NSF International has announced plans to verify new and innovative arsenic technologies through the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Drinking Water Systems (DWS) Center. The verification of drinking treatment technology will help small communities comply with the new arsenic regulation.
In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter. The EPA/NSF ETV DWS Center is coordinating ETV testing of arsenic treatment technologies in Pennsylvania and Alaska to help small communities meet the new MCL.
The ETV DWS Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) Innovative Technology Program have agreed to develop a cooperative arsenic treatment technology study. The proposed PA-DEP and ETV testing is expected to involve three Pennsylvania community water systems that have arsenic in their source water exceeding the new MCL, and that appear to be representative of other small communities. Current plans call for the ETV testing to commence in Fall 2002.
Vendors committed to participating include ADI International, Kinetico Inc. with Alcan Chemicals, Tetra Process Technologies, Subsidiary of Severn Trent Services, and Water Remediation Technology LLC (WRT). Gannett Fleming, of Harrisburg, PA, and McKelvey Environmental Management will be part of the ETV project team.
The ETV DWS Center and the University of Alaska at Anchorage (UAA), an EPA Technology Technical Assistance Center, have also been working together on a small system arsenic ETV testing. Three sites were identified for ETV testing of small systems technologies for arsenic removal, and testing will begin in 2002. There are 75 sites in Alaska that will need arsenic treatment technology. UAA will help provide funding for these ETV tests through its Technical Assistance Center.
Equipment manufacturers interested in testing in Alaska should contact Bruce Bartley ([email protected]), Manager, NSF DWS Center.
The EPA ETV DWS Center (http://www.nsf.org/etv/dws) performs voluntary verifications of commercially ready drinking water treatment systems including package plants, treatment modules and components. It focuses on water treatment technologies that benefit small communities by accelerating the introduction of new environmental technologies and by supplying equipment buyers and regulatory agencies with data on the performance of new technologies. The program also helps smaller communities comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
