| Researchers develop system to generate electricity from wastewater sludge | |
| Friday, March 19, 2010 | |
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| RENO, NEV. — Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have developed a carbon-neutral fluid-bed system to dry wastewater sludge, according to an article on physorg.com. The patent-pending system, which is moving to a demonstration-scale phase at a water reclamation facility next month, also generates electricity through a gasification and generation process, the story reported. “Our plan is to test the unit by about May 15,” Chuck Coronella, principle investigator for the research project and an associate professor of chemical engineering, said. “We’re designing, building and assembling a continuous-feed system that will ultimately be used to generate electricity. We’ll run experiments throughout the summer, creating a usable dried product from the sludge.” To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here. | |
Friday, March 19, 2010
this is good
so who do you believe
DENVER — Denver Water has released a response to former employees’ claims that 20 years ago they buried cement-asbestos (CA) pipe on the Foothills Treatment Plant property, which WaterTech e-News Daily™ reported on March 18.
The response said that these allegations are the latest in a series of accusations raised by these former employees who first surfaced with claims in August 2008 when they threatened to “go public” unless Denver Water paid them substantial amounts of money.
Denver Water did not give in to their demands, but did agree to conduct an investigation if they provided details about their claims, which they failed to do, according to the response.
The response also stated that asbestos in CA pipe is not friable and is therefore not a hazardous waste.
Additionally, Denver Water said that air and drinking water tests have not detected any asbestos contamination and that the groundwater near the alleged dumping site is safe because asbestos is not water soluble and does not move in soil.
“We want the community near Foothills Treatment Plant to know the air is safe, the drinking water is safe and the ground water is safe,” the response stated.
To read the entire response, click here.
For related information, click here.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
| NAWC urges Congress to pass infrastructure investment bill | |
| Thursday, March 18, 2010 | |
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| WASHINGTON — The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) announced its approval of the House Ways and Means Committee’s passing of the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act of 2010, according to a press release. NAWC also urged the House of Representatives to follow the committee’s lead and bring the infrastructure investment bill to the floor for passage, the release stated. The act provides incentives for small business investment, relief for overburdened small business owners and expanded opportunity for infrastructure investment by states and local governments in part through the removal of state volume caps on private activity bonds (PABs) for water and wastewater financing, according to the release. “We applaud the Committee’s swift consideration and passage of this important initiative,” said Michael Deane, executive director of NAWC. “The inclusion of language drafted by Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) to address both jobs and infrastructure will help local water providers leverage private sector investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, addressing two critically important challenges facing our nation and generating significant tax revenue for states and communities across the country.” To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here. | |
water tect news
| EPA to study how hydraulic fracturing affects water quality | |
| Thursday, March 18, 2010 | |
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| WASHINGTON — The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will conduct a research study to investigate the potential adverse effects that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health, according to a press release. There are concerns that hydraulic fracturing to access natural gas may impact ground water and surface water quality in ways that threaten human health and the environment, the release stated. To support this initial planning phase and guide the development of the study plan, the agency is seeking advice from the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB), an independent, external federal advisory committee, according to the release. “Our research will be designed to answer questions about the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment,” said Dr. Paul T. Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The study will be conducted through a transparent, peer-reviewed process, with significant stakeholder input.” To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here. | |
very interesting
DENVER — Retired Denver Water employees have recently confessed to burying hazardous waste near homes and schools 20 years ago, according to an article on kwgn.com.
Several workers said they were ordered to bury cement asbestos, radiation asphalt and other toxic chemicals at the Foothills Water Treatment Facility, the story reported.
The retired employees, who suffer from illnesses they believe were caused by asbestos exposure, took their complaints to the Denver Water Board, the article stated.
“It is a toxic burial ground. People are going to die,” said retired worker Joe Pacheco.
Denver Water issued a statement that said, “burying of CA (cement-asbestos) pipe may have occurred, but if it did, it was per standard practice at the time.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has not done any specific testing at the Foothills site, but it may be prompted to investigate if it receives enough complaints, according to the story.
To read the entire article, click here.
For related information, click here.
Monday, March 15, 2010
for a job ?
| WA city looking to make 5-million-gallon-a-day deal | |
| Friday, March 12, 2010 | |
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| EVERETT, WA — Tethys Enterprises wants to build a beverage plant here, but will need 5 million gallons of water per day over the next 30 years to do so, according to The Daily Herald. The March 12 story said the plant could bring about 1,000 jobs to the city, but the city council has to vote on whether on not to allow the plant to tap into the city’s supply. The 1-million-square-foot-plant would bottle city water and use it for teas and sodas and use only biodegradable bottles. The city currently uses 255 million gallons of water per day from Spada Lake. City council members will vote some time in March on whether to go ahead with any kind of negotiations. To read the story, click here. For related information, click here. | |
| [More Regulatory Matters] | |
| Return to today's news | Discuss th | |
o boy
| Brooklyn officials plead to New York governor for drinking water protection | |
| Friday, March 12, 2010 | |
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| BROOKLYN, NY — Members of the city’s congressional delegation are calling on New York State Governor David Paterson to protect their drinking water supply, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported. The March 11 story said six members worry companies, drilling for natural gas reserves, will hurt their drinking water source in the Catskills. Water comes from under a large rock formation known as the Marcellus Shale. The water supply, which serves over 9 million people, also comes from Delaware Valley. Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is slated for the water supply areas to try and find sources of natural gas. Opponent and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke said in the story, “It is imperative that we continue to protect the city’s water supplies from any and all pollutants that threaten public health. As New Yorkers, we must find a balance between ending our dependence on foreign oil and protecting our drinking water.” To read the entire story, click here. | |
water tect news it's was only time
| IBWA sues Zero Water for claims against bottled water | |
| Friday, March 12, 2010 | |
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| ALEXANDRIA, VA — The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has filed a lawsuit against Zero Water, the at-home water filtration company, for claims it has made about bottled water, a press release stated. The March 11 press release said the Association’s suit is because Zero Water has repeatedly engaged “in false, misleading and unsubstantiated advertising designed to confuse consumers about its products and about how they compare to bottled water products.” Zero Water has claimed that it can “remove 100 percent of detectable dissolved solids” and stated that water without total dissolved solids (TDS) makes for “a healthier, cleaner, tastier water.” However, the IBWA states in its lawsuit that TDS can not determine water quality. IBWA President Joe Doss said in the press release, “Total Dissolved Solids mainly affect the taste of water and have not been shown to produce adverse physical health effects. In fact, the World Health Organization has reported that certain concentrations of TDS may even have beneficial health effects.” The press release also said that Zero Water filters cannot remove all water impurities. It also said that Zero Water’s ads falsely refer to the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of purified water. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here. | |
| [More Bottled Water] | |
Friday, March 12, 2010
politico i'm a tea party person but we need 2 party system
The rise of a new conservative grass roots fueled by a secular revulsion at government spending is stirring fears among leaders of the old conservative grass roots, the evangelical Christian right.
A reeling economy and the massive bank bailout and stimulus plan were the triggers for a resurgence in support for the Republican Party and the rise of the tea party movement. But they’ve also banished the social issues that are the focus of many evangelical Christians to the background.
And while health care legislation has brought social and economic conservatives together to fight government funding of abortion, some social conservative leaders have begun to express concern that tea party leaders don’t care about their issues, while others object to the personal vitriol against President Barack Obama, whose personal conduct many conservative Christians applaud.
“There’s a libertarian streak in the tea party movement that concerns me as a cultural conservative,” said Bryan Fischer, director of Issue Analysis for Government and Public Policy at the American Family Association. “The tea party movement needs to insist that candidates believe in the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.”
“As far as I can tell [the tea party movement] has a politics that’s irreligious. I can’t see how some of my fellow conservatives identify with it,” said Richard Cizik, who broke with a major evangelical group over his support for government action on climate change, but who remains largely in line with the Christian right on social issues. “The younger Evangelicals who I interact with are largely turned off by the tea party movement — by the incivility, the name-calling, the pathos of politics.”
There’s no centralized tea party organization, and anecdotes suggest that many tea party participants hold socially conservative views. But those views have been little in evidence at movement gatherings or in public statements, and are sometimes deliberately excluded from the political agenda. The groups coordinating them eschew social issues, and a new Contract From America, has become an article of concern on the social right.
The contract, sponsored by the grass-roots Tea Party Patriots as well as Washington groups such as FreedomWorks and Americans for Tax Reform, asks supporters to choose the 10 most important issues from a menu of 21 choices that makes no mention of socially conservative priorities such as gay marriage and abortion.
“They’re free to do it, but they can’t say [the contract] represents America,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a veteran of the Christian right. “If they do it they’re lying.”
