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Whitewater Introduces A New Generation Of Online Water Management Systems At The International Water Trade Show – ACE - 2010, Chicago - June 21, 2010 - The Whitewater Group will participate in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) annual water trade show (Ace 2010) in Chicago, Illinois from June 20th-24th. Thousands of international water industry decision makers from around the world are expected to attend. Read more…
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2010 Distribution Systems Symposium and Exposition, Water Security Congress to be co-located - DENVER — The American Water Works Association (AWWA) announced that the 2010 Distribution Systems Symposium and Exposition (DSS) and Water Security Congress will be co-located in National Harbor, Md., on Sept. 19-22, according to a press release. Read more…
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China releases plan to protect drinking water, control pollution - Thursday, June 17, 2010 - BEIJING — The Chinese government has released a plan to protect the country’s drinking water sources in urban areas, according to a press release. The Urban Drinking Water Sources Protection Plan (2008-2020) will guide environmental protection and pollution control work at drinking water source areas. Read more…
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Water quality monitoring offers business opportunities - 1 March 2006 - We have written several stories about water purification companies coming up with innovative solutions to keep the U.S. drinking water safe. Indeed, experts argue that the systems monitoring the nation’s drinking water may need a significant overhaul in order to keep up with potential bioterror attacks. There are thus many business opportunities in this sector. Read more…
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AWWA, ASME-ITI issue management standards for water utilities - Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - WASHINGTON — The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers Innovative Technologies Institute LLC (ASME-ITI) have announced the development of the first risk and resilience management standard designed specifically for water utilities, according to a press release. The J100 standard, created in response to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and other recent disasters, will be released July 1, 2010. Read more…
- AWWA: Local Decisions Critical to Water SecurityMar 9, 2010 Washington, DC -- The American Water Works Association (AWWA) today advised the U.S. Congress that any new chemical security legislation should reflect the need for local water experts to make key treatment decisions and protect sensitive information from non-essential personnel. Read more…
- ‘Water security risk index’ released - Thursday, June 24, 2010 - ATHENS, GREECE — According to a survey released today, African nations such as Somalia, Mauritania and Sudan have the most unstable water supplies while Iceland, Norway and New Zealand have the most secure, Reuters reported. Read more…
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- ETV Water Quality Protection Centre Solicits Technology Vendors
The WQP Center, operated by NSF International, is soliciting vendors and collaborators interested in verification testing of source water protection and wet weather flow technologies, including coating materials for infrastructure rehabilitation. For a list of technology categories prioritized by this center, visit link. Vendors with technologies in these areas who are interested in having their products verified should contact Tom Stevens, NSF, at (734) 769-5347 or
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- ETV Drinking Water Systems Centre Solicits Technology Vendors
The DWS Center, operated by NSF International, is soliciting vendors of emerging and innovative drinking water treatment technologies and equipment, and collaborators who may assist in providing resources for technical evaluations. As funding is available, technologies of interest are those that address the following issues: contaminants regulated under the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, particularly membrane separation and ultraviolet or other inactivation processes; technologies to address the Groundwater Rule and arsenic, radium, uranium, and other existing drinking water rules; contaminants being considered, proposed, reviewed, or evaluated by EPA for regulation; water conservation and reuse. For more information, please contact Jeff Adams, EPA, at (513) 569-7835 or
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, or Bruce Bartley, NSF, at (734) 769-5148 or
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- "Every year, more people die from the consequences of unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war,” reports UNEP’s new Clearing the Waters: A focus on water quality solutions. This comprehensive, exceptional report is available here.
- EPA Announces Funding to Help Urban Communities Protect Their Waters (29 April 2010): The agency unveils a $600,000 competitive grant for urban watershed project under Urban Waters Initiative. The successful applicant would support capacity building projects in urban communities that will lead to environmental, public health, and related economic benefits. Read more…
- Method for chemoterrorism identified (Published 12 June 2009): Chemical terrorism does not receive as much press as bioterrorism, but the objectives are the same and the means even more readily available. In both cases, the purpose is to intimidate or coerce governments or civilian populations, to further political or social objectives. Israel21c quotes Israeli physicist Professor Abraham Katzir to say that urban water supplies are particularly vulnerable to chemoterror, says . Colorless and odorless liquids can not be seen by the human eye and water supplies aren’t necessarily subject to daily testing. Read more…
- Biochemist makes breakthrough in battle against dangerous water contaminant cryptosporidium (April 27, 2010): This week, Liz Hedstrom, A Brandeis University biochemist, presented research on cryptosporidium. According to the story, Hedstrom and her research partners showed that IMPDH inhibitors block cryptosporidium from proliferating in vitro — a breakthrough that could lead to an effective treatment to prevent the waterborne parasite. “It’s a difficult problem, but we think that we have some very promising compounds,” said Hedstrom. Read more…
- US senator wants EPA to investigate groundwater contamination (April 28, 2010): A senator from Pennsylvania has asked the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate claims that gas drilling in Susquehanna County is contaminating groundwater. The meeting with EPA officials would discuss natural gas drilling and whether the agency could investigate water and environmental contamination, the article stated. The senator wrote, “the highly variable and unpredictable nature (of hydraulic fracturing) that can lead to the contamination of drinking water is of great concern.” Read more…
- U.S. not ready for clean-up effort after a bioterror attack (14 April 2010): Nine years after the 2001 anthrax attack on the US, what progress has been made in policy and practice that would make decontamination easier in the event of another attack? A recent assessment, sponsored by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, found that the process of environmental decontamination would still be very difficult and costly and that the lines of responsibility at the federal level are still unclear. Read more…
- Eight firms answer government call for water purification systems (13 April, 2010): An operational requirements document (ORD) issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) that calls for a self-contained, self-powered water purification system has attracted the attention of eight small businesses, according to a press release. Read more...
