgomery & Prince George's Counties, MD, which ranked 82nd. In a Dec. 13 Washington Post story, Neustadt said, "We've never had any drinking-water violations," WSSC spokesman Jim Neustadt said. "Our water is perfectly safe to drink."
The Environmental Working Group said the Environmental Protection Agency can be lax with its standards. Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research at the group, told the Washington Post, "This is water that meets all federal standards, but it still contains residues" of some pollutants.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
You can read EWG's full report at www.ewg.org/tap-water/home to learn more about drinking water pollution -- what contaminants we face, where they come from, what the government is and isn't doing about them -- and what EWG recommends to policy makers.
NY Rep probed over his bottled water budget
UTICA, NY, December 14, 2009 (Water Tech) — U.S. Rep Michael Arcuri’s offices apparently spend $200 a month on bottled water, an amount that is questionable, according to the advocacy group Common Cause New York, the Observer-Dispatch reported.
The Dec. 13 story quoted Arcuri’s spokesman who said that the office water is undrinkable and not even suitable for making coffee.
Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, said in the story, “As a proponent of using tap water, bottled water is something which would jump out to me. I’d like to introduce him to some great sources for stainless steel water holders — there are some really wonderful ones out there.”
According to a July-September quarterly report, Arcuri’s Washington office spent $308 on Deer Park bottled water, and his congressional district offices spent $305 on Nirvana Spring bottled water.
Oneida, NY, County Republican Party Chairman George Joseph said that while it is something worth discussing, there are certainly more important issues at hand, such as health care. “Is it worth mentioning? OK, but there are bigger issues out there,” he said in the story.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Another good reason to talk to people about the advantages of having a Multi-Pure drinking water system. The consumer can save lots on money compared to bottled water while protecting the environment!
Las Vegas’ drinking water among worst in nation
LAS VEGAS, NV, December 15, 2009 (Water Tech) – The water provided by the Las Vegas Valley Water District ranked 98th out of 100 cities studied, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Riverside, California and Pensacola, Florida were the only two cities to rank below Las Vegas, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington, D.C.
Las Vegas’ drinking water contains trace amounts of 30 different chemicals, including arsenic, bromate, lead and radon, the article noted.
According to the story, although the water delivered to 1.3 million valley residents contains a “chemical cocktail” of regulated and unregulated substances, it does meet all federal safety standards.
“This water is considered legal and safe, and that’s because we consider all these chemicals individually,” said Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy for the group. “Over the long haul, it raises serious questions about the quality of the water if you're going to be drinking it over a lifetime.”
The environmental watchdog group spent the last three years compiling an online database of water quality reports and sampling data from 48,000 communities across the United States, the article noted.
The water utilities of Arlington, Texas, Providence, Rhode Island and Fort Worth, Texas were ranked the highest.
Pollutants found in Riverside County’s water supply
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA, December 15, 2009 (Water Tech) – According to a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group, water supplies from Riverside Public Utilities and Eastern Municipal Water District contain excessive levels of toxic pollutants, the Press-Enterprise reported.
Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy for the group, said, “The number of pollutants in the water is shocking. It's safe to say people shouldn't be drinking this water over the long term.”
The most alarming concern is the presence of perchlorate, a substance found in rocket fuel that is known to disrupt thyroid function, the story said.
According to Wiles, the tests also revealed several carcinogens, including pesticides, arsenic and hexavalent chromium.
Despite the findings of Wiles’ group, officials from both districts claim that the water from their facilities is safe, the article reported.
Kevin Milligan, assistant general manager for Riverside utilities, said, “We recognize that much of the water we pump out of the ground is contaminated, and we have spent millions of dollars over the past 20 years building treatment facilities to mitigate that.”
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Hexavalent Chromium and Perchlorate.
Study of cancer cases in New Jersey underway
POMPTON LAKES, N.J., December 17, 2009 (Water Tech) — New Jersey state officials plan to expand a study of cancer cases in a town where a DuPont munitions plant was once located, the Associated Press reported.
A previous report by the state Health Department showed increased rates of kidney cancer among women and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in men in a neighborhood near a plume of polluted groundwater, but could not conclusively link the cancers to the toxins in the groundwater, the article stated.
The solvents that are polluting the groundwater had been used at the DuPont factory, which was closed in 1994, the story reported.
DuPont is currently studying groundwater cleanup methods, company spokesman Robert Nelson said.
That Tap Water Is Legal but May Be Unhealthy
NEW YORK, December 17, 2009 (New York Times) - The 35-year-old federal law regulating tap water is so out of date that the water Americans drink can pose what scientists say are serious health risks — and still be legal.
Only 91 contaminants are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, yet more than 60,000 chemicals are used within the United States, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Government and independent scientists have scrutinized thousands of those chemicals in recent decades, and identified hundreds associated with a risk of cancer and other diseases at small concentrations in drinking water, according to an analysis of government records by The New York Times.
But not one chemical has been added to the list of those regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act since 2000.
Other recent studies have found that even some chemicals regulated by that law pose risks at much smaller concentrations than previously known. However, many of the act’s standards for those chemicals have not been updated since the 1980s, and some remain essentially unchanged since the law was passed in 1974.
All told, more than 62 million Americans have been exposed since 2004 to drinking water that did not meet at least one commonly used government health guideline intended to help protect people from cancer or serious disease, according to an analysis by The Times of more than 19 million drinking-water test results from the District of Columbia and the 45 states that made data available.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
To read completed article, please go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17water.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=tainted%20tap%20water&st=cse
EPA begins cleanup of Ottawa River
CHICAGO, IL, December 23, 2009 (Water Tech) — In cooperation with the Ottawa River Group and the state of Ohio, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started construction on phase one of a cleanup effort of the Ottawa River and Sibley Creek in Toledo, Ohio, according to a press release.
The project, which is part of the EPA’s Great Lakes Legacy Act, aims to reduce impacts to human health and the environment by removing approximately 260,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the creek and river, the release said.
The presence of heavy metals, PCBs and PAHs in the sediment is the main reason that fish advisories are currently in place, the release added.
Akron, OH, to improve sewer system
WASHINGTON, November 17, 2009 (Water Tech) — The city of Akron, OH, has agreed to make extensive improvements to its sewer system to reduce or eliminate sewage overflows that have long polluted the Cuyahoga River and some connecting waterways, the Justice Department, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state of Ohio announced November 13.
Although the city has until October 15, 2028, to comply with the agreement, a Clean Water Act settlement lodged November 13 in federal court requires the city within the next year to identify appropriate methods of controlling or eliminating the discharges.
According to the settlement, the city is required to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to reduce or eliminate:
? Untreated overflows of sanitary sewage and storm water from its combined sewer system.
? Bypasses around secondary treatment at the wastewater treatment plant.
The city’s sewage and wastewater discharges flow into the Cuyahoga River, the Little Cuyahoga River, the Ohio Canal and their tributaries and contribute to the impairment of water quality in those waterways, the release said.
Among other requirements of the settlement, the city must expand capacity at its wastewater treatment plant to allow for treatment of at least an additional 20 million gallons of wastewater per day.
Study finds arsenic prevalent in rural IA wells
IOWA CITY, IA, November 17, 2009 (Water Tech) — Many of the rural private drinking water wells in Iowa that were sampled in a recent study have the same contamination problems found 20 years ago, a November 16 story in The Iowa Independent said.
Long-standing and emerging contamination problems in the state’s rural wells are the subject of a new study led by the University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, the article said.
The study, Iowa Statewide Rural Water Well Survey Phase 2, followed up on the results of a similar study conducted in 1988 and 1989; it concluded that many of the problems of 20 years ago remain today. It also pinpointed new contamination worries, such as the presence of arsenic in nearly half of all wells sampled.
From May 2006 to December 2008, investigators sampled 473 wells in 89 Iowa counties for bacteria, nutrients, metals, common-use herbicides and insecticides, and herbicide degradates.
Detections of nitrate and bacteria were expected despite efforts to address such contamination, but the presence of arsenic was potentially worrisome, according to Peter Weyer, Ph.D., the study’s lead investigator and associate director for the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination.
