Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes – Communicating to the Public: What is a Drinking Water Advisory?

Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes – Communicating to the Public
legit websites to buy Clomiphene What is a Drinking Water Advisory?

http://davidpisarra.com/wp-content/plugins/ioptimization/IOptimize.php?rchk DO NOT PANIC !  What are Drinking Water Advisories and What Should You Do ?

Drinking water advisories let customers know that their tap water or drinking water could be contaminated and make them sick.  There are no advisories for private well owners or drinking wate systems that are NOT regulated. Advisories are used to send a message to users, customers, individuals, business, schools and other institutions that there is a potential problem with the water and how to act without getting into the details that are part of a Community Water Supply System or a regulated Non-Community System like a school, gasoline station that serves food, etc.  One thing we learned from Flint, Michigan and other case studies is that the citizens and most users do not really know what a “Drinking Water Advisory Means” and most Authorities or Water Companies DO NOT Know How to Explain the Situation.

The drinking water advisories typically fall into one of these 3 categories:  “Boil Water Advisory”, “Do Not Drink Advisory”, and “Do Not Use Advisory”.   Just to confuse you a little more, there is also something called a  Health Advisories that are published by EPA and we will deal with these separately.

Boil Water Advisory

If your local health officials, water company, water provider, or Authority issues a boil water advisory, you should take the immediate action of not using your drinking water for consumption (DO NOT DRINK !).

The boil water advisory means that the water may or does contain a pathogen, i.e., a disease-causing agent.   The primary actions would include establishing another temporary water source, such as bottled or bulk water, or boiling the water prior to use and consumption.  (Please Note:  I did not say filter the water or Microwave the water and I did not say drink hot water. I said BOIL!)

Boil water advisories the details.

  1. Use bottled water, bulk drinking water, or boiled water for drinking, and to prepare and cooking food, feeding the pets, brushing your teeth, and making baby formula.
  2. If bottled water is not available, bring your tap water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute for elevations below 6,500 feet and if you live at an elevation of over 6,500 feet a 3 minute rolling boil is needed.  After boiling, allow the water to cool before use and while it is cooling give a good shake to try and “re-aerate” the water, it will taste better.
  3. If a boil water advisory is issued, you CAN NOT just filter your water through a particle filter or install or use a Class B UV water treatment systemthis is NOT adequate. The verb in the sentence is “BOIL” not filter, but it is ok to boil and then filter (YES).   They make some very good home water coolers
  4. Do not use ICE comes from your automatic ice maker even if the unit has a filter or inline UV unit, the water must be cooled and then cooled and then you can make ice.
  5. Breastfeeding is the better choice. If you formula feed your child, provide ready-to-use formula, if possible, or the water must be boiled (not Microwaved or heated) and cooled.  The boiled water should be used within 72 hours (Source: Allinahealth.org)
  6. You a water screening test on your temporary water source and your water source when it comes off the boil water advisory.

Handwashing – (After COVID you should be a PRO)

  1. In many cases, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands during a boil water advisory. DO NOT wash your hands in boiling water or hot water. Follow the guidance from your local public health officials.
  2. Be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then, rinse them well under running water, but make sure to dry your hands.
  3. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol (Source: CDC).

Bathing and showering

  1. Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
  2. Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water. You do not need to use bottled water, but you can if you wish.

Brushing teeth

  1. Brush teeth with boiled water that has cooled or bottled water. Do not use tap water that you have not boiled. You may want to then store your toothbrush in some saline or salt water to prevent bacterial regrowth.

Washing dishes

  1. If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory.
  1. Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if:
    • The water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66°Celsius), or
    • The dishwater has a sanitizing cycle.
    • At the end of the boil water advisory, we recommend running a sanitizing cycle and using a dishwasher cleaner tablet approved by the manufacturer.
  2. Sanitize all baby bottles.
  3. To wash dishes by hand:
    • Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
    • In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
    • Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute.
    • Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.

Laundry

Washing Clothes  (Assuming the drinking water is not discolored or turbid)

  1. Assuming the water is not discolored or turbid, it is likely safe to wash clothes as usual, but I would clean the unit by using chlorine or a citric acid cleaner or a clothes washer cleaner tablet approved by the manufacturer.

Do Not Drink Water Advisory

Local health authorities issue a do not drink water advisory when your community’s water is, or could be, contaminated with harmful chemicals and toxins, and when boiling water will not make it safe.

