water tect news oximorone end of article 12-22-09

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. — The state of California has sent a 10-person delegation to Australia in order to study the country’s coping strategies for drought and water supply crises, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Australia has been suffering from a 13-year dry spell and rising temperatures, which have caused drought, wildfires and agricultural turmoil, according to the report.

Wendy Martin, California’s drought coordinator at the Department of Water Resources, was among the delegation that toured Australian cities in order to better understand how the country has addressed its water shortages.

Martin said, “We have a lot of room to improve, that was one of the striking messages.”

According to Martin, one of the many realizations the delegation encountered was that daily water use in Australia is about 40 gallons per person, while California’s per-capita average is five times that number, the article stated.

She added that Australians use technologies — rainwater tanks that capture water for gardens, dual flushing toilets and dual house plumbing for recycled water — that are rare in the United States.

Australia also utilizes desalination in most of its major cities, according to the report.

But environmentalist Terry O’Day was not convinced that desalination is the right answer for California’s water problems.

O’Day cited desalinization plants’ high environmental costs as one of his concerns. He said, “I’m most interested in making sure we learn the right lessons. It would be easy to walk away and say ‘Desal is great, they’re doing it all over Australia,’ but miss the nuance of it being well thought out, not anything goes.”

While the group took much from its trip, the experts believe Australia could learn from California as well, including groundwater management and advanced wastewater recycling methods.

Australian and U.S. experts are scheduled to meet in Century City on Jan. 14 to exchange more ideas on water conservation and management, the article reported.

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12-18-09 Water tect news Mery Christmass

MONTGOMERY, ALA. — The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia are optimistic that they will find a solution to their three-state water dispute within one year, the Associated Press reported.

The three states have been engaged in a fight over water sharing for almost 20 years, but the states’ governors agreed that the problem will be resolved before they leave office, according to the article.

The governors have made a similar prediction before.

After a meeting in Tallahassee in December 2007, the state chief executives emerged confident that a deal soon would be in place, but court decisions went against the interests of Georgia and the conflict was never resolved, the story reported.

But the governors contend that this time is different because of the tight deadline they are facing.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist commented, “We only have so much time left as governors of our respective states to accomplish this mission, and that’s why we are as optimistic as we are that it's going to happen.”

The governors are also up against a legal timetable, the article reported.

In July, a federal judge ruled that Georgia does not have sufficient legal rights to Lake Lanier, a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River and Atlanta’s main water source. The judge gave the states until 2012 to make a compromise, according to the story.

The governors expect to have a plan ready for approval by their state legislatures in the spring. After that, the plan will be submitted for the approval of Congress, according to the story.

“If we do that, I think each one of us can look back and say this was a successful venture that took too long, but we ultimately crossed the goal line,” Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said.

Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been engaged in legal battles since 1990 over the allocation of water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in all three states and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin in Georgia and Alabama, the article reported.

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12-18-09 Water tect news

POMPTON LAKES, N.J. — New Jersey state officials plan to expand a study of cancer cases in a town where a DuPont munitions plant was once located, the Associated Press reported.

A previous report by the state Health Department showed increased rates of kidney cancer among women and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in men in a neighborhood near a plume of polluted groundwater, but could not conclusively link the cancers to the toxins in the groundwater, the article stated.

The solvents that are polluting the groundwater had been used at the DuPont factory, which was closed in 1994, the story reported.

DuPont is currently studying groundwater cleanup methods, company spokesman Robert Nelson said.

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12-16-09 interesting water tect news

Las Vegas’ drinking water among worst in nation	<<>
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
LAS VEGAS – The water provided by the Las Vegas Valley Water District ranked 98th out of 100 cities studied, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Riverside, California and Pensacola, Florida were the only two cities to rank below Las Vegas, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, based in Washington, D.C. Las Vegas’ drinking water contains trace amounts of 30 different chemicals, including arsenic, bromate, lead and radon, the article noted. According to the story, although the water delivered to 1.3 million valley residents contains a “chemical cocktail” of regulated and unregulated substances, it does meet all federal safety standards. “This water is considered legal and safe, and that’s because we consider all these chemicals individually,” said Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy for the group. “Over the long haul, it raises serious questions about the quality of the water if you're going to be drinking it over a lifetime.” The environmental watchdog group spent the last three years compiling an online database of water quality reports and sampling data from 48,000 communities across the United States, the article noted. The water utilities of Arlington, Texas, Providence, Rhode Island and Fort Worth, Texas were ranked the highest. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.

