In a letter to Governors in all 50 states, territories and Washington, D.C. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler asked states to ensure that drinking water and wastewater employees are considered essential workers.
As the global COVID-19 outbreak continues to develop and reports of bottled water shortages make headlines, the National Association of Water Companies, the American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies recently issued a joint statement about the quality of tap water in North America.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, America’s drinking water supplies remain a safe and affordable way to access the water needed for drinking, cooking and maintaining personal hygiene during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Americans and Canadians can and should continue to use and drink water from their tap as usual as COVID-19 is not present in drinking water supplies. Disinfection processes like those practiced by water systems across the North America provide protection that includes filtration and disinfection of our surface water supplies and disinfection of our ground water sources. These treatments are effective in removing and/or inactivating viruses.
Efforts by some to profiteer off of bottled water shortages are inexcusable, but drinking water consumers can avoid being taken advantage of by simply using the water that is available in their homes from the tap.
“America’s water companies share a deep understanding of the importance of the reliability of quality water and wastewater services in our daily lives and during a public health crisis and are committed to taking steps to help ensure our water systems are functioning both reliably and safely,” says NAWC President and CEO Robert Powleson.
The municipalities and private companies that make up the 51,000 community water systems across the U.S. are taking measures to help protect their workforce so they can continue to keep the water flowing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This means limiting home repair visits and directing customers to pay bills online instead of coming into their water providers’ offices. Because of the outbreak and the need for access to clean water in order to promote personal hygiene and overall public health, many systems across the United States are suspending shutoffs for nonpayments. If you are facing financial difficulty and cannot afford to pay your water bill at this time, please be in direct contact with your water provider.
“Water utilities throughout the United States and Canada are prepared to protect public health in normal conditions and in emergencies, and they are committed to keeping safe water flowing, 24/7,” says AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “During times like these, safe and reliable water service is essential for drinking and food preparation, hand-washing and carrying away waste.”
As COVID-19 response efforts evolve to meet the needs of the American and Canadian people, the member organizations represented by NAWC, AWWA and AMWA will continue to support the water systems by offering all of the water profession’s expertise and resources at their disposal. The agencies added that they’re confident in their ability to serve communities across the country with the highest level of efficiency, empathy and professionalism.
“These are challenging times for our nation, but despite the many uncertainties regarding COVID-19, Americans should take comfort in the fact that the virus does not spread through drinking water supplies. The nation’s water systems remain committed to the uninterrupted delivery of clean and safe drinking water for the duration of this crisis,” says AMWA CEO Diane VanDe Hei.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will award nearly $280,000 to four environmental projects benefiting the U.S.-Mexico border region between California and Baja California. With matching funds, the total benefit to the projects will total over half a million dollars.
The waste and recycling industry is seeking flexibility from the EPA on waste permit enforcement as it anticipates the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Bemoaning the government’s clandestine process of approving widely unregulated PFAS chemicals, environmentalists brought a federal complaint Wednesday to make the chemical program transparent.
Short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS are a class of chemicals ubiquitous in commercial products and disturbingly linked to cancer, infertility, pregnancy complications and other toxic effects.
Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) released a statement on March 16 that drinking water in the district is safe and will not be interrupted. CVWD cited the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) statement that “Americans can continue to use and drink water from their tap as usual.”
California Drinking Water Regulators and the EPA have established regulations with treatment requirements for public water systems that prevent waterborne pathogens such as viruses from contaminating drinking water and wastewater, according to the CVWD statement. “COVID-19 is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection and standard treatment and disinfectant processes are expected to be effective,” stated CVWD.
Easily fixed water leaks in American households account for nearly one trillion gallons of water wasted annually. The average household leaks nearly 10,000 gallons of water every year. This would wash 300 loads of laundry and could cost you an additional 10% on your water bill.
Fix-A-Leak Week 2020 is March 16-22. It was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is supported by WaterSense partners across the U.S. and Canada, including the San Diego County Water Authority and many of its 24 member agencies.
The Sweetwater Authority will join other water agencies in California, Texas, and Oregon for a Fix-A-Leak Week 2020 “Twitter Party” to help consumers virtually with tips on tracking down leaks and other ways to save water.
We’re gearing up for next week's @EPAwatersense Fix a Leak Week Twitter Party – Monday, 3/16 from 11am-12pm (PDT)! Along with our teammates @EPWater @RowlandWater @STEMhero @MedfordWater @MNWDWater and @upperdistrict, we’ll be sharing how we save water in the West! #FixaLeak 🔧💧 pic.twitter.com/OsKwZfMpS0
— Sweetwater Authority (@SweetwaterAuth) March 12, 2020
In 2019, “leak detectives” across the U.S. put their tools, checklists, and dye tablets to work in bathrooms, kitchens, at faucets and spigots around their homes and joined EPA in the annual Fix a Leak Week by donning their leak detective hats and grabbing their sleuthing gear to find and fix common household leaks. Leaks were detected and fixed in bathrooms – toilets, showerheads and faucets, outside at spigots and in many other locations.
It takes just 10 minutes to perform a quick search of your home for leaks. Many of the most common leaks are easy for anyone to fix such as worn-out toilet flappers, leaky showerheads, and dripping faucets. They require basic tools and hardware.
Here are a few handy tips for finding leaks:
Find more guides and videos you might find helpful in finding and fixing leaks on the EPA’s “Fix-A-Leak Week” website.
The EPA has made an initial determination that it will eventually set legal limits for levels of two key PFAS chemicals in drinking water, the agency announced Thursday.
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the “preliminary regulatory determination” announced Thursday is the last step before the Environmental Protection Agency proposes limits on the releases of the two chemicals in drinking water and groundwater supplies. That announcement could still be months away.
The chemicals at issue are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two of many within the class of chemicals called PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Scientists have linked PFAS chemicals—common in nonstick coatings and firefighting foam—to health problems including higher cholesterol, birth defects, and cancer.
More states are stepping up to protect people from drinking water contaminated with “forever chemicals” in the absence of federal enforcement.
Twenty-three states are writing their own guidance, regulations, or legislation that would address drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS.
The family of thousands of chemicals, once used in Teflon and Scotchgard, may cause liver tissue damage, immune system or thyroid problems and increased cholesterol levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The substances require massive amounts of energy to fully break down, enabling them to persist in the environment, seemingly “forever.”
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, leading a 10-state coalition, on Wednesday filed comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed amendments to nationwide standards for controlling and remediating lead in drinking water, also known as the Lead and Copper Rule. The EPA’s proposed revisions represent the first major amendments in a generation to the Lead and Copper Rule, which was first promulgated in 1991. Although some of the proposed revisions strengthen the 1991 rule, others weaken existing requirements and fail to adequately protect the public from lead in drinking water.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
