I enjoyed this interview with Anthony DeRosa from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA).
Founded in 1984, ASDWA is the trusted and respected voice for state primacy agencies. It collaborates with Congress and partner organizations across the drinking water sector. Through a longstanding cooperative agreement with EPA, ASDWA facilitates collaboration between states and EPA to effectively and efficiently implement the Safe Drinking Water Act.
This interview reminded me that the Safe Drinking Water Act is about helping Americans be safer, and protecting the environment that impacts our water sources. States are working hard to provide practical ways to deliver protection, especially for small systems facing limited funding, aging infrastructure, and contaminants of emerging concern.
This got me thinking about our industry…in many cases, the fastest and most efficient way to reduce risk isn’t a new treatment plant, it is protection at the point of use or point of entry.
When properly implemented, POU and POE technologies can:
• Deliver immediate exposure reduction
• Provide practical compliance options for small systems
• Target specific contaminants efficiently
• Add flexibility to state implementation strategies
But the video also reinforces something our industry needs to say more clearly:
Decentralized treatment only protects public health when it’s done professionally. That means:
• WQA-certified water treatment professionals
• Proper design, sizing, and application
• NSF/ANSI-certified systems and components
• Ongoing service, monitoring, and accountability
The future of drinking water is not a conflict between centralized and decentralized; it never should have been.
It’s really a hybrid model:
Utility infrastructure to supply water as cost-effectively as possible
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Certified POU/POE technologies
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Certified professionals who ensure consistent performance over time
Public health is not just delivered at the treatment plant. It’s delivered at the tap.
Watch the interview here, it is well worth the time: