This week's NEWS

States address Ground Water Rule. Los Angeles' water utility drops the ball—400,000 of them with millions more to come—to control bromate formation. The offbeat in the world of bottled water: What is fair? Firefighters bottle water and an Italian update. Climate change is addressed in AwwaRF research activities. The total coliform rule advisory group marches toward completion. Another security guidance... this time it's the office. Hexavalent chromium in California, and Mother Nature seems to be the culprit.

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Federal Updates

• The TCR/Distribution System Advisory Committee will be meeting June 18-19 in Washington D.C. (Federal Register, June 4); presentation on rule options from the TCRDSAC May meeting
• USEPA's June Watershed News

State Updates

• Idaho proposes to adopt the Ground Water Rule by reference through its negotiated rule-making process
  Commentary: Idaho is one of the early states to act on the Ground Water Rule. Of interest is their white paper (PDF file, 205 K) assessing how they will satisfy EPA's requirement that state primacy agency rules be at least as stringent as the federal rule. The EPA GWR provides for states to make their own regulatory decisions on a number of options.
• Montana's 2007 Annual PWS Compliance Report (PDF file, 75.5 K)

Disinfection Byproducts

• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power uses floating balls on open reservoir as interim measure to control sunlight and bromate formation (Los Angeles Times, June 10); photos (LA Times, June 10)
  Commentary: As reported in the December 19, 2007, SDW.com NEWS, the city's bromate problem relates to bromide in ground water sources.
• Indiana town notifies customers of THM violation (Bedford Times-Mail, June 5)

Compliance

• Pennsylvania water system fires treatment plant supervisor for delay in the issuance of a turbidity notice (Altoona Mirror, June 6)

Chromium

• USGS study finds naturally high levels of chromium found in some California desert ground water (USGS news release, June 9); the study (Applied Geochemistry, June; PDF file, 1.5 MB)
  Commentary: California water agencies keep an eye on such occurrence studies as the state's risk assessment agency continues to ponder a Public Health Goal for hexavalent chromium. The PHG is the precursor step for the state to consider setting a drinking water MCL.

AWWA Conference

• Louisville winning the "Best of the Best" taste test highlights first day of ACE08 in Atlanta

Microbiological

• Massachusetts town initiates "temporary" chlorination after 9 of 15 routine samples positive for total coliform (Springfield Republican, June 8)

Arsenic

• Texans look at water issues (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, June 8)

PPCPs

• Arlington, TX, releases results of testing done in 2006 after ruling by state attorney general that city can't withhold data (Dallas Morning News, June 10); city advises consumers on PPCP issue and proper disposal of medications
• New Hampshire tells well owners: Don't worry about PPCPs; test your well for known health-concern chemicals (Nashua Telegraph, June 8)

Lead

• Lead levels above 10 ppb in greater than 10% of samples triggers second round of sampling in Canadian cities:
  • Pembroke (Pembroke Daily Observer, June 5)
  • Windsor (Windsor Star, June 6)

Iron and Manganese

• Treatment system for California district's well will prevent extensive pumping to "waste" (Ventura County Star, June 6)

MTBE

• Private well owners hear about PWS hookups at New York trial on MTBE contamination of ground water (Poughkeepsie Journal, June 10)

Survey Participants Needed

• Your participation in a less-than-30-minute online AwwaRF Drinking Water Treatment Survey is solicited. The survey seeks to determine the extent to which biological processes are being used and what technology, regulatory, and customer acceptance issues remain. This letter (PDF file, 117 K) tells you how to participate.

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Malcolm Pirnie Membrane Filtration Services The promulgation of the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR) established the first federal regulatory framework for membrane filtration, including microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO) systems applied for rule compliance. Many states are expected to adopt this framework for membrane regulation as well. Working in conjunction with the USEPA, Malcolm Pirnie has been involved in the development of the Membrane Filtration Guidance Manual in support of the LT2ESWTR. As a result, the company has in-depth expertise with respect to the new regulatory framework and how it will be applied to both new and existing facilities. Malcolm Pirnie can lend its unique experience to provide assistance throughout the project development process, including planning, piloting, equipment procurement, design, construction, and start-up, to ensure system compliance. For more information, please contact Brent Alspach at BAlspach@pirnie.com.

Fluoridation

• Washington provides Q&A on water fluoridation (PDF file, 65.3 K)
• Nebraska cities may have elections to decide whether to opt out of state fluoridation mandate:
  • North Platte (North Platte Telegraph, June 7)
  • Grand Island (Grand Island Independent, June 10)
    
    
• UK dental health chief urges public in Southampton to express its opinion during fluoridation consultation (Hampshire, June 10); but many have beaten him to the punch through newspaper poll and reader reactions <(Southern Daily Echo, June 10)

Security/Safety Issues

• Guidance for utility office security is suggested (Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin)

Training

• AWWA plans important seminar on Long Term 2 Rule Treatment Options

Bottled Water

• Hospital facilities to stop offering bottled water (St. Louis Business Journal, May 28)
  Commentary: The hospital cites environmental reasons for taking the action. "Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, was quoted as questioning why bottled water was being singled out rather than less healthy drinks such as soda, according to the article." Guess it would be unfair IF Coke, Pepsi and orange juice were also available free from every tap in the buildings!
• Fire fighters getting into water business?? (KTLV, June 5)
  Commentary:"If you're going to buy bottled water anyway and our price is the same as a national brand, national brands aren't going to support your firefighters." 

International/Bottled Water

• Editor's note: Last week we posted the following link in the NEWS:
  • Italians try to re-educate consumers on bottled water use (European Water News, May 28); the details are here, but in Italian (Corrierre Della Sera.com, June)

  We welcomed help from our readers in getting a better understanding of the article. And we got it... thanks to a faithful reader's in-law linkage, here's the gist! (PDF file, 6.25 K)  

Emergency

• Flooding in Iowa causes city to lose drinking water, declare state of emergency (Des Moines Register, June 9); water is flowing in Mason City system but it's not yet safe to drink (Mason City Globe Gazette, June 10)

PFOA

• Data suggests possible cancer cluster at West Virginia DuPont plant (Delaware News Journal, June 10); DuPont asked to test private wells near New Jersey plant (Delaware News Journal, June 10)
• Safety of substitutes for PFOA (C8) is questioned (Charleston Gazette, June 10)

Climate Change and Water

• Water quality issues included in Climate Change and Drinking Water (AwwaRF Drinking Water Research, Spring 2008; PDF file, 1.4 MB)
• United Nations workshop on adaptation to climate change in the water sector will be July 1-2 in the Netherlands

Invasive Species

• Impacts of western U.S. zebra/quagga mussel problems (Nevada Appeal, June 6)

Private Wells

• Michigan neighbors think large food processor's waste is causing arsenic, iron, and manganese problems in wells (Grand Rapids Press, June 5); North Carolina county seeks funding to help well owners with benzene problems (News 14, June 8); coliform and nitrate are focus of concern in Wisconsin county ground water sources (Fond Du Lac Reporter, June 5); septic tanks are source of increasing nitrate in California mountain area ground water (Big Bear Grizzly, June 4); Connecticut approves water line for community with TCE in wells (Waterbury Republican American, June 10)
• What should a new homeowner look for in their well? (New York Times, June 6)

Desalination

• An overview of the state of desalination technology (The Economist, June 5)

Water Reuse

• Public perception may be the key to using Los Angeles wastewater for ground water recharge (Los Angeles Times, June 7)
• Oregon considers regulations to allow use of gray water for flushing toilets; cross-connection risks will be addressed (Portland Daily Journal of Commerce, June 5)

Publications

• JAWWA for June 2008
• NWRA's second quarter version of Rural Water

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