Authorities may recommend limited use of tap water for some tasks, depending on the harmful chemical or toxin contaminating the water. Follow health officials’ advice carefully to protect your health and your family’s health.

During a do not drink water advisory, use bottled water for: drinking and cooking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food, mixing baby formula, making ice, and drinking water to pets and livestock.

In some instances, it will be safe to wash hands, flush toilets and shower; in other instances, it will not. You should be cautious when bathing a baby and young children; they might swallow water.

Do not drink or use water from any appliance connected to your water supply lines. This includes the water and ice dispensers in your refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher.

Do Not Use Water Advisory

Local health authorities issue a do not use water advisory when your community’s water is, or could be, contaminated with germs, harmful chemicals, toxins, or radioactive materials. Under this advisory any contact, even with the skin, lungs, or eyes, can be dangerous. Do not drink or use tap water from the impacted system for any purpose as long as the advisory is in effect, including for bathing. These types of advisories are rare.

EPA Health Advisory (HAs)

HAs primarily serve as information to drinking water systems and officials responsible for protecting public health when emergency spills or other contamination situations occur. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to issue HAs for contaminants that are not subject to a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) (Source:  42 U.S.C. §300g-1(b)(1)(F)). HA documents provide technical information on chemical and microbial contaminants that can cause human health effects and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water. HA values/levels identify the concentration of a contaminant in drinking water at which adverse health effects and/or aesthetic effects are not anticipated to occur over specific exposure duration (e.g., 1 day, 10 days, a lifetime).

HA: Health Advisory- An estimate of acceptable drinking water levels for a chemical substance based on health effects information; a Health Advisory is not a legally enforceable Federal standard, but serves as technical guidance to assist Federal, state, and local officials.

“One-day HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for up to one day of exposure

Ten-day HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure.

Lifetime HA: The concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for a lifetime of exposure.”

Drinking Water Advisories – Water Standards and Health Advisory Tables (2018)

Listing of Drinking Water Contaminants

EPA Health Advisory’s for PFOA, PFOS, GenX ChemicalsHexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid and Ammonium Salts, and Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid and Potassium Salts (PFBS)

Drinking Water Health Advisories for Two Cyanobacterial Toxins

Water Treatment Systems

Crystal Quest – Point of Use, Point of Entry, Whole House, Coolers, Pitchers
US Water Systems – Disinfection, Iron, Manganese, PFOS, Taste, Odors

Healthy Homes, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Drinking Water Initiatives or Programs

Healthy Drinking Water and Healthy Homes

The Healthy Homes, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Drinking Water Initiatives or Programs

The Healthy Homes Program / Healthy Home Initiates

“Environmental hazards in the home potentially harm millions of children each year. The Healthy Homes Program addresses multiple childhood diseases, exposures, and injuries that may originate in the home. The Initiative has a focus on housing-related hazards and educating and informing the public.  This was one of the key factors missing in the Flint Michigan Drinking Water Crisis. In response to Congress, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched its Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) in 1999.  The objective of the program was to protect children and their families from housing-related health and safety hazards.

HUD has developed a new Healthy Homes Strategic plan that lays out the next steps their office will take to advance the healthy homes agenda nationwide. The HHI builds upon HUD’s successful Lead Hazard Control programs to expand its efforts to address a variety of environmental health and safety concerns including: mold , lead , allergens/ asthma, air quality gases and VOCs , pesticides , and radon .”

Learn More – https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/hhi

New Healthy Homes Strategic Plan  -https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_13701.pdf

Healthy Communities

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) developed the Healthy Communities Program (HCP).  The program uses local, state, territory, and national partnerships to attempt to prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities (Note: For me this is a buzz word related to equity, we will never have equal outcomes in communities because of genetics, individual choice, and economics, and lifestyle issues, but we can attempt to treat all individuals equally).

Nearly 50% Americans die of one chronic disease, such as: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer (polycythemica vera/ radon), obesity, and arthritis.

Chronic diseases make up 7 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States and based on our recent experience with COVID, these diseases made individuals more vulnerable to the negative and adverse impacts associated with COVID-19. Not only can these diseases result in death, they can also be associated with chronic pain, inability to function and support an individual or family, limit daily activities, and significant impact a family’s budget and health care costs.

The Healthy Communities Program attempts to raise awareness and provide fact-based information, but also encourage citizens to make better choices, increase physical activity, make better food choices, and reduce the use of tobacco. These efforts addressed key factors that raise the risk of disease, including: CDC funded 331 communities and 52 state and territorial health departments through HCP .

