BOSTON, February 21, 2007 (Water Tech) — EPA cracks down on RI water, wastewater systems
SALEM, OR, February 22, 2007 (Water Tech) — OR considers bottled water deposit
NEW CITY, NY, February 26, 2007 (Water Tech) — NY company will fix well arsenic problem
PUEBLO, CO, March 5, 2007 (Water Tech) — Broken line leads to CO chlorine mishap
MONTREAL, March 7, 2007 (Water Tech) — Lead contamination concern in Montreal
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2007 (Water Tech) — Congress eyes military base water contamination
RACINE, WI, March 9, 2007 (Water Tech) — WI water utility fails lead test three times
EPA cracks down on RI water, wastewater systems
BOSTON, February 21, 2007 (Water Tech) — In an effort to combat Rhode Island's serious water quality problems, the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New England Regional Office has told five water municipalities and a wastewater facility to improve their efforts to keep unsafe overflows from seeping from pipes and wastewater systems, a February 20 EPA press release reported.
The orders were handed down to the Narragansett Bay Commission and the cities of Providence, Barrington, Smithfield, Cranston, and Bristol for their "serious sewer overflows" (SSOs), and the EPA will use enforcement and compliance assistance workshops to help the them address the problems, the press release said.
Robert W. Varney, regional Administrator of EPA's New England office, said in the press release, "EPA is working to secure Rhode Island's future as the 'Ocean State' by tackling the state's sewage overflow problems head-on. This effort to address SSOs in Rhode Island will help ensure the long-term vitality and health of the State's most valuable resources — its coastal beaches, shellfish areas and waters."
OR considers bottled water deposit
SALEM, OR, February 22, 2007 (Water Tech) — The state of Oregon, the first in the US to develop a deposit law for carbonated beverages, is considering placing a deposit tax on containers for all consumable liquids, including bottled water, a February 21 Statesman Journal story said.
Changing Oregon's 1971 "bottle bill" was a main topic at a state Senate committee hearing on February 20. House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, said before the committee, "It's time to restore the luster of Oregon's bottle bill as a national model," according to the story.
NY company will fix well arsenic problem
NEW CITY, NY, February 26, 2007 (Water Tech) — United Water New York will remedy the arsenic problem at two of its wells, but will not look into the type of arsenic present, on the assumption that it's natural, a February 25 story in The Journal News said.
Company spokesman Rich Henning said, "Our concern is to treat it, not to necessarily find out where it's coming from," according to the article.
Last year, the story said routine tests showed one well tested at 14.2 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic and the other tested at 12.9 ppb. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard is now 10 ppb.
The company's director of water quality, Keith Cartnick, was quoted as saying that wells weren't shut down until October, months after arsenic was detected, because new regulations say the wells can exceed the standard allowance for a year or longer while the company fixes the problem, as long as the public is properly notified.
Multi-Pure Commentary:
Multi-Pure’s MP880 Series has been certified by NSF International, under Standard 53, to reduce Arsenic V.
Broken line leads to CO chlorine mishap
PUEBLO, CO, March 5, 2007 (Water Tech) — A broken vacuum line at the Pueblo water reclamation plant caused about 500,000 gallons of heavily chlorinated water to flow into the Arkansas River and left the plant's supervisor saying, "It's one of those embarrassing things that we should have taken care of," a March 3 story in The Pueblo Chieftain said.
The incident occurred when a vacuum line broke on the sulfur dioxide feed, the story said.
The treated wastewater contained four times the maximum amount of chlorine allowed in daily discharges, according to the article.
Last November, the plant accidentally released 500,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater when a vacuum malfunctioned, the article said.
Lead contamination concern in Montreal
MONTREAL, March 7, 2007 (Water Tech) — About 65,000 homes received letters from the city telling residents to use water filters due to lead contamination fears, a March 6 story in The Gazette said.
Homes built before 1970 with lead water pipes are at risk, the story reported.
Water tests conducted last summer revealed some homes were slightly above the maximum allowance for lead contamination, the article said.
City officials are telling residents that the risks involved are minimal, according to the article.
However, officials are advising pregnant woman and those with young children to use water filters, the story said.
Congress eyes military base water contamination
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2007 (Water Tech) — House Democrats are expected to investigate whether the Pentagon has sufficiently responded to reports of drinking water contamination at military bases, according to a recent CongressDaily report.
The military's response to water contamination from industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina has been cited as one example of the issue, according to the article.
Another contaminant of drinking water at military bases, perchlorate, used in rocket fuel, is believed to affect the thyroid gland, the article reports.
Camp Lejeune was declared a Superfund site in 1989; the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which found high rates of miscarriages, birth defects and childhood leukemia there, reports that the Department of Defense refused to respond to its inquiry for data, according to the article.
WI water utility fails lead test three times
RACINE, WI, March 9, 2007 (Water Tech) — The Racine Water Utility has failed three tests for lead since 2004, including two required 2006 tests, according to a recent Journal Times report.
As mandated by the state Department of Natural Resources, the Racine Water Utility sent brochures to residents notifying them that the water supply averaged 18 parts per billion (ppb) and 20 ppb during its two 2006 tests; the state standard is 15 ppb.
According to the report, tests were taken at 60 single-family homes in the utility's service area.
Racine's 2000 Census data revealed approximately 81,855 people living in the city.
The Racine Water Utility uses the chemical polyphosphate, which is used in cola drinks and milk, to create a thin layer that coats the inside of lead pipes so that water does not come into contact with the metal, the article reports, noting that the chemical coating helped the utility's lead levels remain below state standards for nearly a decade.