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The following is a transcript of the Apr. 30, 2012, 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...
• Cleaner coastal waters attributed to Clean Water Act
• PepsiCo wins U.S. Water Prize for water stewardship
• PA DEP to hold water, wastewater energy conference
• University to host water boot camp for students
• Amtrak to increase water protections on trains
• Water shortage strikes South Sudan refugee camp
[story1]
Researchers at the University of Southern California have released a study looking at the impact of the Clean Water Act on coastal waters there.
According to their analysis, the legislation -- which turns 40 this year -- has resulted in some major successes, including levels of copper, cadmium, and lead that have plummeted since the Act was introduced.
The researchers compared sampling data from 1976 with present-day samples taken from the exact same locations. The results showed a 100-fold decrease in lead and a 400-fold decrease in copper and cadmium.
The USC researchers credit sewage treatment regulations that came out of the Clean Water Act as well as the phasing out of leaded gasoline in the 70s and 80s.
[story2]
This week, we continue our coverage of the winners of 2012 U.S. Water Prize, a program recognizing innovative approaches to water sustainability.
PepsiCo is one of the entities being recognized this year, in this case for the company's comprehensive approach to water stewardship and the aggressive goals it has set for itself.
Al Halvorsen, PepsiCo's Senior Director of Environmental Sustainability, explains.
[soundbite from Al Halvorsen]
At the Casa Grande Snack Facility, water recovery and recycling efforts resulted in a 75% reduction in the amount of water discharged by the facility -- reducing overall water usage by up to 100 million gallons per year.
On April 23, all of the U.S. Water Prize awardees were recognized at a special ceremony in Washington, DC. Tune into the WaterWorld Weekly newscast over the coming weeks as we continue to bring you the winners' stories.
[story3]
If you're a water or wastewater treatment plant operator in Pennsylvania and you want to find out how to make your plant more energy efficient, check out a new conference being offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
On May 8, DEP is holding "The Energy Conference for Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants" at Penn State in Harrisburg.
The roundtable conference will offer real-world examples, tools and financing options to assist water and wastewater treatment plants in becoming more efficient.
Other topics include measuring existing plant performance, evaluating options for improvement, implementing appropriate measures to optimize plant performance, securing upper-management support and identifying and securing potential financing options.
The deadline to register is May 1 and the conference costs $60. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us or call 717-948-6388.
[story4]
Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, will host a Water Boot Camp this summer for LU and area high school students interested in water quality careers.
The program is being funded by a $15,000 grant from a partnership between LU and EPA established earlier this year.
It's scheduled to take place from July 23 to 27 at Lincoln University. Interested students can contact the school's Division of Continuing Education at 573-681-5206.
[story5]
Under a new agreement with EPA, Amtrak will provide multi-level drinking water protection for its 78,000 daily passengers.
In the past, Amtrak only sampled its railcars' drinking water systems on a random basis. Going forward, on all of its train operations throughout the US, Amtrak will conduct enhanced monitoring for pathogens including e. coli; implement proper disinfection and system flushing; and provide better reporting and record keeping.
[story6]
In international news, water shortages in a South Sudan refugee camp are forcing the relocation of tens of thousands of refugees.
Relief agency Oxfam said they've drilled for water and carried out a geological survey at the Jamam camp but there just isn't enough groundwater there to sustain the growing number of people who need it.
The camp's water supply is only enough for about 16,500 people. There are currently 37,000 refugees living there.
Oxfam is urging aid organizations and local authorities to set up a new site to handle the excess population.
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
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