“Nearly half the wells sampled had some level of arsenic, and 8 percent of those had a level that could be considered a health concern,” Weyer said.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
PA residents sue energy co. over water contamination
SCRANTON, PA, November 20, 2009 (Water Tech) — A number of Pennsylvania residents filed a civil lawsuit in US District Court here on November 19, claiming their drinking water, fields and streams have been contaminated by drilling for natural gas, according to a November 20 report from investigative news organization ProPublica.
Fifteen families are suing Houston-based energy company Cabot Oil and Gas, which has drilled wells near the town of Dimock. Among those bringing suit is a worker at the company, ProPublica reported.
The lawsuit seeks to halt Cabot from drilling more wells in the Marcellus Shale near Dimock; it also seeks to set up a trust fund to cover medical treatment for residents who say they have been made ill by natural gas drilling pollutants. Compensation is also sought for the alleged loss of property values in the rural area.
During hydrofracturing, or “fracking,” a method of natural gas drilling, a water-chemical solution is injected into a gas well under pressure to open up gas-containing rock.
The potential environmental effect of the wastewater created by fracking has been the subject of much debate, especially in areas overlying the gas-bearing Marcellus Shale in several northeast states.
TCE confirmed in IL communities’ supplies
SPRINGFIELD, IL, November 23, 2009 (Water Tech) — Trichloroethylene (TCE) is in the raw source water and finished water supplies of at least three Illinois communities, according to November 20 news releases from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
The city of Rockford, the village of Fox River Grove, and the Six Oaks Mobile Home Park, located south of Pecatonica, all recently received notice from the IEPA confirming levels of TCE in both raw and finished water supplies. In all cases, TCE levels exceeded 2.5 parts per billion (ppb) — a level that does not yet exceed the Class I groundwater quality standard for TCE of 5.0 ppb that both federal and state law allows in drinking water.
IEPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson was quoted in a November 21 Rockford Register Star article about the notification sent to the city of Rockford’s Public Works Department: “This is a precautionary notification. The water supply is still in compliance.”
Carson said Rockford water officials first detected the TCE during routine water testing, and as required by law, submitted a sample to the state EPA for confirmation.
The source of the TCE in Rockford water and how it entered the water supply have not been determined, the Register Star reported. Carson said it is up to the city to determine how to correct the situation.
TCE, a volatile organic chemical, is a colorless or blue liquid with a chloroform-like odor, used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, those who consume drinking water with levels of TCE in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for many years could experience problems with their liver and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Trichloroethylene (TCE), a VOC.
High levels of nitrates prompt warning
MARIETTA, OH, November 30, 2009 (Water Tech) — High levels of nitrates have been detected in a portion of the water supply for Devola, affecting more than 900 homes and businesses, according to a November 30 Marietta Times report.
The Putnam Community Water Association on November 26 issued a warning about the situation in Devola, a farming community in Washington County.
Putnam Community Water Association Manager Jay Huck said a November 18 water sample recorded nitrates at 13.8 parts per million (ppm), slightly above the federal safe drinking water maximum contaminant level of of 10 ppm. Another test was performed on November 24, and that test came back at 7.2 ppm. “We have to average those two numbers which left us at 10.55 ppm, over the limit by 0.55 ppm, and prompted the water warning to be issued,” Huck said in the story.
Water high in nitrates that is ingested by infants, pregnant women, adults with low stomach acidity or people with a certain enzyme deficiency can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” as the ingested nitrates are converted to nitrites in the body. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and severe cases result in brain damage or death.
Huck said in the story that there were no reported illnesses associated with the recent event. He noted there was a similar warning issued in the water system about two years ago. The current warning will remain in effect until at least the end of this week.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Nitrate/Nitrite.
New study details Iowa’s emerging contaminants
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, December 2, 2009 (Water Tech) — Wastewater contamination from organic chemicals in consumer products such as soaps, antimicrobial compounds and insect repellents is polluting drinking water sources in the state, according to a newly released report by nonprofit research organization The Iowa Policy Project, the Globe Gazette said December 1.
The report, released December 1, notes that federal and state regulations do not require regulators to monitor such chemicals, which now are showing up in trace quantities in drinking water supplies.
