The Deep Impact of Tanks
Water & Wastes Digest
January 2007
By Cliff Rothenstein
Protecting the nation’s source waters and revitalizing communities for the 21st century
Continuous State of Improvement
Water & Wastes Digest
January 2007
By Tim Gregorski
Alexandria Sanitation Authority completes multiple upgrades to wastewater facility, new designs set tone for future upgrades
Superior Water Quality
Water & Wastes Digest
November 2006
Amy Osgood
Water & Wastes Digest asked David L. Brown, president of the American Membrane Technology Association and director of utilities for Jupiter, Fla., to discuss Jupiter’s pioneering and award-winning water utility, as well as the role membrane technology will play in addressing future water issues.
Walk the Line
Water & Wastes Digest
September 2006
By Tim Gregorski
Standards and regulations expert J. Alan Roberson offers advice on rules affecting the water and wastewater industry
Ensuring Arsenic Compliance
Water & Wastes Digest
August 2006
Peter J. Keenan
Planning and evaluation help drinking water utilities comply with the EPA’s Arsenic Rule
A Call for Consistency
Water & Wastes Digest
April 2006
By Jessica Moorman
Addressing the need for consistent national standards for water security
Port Hope’s Dream Comes True
Water & Wastes Digest
February 2006
By Tim Gregorski
Small community home to new water treatment plant that can expand along with population
Striving for Reliability
Water & Wastes Digest
February 2006
By Steve London
Texas wastewater plant achieves superior results with sludge recirculating pump upgrade
Reassessing Water Security
Water & Wastes Digest
September 2005
By Jessica Moorman
Beyond the hype, how will security regulations and upgrades translate into an everyday routine for water utility personnel?
Ten Practices of Highly Effective Water Utilities
Water & Wastes Digest
December 2004
By Janice A Beecher
The concept of continuous improvement complements the idea of developing a water systems’ capabilities over time to ensure safe and reliable water service.
A Benchmark UV Drinking Water Facility
Water & Wastes Digest
November 2004
By Jim Cosman
Seattle’s Cedar Treatment facility represents the largest application of UV technology for municipal drinking water in the world
The Evolution of Drinking Water Regulations
Water & Wastes Digest
June 2004
By J. Alan Roberson, P.E.
The recent experience with lead in Washington, D.C. is one example of a lack of a complete understanding of the impact that one regulation may have on another.
Bottled Water and the FDA Standards of Quality
Water Quality Products
June 2003
Kristin Safran and Barbara L. Marteney, National Testing Laboratories, Ltd.
Bottled water is classified as a food product and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has regulations that dictate the contaminants for which bottled water must be tested along with the allowable limits for each (Standards of Quality--SOQs). This article will focus on the last item, the SOQs. The true driving force behind the addition of parameters to the FDA SOQs is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
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Monitoring Drinking Water Regulation Updates
Water Quality Products
August 2002
Carlyn Meyer, Water Quality Association
The Water Quality Association (WQA) and the point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) industry as a whole face the usual list of federal and state regulatory challenges in 2002-2003.
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Stormwater Retrofitting to Protect Drinking Water Reservoirs from the Impacts of Urban Runoff - Part 2
Water Engineering & Management
July 2002
James D. Benson, AICP, and Melissa Beristain
The Kensico Reservoir Stormwater Management Program is designed to reduce fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity delivered to the reservoir by controlling and treating stormwater. The first phases of the project, assessment of the watershed, site selection and the screening and design of stormwater control and treatment facilities, were completed in July 1998. Facility construction began in the spring of 1999 and completed early in 2001. DEP has committed to monitoring and evaluating facility performance and maintaining the facilities.
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Electric Deregulation Provides Opportunity for Wastewater Treatment Facility Owners
Water Engineering & Management
June 2002
A recent federal court decision discusses the factors to be considered in determining civil penalties under the Clean Water Act for alleged National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit violations. United States v. Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, 187 F. Supp. 2d 426 (W.D. Pa. 2002). Although the case involved an industrial firm defendant, the court’s analysis may be instructive for utility wastewater systems.
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Arsenic in Drinking Water - Part 4
Water Engineering & Management
June 2002
John T. O’Connor, EngD, P.E.
Editor’s Note: Part 1 of this series provided a timeline for the development of a drinking water standard for arsenic. It also summarized the political and public reactions to the U.S. EPA decision to delay and withdraw the arsenic rule.
Part 2 dealt with human exposure and advances in knowledge concerning human health effects of exposure to arsenic.
Part 3 summarized early data on the occurrence of arsenic in U.S. waters.
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Municipalities and Developers Eye Better Land Use Through Drip Distribution
Water Engineering & Management
May 2002
David Linahan, P.E.
While the face of Pennsylvania’s rural communities continues to change from bucolic farms to mushrooming suburbs, new residents are asking their municipal leaders to preserve as much of that original pastoral setting as possible. While that can prove to be a constant battle between preserving green space and building new roads, schools and shopping centers, one area that holds promise for resolving those competing demands is in the area of municipal sewage treatment.
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Arsenic in Drinking Water - Part 3
Water Engineering & Management
May 2002
John T. O’Connor, EngD, P.E.
Only recently has a substantial amount of data become available on the concentrations of arsenic in United States drinking water supplies. Most of these data have been accumulated by the state regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring drinking waters. Since the arsenic standard has been 50 µg/L, some state agencies have recorded arsenic concentrations only in excess of that concentration. Others have been limited by the sensitivity of the analytical techniques and equipment used for the arsenic analysis. As a result, much of the available arsenic data are “below the limits of detection.
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Chlorine Taste in the Customer’s Drinking Water?
