INDIO, CA, July 1, 2008 (Water Tech) — Perchlorate in mobile-home park water a ‘surprise’

PARACHUTE, CO, July 1, 2008 (Water Tech) — Benzene allegedly taints CO spring water

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR, July 3, 2008 (Water Tech) — OR supplier responds to taste, odor complaints

EL MONTE, CA, July 8, 2008 (Water Tech) — $45M recycled water project under way

NEW BRITAIN, CT, July 10, 2008 (Water Tech) — Some CT tap water has elevated lead levels

MINNEAPOLIS, July 10, 2008 (Water Tech) — Minneapolis water smelly due to organic matter

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2008 (Water Tech) — Researchers create map of groundwater contaminated by arsenic

INDIO, CA, July 1, 2008 (Water Tech) — A well at the La Quinta Mobile Estates has an elevated level of perchlorate, a routine test revealed last week, according to a June 28 article in The Desert Sun.

John Watkins, deputy director of health for Riverside County, told The Desert Sun that the source of the contamination “is unknown at this point.”

He added, “It was kind of a surprise that it was found.”

Watkins said the contamination can be fixed by diluting the contaminated water with clean water, balancing out the concentration. The city’s water may be used for this purpose. In the meantime, the park’s owner is providing bottled water to residents, according to the article.

If consumed, perchlorate can affect thyroid hormone levels, which are needed for metabolism, mental function, and normal prenatal growth, according to the article.

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP750 Plus RO has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 58, to reduce Perchlorate.

PARACHUTE, CO, July 1, 2008 (Water Tech) — The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is investigating after benzene allegedly was found in a spring that feeds a cabin’s drinking water, according to a June 30 report in The Aspen Times.

The Colorado oil and gas regulators issued a Notice of Alleged Violation to four energy companies for a waste discharge that allegedly tainted the spring that feeds the drinking water of area guide and outfitter Ned Prather, located near Parachute. The citations against the companies said that water samples from a spring, faucet and pond at Prather’s cabin, which were taken a day after he filed his June 3 complaint, showed traces of benzene that exceeded the state water quality standards. The source of the contamination hasn’t been identified, the article said.

Benzene is a known carcinogen.

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Benzene, a VOC.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR, July 3, 2008 (Water Tech) — The Joint Water Commission, which supplies drinking water to nearly a half million customers here, is treating “musty”-tasting and “funny”-smelling water, according to a recent article in The Oregonian.

The commission, which received about 100 complaints about the water’s taste and odor in June, said in a June 26 statement that it has relocated the chlorine feed to address the concerns. In addition, powdered activated carbon is being manually fed into the water before filtration to absorb unwanted taste and odor molecules.

Because the problem appears to be connected to saturated wetlands draining into the Tualatin River, the main source of water, reservoir water is being released to dilute the wetland inflow.

$45M recycled water project under way

EL MONTE, CA, July 8, 2008 (Water Tech) — The Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, headquartered here, is moving forward with its $45 million four-phase recycled water project that will deliver recycled water to public and private lawns, according to a July 6 article in the Whittier Daily News.

The $9 million third phase of the project, pipeline installation in Whittier Narrows, broke ground in June.

According to California Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-El Monte, “This project is significant at several levels. It will save energy, it will free up drinking water so we don’t have to import it, and … it will build on the public’s acceptance of recycled water.”

The four-phased project extends from Whittier to Walnut, and relies on a combination of agencies for funding and planning, such as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Rowland Water District and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the article said.

Some CT tap water has elevated lead levels

NEW BRITAIN, CT, July 10, 2008 (Water Tech) — The water department here has said that 17 households have elevated levels of lead in their tap water, according to a July 10 article in The Hartford Courant.

Recent tests indicated that those households had lead concentrations levels at about 21 parts per billion (ppb). The US Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level for lead in drinking water is 15 ppb.

Lead solder and fixtures are to blame, city water director Gil Bligh said in the article.

The city now will study ways to control corrosion in pipes, will notify residents about test results and will test the water for six months.

Minneapolis water smelly due to organic matter

MINNEAPOLIS, July 10, 2008 (Water Tech) — Algae and other organic matter in source water is creating foul-tasting and smelly tap water here, according to a July 10 report in the Star Tribune.

City spokesman Matt Laible said in the report, “It is all due to organic matter that is in the water, like algae and other things that flow into the [Mississippi] River, but we don’t know the specific element. It has nothing to do with the [city’s two] water treatment plants.”

The plants are located in Fridley and Columbia Heights.

The taste and odor issues are occurring in the wake of the city’s efforts to tout the quality of its tap water over bottled water, the report said.

Laible said in the report that the water treatment plants are ramping up usage of traditional treatment chemicals to neutralize taste and odor from organic matter, as well as increase the use of activated carbon.

Researchers create map of groundwater contaminated by arsenic

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2008 (Water Tech) — A research team funded by the Swiss-based aquatic research institute Eawag, led by geologist Lenny Winkel and environmental chemist Michael Berg, has compiled existing geological data from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia to trace arsenic and create an accurate map of areas where the groundwater has been contaminated with the toxin, according to a July 14 article on www.sciencedaily.com.

Arsenic, even in low concentrations, can cause skin problems, liver and kidney dysfunction, and various types of cancer. Over 100 million people worldwide are exposed to excessive amounts of arsenic in their drinking water, according to the article.

The data related to surface sediments and soil properties provides sufficiently accurate conclusions about the chemical and physical conditions in groundwater. The scientists then studied the statistical relations between 30 surface parameters and arsenic concentrations. In particular, young river deposits with organic rich sediments proved to be indicators of groundwater arsenic contamination, according to the article.