WaterWorld Weekly Newscast: Jan. 20, 2012

The following is a transcript of the Jan. 20, 2012, edition of the WaterWorld Weekly Newscast.

Hi, I'm Angela Godwin, digital media editor for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you this week's water and wastewater news headlines. Coming up...
• Lejeune letter raises eyebrows
• Water superintendent forced to resign in Falmouth
• Purple water in Pittsburgh
• Reclaimed water legislation sparks debate in Florida
• Water utility giants under investigation

[story1]
A letter from a Marine Corps General to the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has some government watchdogs and environmental advocates wondering if the Navy might be trying to hinder the investigation into water contamination at Camp Lejeune.

The letter, written by Major General J. A. Kessler, asks the agency to keep details about the location of Camp Lejeune's water system assets -- such as tanks, distribution lines and wells -- out of the public domain.

To release those details, he said, "places those who live or work aboard the base at risk."
From the 1950's to the 1980's, an estimated one million Marines and their family members were exposed to drinking water contaminated with solvents and other toxic chemicals.

The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry has been charged with tracing when, where and at what levels contamination occurred -- this includes mapping the water system on the base.

The Agency is due to release its findings in 2014.

[story2]
The water superintendent for the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, has resigned amid allegations that he stole bags of copper sulfate from the water department.

William Chapman maintains that the bags had been sitting in the basement of a local pumping station for years and were of no use to the drinking water facility.

Rather than pay to have the chemical disposed of, Chapman gave the copper sulfate to a friend, the owner of a local cranberry bog who said he could use it to fix water quality issues he was having.
Town officials saw it as theft of town property.
Chapman resigned at the request of the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

The matter is under investigation and Chapman could face criminal charges. He told local newspaper "The Enterprise" that "anybody who knows me knows this was not done with malicious intent."

[story3]
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority reassured Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, residents that their drinking water was safe last week, despite a purple tinge to the Allegheny River.

The purple color was caused by permanganate, which was inadvertently released into the river.
Workers disposed of the permanganate in the sewer system but because there was a rain event, the CSO's happened to be open, carrying the non-toxic chemical to the river.

Dr. Stanley States, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer's Director of Water Quality and Production, said the situation was a "coincidence of timing."

[story4]
Who owns treated wastewater? That's the question at the heart of a bill being considered in Florida.

Today, Florida state law considers all water as a public resource belonging to the people.
But HB 639, legislation introduced by Florida State Representative Dana Young and backed by Tampa Mayor Bill Buckhorn, would make reclaimed wastewater the property of the utility that treated it.

Supporters of the bill say it will help pave the way for more reclaimed water projects by guaranteeing cities and water utilities a return on the water they pay to treat. More reclaimed water projects equal less burden on the increasingly scarce potable water supply.

Critics, however, worry the legislation "privatizes water" and will have unintended consequences, turning wastewater into a commodity rather than a resource. They fear that big users would divert water that would otherwise replenish local waterways, like the Everglades.

In Tampa, the city puts some 50 million gallons of treated water back into Tampa Bay every day.

[story5]
In international news...

Two big names in private water utilities find themselves under the microscope of the European Commission this week.
Formal anti-trust proceedings have been announced against Veolia, Suez, and two subsidiaries.

The Commission will investigate whether the companies colluded to fix pricing for water and wastewater services, particularly in France.

The investigation follows an incident in April 2010, when Veolia and Suez were raided by regulators suspecting the companies colluded in public tenders for water distribution and treatment.
If found to be in breach of EU rules, the companies could face a fine of up to 10 percent of their annual turnover.

For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.

###