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

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

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.
The AWWA Said $2.4 Trillion. It Missed The Compound Interest. Einstein once said of compound interest, "He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." The same logic of compounding applies to the organic sediment accumulating on the floor of your drinking water reservoir. The longer you wait to address it, the more exponentially expensive it becomes to fix.
Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system?

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

Sewage Treatment Mini Train System: WWT-50

The highly scalable newterra WWT-50 Sewage Treatment Mini Train System is designed for rapid mobilization to serve camps of 200 to 800 people. These efficient plants are configured in trains that allow modular expansion and easy redeployment of assets. Each base configuration consists of two 40' containers that provide 50 m3 (13,200 US gal) of treatment capacity – enough for 200 people. Supplementing the base system with one 40' Adder container doubles capacity to 100 m3 for up to 400 people.

EPRO™ LMF Reverse Osmosis Systems

EPRO™ LMF Series are engineered our from the ground up to provide maximum treatment efficiency in a compact, skidded package. This series of RO systems removes impurities, such as bacteria and dissolved solids, from source water, including brackish water. Available configurations deliver permeate flow rates of 21 to 60 GPM (30,000 to 86,400 GPD) to address the diverse requirements of light industrial applications and commercial users.

PFAS Reference Materials

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s.
PFAS can be found in:

Arkal Super Galaxy Self-Cleaning Disc Filter

The Arkal Super Galaxy is a high-flow rate, self-cleaning, automatic disc filter. It is practical for water and wastewater treatment plants, central water systems for irrigation, large cooling tower power plants, ballast water, and saltwater, as it handles desalination. In addition, it controls algae and reduces hydraulic filtration degrees to less than 20 microns. Its vertical and horizontal installation options accommodate all space issues.

TOC Reduction

NeoTech Aqua Solutions provides the most efficient and cost-effective UV systems for destroying Total Organic Carbons (TOC’s) in water. Whether your destroying NDMA, 1,4-dioxane, TCE, MTBE, urea, endocrine disruptors or other organics, only NeoTech Aqua provides ultraviolet TOC reduction with a treatment chamber optimized for low pressure mercury lamps. As a result, NeoTech Aqua’s UV systems achieve a three times greater TOC reduction per kilowatt compared to standard UV systems, reducing our clients’ costs and energy consumption. In addition to efficiently generating ample 185 nm UV for TOC reduction, NeoTech Aqua’s TOC reduction systems also generate significant levels of 254 nm UV which serve as a powerful disinfectant, providing you both TOC-free and organism-free product water.

DE NORA TETRA® ABF Bioactive Filter

The DE NORA TETRA® ABF bioactive filter combines ozone generation with biologically active filtration for use in municipal water applications. The process targets micropollutant reduction and reduces disinfection byproducts in drinking water and potable reuse applications.

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

Recent Updates To The Declaration Of Helsinki Affecting Clinical Trials

The World Medical Association (WMA) has announced a significant, rare update to its cornerstone ethical document, the Declaration of Helsinki, which guides medical research involving human participants.
Tips For Navigating Tax Season As A 1099-MISC Recipient

Explore the tax implications for individuals who received compensation for participating in clinical trials, specifically focusing on the issuance of the 1099-MISC.
A Risk-Based Approach To Plasmid DNA And mRNA Process Development

Balancing robust analytics and clinical readiness is key for early-phase pDNA and mRNA therapeutics amid structural complexity and regulatory challenges.
A True PFAS Solution Is About More Than Removal

Engineers and project managers must take a complete cradle-to-grave approach when considering which technologies to implement as well as which vendors to partner with for their PFAS solution.
Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ)

As utilities prepare for the pending 4-ppt PFAS drinking water MCL, many are discovering that legacy lead/lag designs — workhorses for decades when treating contaminants in the ppm and ppb range — simply are not optimized for the parts per trillion-level (ppt) precision PFAS demands.
2,080 Hours: What Five Sensors Gave Back To One Utility

Routine sensor maintenance silently drains utility workforce capacity through constant recalibration, reagent refills, and travel time. Transitioning to low-maintenance monitoring technology reclaims thousands of operator hours, allowing short-handed crews to focus on vital system infrastructure priorities.
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.
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.
UV Advanced Oxidation For Potable Reuse

Faced with rising water scarcity, advanced facilities are utilizing UV advanced oxidation to destroy persistent chemical micropollutants and achieve stringent pathogen disinfection in a single step, ensuring a highly pure, reliable potable water supply.
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.
Optimizing TFF And SPTFF For High-Concentration mAb Formulations

Discover the critical role of formulation buffer composition in stabilizing monoclonal antibodies during tangential flow filtration, a process involving ultrafiltration and diafiltration under high pressure and shear forces.
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.
Keep Your Cool: The Importance Of Advanced Side Stream Filtration In Data Center Operation

Advanced side stream filtration protects sensitive cooling infrastructure in data centers, extending membrane life, reducing water and energy use, and preventing costly downtime caused by particulate-loaded cooling water.
EPA's Proposed Perchlorate Regulation: What It Means For Treatment Engineers And Oxidation Strategies

EPA’s proposed perchlorate regulation challenges utilities to integrate advanced oxidation and separation technologies, enabling reliable removal, regulatory compliance, and flexible treatment for emerging contaminants.

System Performance Depends On Cleanliness

The Lee Company highlights contamination risks in fluidic systems, offering guidance on detection, prevention, safety screens, and ROB number comparisons to ensure long-term performance and reliability.
How Regulatory Pressure Is Driving Innovation In Surface Water Facilities

What does it take to stay ahead of tightening drinking water standards? See how utilities are turning regulatory pressure into smarter infrastructure investment.
Hunting An Unexpected mAb Variant With LC‑MS

A tailored LC–MS approach enables sensitive detection and tracking of monoclonal antibody variants, supporting deeper product characterization and better control of quality‑impacting changes.
Surface Water vs. Groundwater: Strategic Infrastructure Tradeoffs For Growing Communities

What's really at stake when choosing between surface water and groundwater? The answer shapes water security for decades.

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

Newsletter Signup

VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS

MORE WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES