NESC Media Room
News Releases - 2012
Monitoring Unregulated Contaminants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a list of 28 chemicals and two viruses that approximately 6,000 public water systems will monitor from 2013 to 2015 as part of the agency's unregulated contaminant monitoring program. The data will be collected for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water, but that do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The list of contaminants to be studied includes total chromium and hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6. EPA selected the contaminants by first reviewing the agency’s contaminant candidate list, which highlights priority contaminants that need additional research to support future drinking water protections. State participation in the monitoring is voluntary. EPA will fund small drinking water system costs for laboratory analyses, shipping, and quality control.
The contaminants on 
the list are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems. However, they are not addressed by existing national drinking water standards. Additional contaminants of concern were selected based on current occurrence research and health-risk factor.
EPA has standards for 91 contaminants in drinking water, and the Safe Drinking Water Act requiresthat EPA identify up to 30 additional unregulated contaminants for monitoring every five years.
For more information, visit: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ucmr/ucmr3/index.cfm
Posted May 15, 2012
EPA Developes Risk Assessment Tool
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with drinking water and wastewater sector partners, has developed the Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT). The tool is designed to assist drinking water utility owners and operators in quantifying public health impacts, utility financial costs, and regional economic impacts of an adverse event, based on a variety of asset-threat combinations that pose a risk to the water sector.
Existing WHEAT modules analyze two event scenarios: the release of a hazardous gas and the loss of operating assets in a drinking water distribution system, and provide information that can be used as part of a comprehensive risk assessment. Future WHEAT modules will analyze drinking water contamination and wastewater system hazardous gas releases and loss of operating assets scenarios.
WHEAT is designed to run on Windows-based computers and generates reports in Microsoft Excel. Learn more about this tool, including specific hardware and software requirements, by visiting http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/wheat.cfm
EPA has other security and resilience resources at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/index.cfm
Posted April 17, 2012
New Issue of On Tap Available Online
A new issue of the National Environmental Services Center's drinking water magazine, On Tap, is now available. Formerly printed and mailed to more than 27,000 subscribers, On Tap is now available in an online format only.
The spring/summer 2012 issue features an interesting variety of articles including a guide to drinking water and wastewater videos available on YouTube, an overview of an energy savings program for water utilities in Vermont, some advice on being "green" in college (which, incidentally, has some great ideas whether you're in college or not), and some ideas about how to adopt new user rates. This issue's Tech Brief examines oil and gas extraction and how these activities can impact drinking water supplies, wastewater treatment, and source water protection.
As always, we encourage you to use the information in On Tap in your community. All we ask is that you give us credit and let us know how you used it.
Posted March 22, 2012
New Report Touts Benefits of Water Reuse
With recent advances in technology and design, treating municipal wastewater and reusing it for drinking water, irrigation, industry, and other applications could significantly increase the nation's total available water resources, particularly in coastal areas facing water shortages, says Water Reuse: Potential for Expanding the Nation's Water Supply Through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater, a new report from the National Research Council. The reuse of treated wastewater, also known as reclaimed water, to augment drinking water supplies has significant potential for helping meet future needs, the report adds. Moreover, new analyses suggest that the possible health risks of exposure to chemical contaminants and disease-causing microbes from wastewater reuse do not exceed, and in some cases may be significantly lower than, the risks of existing water supplies.
The report examines a wide range of reuse applications, including potable water, non-potable urban and industrial uses, irrigation, groundwater recharge, and ecological enhancement. It outlines wastewater treatment technologies for mitigating chemical and microbial contaminants, including both engineered and natural treatment systems.
Dr. Gerald Iwan, Ph.D., executive director of the National Environmental Services Center, offers words of caution, however. "Our country has a positive history of capitalizing on technology to address its problems," he notes. "But before a national policy in water reuse is established, consideration of the unintended consequences of such a paradigm shift would seem appropriate. Technology is not a substitute for integrated water resources planning, inappropriate land use, and population expansion into unsustainable locations. Simultaneous with developing water reuse technologies, we must also address the causative factors leading to such a need if we are to be sustainable."
The report closes by suggesting 14 areas of research to help guide the country on how to apply water reuse appropriately. Such research would require improved coordination among federal and nongovernmental organizations.