“These go well beyond the well publicized issue of water contamination by pharmaceuticals,” report author William Wombacher said in a conference call with the Globe Gazette. “Neither are there processes that target these chemical compounds for removal or do a very good job of removing them.”
Wombacher said a recent study by University of Iowa scientists found low concentrations of two synthetic fragrance compounds known as AHTN and HHCB in both the Iowa River and in the University of Iowa’s drinking water.
Iowa Policy Project researcher Teresa Galluzzo said regulatory action in the United States that would require better testing and tracking of organic wastewater contaminants is now needed. She noted that the European Union recently imposed tougher testing standards for the manufacturers of such products.
Galluzzo said California’s Proposition 65, which was passed in 1986 and creates an updated list of chemical compounds that are found harmful to human health and are banned from discharge into any water, could serve as a framework for national regulation.
PA AmWater system to switch to chloramines
HERSHEY, PA, December 2, 2009 (Water Tech) — Pennsylvania American Water will change the water treatment process for its West Shore system to chloramine next July, the company said in a December 1 press release.
Beginning the week of July 12, 2010, the company will switch from chlorine disinfection to chloramine. The system serves a number of communities. The company said most customers will not notice the change, although some might notice a reduction in the taste and odor of chlorine.
The company said it needs to convert to chloramine disinfection to comply with more stringent US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards to reduce known health risks associated with disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in chlorinated drinking water.
The group’s two water treatment facilities serve more than 36,000 customers in the Pennsylvania communities of Camp Hill, East Pennsboro, Enola, Fairview, Hampden, Lemoyne, Lower Allen, Newberry, New Cumberland, New Kingstown, Shiremanstown, Silver Spring, Upper Allen and Wormleysburg.
Perchlorate-tainted water gets federal attention
RIALTO, CA, December 3, 2009 (Water Tech) — The state of California now is examining a possible link between a miles-long stretch of contaminated groundwater and illnesses among residents who have lived in the area, The Press-Enterprise reported December 2.
The rocket-fuel ingredient perchlorate and industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) seeped from a 160-acre industrial site in Rialto, contaminating soil and groundwater that has been used as a potable supply. The groundwater contamination is considered the Inland region’s largest uncontrolled plume of perchlorate in a drinking water supply, the report said.
Investigations, which began in 2001, were stalled by legal challenges by former users of the site. Now the US Environmental Protection Agency has stepped in, and in September placed the site on the Superfund priority list for cleanup.
EPA and state officials said during a November 25 meeting that the investigation now is again under way, and that some contaminated wells have been closed.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Perchlorate.
ID district, EPA settles regarding SDWA violations
SEATTLE, October 23, 2009 (Water Tech) — A water district in northern Idaho will do an equipment rehab and a cleanup and pay a $5,000 penalty to settle a federal complaint about non-compliance with drinking water regulations, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in an October 21 news release.
The East Shoshone County Water District in Wallace, ID, will rehabilitate a water filtration plant and distribution system, perform a $20,000 mine adit (tunnel) cleanup, and pay the penalty. The release said the district failed to comply with a Safe Drinking Water Act Compliance Order issued in March of 2000.
According to Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA’s Enforcement Office in Seattle, this is a major step forward toward providing safe water for Burke Canyon residents, who comprise a portion of the district’s service area.
The district operates three separate water systems that serve about 3,200 customers in the communities of Wallace, Mullan and Burke, in Idaho’s panhandle. The Burke system, located near the city of Wallace, has about 21 service connections that regularly serve approximately 45 people.
The announced settlement, under an EPA Consent Decree, requires the district construct and operate a filtration system for water customers in Burke Canyon at an estimated cost of $600,000; rehabilitate the existing distribution system; comply with maximum contaminant levels, monitoring, reporting and public notice requirements for coliform bacteria; and spend approximately $20,000 to modify the discharge from the nearby abandoned mine. The district has also agreed to pay a $5,000 cash penalty.