Groups such as FreedomWorks, said Perkins, bring a libertarian bias that doesn’t represent the “true tea parties.” Brendan Steinhauser, the director of federal and state campaigns at FreedomWorks, responded that the contract represents activists’ priorities.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
water tech news see even other countries have problems
| Scottish Water fined for releasing wastewater sewage | |
| Thursday, March 11, 2010 | |
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| STRANRAER, SCOTLAND — Scottish Water has been fined for releasing wastewater sewage from the Stranraer wastewater plant into Loch Ryan that was not properly treated, BBC News reported. The March 11 story said the offense occurred between January and April of last year. Scottish Water was additionally fined for not complying with a condition of its water use license. John Gorman, investigating officer with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said in the story, “Scottish Water was well aware of the legal requirement to meet European directive conditions and discussions had been taking place between Sepa and Scottish Water since May 2000. Loch Ryan has consistently been failing to meet the standards, and Sepa considers that the discharge from Stranraer wastewater treatment plant is contributing to this failure.” To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here. | |
| [More Regulatory Matters] | |
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
very interesting
| Bottled water use is dropping, says Wall Street Journal | |
| Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | |
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| An article in the Wall Street Journal said that bottled water consumption is dropping and at-home water filtering products are on the rise. The March 10 story, written by Gwendolyn Bounds, said a bevy of new products are being offered by manufacturers now, including shower filters, purification kits and portable water bottle filters. Bounds, who writes stories on energy efficiency and green living, said in the article, “the economic downturn has whetted consumers’ appetite for tap water.” Doug Kellan is the chief executive of Zero Technologies LLC, a company which makes a water pitcher that filters out dissolved solids. Kellan said in the story, “what turned the tide for us was the huge negative PR effort behind bottled water from a green standpoint, and then the economy hit the skids and people were looking for a way to save money.” The bottled water industry isn’t taking such news lightly. In February, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) released a statement about how water bottles are more eco-friendly. IBWA Chief Executive Joseph Doss said in the story, “when coupled with bottled water's safety, convenience and healthfulness, the 'total bottled water package' is one consumers can feel proud about.” To read the entire press release, click here. | |
watch out
CITRUS COUNTY, FLA. — The Citrus County Utilities Division has warned residents to be aware of water-testing marketing scams, the Citrus Daily reported.
According to customer complaints, at least two companies are sending out notices claiming that their water is contaminated and should be tested within 72 hours, the article stated.
A similar warning was issued last summer, according to the story.
“Once again, don’t fall for it,” reiterated Citrus County Water Resources Director Robert Knight. “Anyone who has reason to suspect their water supply is contaminated should contact their local water supply officials,” he said.
Officials urged residents who have problems with hardness, iron, clarity or color to contact a reputable local company with a good history of doing business in the county, the report stated.
To read the entire article, click here.
For related information, click here.
there coming to get your well water
MADISON, WIS. — A bill introduced to the Wisconsin legislature would give local governments more authority to regulate and protect the state’s groundwater, The Journal Times reported.
The bill would permit one or more counties to create groundwater management areas and determine how much water can be sustainably withdrawn from aquifers, according to the story.
Under the bill, the Department of Natural Resources would have the authority to regulate high-capacity wells, the article stated.
“The reason why we undertook the study of groundwater issues was because there were significant problems cropping up in parts of the state,” said Rep. Spencer Black, who chairs the Natural Resources Committee.
To read the entire article, click here.
For related information, click here.
water tect news
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — MIOX Corporation has discovered one reason why Cryptosporidium parvum is resistant to chlorine, according to a press release.
In an article published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, Principal Microbiologist George Bajszar, Ph.D., explains that chlorine triggers a strong defensive molecular response to oxidative stress in the waterborne parasite, the release stated.
This response likely contributes to the high resistance of these waterborne pathogens to chlorination, according to the release.
These findings will enable MIOX and others in the drinking water community to develop more efficient disinfection protocols and analytical methods for the inactivation of chlorine-resistant microorganisms, the release stated.
To read the entire article, click here.
For related information, click here.
water sense water tect news
ONTARIO, CALIF. — In the wake of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it is accepting low-flow showerheads into its WaterSense® product labeling program, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ (IAPMO) R&T lab has reaffirmed its commitment to help manufacturers get their products certified, according to a press release.
IAPMO has been a licensed provider of WaterSense® certification since 2007, and has certified more than 1,800 lavatory faucet and toilet models to the WaterSense® specifications, the release stated.
Showerheads bearing the WaterSense® label may use no more than two gallons per minute (gpm), tested at a flowing pressure of 80 pounds per square inch (psi), according to the release.
“IAPMO R&T and the US EPA have fostered a strong partnership in the advancement of the agency’s successful and popular consumer labeling program,” said Shahin Moinian, senior director of IAPMO R&T. “The US EPA trusts IAPMO R&T to help administer its specification — and manufacturers trust us to help deliver the benefits of certification.”
To read the entire article, click here.
For related information, click here.