god help us all 12-11-09

i seen to day that theirs a Glen Beck sucks club this is great you need to look at the poeple that belong to it. God help them all . so i hope they like the ussa
they passed another bill to and are happy about it to regulate your credit cards and salary o but not ours only the bad guys ha ha GOD HELP HELP US
when is going to end when will are soldiers lives mean something again
when will i be able to say apple pie again GOD HELP US ALL
PEOPLE BELIEVE O'BOMA IS DOING SOME THING GOOD god help us all
i'm sick of it all

Drinking water violations examined by NY Times water tect 12-9-09

NEW YORK —Regulatory and water system data analyzed by The New York Times show that more than 49 million people in the US have consumed polluted drinking water since 2004, according to a report in the December 8 print edition of The New York Times.

Pollutants of concern included concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as bacteria often found in sewage, the report said.

Analyzing data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulators and water systems, the New York Times reported: “More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.”

Fewer than 6 percent of the water systems that broke the law were ever fined or punished by state or federal officials. According to the article, which quoted current and former EPA enforcement officials who wished to remain anonymous, federal regulators were informed of violations, but in many cases, unless the violations would make sensational news stories or target big money, pursuing the violations were overlooked.

EPA spokeswoman Adora Andy, in response to questions regarding the agency’s drinking water enforcement, told the New York Times: “This administration has made it clear that clean water is a top priority. The previous eight years provide a perfect example of what happens when political leadership fails to act to protect our health and the environment.”

The article also noted that drinking water contaminants “are linked to millions of instances of illness within the United States each year.”

In response to the article, Water Quality Association (WQA) Executive Director Peter J. Censky said in a December 8 association statement, “Filtering systems in the home provide the highest technology available to treat drinking water. Home filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking.” WQA is urging the public to consider installing home treatment systems.

To read the full New York Times report, click here.

To access the WQA statement, click here.

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YOU JUST HAVE TO LOVE IT

Recycled wastewater enters wrong pipes	<<>
Monday, December 07, 2009
COOMERA, AUSTRALIA — Recycled wastewater suitable for car washing, toilet flushing or outdoor irrigation was pumped into about 630 homes in this Gold Coast suburb for several days until residents began complaining about the water’s foul taste and smell, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported December 5. The new $80 million Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant had pumped “Class A-plus recycled water” into the wrong pipes since the plant’s December 1 opening until residents voiced their concerns on December 4. Residents were told during the December 5-6 weekend to avoid drinking their tap water. Cases of nausea and diarrhea have been reported at Coomera, and some residents worried about the safety of the water in area theme parks, swimming pools and spas. Some also voiced concern about the effects the tainted drinking water will have on their children and pets. City of Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Daphne McDonald said in a December 6 report by Australia’s ABC News network that the mix-up is under investigation and that the system has been flushed and disinfected. She also said, “We suspect at this point in time that there was an incorrect connection that occurred when the pipelines were constructed; however, as soon as we were informed that there was an issue, the water had been turned off.” Meanwhile, residents are considering filing a class-action lawsuit, which may seek compensation for everything from sickness to the cost of draining and testing swimming pools, the Bulletin reported in its December 8 edition. To read the full December 5 Bulletin story, click here. To read the full report by Australia’s ABC News, click here. To read the December 8 Bulletin report, click here. For related information, click here.

AND THEY WANT US TO RECLAIM WATER FROM OUR SHOWERS LAVS. AND WASHER TO FLUSH OUR TOILETS

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — Wastewater contamination from organic chemicals in consumer products such as soaps, antimicrobial compounds and insect repellents is polluting drinking water sources in the state, according to a newly released report by nonprofit research organization The Iowa Policy Project, the Globe Gazette said December 1.

The report, released December 1, notes that federal and state regulations do not require regulators to monitor such chemicals, which now are showing up in trace quantities in drinking water supplies.

“These go well beyond the well publicized issue of water contamination by pharmaceuticals,” report author William Wombacher said in a conference call with the Globe Gazette. “Neither are there processes that target these chemical compounds for removal or do a very good job of removing them.”

