Landmark Legislation   Water Engineering & Management February 2003    Bill Swichtenberg
With a mandate for a more effective way to protect and clean the nations water resources, the federal government responded with the 1972 passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments, better known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) created the first mandatory national program to protect public health through drinking water safety. Despite litigation and controversy throughout their existence, the CWA and SDWA were groundbreaking and remain a centerpiece for U.S. environmental policy.
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ETV Testing Verifies Membrane Filtration Plant Treats Surface Water, Meets D/DBP Rule   Water Quality Products December 2002   PCI Membrane Systems, Inc.
A study published as part of the EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program verifies the performance of a Fyne Process membrane filtration plant tested on high organic-laden surface water in Barrow, Ark. The plant was able to remove significant levels of organics--precursors to disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA)--producing water that easily met the disinfection byproduct standards set by the EPA's stringent Stage 1 D/DBP Rule.
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Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems   Water Quality Products September 2002   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Quality Association
The following is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Special Issues Fact Sheet on Water Softeners. This document supports the WQA's position on softener wastes and the fact that they are not harmful to septic systems.
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Approaching Storm: NPDES Phase II Stormwater Rule Deadline Nears   Water Engineering & Management September 2002   David Woelkers
In December of 1999, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Stormwater rule in the Federal Register. The issuance of the rule started a clock that has had municipalities, and stormwater professionals working to understand and evaluate its implications.
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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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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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Evaluating Activated Carbons   Water Quality Products June 2002   Henry Nowicki, Ph.D., Mick Greenbank, Ph.D. and Homer Yute, M.S., PACS
New challenges are emerging in the industry that require new methods and product developments. This article discusses additional test methods for the AC industry.
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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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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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Only Time Will Tell   Water Quality Products January 2002   Multiple Authors
The unprecedented events of Sept. 11 and the recession that began hitting our nation at the beginning of 2001 created havoc in the business world. The water industry was no exception; it also saw its share of fluctuation. With such an unpredictable economy, we move into 2002. WQP asked industry professionals nationwide to comment on what the water industry may see in the upcoming year. Although these professionals share their outlooks for next year, only time will tell what lies ahead.
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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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Judicial Equities Override Filtration Requirement   Water Engineering & Management October 2001   Dan Kucera
A recent federal court decision may have created an opportunity for relief from United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that impose costs that substantially exceed benefits.
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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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Flexible Monitoring System Helps Ohio Company Meet Daily EPA Measurement Requirements   Water & Wastes Digest May 2001
An Ohio utility company provides water plant operator services to facilities throughout the state, including several very large travel center operations. Daily monitoring became time consuming and costly, so they sought a more efficient solution by investigating plant monitoring systems.
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Volatile Organic Chemicals in Drinking Water   Water Quality Products March 2001   Marianne R. Metzger and Tami E. Castelli, National Testing Laboratories, Ltd.
When addressing water treatment needs, the average person usually wants to remedy his water of items that cause laundry stains, unpleasant "egg-like" or musty odors and buildup on pipes and fixtures. While the contaminants that cause these problems certainly present legitimate reasons for treatment, it is the "silent" contaminants in our drinking water that cause the most problems with everyday health.
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Oxidizing Arsenic III to Arsenic V for Better Removal   Water Quality Products March 2001   Dr. Dennis Clifford and Ganesh Ghurye, University of Houston
On June 22, 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed lowering the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic from 50 down to 5 micrograms/L (Federal Register, 2000).
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Arsenic   Water Quality Products February 2001   Jane Wilson, NSF International
On June 22, 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule that would lower the current national primary drinking water standard for arsenic.
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Meet the New Boss   Water Engineering & Management February 2001   Bill Swichtenberg
With the election finally being over, President-elect George W. Bush has named New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman to head the Environmental Protection Agency (pending Senate approval).

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.

Far-Reaching TMDL Policy Sets Stage for Conflict   Water Engineering & Management August 2000   Robert Gray
The Clinton administration has set the stage for a fight with Congress over one of the most far-reaching water-policy initiatives launched by the Environmental Protection Agency in many years.

Dairy Farmers Having Success Piping Animal Waste to Lagoons   Water Engineering & Management August 2000
Two dairy farmers have found similar success using animal waste lagoons to protect groundwater and cut overhead. For one of these farmers, recycling the herd’s waste has even led to another farm-based business.

TMDL Battle Continues on Capital Hill   Water Engineering & Management July 2000   Robert Gray
The battle over implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s total maximum daily loads (TMDL) Program continues in Congress.

EPA Issues Proposed New Rule on Groundwater   Water Engineering & Management June 2000   Robert Gray
The Environmental Protection Agency said that a new rule it is proposing will "establish multiple barriers to protect against bacteria and viruses in drinking water from groundwater sources.

Court Overrules U.S. EPA's Standard Setting Procedure   Water Engineering & Management June 2000   Dan Kucera
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, there are Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLG) and Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL). An MCLG for a particular contaminant is a non-enforceable, health-based goal.

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).

Price/Cost Conflict Cited in Forum Discussions   Water Engineering & Management February 2000   Robert Gray

EPA Finalizes Storm Water Rule   Water Engineering & Management January 2000   Robert Gray