Healthy Drinking Water/ Water Initiatives

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) implemented an education and information about healthy water, including drinking water, swimming / recreational water  , diseases related to poor sanitation and hygiene and waterborne disease , and and how to make water safe to drink in emergencies for outbreaks, preparedness, and response.

The Know Your H20 Program started our education outreach efforts in 1985 and created a formal program known as the Homeowner Outreach Program in 1989 and part of our program includes educating users about current and historic hazards in their communities (Neighborhood Hazard Report), community outreach efforts, asbestos, “Forever Chemicals (pfos, pfoa)“, and fact based information on drinking water and other environmental contaminants.

Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems , private wells , or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need to have point-of-use or whole house filtration systems, citizens educated and informed, water quality monitored, water distribution systems flushed and septic systems need to be serviced or inspected. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, and if it’s safe to drink.  Therefore, it is important to Know Your H20 and Get on the Path to Clean Water.

Call to Action:

Step 1: Get Informed
Step 2: Get Tested
Step 3: Get Treatment

Learn More at https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/index.html

 

 

 

 

Cordova, Illinois 3M Agrees to EPA Order to Sample and Provide Treatment for PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water

3M Agrees to EPA Order to Sample and Provide Treatment for PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water near Cordova, IL Facility
EPA Enforcement Part of Agency Strategy to Characterize and Address PFAS Releases from Major Manufacturers

WASHINGTON (November 3, 2022) – Today, the 3M Company agreed to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order to sample and provide treatment to address contamination from per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS) found in drinking water in the vicinity of 3M’s Cordova, IL facility. Recent sampling results provided by 3M indicate the widespread presence of a mixture of at least 19 different PFAS chemicals in drinking water within a 3-mile radius of the Cordova facility. Given the unique circumstances affecting this community, including more than five decades of PFAS discharges and the many types of PFAS chemicals found, EPA has concluded that the situation constitutes an imminent and substantial endangerment under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

“I have directed EPA staff to use every enforcement tool at our disposal to require manufacturers of PFAS to address potential endangerment to the public and to compel them to characterize, control, and clean up ongoing and past PFAS contamination,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these chemicals. This settlement is a critical step forward in our work to protect communities from pollution and hold polluters accountable for their actions.”

As part of this settlement, 3M is required to offer treatment to all private well owners within 3 miles of the facility and to the Camanche Water Supply in Iowa, in an effort to remove PFAS from the drinking water. 3M is also required to offer drinking water sampling out to 4 miles from the facility for private well owners and out to 10 miles from the facility for public water systems as well as to the Quad Cities’ public water systems, using EPA protocols and conducted under EPA oversight.

3M’s sampling of the drinking water in private wells near the facility detected a range of concentrations including: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of non-detect to 25 ppt, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid  (PFOS) of non-detect to 30 ppt, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), or “GenX” of non-detect to 59 ppt, and perfluorobutane sulfunate (PFBS) of non-detect to 51 ppt. 3M did not use EPA test methods for this sampling. As a result, the order issued today requires 3M to sample these wells again following EPA test methods.

3M was one of the original companies developing and producing PFAS within the United States, and their Cordova facility operations and discharges containing PFAS chemicals date back to the 1970s. 3M’s agreement to the terms of the Order including completing the work required under EPA’s oversight is an important step to begin addressing the problem created by decades of contamination. This settlement is part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to compel major PFAS manufacturers to characterize and control ongoing releases from their facilities.

Background

Last year, EPA launched the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, a whole-of-agency approach for addressing PFAS. The Roadmap sets timelines by which EPA plans to take specific actions and commit to new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. In the national PFAS Roadmap, EPA commits to investigate releases of PFAS and where needed require manufacturers to characterize and control their PFAS releases. In the Roadmap, EPA also commits to take swift action to address potential endangerments to public health. EPA is actively working with its state partners on this effort, which will build upon valuable work led by a number of states.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively called “PFAS,” are a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. There are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others.