Wombacher said a recent study by University of Iowa scientists found low concentrations of two synthetic fragrance compounds known as AHTN and HHCB in both the Iowa River and in the University of Iowa’s drinking water.

Iowa Policy Project researcher Teresa Galluzzo said regulatory action in the United States that would require better testing and tracking of organic wastewater contaminants is now needed. She noted that the European Union recently imposed tougher testing standards for the manufacturers of such products.

Galluzzo said California’s Proposition 65, which was passed in 1986 and creates an updated list of chemical compounds that are found harmful to human health and are banned from discharge into any water, could serve as a framework for national regulation.

To read the full Globe Gazette article, click here.

To access the Iowa Policy Project Web site and report, click here.

it is time for them to go we started this by letting them do any thing

Amendment 28
Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.
Let's get this passed around, folks -
these people have brought this upon themselves!!!

Please, vote everyone of them out next election.

water tect 12-1-09 this is why you should own a ro unit DON'T DRINK THE WATER

MARIETTA, OH — High levels of nitrates have been detected in a portion of the water supply for Devola, affecting more than 900 homes and businesses, according to a November 30 Marietta Times report.

The Putnam Community Water Association on November 26 issued a warning about the situation in Devola, a farming community in Washington County.

Putnam Community Water Association Manager Jay Huck said a November 18 water sample recorded nitrates at 13.8 parts per million (ppm), slightly above the federal safe drinking water maximum contaminant level of of 10 ppm. Another test was performed on November 24, and that test came back at 7.2 ppm. “We have to average those two numbers which left us at 10.55 ppm, over the limit by 0.55 ppm, and prompted the water warning to be issued,” Huck said in the story.

Water high in nitrates that is ingested by infants, pregnant women, adults with low stomach acidity or people with a certain enzyme deficiency can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” as the ingested nitrates are converted to nitrites in the body. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and severe cases result in brain damage or death.

Huck said in the story that there were no reported illnesses associated with the recent event. He noted there was a similar warning issued in the water system about two years ago. The current warning will remain in effect until at least the end of this week.

To read the full report, click here.

water tect 12-1-09 it's coming heath care cap and trade and now water

ATHENS, GA — Two University of Georgia (UGA) researchers were awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense to study water conflicts between nations, the university announced in a November 20 press release.

The two-year project, conducted by UGA School of Public and International Affairs professors Jaroslav Tir and Douglas Stinnett, will determine how to prevent and manage water conflicts between nations who share sources of freshwater. The researchers will focus on the role of international institutions and the efficacy of treaties in governing the use of international rivers.

Due to population growth, pollution, development and climate change, there is considerable concern about the increasing demand on freshwater sources, and the conflicts that will emerge as a result, according to the university release. Already a topic of high-level national security debates around the world, the prospect of conflicts arising over shared water sources has been recognized in U.S. strategic planning documents.

“The practical importance of this project is hard to overstate,” Tir is quoted as saying. “Finding effective ways to manage the use of rivers through international institutions would not only address an emerging global security issue, it would be a natural response to the growing problem of water scarcity.”

This project investigates the extent to which international institutions might be able to promote cooperation and discourage conflicts between countries that share rivers.

Tir and Stinnett are scheduled to present their initial research findings next summer at a conference on climate change and security organized by the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters.

To read the full release, click here.

water tect 12-1-09 water ?

ISIOLO, KENYA — Former neighboring tribes now are warring over dwindling water supplies and pasture, and the United Nations estimates at least 400 in northern Kenya have died this year, a November 29 Chicago Tribune report said.

The government is accused of fueling the war by taking sides and replacing combatants’ spears and arrows with more sophisticated weapons.

According to the report, “Tales of conflict emerging from this remote, arid region of Kenya have disturbing echoes of the lethal building blocks that turned Darfur into a killing ground in western Sudan.”

Expert Richard Odingo, vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a global scientific body that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore, referred to Darfur, saying, “Every dry area has the potential to be a flash point if we are not careful.”

The story noted that as deserts encroach in Sudan, rainfall declines in the Horn of Africa and freshwater evaporation in the south continues.

“Climate change amplifies and escalates vulnerability. It doesn’t mean that conflict is inevitable, but it’s much more likely,” Achim Steiner, director of the UN Environment Program, said in the story.

To read the full story, click here.