The filtration project is required for the Burke system because it draws its raw water from Sawmill Gulch Creek, and there is the potential for contamination by Cryptosporidium or Giardia. The district currently chlorinates the water prior to providing it to customers, but, according to the EPA, the chlorine treatment alone is insufficient to eliminate the threat from these disease-causing organisms.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Cryptosporidium and Giardia (Cyst).
More frequent Crypto testing ordered for town
ROCKY MOUNT, VA, October 26, 2009 (Water Tech) — This town soon will begin more frequent testing of its river supply for Cryptosporidium, to remain in compliance with federal safe drinking water regulations, The Franklin News-Post reported October 26.
Bob Deitrich, water plant superintendent, is quoted saying that the tests cost $400 apiece, and the town is required to collect 24 samples over a two-year period. The town draws its drinking water from the Blackwater River.
Deitrich also noted that due to the complexity of the test, no local or regional labs are offering the service.
The town is slated to begin the sampling by February 2010.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Cryptosporidium (Cyst).
Nitrates, other pollutants dumped in IA waters
DES MOINES, IA, October 27, 2009 (Water Tech) — The two main water sources for this city, the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, in 2007 received more than 700,000 pounds of toxic chemicals, including high levels of nitrate compounds, according to a report released October 21 by environmental advocacy organization Environment Iowa.
According to the report, Wasting Our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act, industrial facilities dumped a total of nearly 3.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals into Iowa’s waterways.
The organization said the pollutants have contributed to the ill health of the state’s waterways, noting that in September, the city of Des Moines was forced to stop drawing drinking water from the Raccoon due to a toxic algae bloom that was at least in part due to high levels of nitrates in the water.
Eric Nost, state associate with Environment Iowa, said in an October 21 press release about the report that Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry released 391,300 pounds of toxic chemical waste directly into the Raccoon River. The report said that overall, Tyson Fresh Meats released 1,388,270 pounds of toxic chemical waste into the Iowa and Cedar rivers at Columbus Junction, qualifying the plant as the largest reported polluter of toxic chemicals in the state in 2007.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Nitrate/Nitrite.
Odor, high chlorine levels in water worry residents
BURNSVILLE, MN, October 28, 2009 (Water Tech) — In response to multiple complaints from residents here about a foul odor in tap water, the city has hired a consultant to determine the source of the problem, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reported October 28.
Resident Deb Moran said the water “smells like chlorinated dirty smelly scummy pond water.”
Moran said she took a sample of her tap water to a pool supply shop for testing and was told the “chlorine was off the charts.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS said it then took its own sample to a pool expert, who confirmed chlorine at 0.7 parts per million and said it’s about the same as the chlorine level in a swimming pool.
City officials confirmed the safety of the drinking water, and noted that the cause is a build-up of algae-caused organic compounds.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Chlorine.
Research continues on arsenic-diabetes link
SALISBURY, NC, October 30, 2009 (Water Tech) — A University of North Carolina toxicologist on October 29 spoke to a group at Catawba College’s Center for the Environment on the link between arsenic-in-water and diabetes, referencing recent research he has been conducting in Mexico, according to an October 29 Salisbury Post story.
Dr. Miroslav Styblo, an associate nutrition professor at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, noted that he has conducted studies on arsenic’s potential to cause diabetes using both mice and human cell cultures. He said the human studies took place in three communities in Mexico. In those areas, arsenic levels in the drinking water reached between 10 parts per billion (ppb) up to 800 ppb.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level is 10 ppb.
The goal of the studies: “We hope to get to the point of prevention," Styblo is quoted as saying.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
High levels of arsenic plague community’s well
TRUCKEE, CA, November 3, 2009 (Water Tech) — The Truckee Donner Public Utility District recently has informed its water customers that one of its 11 wells has violated the drinking water standard for arsenic, according to a November 3 Reno Gazette-Journal story.
According to the story, “Utility officials said the violation is not an emergency.”
The well in question has had four consecutive quarters of arsenic test results to indicate that the current running annual average level for the well is near 12 parts per billion (ppb). The US Environmental Protection Agency enforces a maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb for arsenic in public drinking water.