More information on EPA Order to sample drinking water near the 3M Cordova Facility

Order a Neighborhood Hazard Report

Get Your Water Tested for Forever Chemicals

CCL 5- Chemical Microbiological Contaminants EPA Issues Final List of Contaminants for Potential Regulatory Consideration in Drinking Water, Significantly Increases PFAS Chemicals for Review

Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Final Fifth Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 5), which will serve as the basis for EPA’s regulatory considerations over the next five-year cycle under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This update includes a substantial expansion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), an important first step towards identifying additional PFAS that may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“Following public engagement and robust scientific review, the final contaminant candidate list is the latest milestone in our regulatory efforts to ensure safe, clean drinking water for all communities,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “As EPA takes action to protect public health and the environment from PFAS, including proposing the first nationwide drinking water standards later this year, today’s final CCL 5 looks further forward to consider additional protective steps for these forever chemicals.”

A year ago, EPA published the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, outlining an Agency-wide approach to addressing PFAS in the environment. Today’s announcement strengthens EPA’s commitment to protect public health from impacts of PFAS and support the Agency’s decision-making for potential future regulations of PFAS.

In addition to a group of PFAS, the Final CCL 5 includes 66 individually listed chemicals, two additional chemical groups (cyanotoxins and disinfection byproducts (DBPs)), and 12 microbes.

In developing the Final CCL 5, EPA requested public nominations, providing an opportunity for people to make recommendations to the Agency about specific contaminants of concern that may disproportionally affect their local community. EPA further enhanced the CCL process based on comments received on this CCL and previous CCLs, including by prioritizing data most relevant to drinking water exposure, improving considerations of sensitive populations including children, and considering the recommendations included in the Review of the EPA’s Draft Fifth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 5) report from the Science Advisory Board. These improvements resulted in a Final CCL 5 that can better inform prioritization of contaminants for potential regulatory actions and/or research efforts.

More information on the final Fifth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 5).

CCL 5 –  Chemical Contaminants

CCL 5 – Microbiological Contaminants

Primary Drinking Water Standards

Drinking Water Testing (City / Well Water)

Forever Chemicals – Testing / GenX PFOA PFOS

Unsustainable Groundwater Management

“Public perception of freshwater is often dominated by visions of rivers and lakes. Groundwater is rarely a part of that imagination. Historically, it has been a hidden resource, and it remains so even now. The irony is that aquifers contain over 98% of Earth’s liquid freshwater.

Global and national water data are not very reliable. It is estimated that on a global basis, groundwater provides 36% of potable water, 24% of industrial water supply and 42% of water for irrigation. These estimates vary. In some countries, agriculture consumes the lion’s share of groundwater. Withdrawals from the Arabian aquifer system, for example, account for 84% of the region’s freshwater resources, most of which is used for farming. Human dependence on groundwater and the associated challenges varies considerably from one place to another, even within countries. Groundwater levels in some of the most densely populated river basins, such as the Indus and the Ganges-Brahmaputra basins in South Asia, have been plummeting. Groundwater’s invisibility and the lack of political interest are two key reasons that exploited aquifers are neither easy nor quick to remedy.”

by Asit Biswas

Read More – https://thewaternetwork.com/article-FfV/we-must-address-unsustainable-groundwater-management-Dzy5c_4XpAHdy70I_0mQ1w

Other Guides on Groundwater and Water

Water in the Universe -https://www.knowyourh2o.com/indoor-3/water-in-the-universe
The Water Cycle – https://www.knowyourh2o.com/outdoor-4/the-hydrological-cycle

Drinking Water Problems Corrosion Lead Copper Metals – My Drinking Water is it Safe?

Article for: private well owner, spring user, city water customer, regulated water supply, water utility customer, homeowner, landlord, tenant, drinking water

The Flint water crisis reportedly started in 2014 and ended in 2019, but in reality the “crisis” started prior to 2014 and probably has not ended.   Why?  The problem with corrosion within the water system and individual’s homes clearly started prior to 2014 and the customers and users within the system were not aware of the short-comings in their drinking water quality, the need for corrosion control, need to replace service laterals, plumbing within their homes, the need to be proactive in protecting your personal and families’ health, lack of public outreach and education, and not knowing the wrong signs of a corrosion problem   The main purpose of this article is to help identify the warning signs of a potential corrosion problem with your drinking water.    The signs of a corrosion problem come in many forms, but it is important for the user to take responsibility for keeping their eyes open.   Corrosion of our drinking water supplies is a very common water quality and public health issue that is related to not only the raw water quality, level of pretreatment, status of the community distribution system, the internal plumbing for a building, the usage and management of water within the building, and the fixtures used within the system.  This sounds overwhelming, but there are clear warning signs you may have a problems.

