Essentials for Successful Lead Service Line Replacement Legacy lead service lines threaten the drinking water of millions, with crises in cities like Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, standing as examples of the challenges facing local and national leaders. As cities and states begin investing $15 billion earmarked in recent legislation to secure safer drinking … more
Using Proven Materials for Water Systems Part 1: Health & Toxicity Flint, Michigan may be the first city that comes to mind when you think of the crises that can occur in cities where lead service lines are still prevalent in their water systems. However, Flint is hardly alone in this category. Other cities, such … more
The study concludes that thermally damaged drinking water pipes can be sources of VOC leaching. … more
Lead contamination has long been recognized as a health hazard, particularly for the young. But a new study asserts that the extent of the problem is far bigger than previously thought, with one in three children worldwide – about 800 million in all – threatened by unacceptably high lead levels in their body. … more
Andrew Whelton’s latest study confirms that plastic drinking water pipes release benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the water supply when exposed to extreme heat. … more
Historic wildfires raging from California to Colorado are weakening watersheds and setting the stage for deadly mudslides and flooding and, in some places, threatening to poison critical water supplies… more
This work outlines factors that influence wildfire-induced drinking water quality threats based on the findings from the Tubbs Fire (2017) and Camp Fire (2018) and explores scientific and policy issues. … more
Top Piping Safety Researcher Urges Awareness & Action on Post-Wildfire Water Contamination When wildfires rage through areas with plastic water infrastructure, populations lose access to clean drinking water due to toxic contaminants that leach from the melted pipes. In recent years, wildfires such as the Tubbs Fire (2017) in Santa Rosa and the Camp Fire … more
Studies of communities impacted by wildfires found burned and melted plastic piping contaminated community water systems with high levels of carcinogenic benzene. Research from the American Water Works Association, “Smoke and Water Don’t Mix,” looked for benzene sources in the wake of fire disasters in California. A research team from the EPA and the California … more
The American Water Works Association recently published “Smoke and Water Don’t Mix,” an analysis of water contamination by benzene in the wake of the Tubbs Fire and Camp Fire disasters in California. Written by representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control board, the study looked at causes and … more