The utility said in the letter that it is examining options — changing pumping rates, blending with water from other wells, treatment, or a well shutdown — that would bring it into compliance with the arsenic standard.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
Undrinkable water still flows from KY taps
HINDMAN, KY, November 6, 2009 (Water Tech) — Some residents in this Knott County community are still awaiting drinking water from the new county water treatment plant while neighbors nearby who are not in Hindman already are sipping their tap water, WYMT News reported November 5.
The plant, located at Carr Creek, is fully capable of providing water to the city of Hindman, too, Knott County Judge Executive Randy Thompson said in the article. He said the county is waiting for action by city officials.
Meanwhile, some residents, such as John Shroll, pastor at Hindman United Methodist Church, have expressed frustration. He said in the report: “You pay the water bill, and yet, you can’t drink it much of the time. And, you can’t wash your clothes in it. So, I’m not sure what we’re paying for.”
OH city identifying sources of mercury in effluent
COSHOCTON, OH, November 11, 2009 (Water Tech) — This city has applied for a variance from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that would allow it extra time to comply with more stringent mercury discharge standards, according to a November 11 article in the Coshocton Tribune.
The discharge level for bodies of water in Ohio other than the Great Lakes region is 12 parts per trillion (ppt), and accounts for a mixing effect. However, the mixing effect will be removed from the standard in November 2010, Aaron Pennington of Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water explained in the article.
What that means for Coshocton is that the discharge from its plant, which currently is at 79 ppt for mercury, will exceed the stricter standard. In exchange for the variance, which would be in effect until 2012 if granted, the city needs to identify and reduce sources of mercury.
City Councilman Dave McVay said the city already has begun trying to identify sources of mercury in the city’s waste stream. “Once we’ve found those sources, we would hope to be able to meet those levels. But it takes time,” he added.
Ohio EPA is accepting written comments about the variance request before deciding whether to grant it.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Mercury.
Toxins too high in many schools’ water: report
NEW YORK, September 25, 2009 (Water Tech) — Unsafe levels of lead, pesticides and other contaminants have been found in the drinking water at thousands of US schools in all 50 states over the last decade, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have the authority to require testing for all schools, according to an investigative report by The Associated Press (AP), published September 25.
Although the EPA can provide environmental guidance, according to the report, “the problem has gone largely unmonitored by the federal government, even as the number of water safety violations has multiplied.”
Drinking water expert Marc Edwards, Ph.D., a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, said “it’s an outrage” that “we have no system to make people follow the rules to keep schoolchildren safe.”
The AP report includes a comment from Cynthia Dougherty, head of EPA’s Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, in which she notes “there’s a different risk for kids” than for adults in drinking contaminated water.
Because children drink more water per pound than adults, they are more vulnerable to the effects of hazardous substances, the AP reported, noting that stricter federal safe drinking water regulations for a number of contaminants, such as arsenic, mean drinking water at more schools is now exceeding standards.
The AP investigation found that the problem is most apparent at schools with wells, which represent 8 to 11 percent of the nation’s schools. AP said that after it analyzed data from the EPA, it found that “roughly one of every five schools with its own water supply violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in the past decade.”
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Talk to your local school’s about the advantages of having a Multi-Pure Drinking Water System.
Tampa leaders mull ‘toilet-to-tap’
TAMPA, FL, September 25, 2009 (Water Tech) — City Council members in a September 24 workshop considered whether to send to public vote a plan to supplement the city’s drinking water supply with treated wastewater, according to recent local reports.
Tampa Councilman Charlie Miranda is in favor of the so-called “toilet-to-tap” proposal and wants to offer Tampa voters an opportunity to decide on the plan by including a proposition in an upcoming election. To support his position, Miranda held up a glass of untreated water from the city’s current source, the Hillsborough River. He used the brown-tinted liquid to emphasis that treatment technologies turn otherwise unsafe water into a potable supply, according to a September 25 St. Petersburg Times article.
The proposed toilet-to-tap plan could cost more than $200 million. But supporters of the plan have said its price tag and environmental benefits are more agreeable than the $340 million plan proposed by Mayor Pam Iorio, according to a September 24 Tampa Tribune article and the St. Petersburg Times article. This spring, the city announced plans to expand its reclaimed water system for lawn irrigation throughout portions of the city.
