Millions of Americans Are Drinking Contaminated Water—and Don’t Even Know It

Millions of Americans Are Drinking Contaminated Water—and Don’t Even Know It.
According to Threats on Tap, there were more than 12,000 health-based violations in 5,000 water systems that served over 27 million people across the United States.
But lack of enforcement from the Environmental Protection Agency and state-level agencies, coupled with the deterioration of water infrastructure, has resulted in the standards of the SDWA not being met.
The NRDC documented health-based SDWA violations in every state and some territories.
Those violations included contamination from disinfectants that react adversely when added to water and nitrites from animal or human waste.
Because of loopholes in states’ reporting rules and the low number of contaminants identified as hazardous by the EPA, the report says its own data is likely understated.
There are multiple steps the EPA must take before it can legally adopt a new standard, but the agency lacks the resources and is often hamstrung by political opposition.
In January, prior to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the House passed legislation that would make it harder for the EPA and other agencies to create regulations that would safeguard public health.
Contaminants are not the only reason for drinking water’s dismal state in the United States.
Then there are the drinking-water plants, most of which use century-old technology for water treatment.

Water, sewer upgrades on Essex Town Meeting warrant

Water, sewer upgrades on Essex Town Meeting warrant.
"Our infrastructure is already aging and that’s important for people to recognize.
The option to buy and install replacement grinder pumps for the town’s sewer system will be voted as article 12.
Article 9 asks to allow selectmen to hold properties for general use instead of leasing purposes.
The intention for 4 and 8 Conomo Lane is to have the Public Works Department put down gravel to make it a parking area for residents to use to when visiting Conomo Point.
The town may install picnic benches at the spot but don’t have big plans for the site, just that it’s town property that people could use, she said.
Appoint people to the Conomo Point Planning Committee.
Pay for the town’s fiscal 2018 operating budget.
Allow the Department of Public Works Commissioners to impose user fees instead of the town voting on it at Annual Town Meeting.
Give money to the Finance Committee’s Reservation Fund.

Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme completed

Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme completed.
After a long wait, residents of Eumungerie and Mogriguy have access to potable water with the completion of the Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme.
After flushing the system in Eumungerie and reaching satisfactory disinfection in accordance with Australian drinking water standards, it was now potable.
“A clean water system is one of the primary health care benefits to any community, so that’s the primary benefit.
But there were also people who in the past had to put up tanks or cart water in from other places and they don’t have to do that now,” Mr Bailey said.
However, Mr Bailey said if someone built in the village they would be able to pay to have the water connected to their house.
The completion of the Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme has been a long time coming.
Council adopted a forward planning proposal to supply reticulated drinking water to Dubbo’s villages in 1995 and subsequently supplied drinking water to Wongarbon in 2000, Brocklehurst in 2001 and Ballimore in 2010.
The design for the Eumungerie Water Supply Scheme began in 2014, Mr Bailey said.
Construction took more than 12 months and included more than 35 kilometres of pipeline starting from the reservoir north of Mogriguy.

Celina water plant expansion OK’d

Project designed for future mandates CELINA – City officials are planning a half-million-dollar expansion of the water treatment plant to improve quality and to prepare for any future treatment standards.
Plant superintendent Mike Sudman said the new process would treat for "remaining disinfection byproducts prior to the chlorine being added, any kind of minute pharmaceuticals that could be remaining, algal toxins that could get through the carbon."
The additional process should be operational by September, when lake algae begins to die, releasing toxins into the water.
Officials see the additional treatment process "as one more step" to improving the city’s drinking water, as well as getting "ahead of the curve," mayor Jeff Hazel said.
"Pharmaceuticals are not tested for in water and unfortunately we think that ‘well, yeah, there’s safety drop-off sites where people can take down used medicines,’ but there’s also the toilet bowl and so there’s a lot of things that go down for wastewater-wise and that gets into all bodies of water," Hazel continued.
Councilman Mike Sovinski asked how the process will impact operational costs.
Disinfection byproducts will continue to drop due to this, but no, operationally, you’re going to see an increase in electric use because that’s what it runs off, as well as maintenance (costs)," Sudman replied.
Sovinski asked if the plant had any problems last year.
Sudman replied that city officials had included the process in the design for the nearly $7 million granular activated carbon filtration system added in 2008 to eliminate trihalomethanes produced when organic material in the lake water is treated with chlorine.
An OEPA officials has informed city officials that adding advanced oxidation falls under the allowable uses of the grant dollars, Sudman said.

