 Featured News
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EPA Adds New PFAS to its Drinking Water Treatability Database
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an update to the Drinking Water Treatability Database with new references and treatment options for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). With this update, new treatment information for eleven PFAS compounds were added, bringing the total number of PFAS with treatment information in the database to 37. Researchers have also added 38 new scientific references to the existing PFAS entries, which increases the depth of scientific knowledge available in the database.
The Drinking Water Treatability Database (TDB) presents an overview of over 120 regulated and unregulated contaminants found in drinking water with current information on treatment processes. The TDB includes bench-, pilot-, and full-scale studies of surface, ground, and laboratory waters gathered from thousands of literature sources, including peer-reviewed journals and conferences, other conferences and symposia, research reports, theses, and dissertations.
More information on EPA's PFAS related research can also be found on EPA's Research on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) page.
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UMass Amherst Partners with MassDEP to Undertake Testing for PFAs in Private Wells and Public Water Supplies
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has awarded a state grant for $1,072,791 to Professor David Reckhow's research group at University of Massachusetts at Amherst to facilitate sampling of public water supplies to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and to test selected private water wells in 84 of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns to characterize the levels of PFAS in the Commonwealth.
The research group, which includes Dr. John E. Tobiason and 11 other professionals, six graduate students and 24 undergraduate students, is arranging for the collection and analysis of samples from as many as 1,600 public water systems and 3,500 private water wells in the 84 designated communities. Sample analysis will provide valuable data on the concentration of 18 commonly measured PFAS species, especially the six specific substances that make up the regulated PFAS group.
The research group is also working with MassDEP, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, local boards of health and other local partners to identify private wells in each of the 84 towns for PFAS analysis based on geographic distribution within the town and/or proximity to potential sources for PFAS.
More information on the project can be found on the MassDEP website.
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EPA Announces $6.5 Billion in New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the 2021 notice of funding availability under the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program and state infrastructure financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program.
The WIFIA program is a federal credit program administered by the EPA for regionally and nationally significant water and wastewater infrastructure projects. These long-term, low-cost supplemental credits support eligible projects from local, state, and federal government entities to corporations and trusts. A full list of requirements can be found on EPA's WIFIA eligibility page. The SWIFIA program, similarly, offers low-interest loans to state water infrastructure programs that then help finance needed water infrastructure projects in local communities.
This round of WIFIA funding will provide up to $5.5 billion to support $11 billion in water infrastructure projects and prioritizes five areas:
- Supporting economically stressed communities.
- Protecting water infrastructure against the impacts of climate change.
- Reducing exposure to lead and addressing emerging contaminants.
- Updating aging infrastructure.
- Implementing new or innovative approaches including cybersecurity and green infrastructure.
This round of funding will also provide SWIFIA borrowers up to $1 billion to support $2 billion in water infrastructure projects.
EPA will be hosting a webinar for prospective burrows on June 1, 2021 to help applicants understand WIFIA requirements, how to submit a WIFIA letter of interest, and EPA's project selection method.
Applicants interested in WIFIA loans should send EPA a letter of interest by July 23, 2021. Applicants interested SWIFIA loans should send EPA a letter of interest by June 25, 2021.
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WRF Funds Seven New Projects – Volunteers Needed!
The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is planning to post new Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and is seeking volunteers for seven new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for these projects will be posted in early August. Research area will focus on waterborne pathogens, lead & copper management, cyanobacterial blooms & cyanotoxins, nutrients treatment, emerging disinfection byproducts, linkages in receiving water quality, and PFAS in water.
Organizations which are interested in partnering to co-fund any of the projects can reach out to John Albert, WRF Chief Research Officer, at jalbert@waterrf.org or 303-734-3413.
Utilities are also able to participate in these new research projects by serving as test facilities, providing samples, responding to surveys, loaning equipment, or sharing staff expertise on research projects of interest. Interested utilities can apply through the Utility Participation in Research (UPIR) Process. The deadline for the currently funded projects is June 25.
WRF anticipates posting RFPs for additional prioritized projects later this year.
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Words On Water #183: Amy Kirby and Dr. Andrew Sanderson on Expansion of Wastewater-Based Disease Surveillance
Episode #183 of Words on Water, which is a podcast featuring conversations with influential and interesting people from the water sector and news from the Water Environment Federation, features a conversation between Amy Kirby who is the National Wastewater Surveillance System Lead for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dr. Andrew Sanderson, who is the Chief Medical Officer for the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
This 9-minute podcast will discuss how CDC has selected WEF to develop, manage, and provide training for a nationwide network of water utilities, public health agencies, and laboratories participating in wastewater-based disease surveillance and how wastewater-based disease surveillance is being used as a valuable tool during the current pandemic and for future public health research.
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 Upcoming Events
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A listing of webinars, symposia, and conferences relevant to this work.
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WRF Technology Scan: Wastewater Treatment
June 1 | Webinar
This webinar will focus on innovative water technolologies related to wastewater treatment and showcase products as well as systems.
EPA Developing & Evaluating Promising Technologies: Pushing the Ball Forward on I/A Septic Systems
June 2-10 | Webinar
This 3-part webinar series will provide foundational knowledge on existing alternative septic systems, and explore regional next steps toward developing promising innovative and alternative (I/A) technologies.
