The following is a transcript for the WaterWorld Weekly newscast for March 13, 2017.
Hi, I'm Angela Godwin for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you water and wastewater news headlines for the week of March 13th. Coming up...
Tap water runs pink small Alberta town
Water, wastewater infrastructure get poor grades in latest report card
Trump order targets Clean Water Rule
SUEZ to acquire GE Water
Last week, the residents of the small town of Onoway in Alberta, Canada, were surprised to find their tap water running bright pink.
Onoway Mayor Dale Krasnow said the town was doing a weekly wash of filters at a treatment plant using potassium permanganate, which can turn water pink.
He said a valve may have stuck during the wash, causing the chemical compound to get into the reservoir and the town's water distribution system.
On Tuesday, Krasnow said the town had drained its water reservoir and was flushing the entire system.
Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers released its 2017 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, giving the nation’s drinking water systems a D grade and wastewater systems a D+.
The grades are consistent with the last few reports and continue to highlight the need for investment in the country's aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
To review the findings, visit infrastructurereportcard.org.
On February 28, President Trump issued an executive order directing the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to review the Waters of the United States Rule, also called the Clean Water Rule.
In addition, the executive order suggests the agencies interpret the term "navigable waters" as defined in Justice Scalia's opinion in the 2006 case of Rapanos v. United States.
The Clean Water Rule, which was designed to clarify which waterbodies are covered under the Clean Water Act, went into effect in August 2015 but was stayed in October pending legal review.
It has been tied up in the court system ever since.
A coalition of six state attorneys general, led by New York, has vowed to opposed President Trump's executive order.
After much speculation, French company SUEZ announced last week that it will purchase GE Water, in partnership with Canadian investment company CDPQ, for $3.4 billion.
SUEZ will have a 70% stake in the investment and will combine its industrial water business with GE Water to create a new self-standing business unit within SUEZ encompassing all industrial water activities with a global focus.
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
