Positives & Negatives
Water Quality Products
November 2007
By Frank DeSilva
Ion exchange for removal of groundwater contaminants
Oxidation Revelation
Water Quality Products
November 2007
By Stephanie Harris
New system successfully removes iron from problem water
The Watering Pot
Water Quality Products
October 2007
By Henry Alamzad
A wholesale greenhouse screens solids from recycled wastewater
Radium Removal
Water Quality Products
September 2007
By Frank DeSilva
Acid cation resin in sodium form can be used to remove radium from water
PDF Version
A Modern Alternative
Water Quality Products
June 2007
By Brent Alspach
Membrane filtration offers a popular means for pathogen removal
Testing Groundwater
Water Quality Products
April 2007
by Marianne Metzger
How to test for pH levels, conductivity & iron levels to ensure quality
Ozone Eliminates 'Stinky' Problem
Water Quality Products
March 2007
by Ben Couch
Continuously operating ozone system removes sulfide and other trace contaminants from groundwater
Arsenic treatment
Water Quality Products
December 2006
Greg Gilles
Community systems achieve arsenic removal well below new standard
Safer than Tap?
Bottled Water Market
September 2006
By Zoe A. Grosser & Lee Davidowski
Analyzing bottled water for inorganic contaminants
Silver Standard
Bottled Water Market
September 2006
By Jeffery A. Trogolo
Worldwide design trends mark growing consumer awareness of cooler hygiene+
WHO tests what
Bottled Water Market
September 2006
By Barbara L. Marteney
A global look at bottled water testing & regulated contaminants
Research Put into Practice
Water Quality Products
April 2006
By Glen Boyd and Gregory Pierson
Lead in Seattle school district’s drinking water prompts major review
Activated Carbon
Water Quality Products
July 2005
Rick Ciminello
Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent due to its large surface area and the fact that the diverse surfaces can take on many different types of contaminants.
Arsenic Treatment
Water Quality Products
July 2005
Greg Gilles
In early 2004, AdEdge was pre-qualified and invited to participate in an arsenic pilot study of commercial adsorption-based treatment technologies with Damon S. Williams & Associates (DSWA). As an outcome of the successful piloting and preliminary work with the engineer, AdEdge was chosen by Centennial Contractors to perform full-scale arsenic treatment using its granular ferric oxide adsorption technology at the New River Elementary School site in New River, Ariz., 15 miles north of Phoenix.
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UV Disinfection Part II
Water Quality Products
June 2005
Jeff Roseman
Part II of this article covers theoretical calculations of UV transmission rates based on various fluoropolymers and quartz. The article will evaluate bulb protection material costs and review different applications.
PDF Version
Uranium Removal by Ion Exchange
Water Quality Products
May 2005
By Frank DeSilva
Higher pH solutions, through the addition or use of alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate, will result in severely decreased uranium regeneration
PDF Version
The Hidden Spore
Water Quality Products
November 2004
By Jonathan Dyer
Cryptosporidium—Once a Common Affliction to Travelers of Underdeveloped Countries, Now a Common Outbreak in Communities in the U.S.
PDF Version
Scattered Across the Nation
Water Quality Products
April 2004
Wendi Hope Bishop is editor of WQP.
I thought I would take a moment to bring you up to speed on some of the contaminants making the news in the last month or so.
PDF Version
Chromium: Getting the Facts Straight
Water Quality Products
April 2004
By Wendi Hope Bishop, WQP Staff
Chromium is most toxic in the man-made form produced in the manufacturing of paint pigments, metal coatings, cement, rubber, glass and other materials.
PDF Version
Taking Care of Beaver Fever
Water Quality Products
January 2004
Contributed by UV Pure Technologies
Problem: Giardia in the lake water (Buckskin Lake, Ontario) from beavers. An additional problem of bio-film clogging filters once system was installed. Solution: Hallett 13 Ultraviolet System with Crossfire Technology and filters. Results: Purified water from lake, improved taste and eliminated bio-film
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Filter Provides Legionella Barrier for Hospitals
Water Quality Products
November 2003
Point-of-use units are increasingly gaining acceptance in such applications as hospitals and nursing homes. This technology allows these facilities to produce high-quality water as needed at a lower cost.
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Activated Carbon for Bromate Reduction
Water Quality Products
November 2003
Kimberly D. Thompson and Neal E. Megonnell
Various authors have studied the use of activated carbon and for the most part have concluded activated carbon is not a cost-effective solution. However, these authors have failed to realize the limitations of carbon validation methods or the fact that not all carbons are alike, especially when chemical reactions control the process.
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Research Racks Up Recognition Points for POU/POE
Water Quality Products
June 2003
Wendi Hope King
Some really important research going on right now, which is critical for the point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) industry in order for POU/POE treatment to become an accepted practice for small public water system compliance. It seems as though we are closer than ever to finding acceptance in this arena.
