Ephraim recently experienced a massive power surge in certain parts of the city. This surge caused damage to many appliances, including water softeners, conditioners, and(more…)
Category: Opinions
Greg’s opinions – these are mine alone, and do not reflect the opinion of anyone else unless explicitly stated otherwise
Merry Christmas!
2010 was a fun year for me, I presented whitepapers at multiple water industry conferences and also participated in a number of productive projects with(more…)
Is there less lead in our water now?
The 111th Congress has passed an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act which creates a federal limit of 0.25% for the maximum lead content of any plumbing component used for potable water intended for human consumption that is smaller than 2″ in diameter. I think that the intent of this bill is good, but it really doesn’t do more than make people feel good and cause a massive increase in the cost of delivered components, especially brass which is very difficult and costly to machine when the lead levels drop that low. Municipal distribution piping is a greater source of lead than the fixtures themselves, and should be addressed as a much higher priority. This bill will become effective in 2013, so expect an influx of high-lead components from China over the next year or two.
Salt Lake City’s water unsafe, according to EWG
I read this article in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning… The EWG is drawing attention to the presence of Hexavalent Chromium in water supplies nation-wide. Yes, this is an important issue, but one can’t react emotionally to information like this and we certainly don’t need more federal regulation. Since less than 1% of municipally supplied water is actually consumed by humans, why should the other 99% be treated to “drinking” water levels? It just doesn’t make sense!
Using protozoa to test water quality
I read this very interesting Press Release today. It appears that Mr. Gallager has developed a truly unique way to monitor for changes in water quality by simply observing the activity of Protozoa that react to specific waterborne contaminants. I believe that this technology is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. We’ll continue to see further development of bi-nanotechnology; creating a synergy between mechanical and organic systems.
Lead in Washington DC’s water
I read this article in the Washington Post today. It again highlights the importance of homeowners taking responsibility for their own drinking water quality. It is very interesting to note that the CDC falsified test data, and that the use of chloramine exacerbated the lead problem. The US recession has only made things worse for water utilities who continue to be help to extremely high standards with limited operating budgets.