Water Online's EPA Weekly

1. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin To Unleash American Greatness As Head Of EPA 1/31/2025

   On January 29, 2025, U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin was confirmed by a bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate and subsequently sworn in as the 17th EPA Administrator. Administrator Zeldin is committed to maintaining and expanding the gold standard of environmental stewardship and conservation that President Trump set forth in his first administration while also prioritizing economic prosperity.

2. Geospatial Patterns Of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In The EPA National Rivers and Streams Assessment Survey 2/6/2024

   Both antimicrobial products and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria find their way into the environment through the release of treated wastewater into rivers and streams, as well as through runoff from animal feeding operations. EPA researchers are engaged in a variety of efforts to understand what happens when antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (sometimes referred to as antibiotic-resistant bacteria) are released into the environment.

3. EPA Researchers Showcase Research Capabilities To Local And National Media 4/12/2023

   EPA researcher recently hosted members of local and national media on a tour of our unique research complex located in Cincinnati, OH, where they discussed several topics including PFAS in drinking water, lead service lines, and legionella in premise plumbing.

4. EPA's Regan: Government 'Waited Too Long' To Fix National Water Infrastructure 1/17/2023

   As a growing number of communities around the U.S. face drinking water and wastewater infrastructure problems, it has become clear that public trust in official institutions to deliver these services is eroding. But recent acknowledgement from the country’s foremost environmental protection official signaled recognition of these problems and a dedication to improve things for traditionally underserved populations.

5. Preventing Algal Blooms With A “Pinch Of Sugar” 10/25/2022

   Have you ever walked or driven by a lake covered with a thick scum that looks like pea soup? This could be caused by blue-green algae, a cyanobacteria (“cyan” means “blue-green”) that is frequently found in freshwater ponds and lakes. Cyanobacteria are often confused with green algae because both can produce dense mats that may smell bad and hamper activities like swimming and fishing. However, unlike most green algae, blue-green algae can produce cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). The highly potent toxins they make, called cyanotoxins, can harm people, animals, aquatic ecosystems, the economy, drinking water supplies, property values, and recreational activities.

6. A Better Way: An Application For Risk Characterization of HABs On The Ohio River 8/2/2022

   When you think of water, you might imagine deep blue ocean waves crashing against a shoreline or perhaps the still calm of a forested lake, but on an August morning in the summer of 2015, the lockmaster at the Pike Island Lock and Dam saw something much different. That day, EPA’s regional office in Wheeling, WV, received a concerned phone call from the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) notifying them of what was described as “antifreeze-green colored paint” flowing down the Ohio River. But this was no paint spill. Rather, Microcystis, a naturally occurring species of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, known to produce toxins harmful to animals and humans, was quickly taking over one of the most influential rivers in the continental U.S.

7. CyANWeb Tool Helps Monitor Water Quality To Detect Early Warning Signs Of Harmful Algal Blooms 6/24/2022

   Cyanobacteria occur naturally in many water bodies, but when they multiply, they can form harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can increase drinking water treatment costs for communities and impact recreational areas such as lakes. To notify communities about potential HABs, EPA researchers created CyANWeb.

8. EPA Scientists And Partners Team Up To Tackle Cape Cod's Nutrient Pollution And Protect Water Quality 6/10/2022

   Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known for its picturesque villages, sandy beaches, and seafood. But these iconic coastal waters, and the communities and ecosystems they support, are under an increasing threat from nutrient pollution.

9. EPA Creates Database To Find Thermal Treatment Processes For Remediating PFAS 6/8/2022

   Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. PFAS are found in a wide array of consumer and industrial products. Due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. There is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects.

10. Making Microplastic Identification More Accessible 5/25/2022

    Imagine trying to count hundreds, thousands, even millions of tiny particles that are too small to see with the human eye. Now, imagine those tiny particles could be any shape, size, or color and are covered in mud. That’s a challenge that EPA chemist Michaela Cashman, PhD and other EPA researchers are taking on in their microplastics identification research.