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NSF Conference Addresses Public Water System Compliance Using POU/POE
Water Quality Products
June 2003
In February, NSF International arranged for many experts to cover the issues and facets of point-of-use and point-of-entry (POU/POE), how they can be used for PWS compliance and other opportunities for the manufacturers and users. This article is intended to provide opinions and a broad conference overview.
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Arsenic Treatment
Water Quality Products
June 2003
Ley Hathcock, Ph.D., Rich Cavagnaro & Greg Gilles
A wide range of technologies, some new and some more traditional, is being marketed and applied for arsenic treatment. Each of these technologies has specific properties impacting its suitability for any particular scale of application. While rare, the ability of a single water treatment technology to perform effectively across many treatment platforms is not unique.
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E. Coli
Water Quality Products
May 2003
Danielle Duclos
This article provides a general overview of E. coli and drinking water as well as current and emerging monitoring and decontamination technologies.
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Arsenic Treatment Options for the Southwest
Water Quality Products
February 2003
Arizona Water Quality Association
While high concentrations of arsenic are found mostly in the Western region of the United States, parts of the Midwest and New England show levels of arsenic
that exceed the newly approved U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb). Individuals not willing to wait for their water system's compliance with the arsenic standard currently are looking for treatment systems to use in their homes. POU and even point-of-entry (POE) treatment systems are an attractive solution for these individuals. The process should begin with a basic understanding of arsenic contamination and the element's chemistry, a complete water quality analysis of the application-specific water and the knowledge of available technologies.
PDF Version
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 1
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Sherry Odom
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metal found in rocks and soil, which can be released into the environment through geological events such as volcanic activity and erosion. Other releases of arsenic into the environment occur through industrial processes such as production of paints, metals, soaps, dyes, drugs, semi-conductors and wood preservatives, as well as in mining and smelting.
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 2
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Sherry Odom
Consumers unwilling to drink arsenic contaminated water are demanding a more rapid implementation. Publicly owned utilities, however, will be held hostage from implementing a more rapid solution due to government approval cycles, annual budgets, required biding processes and slow implementation schedules. As a result, in-home treatment systems, which immediately can be installed, are a very popular treatment option for individual homeowners. Other advantages such as low implementation/operating costs and improved flexibility make the POU/POE approach option appealing.
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 3
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Sherry Odom
In addition to officially sponsored research projects being performed throughout the world (see Section V for more information on research), many universities, government organizations and industry professionals are active in providing solutions to this issue. The following papers have been presented on arsenic treatment, health effects or policy issues at various tradeshows and conferences throughout the United States.
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 5
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Sherry Odom
Research on arsenic can be broken down into three general areas -- health effects, treatment options and cost evaluations.There are more than 1,000 published research papers on health effects alone. This section provides an over-view of the most prominent research related to these areas which have impacted EPA’s decisions. There also are links to research organizations that can provide access to the specific projects conducted.
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 6
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Sherry Odom
What research is being done at University's throughout the US? Colleges and universities across the U.S. are continuing their efforts in educating the population on the subject of arsenic. Both public and private universities are contributing their time, money, and expertise in areas of arsenic research such as geochemistry, health effects, and treatment options. Research programs, such as the ones listed below, are just a glimpse of the ongoing studies for arsenic. Ongoing research is necessary in order to continue to develop efficient and cost-effective solutions for the far-reaching problem of arsenic contamination.
Arsenic Overview Series - Part 7
WaterInfoCenter
January-December 2003
Wes McGowan
These terms are pulled from "All About Water: An Illustrated Dictionary of Water Terminology" by Wes McGowan
Developments in Ozone Technology
Water Quality Products
July 2002
Rip G. Rice, Ph.D., RICE International Consulting Enterprises
Ozone technology developments have opened new applications for these established water treatment technologies. Driving these changes has been the identification of new, more disinfection-resistant microorganisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts and governmental regulations designed to protect the public health from the hazards of ingestion of these microorganisms. Additionally, the desire to prevent or minimize the formation of halogenated disinfection byproducts formed during chlorination has stimulated new interest in the use of ozone. Combinations of ozone with hydrogen peroxide and/or ultraviolet (UV) radiation can destroy many contaminants present in ground water.
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River Contaminates Town’s Water Supply When State Leaves It to Beavers
Water Engineering & Management
July 2002
Louis Manring
For nearly 70 years, the public water system in the Town of Sterling, Massachusetts operated without incident, delivering clean water to more than 2,000 homes. Because the water from the town’s well field was clean and free of contamination, there was no need for a permanent disinfection system. That all changed in September 1999 when a storm caused by Hurricane Floyd and the state’s increasing beaver population combined to cause bacterial contamination in the town’s water supply.
