Latest news, insights, and discussion on US and global drinking water regulations.

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA's Hazardous Substance Designation For PFOA, PFOS
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently rejected industry challenges to the EPA's designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, leaving the agency's April 2024 rule fully intact. While the case centered on the EPA's authority to make the designation, its practical significance for water utilities is simpler: the liability concerns that have accompanied the rule since its adoption remain unresolved.
How Donner Summit PUD Cut Backwash Water Use By 45% With Ultrasonic Algae Control
Recurring algal blooms severely compromise water treatment efficiency, clogging filters and wasting finished water through frequent backwashing. Targeted ultrasonic suppression controls raw water algae growth at the source, significantly improving influent turbidity and lowering operational costs.
SRP-Funded Technology Provides Affordable PFAS Testing For Homeowners
Widespread chemical contamination leaves many small water systems without viable testing options.Discover how an innovative, plant-based extraction method delivers affordable, highly accurate screening to identify complex contaminants and protect public health.
The Enzyme Bottleneck: Why Conventional Lake Management Is Failing — And What The Science Says About Genuine Bio-Dredging For decades, the dominant framework for assessing and managing lake health has been built around surface water measurements: chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, water clarity, and the composite Trophic State Index derived from them. These metrics are familiar, standardized, and widely accepted. They are also, according to a growing body of peer-reviewed literature, measuring the wrong part of the lake.
Ozone Off-Gas: What It Reveals About System Efficiency, Safety, and Design
Learn how ozone off-gas impacts system efficiency, safety, and performance, and why monitoring and management are critical for optimized water treatment operations.
UK Reservoirs, Water Shortages, And Legionella Risks Is there a clear link between a less plentiful water supply and an increase in Legionella in our domestic water systems?
The Devastating Legacy Of Algaecides: Why The Quick Fix Is Failing Our Lakes As warmer months approach, water management professionals must confront the compounding consequences of biocidal algae treatments.
What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection? Water utility managers and municipal leaders have long struggled amid the convergence of several threats to public water supplies. During a recent Water Online Live event, I sat with a panel of industry experts to examine the transition from reactive crisis management to a proactive, adaptive resilience framework.
Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood Asthma
While most of us are routinely exposed to low levels of PFAS, some communities are exposed to far higher levels from nearby pollution sources. A new study shows that in one of these at-risk communities, children were more likely to develop asthma if their mothers were exposed to very high PFAS levels during pregnancy.
The Pragmatic Shift In Source Water Protection: Moving From Symptom Management To Root-Cause Accountability A shift in how we approach source water protection is long overdue. Currently, we are trapped in a cycle of escalating costs, forced to treat symptoms like algae and invasive weeds expediently with chemicals while the underlying risk in the reservoir compounds. True risk management requires breaking this cycle.

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

ShaleFlow™: A Transportable, Modular Solution For Produced Water Reuse

Veolia has developed ShaleFlow™, a cost-effective transportable solution for reuse of produced water and flowback water from hydraulic fracturing operations. This compact, modular system utilizes proven technologies designed to enable reuse with the flexibility to be moved as the field is developed.

ReFlex™ Reverse Osmosis

Desalitech's ReFlex Reverse Osmosis systems represent a new era of water treatment efficiency. With patented CCD technology, ReFlex systems guarantee maximum water savings and waste water reduction. Desalitech systems are making the best use of water resources, offering a recovery rate of up to 98 percent plus unmatched reliability and flexibility. ReFlex Reverse Osmosis typically reduces disposal costs by 50 percent to 75 percent and energy consumption by up to 35 percent.

Potable Water Treatment Large Train System: PWT 500

For large camps with populations expected to exceed 2,000 people, newterra’s modular PWT-500 Potable Water Treatment Large Train System employs 40' containers dedicated to a specific, complimentary treatment process (e.g. greensand filtration, nanofiltration, etc.)

Pentair X-Flow

The Pentair X-Flow UF membrane system provides a simple solution producing water that meets the highest standards for turbidity and micro biology

Sewage Treatment Large Train System_Datasheets_WWT-125

Sewage Treatment Large Train System: WWT-125

The newterra WWT-125 is a scalable sewage treatment plant based on 3-container process trains that can each address the requirements of 500 people (125 m3; 33,000 US gal). The advanced, modular system is designed for larger camps with populations ranging from 1,000 to tens of thousands of people.

Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator

The Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator's (AEC) modular design provides a small footprint and low energy consumption, and it can be skidded, trailer-mounted, or custom configured to fit into existing spaces.

VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS

PFAS regulatory requirement-GettyImages-2220893562

EPA Seeks Court‑Ordered Removal Of 4 PFAS Limits

Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context

Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations.
HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive

In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.”
PFAS Unpacked: Experts Answer Questions On EPA Rules, Funding, Treatment, And More

With the U.S. EPA's PFAS rules now in place, utilities are finding themselves with a growing number of questions regarding how to treat these chemicals, the potential costs, and much more. For answers, Water Online's chief editor, Kevin Westerling, hosted an Ask Me Anything session featuring Ken Sansone, Senior Partner at SL Environmental Law Group; Kyle Thompson, National PFAS Lead at Carollo Engineers; and Lauren Weinrich, Principal Scientist at American Water.
Monitoring Know-How For PFAS Regulations

A Q&A to explain and resolve issues confronting water suppliers as they endeavor to comply with the monitoring requirements of federal PFAS regulations.
Clearing LCRI Hurdles

Assessing what lies ahead in the 10-year race to go lead-free, otherwise known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).

MORE WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES

Enhancing Protein Recovery And Concentration

Ultrafiltration offers a precise way to concentrate and purify proteins while removing smaller molecules. Learn how technique choice and membrane selection influence recovery, purity, and consistency.
PFAS Treatment Technologies For Water Utilities And PFAS-Contaminated Sites

Discover how PFAS treatment technologies can provide safer drinking water and limit the amount of PFAS in the environment.
Sample Manager: Modernizing Operations To Track, Organize, And Automate Water Sampling Programs

Ready for a solution that allows you to manage all of your water quality programs in one place? 120Water's Sample Manager consolidates every aspect of your sampling program into a single digital dashboard, simplifying task management and unlocking the data insights your team needs to stay ahead.
From Syringes To Wearables: Formulation's Impact

High‑concentration biologic formulations for prefilled syringes and on‑body devices enable easier self‑administration, reduce treatment burden, boost adherence, and address complex formulation challenges.
How Advanced Oxidation Is Tackling 1,4 Dioxane At Orlando Drum & Container

Orlando Drum & Container eliminates hazardous 1,4 Dioxane from groundwater using Pinnacle Ozone Solutions’ Advanced Oxidation Process, restoring water quality sustainably and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Mass Transfer Efficiency: The Most Important Metric In Ozone System Design

Ozone output doesn’t guarantee performance. Learn how mass transfer efficiency determines how much ozone dissolves, drives treatment results, and impacts energy use and system design.
How Utilities, Engineers, And Manufacturers Can Overcome Mounting PFAS Compliance Workloads

Recent federal PFAS regulations will overwhelm consulting engineers, water and wastewater utilities, and equipment manufacturers as thousands of utilities work to comply. Generative design can enable these parties to meet the workload demand and deadlines.
Accelerating The Seed Train: Enabling N-1 Intensification

Discover how N-1 intensification shortens production timelines and improves cell viability by replacing traditional filtration with automated, low-shear separation techniques to achieve higher seeding densities.
Navigating the Multi-Year Reality of CCCPH Compliance

Implementing California's updated cross-connection policy requires managing multi-year hazard assessment schedules and strict staffing rules. Digital compliance tracking streamlines field data collection, validates tester credentials, and maintains continuous state audit readiness.
Colorado Utility Removes PFCS From Well With Xylem's Ion Exchange System

Perfluoro compounds (PFCs), which are suspected carcinogens, are a growing concern for communities and a challenge that many water utilities need to address. When the Stratmoor Hills Water District detected PFCs in a seasonal well, the utility partnered with Evoqua, a Xylem company, to find a cost-effective solution.
Covalent Warhead Reactivity: A New Look At GSH Reactivity Assays

Understanding covalent warhead kinetics is key to reducing safety risks early in discovery. Learn about a new approach to GSH‑based measurements that offers clearer predictors of toxicity.
Tips For Better eCOA Experiences From Medable's Patient Caregiver Network

Hear from patients and caregivers across various therapeutic areas as they offer tips on improving the clinical trial experience.
Nanobubble Ozone Technology – Advancing Mass Transfer Through Physics

Nanobubble physics enable higher ozone stability and mass transfer efficiency in water. Discover how the negative surface charge of these microstructures improves localized oxidation and penetration into difficult matrices.
UV Advanced Oxidation For Groundwater Remediation

Industrial pollution increasingly threatens clean groundwater. Learn how UV advanced oxidation permanently destroys resilient micropollutants like 1,4-dioxane and VOCs at the molecular level, while simultaneously providing robust pathogen disinfection without chemical byproducts.

PFAS Treatment: Tackling "Forever Chemicals" In Our Environment

This guide delves into the history, widespread applications, and evolving strategies to understand and mitigate the impacts of PFAS on health and ecosystems.
Bayesian Study Designs In Early-Phase Oncology Trials

In response to insufficient traditional dose-escalation methods, regulatory initiatives like the FDA’s Project Optimus advocate for identifying optimal biological doses rather than relying solely on maximum tolerated doses (MTD).
The Future Of Surface Water Treatment In Critical Infrastructure: Why Digital Planning Is No Longer Optional

Surface water supplies most urban drinking water, but rising variability and contamination are straining ageing infrastructure—making digital planning tools essential for resilient, future-ready treatment systems.
Identifying Contaminants Of Concern

In this article, we outline the sources, occurrence, known health issues, and mitigation options for specific contaminants.

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

Newsletter Signup

VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS

MORE WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES