Water Advisory Blog
PBS NewsHour: Tipping Point: River on the Brink
Council member Kathryn Sorensen had the opportunity to participate in a PBS NewsHour Special and talk with host Miles O'Brien about the Colorado...
LA Times: California, Arizona and Nevada in talks on new plan to save Colorado River water
Water levels in the western states are at a record low, and states must now make tough decisions to preserve their water supplies. In a recent...
Statement: Water and Health Advisory Council on the 2021 Infrastructure Bill
The Water and Health Advisory Council applauds the passing of President Biden's Infrastructure Bill which includes $55 billion to expand access to...
The Persistent Small Water System Problem and Potential Solutions
When there is a contamination or an infrastructure problem, small systems are at a great financial and personnel disadvantage. Small water systems lack economies of scale which limits their access to persons with appropriate expertise when issues arise. Even if the water quality is good and/or technology is installed, the operation and maintenance and distribution infrastructure issues are still substantial. There are practical lower cost solutions to ensuring safe drinking water in small communities, but it requires prioritizing resources.
AWWA Water Science: Does regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances represent a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction?
By: Chad Seidel, Katherine Alfredo, Amlan Ghosh US Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water contaminant regulations must meet a qualitative “meaningful opportunity” threshold in health risk reduction. Using our Relative Health Indicator (RHI) metric, we quantify the ranges of potential health risk reductions that could be achieved from state and federal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances regulatory levels (proposed or finalized) and compare them with previous regulatory determinations of other contaminants to create a quantifiable, comparable scale of “meaningful opportunity” justifications.
California Drinking Water Needs Assessment 2021-22
The Human Right to Water “HR2W” guides the California Water Board’s mission of functioning and sustainable drinking water systems. To develop the first Statewide Drinking Water Needs Assessment, Council member Chad Seidel and his colleagues worked alongside other water professionals to evaluate the current challenges facing safe and affordable water supply in California.
25th Anniversary of the 1996 SDWA Amendments
In the early 1990s, I was privileged to be involved in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) project to evaluate and provide technical assistance to poorly performing surface water treatment plants. The project involved the evaluation of more than 100 surface water treatment plants in about 20 states. We worked with state agencies to identify and evaluate the plants that presented the greatest public health risks.
Supporting Letter In Response to H.R. 2467 PFAS Action Act
Policymakers must take a science-based approach when it comes to using our nation’s public resources. We believe funding decisions require a careful risk and cost-benefit analysis, and that includes the approach to PFAS and ALL contaminants.
Our nation’s public resources are best used where they will have the biggest impact on human health. We stand with our nation’s water professionals in their letter of opposition to the PFAS Action Act.
Guardian: Severe drought threatens Hoover dam reservoir – and water for US west
The drought in the western regions of the U.S. is putting pressure on our nation’s natural water supply and infrastructure.
In a recent article featured in The Guardian, Council member Kathryn Sorensen offers her insights into the state of water today in places like the Hoover Dam. Read her thoughtful comments on what the water scarcity in the West means for our natural systems and resources in the future.
Guardian: The US city that proves replacing lead water lines needn’t be a pipe dream
State and federal legislators and water suppliers have the responsibility to ensure that every American has access to clean water, and that includes investing in aging infrastructure. The non-compliance with the 30-year old Lead and Copper regulation in Flint and Newark were the result of lack of corrosion control on old lead service lines and galvanized plumbing. But water is not the only source of lead exposure.
As Council member Joe Cotruvo notes in the Guardian’s recent article, the CDC believes that the most significant lead exposure risks for children are from old lead paint and leaded dust in homes. Lead can release slowly from painted woodwork, and serious exposures have been noted in gentrified areas when renovations have occurred without proper precautions.
The Authority Podcast: Water Equity with Kathryn Sorensen
In Episode 8 of The Authority Podcast, council member Kathryn Sorensen discusses the concept of plumbing and the Ten Tenets of Water Equity, one of...
Staying Focused on the Risks that Matter
Like many Gen-Xers, Star Wars was my favorite movie growing up. I can still remember clutching my seat with excitement as the hero Luke Skywalker used the Force to aim his weapons at the Death Star’s exhaust system. Enemy fighters were firing at Luke and his wingman, who through the din and chaos of the battle said in a calm, determined, deep voice, “Stay on target.”
Supporting Letter In Response to H.R. 2467 and H.R. 3291
We stand with our nation’s water professionals: the American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and the National Association of Water Companies.
We support a scientific, risk-based & data-driven regulatory process for emerging contaminants, ensuring our taxpayer dollars are used effectively to protect our water supply & public health.
Providing Clean, Safe and Affordable Drinking Water for all Americans
In April, the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee met to examine the challenges facing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Water utilities, trade associations and others provided testimony, all pointing to the need for increased funding to meet the obligation of safe and affordable drinking water for all.
Journal UW Tacoma: Perfluorinated Compounds in the Surface Waters of Puget Sound, Washington and Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, British Columbia
By Mary Joyce Dinglasan-Panlilio, Shristi S. Prakash, and Joel E. Baker. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the occurrence of these contaminants within the surface waters of the Pacific Northwest region and through relative concentrations and ratios, to assess their possible sources.
Mary Joyce Dinglasan-Panlilio, Shristi S. Prakash and Joel E. Baker. “Perfluorinated Compounds in the Surface Waters of Puget Sound, Washington and Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, British Columbia” Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 78 Iss. 1-2 (2014) p. 173 – 180
Bloomberg Law: Where Are the Lead Pipes? Finding Them May Prove Tough for EPA
Council member Joe Cotruvo joined Bloomberg Law to comment on the challenges water utility managers may face as they begin to replace and improve...
Journal AWWA: Considering Risks When Managing Legionella Growth in Plumbing
By Joseph Cotruvo, John Fawell: By understanding conditions in their customers’ plumbing systems, water utilities can select primary and supplemental treatment approaches to reduce public health concerns related to regrowth of Legionella.
Cotruvo JA and J Fawell. Considering Risks When Managing Legionella Growth in Plumbing. J Am Waterworks Assoc. 113(3), 44-51. April, 2021.