- Reservoir About Ōtaki's Water Security: A $5m reservoir planned for Ōtaki will ensure security of supply for Ōtaki residents and is not connected in any way to issues of supply for Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati, Kāpiti Coast District Council's chief executive, Pat Dougherty, said today. "Ōtaki residents get their water supply from bores alongside the Ōtaki River. This system can be at risk in the event of a bore pump breakdown or power failure." Read more...
- U.S. and Israeli officials convene in Washington for water technology forum (25 March, 2010): Dozens of professionals and officials from various sectors of the water industry convened in Washington, D.C. on 23 March to discuss opportunities for water conservation and alternative energy solutions with Israeli water technology experts. The discussion focused on the challenge of introducing and integrating new technology solutions to existing legacy water systems. Read more…
- Experts: Weak biosafety laws in Africa are an invitation to bioterrorists (24 March, 2010): Food production in Africa must be increased by up to 300 percent by 2050, and scientists say the only way to do so is by using biotechnology; many are worried that weak or nonexistent biosafety laws in Africa would make it easy for bioterrorists to exploit increased biotechnology activity for their nefarious purposes. Read more…
- Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector (24 March, 2010): Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy, writes: “Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life.” Read more…
- New USGS groundwater studies explain what, when, and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells: All wells are not equally vulnerable to contamination because of differences in various factors. More than 100 million people in the United States receive their drinking water from public groundwater systems, which can be vulnerable to naturally occurring contaminants such as radon, uranium, arsenic, and man-made compounds, including fertilizers, septic-tank leachate, solvents and gasoline hydrocarbons. Read more…
- EPA, WaterISAC offer webinar series on water system emergency response: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the WaterISAC are offering a four-part webinar series on water system emergency response, scheduled to take place on April 2, 9, 23 and 30. The series aims to educate all US water and wastewater utility employees who may be required to respond during a water emergency, the release stated. Read more…
- EPA Launches web forum on how to best protect America's Waters: The US EPA is, for a limited time, seeking the public’s opinion on how best to protect the nation’s waters and create the safest, most sustainable water systems. All can join the discussion until March 31, 2010. Read more…
- California Water Utility Reduces Terrorism Risk through personnel identification: Alco Water Service has implemented personnel identification in order to be consistent with the counterterrorism laws, which require that a water utility serving a population of 3,300 or more must assess its system's vulnerability to acts of terrorism or other intentional harm. The company rolled out an RFID-based system for both security and asset-management applications. The company is employing the system to gain better visibility into the use of its stations, both for operational efficiency and in compliance with the Bioterrorism Act, federal legislation passed in 2002. Read more…
- CyberStorm II Report Released: Critical to protection against both physical and cyber attacks on the US are key factors which must be addressed, such as crisis communication, definition of roles and responsibilities, better information sharing. This can be applied to all public services, including water utilities. WaterISAC participated in the report. Read more...
- Utilities making progress toward security: US water utilities are committed to meeting security requirements and continue to make progress implementing voluntary security measures. Among the findings of the 2009 Water Sector Measures Analysis, 87 percent of water utilities have "integrated security and preparedness into budgeting, training, and manpower responsibilities" and 88 percent "receive screened, validated, and timely security threat information from one or more sources." Read more...
- Water Security Organization WaterISAC Urges Review of IED Protective Measures in Wake of Failed Attack: As widely reported, on 25 December, a passenger attempted to ignite an explosive device on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 while it was en route to Detroit, Michigan. Fortunately, the attempt failed due to a combination of factors. This attempted attack is a clear and present reminder of the continued terrorist threat currently facing the United States. In the wake of this incident, the WaterISAC reminded subscribers of the numerous resources available on the portal to help water utilities protect against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Read more…
- New security and emergency planning book from the AWWA: The American Water Works Association has announced the publication of its new book, Security and Emergency Planning for Water and Wastewater Utilities, which documents the security and emergency preparedness changes that water and wastewater utilities have undergone since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the release stated. Topics include natural, accidental and intentional threats to water and wastewater systems and remediation and recovery. Read more…
- China puts money into water pollution fight: China will invest approximately 90 billion yuan to fight water pollution in the next two or three years, said Wu Xiaoqing, vice minister of environmental protection. The money will be spent in building wastewater treatment plants and water distribution system, among other expenses. Read more…
- AWWA presents 2010 Inorganic Contaminants Workshop: DENVER — The American Water Works Association (AWWA) will host the 2010 Inorganic Contaminants Workshop in Denver, Colorado, on Feb. 28-March 2. The workshop will include presentations from leading water experts of inorganic contaminants and provide a forum where water industry professionals can learn, network and share ideas, the release stated. Read more…
- EPA’s Lisa Jackson: “America’s waterbodies are imperiled as never before”. Among the priorities for the year are stronger drinking water protection and expansion in construction of water infrastructure, in part in order to secure water against “invasive species and drinking water contaminants”. Read More…
- EPA honors Pa. water authority for protecting drinking water:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today presented the regional Source Water Protection award to the Meadville Area Water Authority in Meadville, Crawford County, Pa., for protecting drinking water sources. "With this award, EPA is recognizing Meadville Area Water Authority's outstanding partnership program in protecting sources of drinking water," said Jon M. Capacasa, director of the water protection division for EPA's mid-Atlantic region. Meadville's program protects the ground water, which serves as the source for seven drinking water wells, servicing over 16,000 customers. Read more...
