WINDHAM, NH, August 8, 2007 (Water Tech) —NH folks literally turn orange from water
TAHOE CITY, CA, August 9, 2007 (Water Tech) — CA small system’s under fire for water quality
CHARITON, IA, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — IA city faces legal action over water quality
THOUSAND OAKS, CA, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — CA city's water OK, but pesky contaminants are at taps
DENVER, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — AwwaRF releases report on endocrine disruptors
CHICAGO, August 13, 2007 (Water Tech) — Indiana BP wastewater permit causes stir
CHICAGO, August 13, 2007 (Water Tech) — Chicago official pushes for bottled water tax
NH folks literally turn orange from water
WINDHAM, NH, August 8, 2007 (Water Tech) — Discolored water, increased water hardness and high nitrates: These are among the complaints from Windham, NH, residents who say water quality issues can be blamed on blasting work at a new development in their neighborhood.
An August 7 article in The Eagle-Tribune reported that some residents are literally turning orange from their water, and others have completed well testing that indicates a problem with water quality.
Windham residents Andre and Joanne Vignos complain that orange is affecting everything their well water touches, even the couple themselves. Andre’s toes are orange after bathing with water from their private well, and Joanne’s hair turned orange.
Recent sampling of the Vignos’ well indicates a level of arsenic many times over the maximum contaminant level, and iron and manganese levels substantially in excess of recommended limits, the article said.
CA small system’s under fire for water quality
TAHOE CITY, CA, August 9, 2007 (Water Tech) — Officials from the California Department of Public Health have taken issue with the quality of the water from Lake Forest Water Co., a small water company owned by Rick Dewante’s Tahoe Park Water Co., according to an August 6 Sierra Sun article.
Dewante, an engineer whose company has done work for the Tahoe City Public Utility District, began supplementing water supplied to the 118 Lake Forest Water Co. customers on July 31 with unfiltered Lake Tahoe water.
Dewante, who also owns two other small water companies, issued an advisory to customers. He told the Sierra Sun, “As far as the advisory, it’s not a boil-water notice. It’s short of that, just an advisory. If you want to take the precautions you can boil the water.”
The state Department of Public Health has deemed the unfiltered lake water unsafe to drink because of the risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
TAHOE CITY, CA, August 9, 2007 (Water Tech) — Officials from the California Department of Public Health have taken issue with the quality of the water from Lake Forest Water Co., a small water company owned by Rick Dewante’s Tahoe Park Water Co., according to an August 6 Sierra Sun article.
Dewante, an engineer whose company has done work for the Tahoe City Public Utility District, began supplementing water supplied to the 118 Lake Forest Water Co. customers on July 31 with unfiltered Lake Tahoe water.
Dewante, who also owns two other small water companies, issued an advisory to customers. He told the Sierra Sun, “As far as the advisory, it’s not a boil-water notice. It’s short of that, just an advisory. If you want to take the precautions you can boil the water.”
The state Department of Public Health has deemed the unfiltered lake water unsafe to drink because of the risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
Some residents have complained of gastrointestinal illness.
One resident, who owns 11 properties, has supplied each of her tenants with a water filter, the article said.
IA city faces legal action over water quality
CHARITON, IA, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will take legal action against the Chariton Water Works over its poor drinking water quality, an August 9 Des Moines Register story said.
The DNR cited the city for its “failure to conduct monitoring as directed, to accurately report operational data, and to consistently apply adequate operational strategies,” according to the story.
The DNR said the city also failed to keep within the maximum allowable contaminant levels of total trihalomethanes and total haloacetic acids.
A boil-water order has been issued for the city after tests taken August 5 found it has low chlorine residuals, elevated bacteria and its turbidity level is three times higher than allowed.
CA city's water OK, but pesky contaminants are at taps
THOUSAND OAKS, CA, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — Recent water quality tests here revealed that the city’s supply meets all state and federal maximum allowable contaminant levels for safe drinking water, but some concerns remain, according to an August 9 article in The Thousand Oaks Acorn.
The city’s water tested within maximum allowable limits for lead and copper; however, Mark Watkins, public works director, said in the article that elevated lead and copper levels were detected in water from residential taps, suggesting the contaminants were entering the water from the final stages of residential plumbing.
AwwaRF releases report on endocrine disruptors
DENVER, August 10, 2007 (Water Tech) — The Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) announced in an August 7 press release the publication of a new report on endocrine disrupting compounds or chemicals (EDCs), as well as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).
Endocrine disruptors, which can adversely affect the body’s hormone production, are among the “emerging contaminants” gaining the attention of state and federal drinking water regulators.
The report, "Removal of EDCs and Pharmaceuticals in Drinking and Reuse Treatment Processes," is available only to subscribers of AwwaRF.
The release said that additional AwwaRF studies are under way to learn more about EDCs and other emerging contaminants.
AwwaRF said in the release that the research will provide water utilities and regulatory agencies with information to help them understand the issues involved to protect public health.
Indiana BP wastewater permit causes stir
CHICAGO, August 13, 2007 (Water Tech) — A permit issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) that allows BP America’s petroleum refinery in Whiting, IN, to release more waste into Lake Michigan has citizens and officials from several states taking action, with Chicagoans leading the way, according to an August 5 article in The Indianapolis Star.
BP’s new wastewater permit will allow the company to increase its discharge of ammonia and suspended solids into Lake Michigan.
Lake Michigan serves as a drinking water source for many cities, including Chicago; Milwaukee, WI; Grand Rapids, MI; Green Bay, WI; and Racine, WI.
Sadhu Johnston, commissioner for Chicago’s Department of the Environment, said in The Indianapolis Star article, “We get our water from Lake Michigan. We swim in its beaches, we eat fish out of the lake. We were not approached by BP or IDEM. We are a big neighbor to the north, and I would have hoped we’d have been reached out to.”
Chicago official pushes for bottled water tax
CHICAGO, August 13, 2007 (Water Tech) — Alderman George Cardenas wants a tax of up to 25 cents placed on every bottle of water sold here, an August 14 CBS 2 story reported.
Cardenas told CBS 2, “People enjoy jogging or driving with a bottle of water. There’s a cost associated with this behavior. You have to pay for it.”
He also claims the measure would dissuade people from buying bottled water and end up helping the environment.