Water Quality Products
March 2002
By Ron Grage, Chlorinators Incorporated
Chlorine produces bacteria-free water and eliminates algae and slime. It also removes hydrogen sulfide from ground water (wells and springs) and eliminates iron bacteria (cenothrix), which are associated with objectionable odor and taste.
Despite these important facts, some people still object to chlorine in their drinking water. Comments such as “I don’t like the way chlorine makes my water taste” are common.
Arsenic in Drinking Water - Part 2
Water Engineering & Management
March 2002
John T. O’Connor, EngD, P.E.
On-going health effects studies and research reports (2001) appear to support the argument for lowering the current EPA drinking water standard for arsenic. Studies conducted by EPA, the University of North Carolina and the University of British Columbia have indicated that methylated metabolites of trivalent arsenic are genotoxic. In other words, they damage DNA in human cells.
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Arsenic in Drinking Water - Part 1
Water Engineering & Management
February 2002
John T. O’Connor, EngD, P.E.
The National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council (NAS-NRC) report was released on September 11, 2001. It concluded that the existing health effects data on arsenic essentially were sound. In addition, their review of three new epidemiological studies indicated that the health risks posed by arsenic in drinking water were greater than previously believed. As a result, in October, well before its self-imposed deadline, EPA rescinded its March implementation ban and endorsed the 10 µg/L arsenic MCL.
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Officials Recognize POU Industry
Water Quality Products
February 2002
Wendi Hope King
After the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally announced the new maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic, an estimated 4,000 community water systems are now left to take measures to lower their arsenic levels, which were previously at 50 ppb.
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POU Options for Arsenic
Water Quality Products
November 2001
The topic of arsenic has received a lot of press coverage this year, ever since the Bush administration halted the EPA’s newly issued maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per billion (ppb). Since then, the MCL was reinstated back to 50 ppb and further discussions and studies have continued. This article will discuss some of these updates.
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Products In Action
Water & Wastes Digest
November 2001
Microfiltration, Nanofiltration Help Meet EPA Standards at Lake
Mead
Testing Bottled Water
Water Quality Products
September 2001
Barbara L. Marteney and Kristin Safran, National Testing Laboratories
One of the most important (and sometimes the most complex) area of the bottled water business is compliance with federal, state and industry regulations. As the EPA continues to evaluate contaminants in drinking water for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the FDA must review these regulations for their suitability for bottled water.
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Water Tests Protect Customers from Guilty Parties
Water Quality Products
September 2001
Wendi Hope King, WQP Staff
Despite the regulations set for treatment plants, the general public will find itself focusing on the negative and seeking additional treatment from our industry. This spells opportunity for water treatment dealers to illustrate how their services can benefit the public.
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The State of Regulations
Water Quality Products
August 2001
By Wendi Hope King
As the POU/POE water treatment industry progresses to new levels and meets new challenges, issues regarding regulations and standards continually arise. As the industry waits for the EPA and U.S. government to finalize regulations, the industry is forced to ride out the MCL changes, rule withdrawals and estimated costs that each proposal brings. Listed here is a review of regulation changes the industry has seen in the last year and a brief look at which ones to watch for in the future.
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Keeping Your Company Afloat
Water Quality Products
August 2001
Wendi Hope King
Once again I have the opportunity to take a good look at companies in the industry and receive a clear picture of all of the changes and consolidation that have taken place throughout the past year.
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Verification Testing: The First Step to Clean Water
Water Engineering & Management
April 2001
Gene C. Koontz, P.E., and Andrea L. Santa
Who is testing manufacturers’ purification systems and equipment? This article describes EPA’s Environmental Technology Verification Program.
Effluent Diffusers Improve Water Quality, Meet Regulations
Water & Wastes Digest
March 2001
WWD Staff
In order to obtain a better permit, a Midwest plant needed to significantly reduce the pollutant concentrations being produced by its current level of discharge. Working with a consultant, management decided an effluent diffuser would be a more reliable and cost-effective option than altering the treatment process or installing a second outfall line.
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Concrete Reclaim System Efficiently Recycles Slurry Water In California
Water & Wastes Digest
January 2001
Harbor Ready Mix has brought into operation a prototype concrete reclamation system that not only recycles the sand and gravel from returned concrete but also the cementious solids and water. The operational merits of the system are applicable to all batch plants that need a cost-effective method to recycle returned concrete without prohibitive investment in new infrastructure.
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City of Hollywood Revises Industrial Pretreatment
Water Engineering & Management
July 2000
Frederick Bloetscher, P.E., Lisa Meday-Futo, Whitifeld R. Van Cott and Robert Fergan, P.E.
The City of Hollywood (Fla.) is located in southeast Broward County, with a land area of approximately 29 square miles. However, the City is a regional wastewater service provider to areas outside the City that are termed "Large Users."
Water Vending is Here to Stay
Water Quality Products
April 2000
Larry M. Eils
Consumer concerns about drinking water contaminants and aesthetics partially explains the increased demands for alternatives to tap water such as bottled water or water from a vending machine. Media hype about contaminants and aggressive marketing by some bottled water companies also plays a role.
FDA Bottled Water Regulations UpdateNine Stayed Parameters and Quarterly Testing Requirements
Water Quality Products
November 1999
Barbara L. Marteney and Kristin M. Saltzgiver
On August 6, 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that effective February 2, 1999, bottled water must meet the requirements of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for the nine stayed parameters, which include: antimony, beryllium, cyanide, nickel, thallium, diquat, endothall, glyphosate, and 2,3,7,8-tcdd (dioxin). This announcement requires bottlers to monitor for these nine parameters and comply with the same maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) as established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
IBWA Model Code Changes
Water Quality Products
May 1998
Tyrone Wilson, Kristin Saltzgiver and Barbara Marteney
On February 6, 1998, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) Board of Directors approved changes regarding finished product analysis.
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