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Water CEO Questions New EPA Rules
Spartanburg Water CEO Guy Boyle shares his concerns about the new EPA rules that aim to cut down on PFAS in drinking water, saying that “the EPA is going after the wrong people”. Boyle is questioning the effectiveness of these new measures, pointing out that drinking water is only responsible for only 20% of PFAS exposure (source).
Presented by Specialty Sales LLC & AM Products
Morning, folks!
Tyler and Darrin are at the 35th anniversary CDANA Convention in Nashville today repping Specialty Sales & AM Products. And, rumor has it that anyone who sees Tyler at the bar and mentions Water Treats gets a free beer…
Alright, now for the real news.
Water CEO Questions New EPA Rules
Spartanburg Water CEO Guy Boyle shares his concerns about the new EPA rules that aim to cut down on PFAS in drinking water, saying that “the EPA is going after the wrong people”. Boyle is questioning the effectiveness of these new measures, pointing out that drinking water is only responsible for only 20% of PFAS exposure (source). The majority comes from daily use items such as cosmetics and food packaging, not drinking water.
Boyle argues that it makes more sense to regulate these direct sources rather than putting the entire ownership on water treaters, which he describes as "passive treaters of water." The regulations could force water utilities to raise their rates significantly to meet the new standards, which Boyle fears will inevitably lead to higher costs for consumers.
New Hydrogel Material Removes Microplastics From Water
Technology Networks recently reported on a breakthrough in water treatment tech by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science. They've come up with a new hydrogel material that grabs microplastics from water and breaks them down using UV light. This is a big deal for a few reasons, one being that the new gel isn’t just one-and-done—you can use it up to five times before it's spent. Plus, when it's finally done, it can be turned into carbon nanomaterials. So how good is it? This hydrogel pulled out over 93% of microplastics in test runs, making it super effective and has the team thinking big, hoping to scale this up for bigger clean-up jobs.
West Plains PFAS Testing
A local news station out of Spokane, Washington released a story about PFAS contamination affecting private wells in Washington's West Plains and the community's response to it. Here are the main takeaways:
PFAS Everywhere: More than half the private wells checked in the West Plains are dealing with PFAS levels that are higher than what the EPA says is safe.
Long-Term Impact: The PFAS contamination was first identified in 2017 near Fairchild Air Force Base.
Community Response: John Hancock, who’s lived in West Plains for 16 years, is rallying the community and pushing hard for more testing and help for homeowners hit by this.
State Steps In: The Washington State Department of Ecology is now testing wells for free in high-risk areas, and the early results? Not so great.
Help on the Way: Bottled water is being handed to those with contaminated wells, and a geology team at Eastern Washington University is working on mapping contamination hotspots.
Water Softeners vs. Water Conditioners
In a recent blog post by Aqua Science Arizona, the team dives into the differences between water softeners and water conditioners (which is super relevant with Arizona's notoriously hard water). The post outlines how hard water can mess with plumbing, dry out skin and hair, damage clothes, and leave stains on dishes. Water softeners tackle these issues by swapping out hard minerals like calcium and magnesium with sodium ions, helping to prevent scale buildup. On the flip side, water conditioners, while not removing hard minerals, help improve water quality by filtering out stuff like chlorine and odors using activated carbon. The blog also points out that softeners need more maintenance and aren't as eco-friendly as conditioners, which are easier to manage and better for the environment (if they don’t use a backwashing valve).
What else is happening:
Residents of Flint, MI are calling on Biden to pay for their water crisis
Brian Campbell (aka Water Filter Guru) reviewed the $2000 Kind E-3000 whole-house water filter and conditioner
CGC Water Kinetico, a 4th generation family business, hands out expert tips on reducing exposure to PFAS
Former president of Culligan’s North America Judd Larned shared his three-year plan for WQA as their new president
Have a great week! We’ll catch you on the flip-flop.
-Kevin