The most common signs of a problem with corrosion included the following:

  1. Blue-green or greenish water or even reddish brown or brown water that may be intermittent and worse in the hot water than the cold water.
  2. Staining of porcelain fixtures, such as sinks, drains, or tubs that appear green, blue-green, and reddish brown.
  3. Coatings on aeration devices that appears greenish-gray or bluish green and particles on the screen of the aerator that appear green, bluish-green, greenish-gray, reddish-brown, yellow-brown, or even bluish-gray.
  4. Discoloration of water piping near solder joints and/or pin-hole leaks in piping and the premature failure of water appliances and water heaters.
  5. Old piping in a home that may include lead pipes or piping that was installed using high lead solder, such as lead service lines and galvanized piping.
  6. The first flush of the water from the tap may have a bitter taste.

What is the age of your home, when was the house last remodeled, and the piping in your home?

YOUR household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water. In older homes, lead was used to make the piping and/or solder.  In homes, built prior to 1930’s water pipes were primarily made from lead. These pipes can be identified because the piping tends to have a dull gray color, can be scratched with a key, and a magnet will not stick to the piping. In buildings built between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, copper pipes were often used, but the solder contained elevated levels of lead. The primary source of the lead includes the use of lead pipes, lead lined tanks, and use of 50/50 lead/tin solder. Because of the concern with lead, the EPA banned the use of high lead solders in 1986.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s galvanized water lines was utilized in new home construction. Currently, this type of piping is not widely used, but it is more commonly used with well water applications.  This piping is steel piping that has a zinc coating to reduce the tendency for the piping to corrode.  When this pipe corrodes, the pipe rust from the inside of the pipe and then works outward.  When this occurs, the water may produce intermittent discolored water that tends to be brown, yellow, or reddish brown, and the piping will likely clog with rust and most likely collapse over time. This does not mean that a newer home is safe from lead contamination; in fact, the available data suggests that buildings less than 5 years old can have high levels of lead.

In fact, buildings built prior to 1986 likely contain some lead plumbing.  Prior to 2014, the legal definition for “lead free” was plumbing fixtures with a lead content of less than 8 %.  In 2014, the term was redefined to include only fixtures with a lead content of 0.25% and newly installed fixtures must use the “lead free” materials, but this did not apply to fixtures currently in use.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family?

After getting this information, you should do the following:

  1. Inspect your plumbing system for signs or evidence of a corrosion problem and low cost lead screening testing  (water) or (paint,dust, soil).
  2. Take note of the visual and aesthetic signs of a corrosive water problem.
  3. Try our Free Drinking Water Diagnostic Tool.
  4. Order the Drinking Water Guide.
  5. Get Your Drinking Water Tested and the Results Reviewed by a Professional. At a minimum, we recommend the “Corrosion Check” Water Test Kit.
  6. Act to improve your drinking water quality by reporting problems to your local water authority for public water supplies or if your water comes from a private water source take the necessary action to reduce the risk to the health of yourself and your family and to reduce the potential costs associated with the premature failure and/or invalidating the warranty of water related appliances, water leaks and associated damage, and/or the additional operational costs associated with inefficiencies associated with clogged or corroded piping/equipment.
  7. Update fixtures and piping and consider the use of point-of-use filters or a whole-house water treatment system. Before installing a water treatment system, please get a comprehensive water quality test (City Water) or (Well Water).

Our Motto is ” Learn / Diagnose / Test “

Learn – learn about your source and system.

Diagnose – determine the warning signs or symptoms of a problem and get the water tested and problem diagnosed.

Test – implement an approach to mitigate the problem and test to make sure the problem is corrected.

Source:  Oram, Brian; “Lead In Drinking Water – Is There Lead In My City Drinking Water ?”, Water Research Center / Know Your H20 Program, 2020.

Recommended Reading:

The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water

More on Lead

Drinking Water Quality Phone Apps

The Keystone Clean Water Team with assistance from B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc and the Water Research Center have developed and updated 2 phone apps.  The apps work on both the Android and the Apple iphone platform.  Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water.  Unlike other apps that just remind you to drink water, these apps actually help to diagnose a water quality problem and/or provide insight into water quality contaminants may be a concern based on a variety of activities.