EPA Informational Webinar: Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge
June 8 | Webinar
This informational webinar will highlight EPA's Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge, which calls innovators to develop a sensor that can identify whether there are chemical pollutants and natural toxins in various types of water faster and cheaper than current lab methods.
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 Recent Publications
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Wastewater Open Access
Research on comprehensive evaluation model of rural domestic sewage treatment technology based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and analytic hierarchy process method
Qi-yu Z., Zeng-jin L., Lai-sheng L., Na L. (2021). Research on comprehensive evaluation model of rural domestic sewage treatment technology based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and analytic hierarchy process method. Water Practice and Technology. 16(2). doi:10.2166/wpt.2021.003.
Why it's interesting: This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of the cost and output of five rural domestic wastewater treatment technologies in China. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and life cycle assessment (LCA) is established to analyze the factors affecting the evaluation of China's rural sewage treatment technology. Evaluation results will be used to determine the advantages and disadvantages of various rural domestic sewage treatment technologies, and policy recommendations for the development planning of rural domestic sewage treatment technologies.
Fuzzy logic allows computers to solve problems in a way close to human writing. Standard logic works under the extreme outcomes of true or false. Fuzzy logic incorporates uncertainties such as subjective, imprecise, or obscure information to provide an approximate solution. This form of logic is beneficial when precision does not matter too much since it allows the logic to make better decisions based on extra information.
This paper will utilize a comprehensive fuzzy evaluation method based on fuzzy logic inference. Fuzzy multi-criteria methods constitute one approach to evaluate alternative decisions, which involve subjective judgments and are made by a group of experts. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation questionnaire will be sent to various experts/evaluators to collect expert data and various evaluation factors, which will be used to calculate the comprehensive evaluation results of each rural domestic wastewater treatment technology.
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Wastewater Not Open Access
Assessment of small mechanical wastewater treatment plants: Relative life cycle environmental impacts of construction and operations
Moussavi S., Thompson M., Li S., Dvorak B. (2021). Assessment of small mechanical wastewater treatment plants: Relative life cycle environmental impacts of construction and operations. Journal of Environmental Management. 292. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112802.
Why it's interesting: This paper provides a detailed inventory of the construction and operational data for 16 case studies of small wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to better understand their environmental life cycle impacts. The study aims to provide industry practitioners with initial guidance towards what may constitute a more or less sustainable WWTP in a slow growing and/or shrinking community from an environmental perspective.
USDA and US EPA data have shown that 78% of the roughly 15,000 WWTPs in the US treat less than 1 million gallons per day and serve small communities. Many of these slow growing and shrinking rural communities currently struggle with aging or inadequate infrastructure and face challenges in constructing and operating WWTPs. Many small communities across the US report that meeting federal and local wastewater requirements are some of their most expensive infrastructure projects.
To support these rural communities, loan programs such as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Rural Utilities Service Water and Environmental Programs have become increasingly available to small and rural communities for infrastructure upgrade and replacement projects. These loan programs encourage sustainable design of small community infrastructure. However, there is currently little to no guidance as to what key considerations may be to minimize the environmental impact from the construction of small community wastewater infrastructure.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be utilized to directly measure the potential life cycle environmental impacts of various products and technologies. Various literature have provided some insight into the environmental sustainability profiles of large WWTPs, but very few have examined small facilities.
This research aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts related to small WWTPs to encourage sustainable development of small community infrastructure. The research will focus on trying to answer the following questions:
- Is the construction phase an important contributor to the total environmental impact of a small WWTP?
- Which inventory inputs can be identified by multiple regression analysis (MRA) to potentially present the greatest opportunities to modify WWTP designs to reduce environmental impacts without straying from common design guidelines and practices?
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 Industry News
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Report sets path toward clean drinking water for all Californians
California State Water Board, supported by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, has published a new study which identifies a risk for failure among a significant portion of the state’s small and medium-sized public water systems. The report is the first comprehensive analysis of how clean water is provided in California, and it estimates how much it would actually cost to deliver safe water to every resident.
Promising wastewater treatment discovery
Researchers from La Trobe University have discovered a microscopic parasite which is capable of killing bacteria known to produce foams in wastewater treatment plants.
New materials, processes clean pathogenic microorganisms from water
Researchers at Empa and Eawag, Switzerland are developing new materials and processes that can effectively remove tiny pathogens such as rotavirus.
Wastewater treatment system recovers electricity, filters water
Professor Zhen (Jason) He at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a bench-scale system which combines a filtration system into the anode electrode of a microbial electrochemical system to filter wastewater while creating electricity.
NSF CAREER Award will help URI professor close the clean water gap
Professor Joseph Goodwill at the University of Rhode Island is developing an advanced oxidation method which utilizes ferrate and sulfite to treat drinking water for small, rural communities.
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Innovations for Small Systems is a continuation of the newsletter previously provided by the two National Centers for Innovation in Small Drinking Water Systems: DeRISK at the University of Colorado - Boulder and WINSSS at University of Massachusetts - Amherst under a U.S. EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant.
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