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The following is a transcript of the Oct. 24, 2011, edition of the WaterWorld Weekly Newscast.
Hi, I'm Angela Godwin, digital media editor for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you this week's water and wastewater news headlines. Coming up...
• EPA to regulate frack water
• Winners of Hach contest announced at WEFTEC
• Elevated lead levels in Green Bay
• Bangkok braces for severe flooding
[story1]
The U.S. EPA announced it plans to develop standards for wastewater discharges produced by natural gas extraction from underground coalbed and shale formations.
The agency said over the coming months it will work with stakeholders -- including industry and public health groups -- to begin the process of developing a proposed standard.
For shale gas wastewater, the agency will be looking at standards that must be met before wastewater is sent to a facility for treatment.
For wastewater associated with coalbed methane extraction, EPA will be working toward developing uniform national standards for treatment and discharge. Today, regulation is left to individual states.
EPA said it expects to issue a proposed rule for coalbed methane in 2013 and a proposed rule for shale gas in 2014.
[story2]
Earlier this week at WEFTEC 2011 in Los Angeles, Hach announced the grand prize winners of its second annual "See the BIG Picture" contest.
The competition offered one municipal and one industrial wastewater treatment plant the chance to receive $50,000 in FREE Hach equipment by creating a video or PowerPoint explaining how new equipment could improve their treatment process.
The municipal winner was Brush Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. They'll receive a variety of Hach equipment for lab verification, portable spot checking, and real-time online instrumentation.
The industrial winner was chemical manufacturer Arkema. That company is getting a BioTector B7000 TOC Analyzer to enhance their process monitoring.
While the grand prize winners have been selected, the contest is not over. Eight water treatment plants are still vying for the title of 'Fan Favorite' and a prize of $40,000 in Hach equipment.
The winner will be determined by your votes. Visit hach.com/bigpicture before November 13 to vote for your favorite.
[story3]
Aging lead pipes in the local distribution system are being blamed for high levels of lead in Green Bay tap water.
Earlier the month, the state's Department of Natural Resources sent notices to Green Bay and Denmark when 10 percent of water samples came back with excessive lead levels -- Green Bay had counts as high as 58 parts per billion and Denmark as high as 60 parts per billion.
The maximum allowable level is 15 parts per billion.
In Green Bay, some 2,600 households are still connected to lead water mains, which were banned in the mid-eighties and have been being slowly replaced ever since.
Timothy Nixon, president of the Green Bay Water Commission, said one option being considered is accelerating the replacement of old lead water mains, which would cost about $10 million.
DNR officials say there's no cause for alarm but is requiring both communities to conduct more testing and to educate the public about the possible hazards of lead in drinking water.
[story4]
In international news...
Torrential downpours over the past week have added to an already heavy monsoon season in Thailand, prompting the government to open several floodgates in an attempt to relieve pressure on dikes in the Bangkok region.
The move is risky, as it is unknown how much water will flow into city streets, but with water now covering a third of Thailand's provinces, officials hope opening the floodgates will divert enough water from the east and west of the city to the sea, minimizing damage to the city of 9 million people.
The flooding, which began in July and is the worst Thailand has seen in fifty years, has already killed more than 340 people and devastated agriculture and industry to the north of the city.
In Bangkok, officials are asking residents not to panic but advise moving to higher ground in preparation for possible additional flooding.
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
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