Bacteria used to fight antimicrobial contamination of soil and water

We all like to keep things clean, and disinfectants help that happen. Unfortunately, one of the most widely used antimicrobial products in use since 1964, triclosan, is also one of the top 10 environmental contaminants in rivers – possibly disrupting the endocrine systems of wildlife and causing toxic effects to their reproduction and development. Now, a new study at the University of Nevada, Reno has found a potential way to reduce the presence of the antimicrobial that is also linked to problems with antibiotic resistance. “The results are promising that we gained better understanding about how triclosan is degraded in the natural environment, and can potentially find a way of removing the contaminant from the environment and in the long term fighting the antibiotic resistance problem,” Yu “Frank” Yang, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University, said. Yang and his team’s research on how to reduce the presence of triclosan in the environment was recognized among Emerging Investigator Series by the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and published in the April edition as the inside front-cover story. The article describes how the triclosan, used for things like hand sanitizer, detergents, soaps and paints, can be degraded faster in the environment through a process with a combination of metal-reducing bacterium and natural organic matter. While the nation is phasing out triclosan and finding replacements for the detergents, it’s pervasive in the environment and is persistent under certain environmental conditions,…

Controlling antimicrobial contamination of soil and water with bacteria

Controlling antimicrobial contamination of soil and water with bacteria.
Now, a new study at the University of Nevada, Reno has found a potential way to reduce the presence of the antimicrobial that is also linked to problems with antibiotic resistance.
"The results are promising that we gained better understanding about how triclosan is degraded in natural environment, and can potentially find a way of removing the contaminant from the environment and in the long term fighting the antibiotic resistance problem," Yu "Frank" Yang, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University, said.
Yang and his team’s research on how to reduce the presence of triclosan in the environment was recognized among Emerging Investigator Series by the journal "Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts," a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and published in the April edition as the inside front-cover story.
The article describes how the triclosan, used for things like hand sanitizer, detergents, soaps and paints, can be degraded faster in the environment through a process with a combination of metal-reducing bacterium and natural organic matter.
"If we can completely understand the degradation of antimicrobial agent, we can provide a treatment process in engineered and natural environments."
The team tested the matrix of a bacteria strain mixed with the organic material to find the condition that degraded triclosan the fastest.
"Both are challenging tasks."
His paper is part of their 2017 "Emerging Investigator Series" which highlights "the best and brightest early career scientists in the environmental chemical sciences.” The journal website explains the "Emerging Investigator" distinction “showcases the high quality research being carried out by researchers in the early stages of their independent careers.
He has been at the University of Nevada, Reno since September 2013 as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

L.A.’s Tap Water Is Officially As Clean As Bottled Water

You’ve no doubt heard it before: "L.A.’s water is terrible."
Usually, it’s a transplant throwing the shade, complaining that the water in their [insert home city] is "so much cleaner."
Well, now there’s a little science to throw back at all the L.A. water haters: tap water in Los Angeles is just as clean and healthy — if not better—than bottled water, or filtered water, says the LADWP.
The department’s annual Drinking Water Quality report has been released, detailing the city’s tap water.
What’s more, at half a cent per gallon, it’s a whole lot cheaper, too.
The improved taste and quality of our fair city’s drinking water is a result of a change in how we treat it.
Let’s back up: this is not to say all of Los Angeles’ water is zapped by UV light, or currently goes un-chlorinated or un-ammoniated.
We can say, however, that a second UV light treatment plant will be opening up in Granada Hills by 2020, further changing the ratio.
"LADWP’s major efforts to comply with these regulations include addressing its three remaining open reservoirs, enhancing the city’s water supply disinfection system with UV treatment, and changing the distribution system disinfectant from chlorine to chloramine."
Both chlorine and chloramine are approved disinfectants for use in drinking water by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Health."