Purchase the report or download a free pdf at the National Acadamies Press at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13303.
Posted March 6, 2012
NESC Hosts Indonesian Leaders
Discuss Sustainability, Alternative Energy, Water Resources
Over the past year, the National Environmental Services Center (NESC), located at WVU's National Research Center for Coal and Energy, has been a veritable United Nations, hosting environmental leaders from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, China, and, most recently, Indonesia.
On February 20, 2012, NESC welcomed Dr. Eniya Listiani Dewi, chief engineer and researcher, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Center for Materials Technology, and Mr. Mahendra Taher, executive director, Sumatra Sustainable Support, Association for the Autonomy of Civil Society in Sumatra. Joining the discussion about sustainability, alternative energy, and water resources were Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design faculty members Peter Butler and Jingxin Wang.
"As the world economy grows, energy and environmental concerns are taking center stage," says Gerald Iwan, Ph.D., NESC's executive director. "Opportunities for the global scientific community to come together for positive technical and cultural exchanges are, therefore, extremely important. Addressing emerging issues related to water infrastructure sustainability offers a path toward international environmental and economic progress."
The Indonesian visit was coordinated through WVU's Office of International Students and Scholars and GlobalPittsburgh through the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.
Learn more about GlobalPittsburgh by visiting their website at www.globalpittsburgh.org.
Posted February 21, 2012
National Groundwater Awareness Week
March 11-17, 2012
Now in its second decade, Groundwater Awareness Week spotlights one of the world’s most important resources — groundwater. Sponsored by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), this annual event helps build awareness about this vital resource and asks: "Who should be aware of groundwater?"
The answer, quite simply, is "everyone."
Groundwater is essential to the health and well being of humanity and the environment. Whether you’re on a public water system or a private well, whether you are a health care official, policymaker, regulator, or someone interested in water resources or the environment in general, groundwater is important to you.
Find more information about groundwater and water well stewardship by visiting NGWA's website for well owners, www.wellowner.org.
Posted February 7, 2012
Interest rates for Rural Development Utilities Service (RDUS) water and wastewater loans--issued quarterly at three different levels: the poverty line rate, the intermediate rate, and the market rate--have been announced. The rate applied to a particular project depends on community income and the type of project being funded.
To qualify for the poverty line rate, two criteria must be met. First, the loan must primarily be used for facilities required to meet health and sanitary standards. Second, the median household income of the area being served must be below 80 percent of the state's non-metropolitan median income or fall below the federal poverty level. For 2011, the federal poverty level was $23,050 for a family of four.
To qualify for the intermediate rate, the service area's median household income cannot exceed 100 percent of the state's non-metropolitan median income.
The market rate is applied to projects that don't qualify for either the poverty or intermediate rates. The market rate is based on the average of the Bond Buyer index. The rates, which apply to all loans issued. The rates, which apply to all loans approved on or after May 23, 2
011, are:
-
poverty line: 2.25 percent;
intermediate: 3.0 percent; and
market: 3.75 percent.
RDUS loans are administered through state Rural Development offices, which can provide specific information concerning RDUS loan requirements and applications procedures.
For the phone number of your state Rural Development office, contact the National Environmental Services Center at (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191. The list is also available on the Rural Development Web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html.
Posted January 15, 2012
New Tech Brief Available Online
A new issue of our popular Tech Brief series is now available on the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) website at www.nesc.wvu.edu/
pdf/DW/publications/ontap/tech_brief/TB54_OilGasExtraction.pdf.
The latest Tech Brief is titled "Oil and Gas Extraction and Source Water Protection." In it, NESC Engineering Scientist Zane Satterfield examines increased activity in the oil and natural gas industries--especially with shale gas development--and how these efforts impact drinking water, wastewater, and source water protection.
This Tech Brief joins more than 50 others on topics ranging from arsenic to valve exercising. View the complete collection by clicking here.
A related article, "Communities, Water Sources and Potential Impacts of Shale Gas Development," describes the challenges a community may encounter as a result of shale gas development and offers suggestions for protecting community and water sources from potential negative impacts. The article is available through NESC's Water We Drink website at: www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/.
If you have questions about oil and gas extraction as it relates to water quality issues, please call our technical staff toll free at (800) 624-8301.
Posted December 13, 2011