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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Stormwater Retrofitting to Protect Drinking Water Reservoirs from the Impacts of Urban Runoff - Part 1   Water Engineering & Management June 2002   James D. Benson, AICP, CPESC, and Melissa Beristain, CPESC
This paper summarizes the stormwater management element of the program and its control of the two key pollutants regulated by the SWTR: fecal coliform bacteria and turbidity that are conveyed to the reservoir by stormwater.
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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.

Washington News   Water Engineering & Management March 2002   Robert Gray
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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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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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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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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.

Pending SSO Regulations - What Can Be Expected from the Proposed CMOM Legislation?   Water Engineering & Management April 2001   Robert E. Bell, Jr., PE and Maggie L. Powell, E.I.T.
Collection system owners beware: New SSO regulations are right around the corner.
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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.

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

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).

Standards Development Consensus Process for Alternative Water Treatment Device Systems   Water Quality Products June 1998   Nancy J. Culotta
An article announcing NSF International's letter survey to manufacturers of Alternative Water Treatment Devices (AWTDs).

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.

Bottled Water Quality Guidelines: FDA to WHO or What ?   Water Quality Products October 1997   Dr. Alan A. Leff and Kristen Saltzgiver
The bottled water industry is exposed to regulations from the local level through the international level.