WASHINGTON, July 12, 2010 (Water Tech) — Online dialogue to address EPA’s new drinking water contaminant strategy

LOUISVILLE, KY, July 13, 2010 (Water Tech) — Study finds pharmaceuticals, chemicals in Ohio River

LARAMIE, WY, July 15, 2010 (Water Tech) — Study: Private wells near Laramie, Wyo., contain high nitrite levels

ATLANTA, July 16, 2010 (Water Tech) — Waterborne diseases cost US healthcare system more than $500 million annually

BOSTON, July 21, 2010 (Water Tech) — Concrete manufacturer penalized for Clean Water Act violations

WILMINGTON, DEL, July 27, 2010 (Water Tech) — Contaminated groundwater threatening Potomac Aquifer

NEW YORK, July 29, 2010 (Water Tech) — UN resolution declares access to clean water as fundamental right

Online dialogue to address EPA’s new drinking water contaminant strategy

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2010 (Water Tech) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host an online dialogue on July 28-29 to address the agency’s new strategy for regulating drinking water contaminants by group, according to the American Water Works Association.

The new strategy is meant to streamline decision-making and expand protection under existing law and promote cost-effective new technologies to meet the needs of rural, urban and other water-stressed communities.

EPA has invited everyone interested in safe drinking water to join the discussion on approaches the agency should consider when developing a framework to group contaminants.

Information from this exchange will help develop the agenda for an upcoming Drinking Water Strategy stakeholder meeting and the framework for addressing contaminants as groups.

Study finds pharmaceuticals, chemicals in Ohio River

LOUISVILLE, KY, July 13, 2010 (Water Tech) — A recent study conducted by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission found that treatment facilities in the eight-state region were unable to completely remove some chemicals and pharmaceuticals from wastewater, The Courier-Journal reported.

Dozens of potentially hazardous substances — including antidepressants, veterinary hormones and cocaine — were detected in the Ohio River, the article stated.

However, according to the researchers, the contaminants are in low concentrations and do not pose a risk to human health.

Other scientists who reviewed the data expressed concern over the potential hazardous effects to fish and wildlife in the Ohio River, according to the story.

Some of the pollutants have been identified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in fish and the scientists said there are legitimate concerns that the contaminants may cause health problems for people who use the river for drinking water.

“When we see something this basic being altered in fish, we should be concerned about what it's doing to our own health,� said Peter DeFur, a research associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The study targeted 158 contaminants that are essentially unregulated in U.S. waterways and drinking water supplies, the article reported.

Study: Private wells near Laramie, Wyo., contain high nitrite levels

LARAMIE, WY, July 15, 2010 (Water Tech) — According to a study commissioned by the Laramie, Wyo. City Council, many private wells outside the city limits contain high nitrite levels, the Laramie Boomerang reported.

The study found that while several private wells are contaminated, city wells are still producing safe drinking water.

“In these particular areas that have relatively high densities of septic systems, that have relatively small property sizes … we are seeing significant — at least in some areas — significant impact of nitrate, and at levels that are not consistent with natural sources,� said Phil Brandhuber of HDR, an architectural and engineering firm hired to conduct the study.

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

Waterborne diseases cost US healthcare system more than $500 million annually

ATLANTA, July 16, 2010 (Water Tech) — Research presented on July 14 at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases indicated that hospitalizations for three common waterborne diseases cost the U.S. healthcare system as much as $539 million annually, according to a press release.

Using data from a large insurance claims database between 2004 and 2007, Michael Beach of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and his colleagues estimated the hospitalization cost of three common waterborne diseases in the United States: Legionnaires’ disease, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis.

For each case of disease, they calculated the cost paid by the insurer, the out-of-pocket cost to the patient and the total amount paid, the release stated.

Total estimated costs for hospitalization for the three diseases were $154-539 million, including $44-147 million in direct government payments for Medicare and Medicaid. Estimated annual costs for the individual diseases were: Giardiasis, $16-63 million; cryptosporidiosis, $37-145 million; and Legionnaires’ disease, $101-321 million. Inpatient hospitalization costs per case averaged more than $34,000 for Legionnaires’ disease, approximately $9,000 for giardiasis and more than $21,000 for cryptosporidiosis.

Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems have been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53 to reduce Cyst and Giardia.

Concrete manufacturer penalized for Clean Water Act violations

BOSTON, July 21, 2010 (Water Tech) — To resolve numerous violations of the Clean Water Act at its concrete manufacturing facility, Cardi Materials LLC of Warwick, R.I., will pay a $55,000 civil penalty and perform an additional project costing $168,500, according to a press release.

In addition to a financial penalty, the proposed settlement requires Cardi to eliminate all process water discharges from the facility, which will result in the elimination of caustic chemical discharges, the elimination of tens of thousands of pounds of sediment being discharged into the environmental annually, as well as significant reductions in oil, grease, iron, nitrate and nitrogen.

The company must also conduct additional monitoring and reporting of stormwater discharges, hire personnel certified in stormwater management to oversee compliance with stormwater permits and provide training in stormwater management for all operational employees.

“Stormwater run-off from industrial facilities can carry sediment, debris and other pollutants into surrounding waterways,� said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New England office. “Protecting our waters is everybody’s responsibility, and we expect others in the industry to assess the adequacy of their own stormwater controls.�

Contaminated groundwater threatening Potomac Aquifer

WILMINGTON, DEL, July 27, 2010 (Water Tech) — Plumes of dangerous chemicals are spreading through groundwater in Northern Delaware, posing a serious threat to the Potomac Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to thousands of residents in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, The News Journal reported.

High concentrations of industrial byproducts — such as benzene, vinyl chloride and chlorinated benzenes — have been found in areas near Delaware City and New Castle, the article stated.

State regulators and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) previously claimed that deep layers of clay protected the aquifer, but scientists now say the protective layer is full of holes, according to the story.

“We’ve not studied nearly as much the link between water pollution and various health outcomes,� said Collin P. O'Mara, state secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. “Water is probably the greatest environmental challenge facing the state right now.�

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

UN resolution declares access to clean water as fundamental right

NEW YORK, July 29, 2010 (Water Tech) — On July 28, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution that declared access to clean water and proper sanitation as a fundamental human right, RTTNews reported.

While 122 nations voted in favor of the resolution and none voted against it, 41 nations, including the U.S. and Canada, abstained from voting because of fears that the resolution may undermine the ongoing process in the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva to build a consensus on water rights.

However, the nations that supported the measure claimed that the resolution will provide momentum for the consensus-building process, the article stated.