The Extra Step
Water Quality Products
January 2008
By Pauli Undesser
Understanding the importance of third-party certification
PDF Version
2007: Year in Review
Water Quality Products
December 2007
By WQP editorial staff
A brief synopsis of the year in the water quality industry
Can You Handle the Pressure?
Water Quality Products
October 2007
By Mark Unger
Certification ensures customers that products will deliver under pressure
Step by Step
Water Quality Products
September 2007
By Sarah Zrout
Internal auditing boosts quality of laboratory testing
PDF Version
Who Tests What?
Water Quality Products
April 2007
By Barbara L. Marteney
A global look at bottled water testing & regulated contaminants
UVDGM Review
Water Disinfection
February 2007
By James R. Bolton
EPA provides guide to UV disinfection
Testing Reciprocity
Water Quality Products
February 2007
By Tom Palkon
When certification bodies work together, companies win
{ It’s All in the Family }
Water Quality Products
December 2006
By Rick Andrew
Using family bracketing to save on certification costs
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
More Value for the Customer
Water Quality Products
March 2006
By Matthew Sweetman
Decentralized treatment helps small communities comply with arsenic rule and prepare for future regulations
No Small Task
Water Quality Products
March 2006
By Rick Andrew
Testing water treatment products for bacteria removal
Point-of-Use Arsenic Treatment
Water Quality Products
February 2006
Shannon P. Murphy
Long-term cost benefits of the point-of-use program for communities to comply with the arsenic rule
What’s in the Water?
Water Quality Products
February 2006
By Marianne R. Metzger and Jeffrey H. Roseman
What’s in Store for the Water Industry in 2006?
Water Quality Products
January 2006
Neda Simeonova, editor
Each January, Water Quality Products asks some of the top industry professionals to share their views on the main issues that influence our industry today, as well as give us their forecasts for 2006. We hope the following pages will assist you in preparing for a new and successful business year.
New Arsenic MCL: The Dealer’s Perspective
Water Quality Products
January 2006
Compiled by Neda Simeonova
Water Quality Products asked Frank DeSilva, national sales manager for ResinTech, Inc. to share his thoughts on the potential market the new arsenic rule may create for POU/POE dealers.
2006 Arsenic Rule
Water Quality Products
December 2005
Amy Osgood
The Jan. 23, 2006 deadline requiring water systems to comply with the new 10 ppb maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic is fast approaching. Water Quality Products asked Greg Gilles, vice president of AdEdge Technologies, Inc. and WQP Arsenic Zone expert, to share his thoughts on the impact of the new standard.
UV Disinfection Systems
Water Quality Products
November 2005
By Sandro Pecile
Understanding pressure drop when installing NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV disinfection systems
Laboratory Testing: Certification and sampling protocols
Water Quality Products
June 2005
By Marianne R. Metzger and Robert Ramnarine
A reputable laboratory should be able to help you determine what type of laboratory certification is required, if any, for the specific sample testing you are looking to have performed. Laboratories will typically provide all the sampling containers and collection instructions to ensure the accuracy of the sampling.
PDF Version
NSF - A Work in Progress
Water Quality Products
May 2005
Compiled by Neda Simeonova
Water Quality Products Q&A with Thomas J. Bruursema to provide an update of NSF’s initiatives in 2005.
PDF Version
UV Disinfection
Water Quality Products
October 2004
By Melissa Lubitz
It is only within the last year that drinking water guidelines, across both Canada and the United States, have incorporated UV into their standards as an acceptable means of disinfection
PDF Version
Bottled Water’s Path to Market
Water Quality Products
September 2004
By Joe Doss
Bottlers may use all or a combination of the steps in the “Path to Market” to help ensure the safety and quality control of their products.
PDF Version
Product Standards
Water Quality Products
August 2004
By Tom Bruursema
It is easy to confuse the subtle differences between some, and even easier yet to be confused by the requirements of individual standards.
PDF Version
Fighting Water Softener Bans
Water Quality Products
December 2003
Carlyn Meyer, Water Quality Association
Dealers are rightfully concerned about the spread of legislation prohibiting water softener discharge into city sewers and septic systems. Although California is the center of industry efforts to protect the market against arbitrary bans, in the last two years several other states have issued rules prohibiting septic tank discharge.
