Water and Power at Risk

Water and Power at Risk

Water and Power at Risk

Drinking water is always at risk. The EPA states ‘The Safe Drinking Water Act defines the term "contaminant" as meaning any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water. Therefore, the law defines "contaminant" very broadly as being anything other than water molecules. Drinking water may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Some drinking water contaminants may be harmful if consumed at certain levels in drinking water while others may be harmless. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.’

Water and Power at RiskSurface water from lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater is the primary source of drinking water in the United States. Typically drinking water is treated before moving into the municipal delivery system from which at least 80% of the U.S. population receives drinking water. Approximately 14% of the population relies on private groundwater wells, cisterns, and springs.

Treated water is subject to the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and goes through treatment protocols to ensure safety to the public. Private water is primarily in rural areas and is not regulated as is municipal water. The safety of private water is solely the responsibility of the owner. If any regulation is required it is on a limited state basis.

There are many sources of potential contamination for drinking water, municipal or private. Naturally, occurring contamination can pose a health risk: bacteria, viruses, nitrate, arsenic, chromium, and fluoride. Radiological contaminants such as uranium, radium, and radon are naturally present in rock formations, subsequently ending up in the water supply.

Other water contamination sources can include:

  • Terrorist activity
  • Improper waste disposal from hospitals, research facilities, etc.
  • Treatment or leakage from storage sites.
  • Discharges from factories, industrial sites, or sewage treatment facilities.
  • Leaching from aerial or land application of pesticides and fertilizers on yards or fields.
  • Fracking mining from both mining practices and fracking wastewater disposal being reinjected into deep geologic formations via wells specifically designed for that purpose, which in turn contaminates groundwater tables.
  • Accidental chemical spills.
  • Underground storage tank leakage.
  • Improper disposal of household wastes such as cleaning fluids, paint, and motor oil.

Without appropriate detection, monitoring, and remediation drinking water is always at risk.  US Nuclear Corp’s division, Technical Associates, has developed a suite of water detectors providing detection and monitoring of radiological, chemical, and biological contamination. This includes both freshwater, well water, saltwater, and wastewater. These instruments are continuously real-time - installed and portable.

 

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The EPA’s Fiscal Year 18-22 Long Term Transformation Strategy

The EPA’s Fiscal Year 18-22 Long Term Transformation Strategy

takes into account the goals of the SWDA to bring to us a cleaner and safer environment for water delivery. These include:

These include:

  • Agency Priority Goal (APG) 2.1: Reduce the number of community water systems out of compliance with health-based standards from 3,508 to 2,700
  • Agency Priority Goal (APG) 2.2: Increase by $40 billion the non-federal dollars leveraged by EPA water infrastructure finance programs (2019 APG= increase by $16 billion)

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US Water Monitors a subdivision of US Nuclear Corp States

US Water Monitors a subdivision of US Nuclear Corp States

US Water Monitors a subdivision of US Nuclear Corp States:

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996.  (SDWA does not regulate private wells which serve fewer than 25 individuals.)

Protecting America’s drinking water is a top priority for EPA. EPA has established protective drinking water standards for more than 90 contaminants, including drinking water regulations issued since the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act that strengthen public health protection. Over 92 percent of the population supplied by community water systems receives drinking water that meets all health-based standards all of the time.

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Hydrofracking and Water: What is the cost in contaminating our water?

Hydrofracking and Water: What is the cost in contaminating our water?

By Penelope Randall
Environmental Specialist, US Nuclear

Reposted with permission from
US Nuclear Corp

HYDROFRACKING & WATER:
What is the cost in contaminating our water?

Hydrofracking demands for water use is up 770 percent since 2011 according to a 2018 peer reviewed study out of Duke University. The use of millions of gallons of water and sand infused with up to 1,000 different toxic chemicals is used to fracture shale rock and release the trapped gas or oil.

The wastewater, brine, and sludge are then returned to the surface and in need of disposal. Unfortunately, there is not yet a clear and safe method of disposal or storage. In many places this wastewater is reinjected into deep underground wastewater wells. There is mounting evidence that this method of disposal may be responsible for earthquakes and pollution of groundwater in some locations. The exponential growth of the hydrofracking industry and its practices constitutes a growing problem.

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Radiation in Water – A Real Risk

Radiation in Water - A Real Risk

By Penelope Randall
Environmental Specialist, US Nuclear

Reposted with permission from US Nuclear Corp

Radiation in Water - A Real Risk

The question when introducing US Nuclear Corp’s real-time continuous water monitors to municipal water utilities is, ‘why do we need an instrument like this? We don’t have radiation in our drinking water or waste water.’

Our question is how do you know if you don’t monitor the water. Typical monitoring is 4 times a year per EPA’s Clean Water Act.  A water sample is pulled and sent to a lab for testing. Not a very timely or cost-effective method.

Naturally occurring radiation is continuously leaking into our groundwater.  Whether water supplies are from surface water, rivers, reservoirs and lakes or groundwater, risk of radiation contamination, either deliberately or by accident, and the subsequent contamination of the population and of the infrastructure is very real today and increases as our technology advances.

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Test Lab Evaluates Instrumentation for Detecting Radiation in Drinking Water

Test Lab Evaluates Instrumentation for Detecting Radiation in Drinking Water

Reposted with permission from US Nuclear Corp

Since 9/11 and there are still holes in the security of the nation’s infrastructure, particularly for drinking water. This security deficit is currently being addressed in some community water systems with water monitoring instruments.

In the 90s the EPA developed a wish list for monitoring contaminants in drinking water. Since that time biological and chemical contaminants have been identified and monitoring sensors developed. Radiological contaminants were also on the EPA list for detection but until now real-time continuous monitoring has eluded water quality professionals.

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