Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., announces that after this issue, publication of the NEWS will be transitioned to Michael J. McGuire. The existing team will continue to create and deliver the NEWS. Check out the next issue, which will be delivered August 6, for a discussion of our plans.

This week's NEWS

Pot growers just aren't welcome on watersheds of drinking water suppliers. It's not the THC... but it is the F.C., or the E.C., or the just plain C... for coliform? First (?) water system to issue public notice for violation of new California perchlorate MCL. Consumer confidence is in the eye of the beholder. Does anyone out there know what the North Carolina mystery goop is?

Quick Links Navigation:

Federal Updates

• USEPA is looking for some highly qualified experts to help develop its Report on the Environment (Federal Register, July 23)
• USEPA determines it's not necessary to regulate 11 contaminants on CCL2 (USEPA news release, July 24)
• USEPA's proposed rule on geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (Federal Register, July 25)
• USEPA Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board will meet August 11 in D.C.; sets teleconference dates for the rest of 2008 (Federal Register, July 29)

State Updates

• The latest Floridan newsletter has good information on "suspicious incident" reporting (PDF file, 990 K)
• Ohio proposes changes to its "license to operate" rules (PDF file, 56 K); draft changes (Tip: Scroll down to draft rules)

Water Treatment

• Delays in getting new nanofiltration water treatment plant online frustrate Louisiana parish leaders (New Orleans Times Picayune, July 26)

Microbiological

• Connecticut town "errs on the side of caution" and notifies consumers of total coliform positive finding (Middletown Press, July 24); results of follow-up tests expected shortly (Middletown Press, July 29)
• Testing of water in off-base military housing in Italy comes up positive for coliform (Stars and Stripes, July 25); more from the U.S. Navy

Water Quality Reports

• Ohio systems issue CCRs - Media adds their confusing commentary (Canton Repository, July 28)
  • City of Canton (PDF file, 227 K) 
  • Greater Cincinnati Water Works (PDF file, 1.14 MB) 
  • City of Akron (PDF file, 191 K)

  Commentary: It seems that no matter what water utilities (and not just those in Ohio!) report in the so-called "consumer confidence" reports, the media will make their own story. Consumers may faint in horror at the prospects of what might be in their water as described in the first several paragraphs of the news. The fact that the systems comply with all drinking water standards and that THE WATER IS SAFE gets severely sublimated, and ends up "beneath the fold."

Iron and Manganese

• California utility says water in acquired system is not acceptable (Colusa Sun Herald, July 24)

Lead

• New Jersey city has third consecutive six-month sampling for lead over limits; notifies and provides treatment (Cherry Hill Courier Post, July 29)

Water Taste 

• Louisville gets regional and national recognition for best-tasting drinking water (Business First of Louisville, July 21)

PCBs

• Testing of New York's Hudson River area drinking water systems before start of dredging shows low levels of PCBs (NY DOH news release, July 21)

Perchlorate

• Small desert water system notifies users of perchlorate slightly above California MCL (Desert Sun, July 24)
  Commentary: Under California rules, failure to meet the recently adopted MCL of 6 ppb is an "acute" violation requiring immediate notification of consumers. California treats perchlorate exceedances similar to nitrate violations, although the health effects are not the same.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviews Kansas air base for WWII leftovers (Pratt Tribune, July 29)

NEWS CONTINUES BELOW

Malcolm Pirnie's Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Experience GAC treatment is a viable treatment barrier against emerging contaminants such as pharmaceutically-active compounds and endocrine disruptors and is highly effective for removing volatile and synthetic organic chemicals from ground and surface waters. In addition, GAC treatment removes taste and odor causing compounds such as 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin and can thus improve (and protect) the aesthetic qualities of a water supply. Malcolm Pirnie's GAC solutions provide the highest level of performance at the lowest cost. Our experience can help you deal with the issues of implementing a GAC process in a new or existing facility, including: Incorporating the GAC facility within the hydraulic profile Designing the facility to accommodate GAC loading and unloading Management of recycle flows from the GAC process Process optimization once operations commence For more information, meet our experts, George Maseeh and Brian Leto.

Source Water Protection

• Bacteriological testing of source water leads to marijuana bust in California desert area (Riverside Press Enterprise, July 25)
• Fly ash from burning coal creates environmental questions in Virginia (Hampton Roads Virginian Pilot, July 27)
• Louisiana utilities have to shut down Mississippi River intakes after oil spill (CNN, July 24)

MTBE

• California beach city continues to deal with MTBE concerns (Capistrano Dispatch, July 25)
• Three-year ban on new gas stations in Maryland county will be reviewed (DC Examiner, July 24)
• Ethanol fuel creates engine problems for recreation boaters (Boston Herald, July 28)

Arsenic

• Indiana small system gets state grant to install POE devices (Indianapolis Star, July 25)
• Arsenic showing up in North Carolina private wells; officials want residents to hook up to piped system (Rocky Mount Telegram, July 27)
• Turkish ministers warn municipalities about arsenic issues (Turkish Daily News, July 25)

Tritium

• Illinois town decides to go on its own with new system and treatment to address tritium in private wells (Joliet Herald News, July 28)

TCE and PCE

• Tucson, AZ, gets more monitoring wells to track contaminant movement (Tucson Citizen, July 26)
• California appellate court overturns judge's severe attorney sanctions; TCE-contaminated wells case is revived (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, July 26)
• USEPA is holding a "listening session" August 18 on its draft toxicological review of PCE (Federal Register, July 29)

Fluoridation

• Complaint to Tennessee grand jury alleges the mayor improperly influenced district board (Maryville Daily Times, July 28)
• Nebraska city faces possibility of "dueling" fluoridation ballot measures (KHAS-TV, July 27)
• UK health agency's information on fluoridation will be revisited after criticism of bias (Southern Daily Echo, July 24)
• Compliance with Israeli mandatory fluoridation law appears to be spotty (Jerusalem Post, July 25)

Nitrate

• California water system thinks high nitrate test result was a glitch (Valley Chronicle, July 25)
• New test kits are offered to help farmers manage nitrate and fertilizer use (USDA CSREES, July 9)

Invasive Mussels

• Zebra mussels: Can they be stopped? (Erie Times-News, July 26)
• Precious Great Lakes water needs protection (Kalamazoo Gazette, July 28)

Bottled Water

• Bottled water faces rising tide of criticism (FOX News, July 24)
• Eau dear! French turn on the tap (London Guardian, July 25)

Mystery Goop

• Black gunk in/on North Carolina water system's consumer taps remains mystery (Greensboro News-Record, July 29)

Private Wells

• West Texas rancher claims gasoline getting into water sources (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 27)
• After flooding, nearly half of local Wisconsin private wells tested are unsafe (Fond du Lac Reporter, July 28)

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