Keep Lead Pipes, Use RO Systems

Keep Lead Pipes, Use RO Systems

The Columbia Climate School recently dove into America's long-standing issue with lead in drinking water and how it's still a big problem today. They discuss President Biden's huge plan to replace lead pipes and tackle other water contaminants with over $50 billion. But here's the twist: they suggest maybe there's a smarter, cheaper way to get safe water. Instead of ripping up old pipes everywhere, which costs a ton and disrupts life, how about putting reverse osmosis (RO) systems in homes and schools? These systems are really good at cleaning out lead and other bad stuff from water, and they're a lot cheaper in the long run. The article argues that the government should think about helping folks get these RO systems to make sure everyone can drink water without worrying about getting sick, which sounds like a smart move to keep water safe without spending a fortune.

PFAS Sensor for At-Home Water Testing

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have built a gadget that can check water for PFAS right from the comfort of one's home. It’s like a quick pregnancy test but for PFAS instead. The device uses a special strip that reacts to PFAS, showing whether the water is contaminated and the level of pollution. The team behind this innovation aims to make the tool accessible to everyone, hopefully breaking down barriers of location and income. This is quite timely considering the health and environmental concerns associated with PFAS. It's designed to offer an easy way for people to monitor these pollutants without needing a trip to the lab, which is particularly useful around areas like landfills or places with potential sewage contamination. The article does admit that even with the ability to detect PFAS, the challenge of removing these chemicals from the environment is still pretty tough.

Reducing Arsenic Levels by 50%

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ran a study focusing on Native American communities that were using well water laced with more arsenic than the EPA limit (over 10µg/L). By hooking up “point of use” arsenic filters to kitchen sinks and keeping in touch with households through phone nudges to remind them to swap out those filter cartridges, they saw a 47% drop in the arsenic levels in people’s urine (that’s a lot!). Each home got a dual-faucet arrangement: one for arsenic-filtered water for the drinking and cooking and the regular tap stayed put for everything else.

An interesting part of the story is how simple and effective the intervention was. These filters, installed and maintained with a community’s touch and some simple reminders, did the heavy lifting without needing fancy work done or constant home visits. This approach not only slashed arsenic exposure but also showcased a potentially scalable model for water treatment solutions across various settings.

FOR SALE: Water Treatment Business in Utah

WCP Online is promoting a water treatment business for sale in Northern Utah and we thought it was pretty interesting what they listed for details on it. Here's the tea:

• Well respected business (5-star Google & A+ BBB ratings)

• Current revenue sources: realtors, manufacturers, plumbers, and “huge word of mouth”

• Opportunity to “triple revenues” with a sales program

• Owner has been in the business since 1994 and wants to retire (can you blame ‘em?)

• Business is debt free and is a turnkey opportunity

What else is happening:

• SpringWell writes all about smart water leak detectors for homes, including how they work

• Editor’s note: last week we said that you can use a water softener to remove tannic acid, but it’s more accurate to say you may be able to treat the tannins (tannic acid) using an anion resin vs. a cation (softener) resin. Thanks for the help, Paul!