Bloomberg Law on the 3M Situation

Bloomberg Law on the 3M Situation

According to Bloomberg Law, 3M Co.'s recent tweaks to its multibillion-dollar PFAS settlement have a "been there, done that" vibe, echoing the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between tobacco companies and states. With the "Protection Against Claims-Over" clause, 3M gets a protective shield, ensuring they're not on the hook to repay water utilities if any third-party drinking water claims surface down the road. This beefs up the settlement's value by removing any chance of open-ended repayments favoring water utilities. However, several attorneys general are scratching their heads, wondering if 3M's deal genuinely compensates for the damages to our cherished public water systems. Mark your calendars, folks: the final verdict drops on Feb. 2, 2024.

Clean Water with 3D-Printed Seaweed

Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a new tool for water decontamination: a 3D-printed material made from seaweed and genetically modified bacteria. This "engineered living material" is effective in breaking down organic pollutants like pharmaceuticals, dyes, and BPAs. In tests, the material successfully treated water contaminated by indigo carmine dye and to ensure no residual bacteria, the organisms are designed to self-destruct when they’re wrapped up cleaning the water. Can we finally stop pushing those garbage seaweed salads on everyone now that we have a better use for it?

ORNL’s Automated Treatment

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are using machine learning to transform the water treatment landscape, focusing on the sources of water that are most likely to contain fish with five eyes (i.e. brackish, salty, or biologically-polluted). Led by ORNL’s lead researcher, the team is working to achieve "pipe parity," making these alternative water sources as economically competitive as traditional, cleaner sources. Their advanced automation system isn't just about impressive tech— it's smartly tuned in to factors like daily weather and shifting water composition, ensuring the best treatment possible.

After a promising showcase in Aurora, Colorado, the approach aims to tackle the challenges of climate change and ballooning populations by tapping into previously undervalued water sources, all to guarantee a steady and affordable flow for communities.

Desalination Breakthrough in Shanghai

Saltwater desalination is one of those things that just feels like it’ll be super important one day (if not already). Researchers in Shanghai have introduced an enhanced desalination solution: graphdiyne composite membranes. These new membranes outperform the traditional ones, efficiently filtering out almost all the salt while allowing a large volume of water to pass through. Not only are they highly efficient, but they also demonstrated long-term stability under various water conditions, including hypersaline (like water from the Great Salt Lake) and pollutant-containing waters.The implications of these findings are enormous, not just for the water treatment industry but also for the 2-3 billion people worldwide facing water scarcity, as highlighted by the United Nations World Water Developments Report 2023.

What else is going on?

• A. O. Smith acquires family business Water Tec in an all-cash deal

• The hot Texas summer has brought millions of dollars in damage to water systems

• Philippine government unveiled a portable, solar-powered emergency water drinking system