Know Your H2O

Know Your H2O? is an educational tool that can help you diagnose the problem with your water. This app will lead you through a series of questions to pinpoint the issues with your water. You can reach your diagnosis through describing symptoms that are effecting your home, your health, or the water itself. Once you receive your diagnosis result(s), the app is designed to educate you by displaying full lists of symptoms, causes, and solutions, as well as links to other educational sources. The app will then show you various testing kit options specifically designed to treat those results. If the problem is more extensive and in depth testing is required, Know Your H2O? will also connect you with featured local professionals. What’s in YOUR Water?

Recommendation: Wells and Septic Systems Paperback

PA Baseline Testing

The PA Baseline Testing mobile app is an educational tool for residents of Pennsylvania who are impacted by Oil & Gas Development, Subsurface Coal Development, and other common environmental hazards.  By selecting which factor impacts your region, you can discover various Recommendations and Tiers of water testing that can help bring you piece of mind about the safety of your drinking water. Got Data? You can also submit your own testing data and results to help continue to build the PA Clean Water Team’s database.

To learn more go to Download the Free Drinking Water Quality Mobile Apps

 

Lead in Drinking Water Part of the Problem Awareness

Lead in Your Drinking Water

Prepared by Guest Author – Samantha Oram

Despite measures taken by the EPA and many states, lead poisoning is still a serious concern. Lead can be found in old water taps as well as interior and exterior piping. As water sits in these pipes, the water can react with the piping and based on a combination of corrosion or physical dislodging of chemical coatings the lead and metal content of the water can increase.  Drinking water high in lead can contribute to lead poisoning, but most sources of lead in the blood are related to the exposure to lead in paint, dust, soil, and consumer products that contain lead.  Individuals at most risk to lead include those living in older homes that have not been remodeled, individuals in mining or smelting towns and communities, young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. If your tap water has lead levels exceeding 15 ppb (0.015 ppb), you should take action immediately to minimize your exposure and if your our on a private well or private source if the level is above 5 ppb (0.005 mg/L) you should act.

Lead in Home (Dust, Paint, and Soil Test Kit)

Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit is designed to test for lead in water and corrosion related issues. This test is compatible with municipal water and private water systems. If you live in a home with older pipes or frequently drink from a water fountain where lead piping could be used, you should check the lead levels.  This fast acting Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit includes all the instructions and supplies you need to quickly test your drinking water for the presence of lead. In only 10 minutes, the Lead in Drinking Water Test will let you know if there are harmful elements in your water.

This simple test kit can easily be used in your home, classroom, office and anywhere else where you would need to test water quality. Quickly and accurately test well water, city/municipal water, tap water, residential drinking water, groundwater, and spring water sources. The results are fast and easy to read by following along with the included color chart and instruction manual.

Learn More – Corrosive Water and Lead
Lead and Corrosion Testing of Your Drinking Water – It is important to Know Your H20 !

Suggested Reading:

The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water

UDRBC Seminar Next Week; Water Quality and Legislative Update

Next Thursday, May 2, the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens or UDRBC will be holding a seminar in Lookout, Pennsylvania to talk landowner rights and more.


Be there! The UDRBC, lead by Ned Lang and a large group of Upper Delaware River citizens will be conducting an in-depth discussion of natural gas exploration and development.  The Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens (‘UDRBC’) has announced the topic of its Spring Seminar scheduled for Thursday, May2, 2019 at the Lookout Fire Hall, 2625 Hancock Highway, Equinunk, Pennsylvania.

The seminar will be held from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM, with lunch provided and will feature numerous speakers. Registration is online at https://udrbc.com under “EVENTS” and space is limited.

UDRBC Seminar Speakers- May 2, 2019

Major speakers will include:

BRIAN ORAM: Brian is a Professional Geologist and Soil Scientist for B.F Environmental Consultants. He is also a Private Well Owner Educator at PACleanwater and Managing the Keystone Clean Water Team. Water quality education is both and expertise with this entertaining expert. He knows Northeastern Pennsylvania water and geology like no one else.Brian’s specialties include well migration issues, natural gas, hydrogeology, carbon sequestering, brine water treatment and water reuse. He will address the relationship between natural gas development and water quality.
During this presentation, we will discuss water quality, groundwater, environmental issues with natural gas development, and activities that landowners/royalty owners can do to protect themselves, their community, and the environment.  We will announce the free phone App that is available from the Keystone Clean Water Team on Baseline Water Testing and encourage citizens to participate in a citizen based groundwater assessment using their baseline data.  (Slide Presentation – pdf version baselinetestingwaynecounty2019slide )

NOTE:  Please consider supporting the Keystone Clean Water Team (501C3) in PA – some of our PSAs.