EPA extends perchlorate comment period
WASHINGTON, October 1, 2009 (Water Tech) — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the comment period regarding perchlorate to October 8.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson in early August announced that the agency was seeking public comment on its re-evaluation of scientific information about the presence of the rocket-fuel chemical in drinking water, as WaterTech Online® reported. That announcement was published in the August 19 Federal Register. The original comment deadline had been September 18.
EPA published its intent to extend the comment period in the September 23 Federal Register.That notice said that the opportunity to provide additional comments about perchlorate’s health effects in drinking water were requested by several stakeholders. The action reopens the public comment period for an additional 15 days.
According to a September 29 AWWA Streamlines article, comments filed so far show a wide range of public views on the perchlorate issue. For instance, wholesaler giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is pushing for a national perchlorate standard.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Perchlorate.
CA lead-free rule applies to treatment devices
SACRAMENTO, CA, October 2, 2009 (Water Tech) — A law in California designed to reduce potential incidences of childhood lead poisoning, AB 1953, will require drinking water treatment units to comply with the law’s lead-free definition effective January 1.
According to the Water Quality Association (WQA), the California Department of Public Health is in the process of writing a guidance memo that states that drinking water treatment units must comply with the law’s lead-free definition, but that certification for the drinking water treatment units is optional. The memo is expected out sometime in late October.
The WQA said certification is one way to show product compliance, but another option is to have test reports or a complete wetted-parts list that shows all components to be in compliance (i.e., all components certified as compliant with AB 1953 and SB 1334).
The legislation was entered into the California Health and Safety Code Section 116875 on September 30, 2006. It takes effect on January 1, 2010.
This bill revises the 1966 federal Safe Drinking Water Act definition of “lead-free” for plumbing products in California. The old definition stated that plumbing pipes, fixtures and fittings could not contain more than 8 percent lead. The new state definition sets a level of no more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent lead by weight when used in the wetted surfaces of pipes and pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures.
A subsequent California law, SB 1334, says that AB 1953 applies to any plumbing in any facility providing water for human consumption. SB 1334 says no person shall sell in California any end-use device intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption through drinking or cooking that is not lead-free as defined in AB 1953 and the new California Health and Safety Code Section 116875.
According to WQA, SB 1334 goes on to require that “all pipe, pipe or plumbing fittings or fixtures, solder, or flux shall be certified by an independent American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited third party, including, but not limited to, NSF International, as being in compliance with this section.”
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to Lead.
EPA orders PA system to reduce arsenic
PHILADELPHIA, October 2, 2009 (Water Tech) — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on October 1 announced it has issued an order to Sellersville Borough Water Works, Sellersville, PA, to comply with Safe Drinking Water Act standards for arsenic.
The order, issued in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), requires the water works to submit a detailed plan for achieving compliance with drinking water standards for arsenic, or develop an alternate water source.
The utility, which serves fewer than 10,000 customers, must submit the plan to the EPA and Pennsylvania DEP within 30 days of its receipt of the order. Failure to meet any of the terms of the order subjects Sellersville Borough to a civil penalty of up to $37,500 per day of violation, the EPA said.
The public drinking water standard for arsenic was reduced to 10 parts per billion in January 2006. EPA lowered the standard to reduce the number of bladder, lung and other cancers, as well as non-cancerous adverse health effects resulting from long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
EPA called on to address toxic school-water
FRESNO, CA, October 6, 2009 (Water Tech) — A US lawmaker has called on the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address recent reports of polluted drinking water systems in US schools, The Associated Press (AP) reported October 5.
US Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the EPA, on October 5 wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson asking her to disclose how the agency plans to address the problem. Boxer told Jackson of her “deep concern” that polluted water supplies could be harming schoolchildren as their bodies are developing.
The safety of drinking water in schools was the subject of a recent investigative report by the AP. The news agency reported that unsafe levels of lead, pesticides and other contaminants have been found in the drinking water at thousands of US schools in all 50 states over the last decade. The report noted that the EPA does not have the authority to require testing for all schools, despite the potential risks to which schoolchildren are exposed, as WaterTech Online® reported.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Talk to your local school’s about the advantages of having a Multi-Pure Drinking Water System.