PDF Version
Delivering to a Thirsty Public
Water Quality Products
October 2003
Joseph K. Doss, International Bottled Water Association
Safety and quality are of paramount importance to the bottled water industry and bottlers are not content to simply sit back and rest on their laurels. Producers constantly are embracing new technologies and processes to enhance efficiency and bring safe, high-quality, good-tasting and convenient bottled water products to a thirsty public.
PDF Version
Coming Soon: New FDA Requirements
Water Quality Products
October 2003
Kristin Safran, National Testing Laboratories, Inc.
The bottled water industry will be required to comply with new regulations in Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
Discussion in this article will be limited to the Registration (Section 305) and Records Maintenance (Section 306) proposed rules. This article includes discussion of the broad industry impact of these regulations as a whole, an overview of key aspects from each rule and a timetable of anticipated important dates.
PDF Version
Overcoming Obstacles
Water Quality Products
August 2003
Wendi Hope King, WQP Staff
During the course of a year, this industry sees many changes in standards and regulations. Some of them create quite a challenge for water treatment dealers, but still there are others that offer great opportunity to the dealer who knows how to use them correctly.
PDF Version
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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Chesapeake Seals the Deal
Water Engineering & Management
May 2003
Watertight Storm Sewer Group
The City of Chesapeake, Va. is located in the region called Hampton Roads, the 27th largest metro area in the country with more than 1.5 million residents. With an annual rainfall of approximately 48", its designers must contend with the prospects of determining where 294 billion gallons of water will go. A large share of this rainfall will find its way into the storm sewers. Last year, the City Council appropriated an extra $467,600 for contract cave-in repairs. The City of Chesapeake has recognized this problem and is developing a program to address it.
PDF Version
George Warren Fuller, Industry Pioneer
Water Engineering & Management
May 2003
Bill Swichtenberg
The George Warren Fuller Award is presented annually to one member of each section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). It is based on recommendations from the sections for distinguished service in the water supply field and "in commemoration of the sound engineering skill, the brilliant diplomatic talent and constructive leadership talent" that characterized Fuller's life.
PDF Version
Bottled Water Testing
Water Quality Products
October 2002
Kristin Safran and Barbara L. Marteney, National Testing Laboratories
Consumers want to know if the bottled water they buy is safe. How and why bottled water is regulated is not common knowledge and can be confusing to customers. Bottlers who understand and can explain aspects of water quality, regulations and test results to their customers have a useful sales tool to promote their product.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
Know Your Bottled Water Regulations
Water Quality Products
August 2002
Joseph K. Doss, International Bottled Water Association
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) tracks and takes action on a number of relevant issues. The goal is to ensure fair and equitable treatment of bottled water companies and to help the industry continue to deliver safe, high-quality bottled water products to a thirsty consumer market. In 2001, IBWA was engaged on both the federal and state legislative fronts, working hard to represent the bottled water industry and seeking the adoption of sensible, effective laws and regulations.
PDF Version
Concord, N.C. - A Proactive Approach to Beginning a CMOM-Based Program
Water Engineering & Management
August 2002
Ron Geiger, PE, and Todd Schuster
The federal government is in the process of establishing a CMOM philosophy for wastewater collection and treatment facilities that hinges on an aggressive, proactive approach, calling for utilities to act like investigative reporters rather than firefighters. Eventually, utility providers will have to follow federal CMOM guidelines, and states may establish similar guidelines.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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.
PDF Version
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).
Making the Third-Party Certification Choice
Water Quality Products
July 1997
by Nancy Culotta
Manufacturers' claims have become more sophisticated as the industry branches into two diverse segments: water conditioning and health effects claims. Within both segments, opinions have developed that claims made by manufacturers should be truthful and not misleading--resulting in a need to have products independently tested to verify water treatment claims made and promoted in the field.
Rethinking ANSI/NSF Standard 58
Water Quality Products
August 1996
Nancy Culotta
The Joint Committee voted to remove the arsenic reduction claim from Standard 58 until a new test method is developed.
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