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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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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.
PDF Version
Using Advanced Adsorptive Media for Arsenic Treatment
Water Engineering & Management
April 2002
Greg Gilles and Jennifer Mathis
On November 26, 2001, the new arsenic standard was signed into law—lowering the acceptable level for the contaminant from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb. Approximately 4,100 municipal water systems serving nearly 13 million people nationwide are affected by the law and are required to meet compliance by January 2006. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 97 percent of these systems are small systems serving fewer than 10,000 people each. The economic impact on these small systems is likely to be large. However, there currently are options available to small municipalities that may be more affordable than central treatment.
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POU Technology Demonstrates Effectiveness
Water Quality Products
March 2002
By Jennifer Mathis, Apyron Technologies, Inc.
In March 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew a proposal for a lower maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water that would bring the standard from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb. At that time, the EPA commissioned three studies to examine the benefits, costs and health effects associated with a lower standard for arsenic.
Chlorination and Its Alternatives
Water Quality Products
March 2002
By Anne Penkal and Nadia Abboud, Severn Trent Services, Inc.
Purification of drinking water containing microbiological contamination requires some form of disinfection treatment to kill or render microbiological organisms harmless.
Of the available disinfection treatment methods for private water systems, chlorination in the most commonly used.
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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Boost POE Sales by Leveraging the New Arsenic Standard
Water Quality Products
February 2002
Craig Winter, CWS-III, EnviroInvestigations &Remediation
Recent market research showed that more than 73 percent of consumers prefer to consult with a water treatment professional when dealing with arsenic. Combining this inclination with the preference for the POE approach, the treatment professional has a unique opportunity to generate significant new revenue from POE sales with minimal upfront effort.
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Arsenic Testing the Easy Way
Water Quality Products
December 2001
John Gary, Industrial Test Systems, Inc.
In the past, testing for arsenic in drinking water has been as difficult as removing it. A variety of test kits have appeared on the market deriving from the need for easier, cheaper and faster methods. These test kits rival both the accuracy and low detection ability of laboratory instrumentation.
PDF Version
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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Coping with Resistance to Copper/Silver Disinfection
Water Engineering & Management
November 2001
By W. Craig Meyer
Numerous facilities have invested in copper/silver disinfection systems to address the limits of traditional water treatment methods. It seems likely that, as bacterial populations develop resistance, many of these systems will become less effective through time.
PDF Version
Carbon Block Manufacturing
Water Quality Products
June 2001
Michael D, Steinhardt, US Filter
Carbon block is used in a wide variety of applications and performs a wider range of filtration tasks than other products. How carbon block is engineered will determine its use.
PDF Version
MTBE
Water Quality Products
May 2001
Andrew McClure and Neal Megonnell, Calgon Carbon
With outbreaks such as the one in Santa Monica, Calif., the problem of MTBE has not gone unrecognized. Legislation and technologies are being developed to eliminate the spread of this possible carcinogen.
Cryptosporidium - A brief overview of a new technology
Water Quality Products
March 2001
Danielle Duclos
The occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum and other pathogens in water supplies poses a dangerous problem to the water industry and human health. Read about a new technology that is helping rid of this problem.
PDF Version
Diffused Bubble Aeration for Radon and VOC Removal
Water Quality Products
November 2000
James Jasensky
The Safe Drinking Water Act legislation signed in 1996 states that a federal waterborne radon guideline is to be in effect on or before October 2001. Passage of this guideline has made it important for well water treatment experts to familiarize themselves with effective options for radon removal.
Roundtable Discussion: E. coli (Escherichia coli)
Water Quality Products
November 2000
Wendi Hope King
Recent outbreaks of E. coli have brought consumer’s attention to their drinking water. Understanding its source, regulations and prevention will be key to combating this waterborne illness.
EPA's Rule On TMDLs Comes Under Fire
Water Engineering & Management
May 2000
Robert Gray
Senator Bob Smith, R-N.H., new chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has expressed "great concern" about the potential impact and legal ramifications of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new rule on total maximum daily loads (TMDLs).
Q&A: Make No Mistake, the Industry Won’t Wait for MTBE Clean Up
Water Quality Products
March 2000
Wendi Hope King
Recent television news acknowledging the methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) problems has brought attention to this subject once again. In a one-on-one interview, Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the AWWA, discusses MTBE's effects, clean-up options and his opinion on television's attempt to inform consumers.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia Inactivation Device
Water Quality Products
October 1996
G. Michael Furst, Jr.
A new water disinfection system has been developed to inactivate Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in drinking water. The technology, known as the CID, inactivates these pathogenic waterborne microorganisms using enhanced ultraviolet (UV) irradiation technology without filtrate disposal, chemical addition or related hazardous by-products.
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