- SEPA finalizes next contaminant list for regulation: The US Environmental Protection Agency has finalized the Contaminant Candidate List 3, a list of drinking water contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems. The agency will determine by 2013 whether to propose new regulations for some of the 116 contaminants. The agency released a pre-publication version of the rule after Peter Silva, USEPA's assistant administrator for water, signed it Sept. 23. This final CCL3 contains 116 contaminants versus the 104 contained in a draft published in February 2008 — 104 chemical contaminants or groups and 12 microbes. Among them are pesticides, disinfection by-products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals used in commerce, waterborne pathogens and algal toxins. Read more...
- Announcing formation of Water Policy Institute: The Water Policy Institute, formed in June 2008, is a non-partisan, member-driven organization of water leaders, including scientists, academics, water users, industry representatives, water suppliers, and non-governmental organizations. Its purpose is to collaboratively develop innovative, sustainable solutions for water supply and quality issues, and to provide leadership on legal, regulatory and policy issues involving water locally, nationally, and internationally. Read more...
- Water sector seeks higher priority in disaster recovery: When it comes to recovery from a major disaster, water systems are likely to get higher priority if President Obama accepts last week's recommendation from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. In the wake of disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Ike, the 2008 Iowa floods and the 2009 ice storm, leaders of the Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) now organized in 43 states have said the needs of the water sector continue to slip on the priority ranking of disaster response agencies. Read more...
- Water sector to measure security progress: The Water Sector will be the first critical infrastructure group to launch a second round of sector-specific security metrics. The 2009 metrics survey is set to launch on Sept. 22. Last year's responses indicated that drinking water and wastewater utilities had made significant progress in many areas of security. To measure additional progress and gain an even better understanding of the sector’s overall security posture, the metrics collection effort is being conducted again. Read more...
- The World's Looming 'Water Gap': There's good and bad news from a sweeping new report on the world's water scarcity out today from McKinsey & Co., commissioned by such water-dependent companies as Coca-Cola, Nestle, SAB Miller and Syngenta, along with the World Bank/International Finance Corp. The bad: Global demand for water already exceeds supply -- about 1.1 billion people don't have access to clean water -- and the so-called water gap is increasing at an accelerating rate. The good: Cost-effective, sustainable solutions are available to close the gap, particularly if governments and business focus on reducing demand rather than trying to generate additional supply. The challenge: Getting beyond the nostrum that water is a "human right" so that water, which is obviously a scarce resource, can be priced in a way that drives conservation. Read more...
- The Israeli Holistic Approach to Water Security: Organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Standards Organization (ISO), work to define the guidelines and regulations for modern day water security. Due to this complexity, it will take time to define these water security regulations. In the interim, water utilities, civil engineering companies, emergency authorities and other water security early adopters can use Israel's experience on water security as a useful resource. Read more….
- Funds awarded for water infrastructure projects: In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water and wastewater infrastructure and protect human health and the environment for the people in the State of California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $440 million to California. This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state. Read more….
- Climate change threatens water supplies: Speakers at a water utilities convention in San Diego, Calif., say it's getting more difficult to manage water supplies amid global warming...read more….
- "20 different types of pharmaceuticals in the supposedly-treated water, including enough of the powerful antibiotic ciproflaxin to treat 90,000 people daily. When asked, a local mother of four explained, “We don’t have any other source, so we’re drinking it" ...read more...
- World Water Week: Safe drinking water for all: Washington - Water Advocates calls for the funding and implementation of more safe drinking water projects in developing countries...read more...
- "More than a billion people in the developing world do not have access to clean water, and in many cases rely on water from polluted rivers, lakes, and unsafe wells or piped water supplies. The consequences are catastrophic, and the ever increasing competition for decreasing amounts of clean water contributes to conflict at many levels and can lead to outbreaks of serious diseases that can spread around the globe"...read more...
- "In 2030, shortage of water obviously interacts with a shortage of food, there are real potentials for driving significant international problems -- what do you do if you have no water and you have no food?"...read more...
- "Water security to be mainstreamed in national development agendas, and recognized that more investments and regional cooperation are needed to address water security challenges"...read more...
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