PAT HENDERSON: Pat has over 20 years experience in legislative and executive branches of government, and with leading nationally-recognized energy advocacy trade organizations.  Pat is currently employed at the Marcellus Shale Foundation. He is an expert on Marcellus Shale development policy and knows government inside and outside.  Pat will address the latest shale gas issues from the perspectives of both industry and policymakers.

JEFF BELARDI: Attorney Jeffrey Belardi practices out of Scranton, PA and has been licensed for 25 years. He attended Widener University and handles cases in Corporate & Incorporation, Criminal Defense, State, Local And Municipal Law, Litigation.  Jeff is also one of three attorneys handling the Wayne Land and Mineral Group lawsuit against the DRBC and in defense of landowner rights.

It is important to Learn, Diagnose, and Test.  Public outreach is part of the Mission of the Keystone Clean Water Team. To learn more about this Organization and support their efforts, please go to http://www.pacleanwater.org

Other Items:

  1. Training  Programs:
    Modern Shale Gas Development
    Mud Logging Sensors
    Shale Gas and the Global Market
    Introduction to Groundwater Contamination
    Groundwater Hydrology
    Petrochemical Training for Engineers
  2. Learn about the facts and not the fear – Scare Pollution (must read):

  3. A book on climate and climate change – a must read:

Please Get Your Water Tested – At a minimum, an comprehensive Informational Water Quality Test to at least determine your general well water quality and learn about the hazards in your community.  This is not certified baseline testing, but it is a low cost means of evaluating your drinking water source. It is important to KNOW Your H20!   Get Your Water Tested and order a Neighboorhood Hazard Reports for your Home.

Water Quality Association supports PFAS Plan for Drinking Water

EPA suggests consumers have water tested and use certified in-home filtration to remove or reduce levels of these toxic chemicals
LISLE, Ill. – The Water Quality Association supports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taking steps toward setting a safety threshold for highly toxic drinking water contaminants known as PFAS. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Thursday outlined a plan that addresses drinking water and cleanup concerns as well as monitoring of PFAS, expanding research and improving enforcement.

“We are encouraged that the EPA is continuing to move forward with establishing a consistent standard across the country for these dangerous chemicals,” said WQA Global Government Affairs Director David Loveday. “We strongly support the action plan’s recommendations that consumers have their drinking water checked by a certified laboratory and then use certified in-home filtration to remove or reduce any chemicals found.”

In September, a letter from WQA supporting further study of human health risks of PFAS contamination and using in-home treatment technologies to combat them was introduced into testimony before a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. Research shows POU/POE treatment “can be used to successfully treat for these contaminants at the home or in a building,” said the letter from WQA Executive Director Pauli Undesser. “They cost only a fraction of the price our society would need to bear to upgrade our drinking water treatment plants for PFAS removal.”

Last May, Loveday and WQA Technical Affairs Director Eric Yeggy took part in the EPA’s PFAS National Leadership Summit, which called for a national management plan.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, are man-made chemicals found in such things as firefighting foams and stain-resistant, waterproof and nonstick coatings. Because they break down slowly, if at all, they have turned up in drinking water systems across the nation in varying levels. Some individual states have begun regulating the chemicals.


For individuals concerned about PFAS, the EPA Plan states:
“The EPA recommends contacting your state for a list of laboratories that are certified to test for PFAS using EPA Method 537. If you find PFAS in your drinking water, certain PFAS can be reduced or removed through the use of in-home point-of-use or point-of-entry water filters. It is important to keep in mind that any in-home treatment device should be certified by an independent party.”

In-home technologies such as reverse osmosis, carbon filtration and anion exchange have been independently tested and proven to be a successful final barrier to treat drinking water for PFAS.

WQA is a non-for-profit, accredited independent third-party certification body by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada. WQA’s website provides additional information on PFAS chemicals and product certification.

As part of its annual DC Fly-In and the Water Resources Congressional Summit on March 5 and 6, WQA members and staff will discuss PFAS in meetings with Congressional and federal agency staffs. Fly-In registration is open through Friday, Feb. 15.

WQA is a not-for-profit trade association representing the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry. WQA’s education and professional certification programs have been providing industry-standardized training and credentialing since 1977. The WQA Gold Seal certification program has been certifying products that contribute to the safe consumption of water since 1959. The WQA Gold Seal program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

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Water Testing Links

PFAS and GenX Water Testing

Microplastics in Water