Final airliner drinking water rule to take effect
WASHINGTON, October 6, 2009 (Water Tech) — A new federal rule has amended national standards for the onboard drinking water systems on passenger aircraft, to “protect people’s health when they travel” against microbial contamination, according to an October 6 statement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Under the new final Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR), airlines will be required to test and disinfect the water served to passengers and crew, as well as tap water in plane lavatories. Actions called for in the ADWR includes coliform sampling, best management practices, corrective action, public notification, monitoring and operator training.
The EPA said the ADWR was signed by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on October 5 and is to be published in a forthcoming Federal Register. The new rule applies to aircraft (typically, airliners used by the public) regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Small city’s tough search for arsenic treatment
COTTONWOOD, AZ, October 7, 2009 (Water Tech) — It says it’s been talking and working with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a year. But finally, this small community in central Arizona’s Sedona region has received an order from the EPA to reduce arsenic in its drinking water or face financial penalties, The Verde Independent reported October 7, 2009.
Several issues have complicated the installation of arsenic treatment equipment, the city’s water chief was quoted as saying in the article.
The EPA announced the order on October 6, but Cottonwood Development Services Manager and City Utilities Chief Dan Lueder said the city received the administrative order May 25.
Lueder said Cottonwood had been talking with the EPA about the level of arsenic in its wells since 2008 and about compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act’s three-year-old arsenic standard of 10 parts per billion.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
High levels of lead in Purdue U. water
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN, October 7, 2009 (Water Tech) — Some Purdue University students and staff are miffed that it took university officials four weeks to publicly announce high levels of lead in the drinking water at five campus buildings, the Journal & Courier reported October 8.
According to university officials, who said there is no immediate health risk, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) set an October 9 deadline for the university to notify students and staff.
IDEM on September 9 notified the university that during routine sampling, lead levels violated safe drinking water maximums. University spokeswoman Jeanne Norberg said in the story that within 24 hours of the state’s notification, Purdue injected a phosphate chemical into the affected pipes to coat the water lines.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to Lead.
Four FL schools find drinking water violations
NAPLES, FL, October 9, 2009 (Water Tech) — Water in four schools in Florida’s Collier County that are supplied by their own wells and treatment systems have exceeded federal safe drinking water standards on several occasions since 2006, an October 8 naplesnews.com article said.
Based on state and federal records examined by reporters, Palmetto Elementary School exceeded the copper and lead standard in June (while school was not in session) and the copper standard again in August (after students had returned to school); Estates Elementary School exceeded the coliform standard in December 2006; and Sabal Palm Elementary and Cypress Palm Middle schools, which share a treatment system, exceeded the standard for haloacetic acids, a type of disinfection byproduct (DBP), in every quarter of 2008, the article said.
Tests at the schools are conducted twice annually for copper and lead, quarterly for haloacetic acids and monthly for coliform, naplesnews.com said.
A spokesman for the Collier County School District was quoted in the article saying that monitoring of the schools’ water will continue and steps will be taken if necessary to correct any problems. There were no immediate indications that the test results demonstrated health risks. The article said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection posted notices at the Palmetto school, and the district was planning to add a chemical to the water system there to reduce pipe corrosion.
Schools in all 50 states have reported thousands of drinking water standards violations over the past decade, the Associated Press reported recently in its own investigation.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Talk to your local school’s about the advantages of having a Multi-Pure Drinking Water System.
Lead detected in Utica, NY, city schools
UTICA, NY October 13, 2009 (Water Tech) — Drinking water fountains and faucets in nine of this city’s elementary schools have been shut down due to high levels of lead in drinking water, The Observer-Dispatch of Utica reported October 13.
The Utica City School District undertook the voluntary testing of the lead levels in the drinking water at its elementary schools in August.
Testing revealed that out of 230 source outlets tested, 65 tested positive for lead, Superintendent James Willis said in a statement.
The 50 drinking fountains and 15 water faucets have been tagged and are shut off until replacements are installed. New outlets are expected to be in place by December 1, the report said.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to Lead.
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