EPA Delays Lead and Copper Rule Revision Again, More Changes Likely
After yet another delay on expected updates to the federal Lead and Copper Rule (LRC), drinking water systems across the country have been given a little more time to figure out how to comply with the new version, while consumers are forced to wait for any potential stricter limits to take effect.
“The EPA is pushing back the effective date of the Trump-era Revised Lead and Copper Rule to December from June after receiving public feedback supporting a delay for the regulation,”
Bloomberg Law reported. “The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing and expected to revise the rule (RIN 2040-AG15), which is now set to take effect on Dec. 16, according to a Federal Register public inspection notice published Tuesday.”
After County Ends Drinking Water Fluoridation, Dentists Rally
A longstanding drinking water debate has drawn protests and policy changes in a Florida community, with healthcare workers taking a stand.
When Brevard County officials opted to end drinking water fluoridation in the town of Mims recently, local dentists and national health groups launched a campaign to reignite the practice and keep officials from doing the same in nearby Titusville. As the debate raged, it served as a reminder that this remains one of the most potentially contentious issues in all of the drinking water treatment sector.
“The battle over fluoride in Brevard County’s water shows no signs of ending anytime soon,”
Could PFAS Undermine COVID Vaccination?
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water throughout the U.S. has been the source of much public outrage, drinking water treatment effort, and legislation.
And now, in addition to the acute health effects that have been traced to consumption of PFAS, some researchers fear that a new consequence can result from consuming water laced with the contaminants: decreased efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“High levels of PFAS exposure is known to be linked to a ‘plethora of adverse health effects,’ including immune system disorders,” per Michigan Advance. “That means people with high levels of PFAS in their blood could have a weaker response to the COVID-19 vaccine, and build up fewer antibodies to the vaccine.”
Pittsburgh s Water And Sewer Authority Pleads Guilty To Clean Water Act Violations
One of the country’s largest drinking water and wastewater utilities has admitted fault for violating a central federal regulation, leading to some harsh penalties.
“The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) pleaded guilty … to Clean Water Act (CWA) violations in connection with an investigation of sludge discharge into the Allegheny River,” the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. “PWSA pleaded to one count of violating its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit by discharging sludge and to one count of making false statements in reports about the amount of sludge it was sending to its waste treatment facility.”