Peter Chawaga

EDITORIAL BY PETER

• What Happens When Wastewater Labor Is Infected With Coronavirus?

  The spread of COVID-19 seems to have impacted every corner of the country, but what happens when it reaches indispensable members of our workforce, such as drinking water or wastewater utility employees?

• EPA, States To Suspend Some Water Quality Rules During Coronavirus Outbreak

  The unprecedented spread of coronavirus and rise in resulting COVID-19 cases has upended nearly every aspect of our world — from bans on social gatherings to turmoil in economic markets. Now, it appears that some of our country’s central water quality guidelines will be put on hold as well.

• Latest Military Tally Sees 50 Percent Spike In PFAS Contamination

  Anyone following the drinking water treatment space — and many of those who are not — are aware that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminate much of the nation’s source water.

• Will Coronavirus Bring Non-Flushable Wipes Into Wastewater Systems?

  Among the surge in infected patients and quarantine orders, the current coronavirus epidemic may also introduce the rise of a less expected consequence: non-flushable wipes clogging wastewater systems.

• Florida Passes Bill To Curb Toxic Algae

  Like many other waterways across the country, Florida’s source bodies have a substantial toxic algae problem due to nutrient runoff from myriad sources. And now, local legislators are trying to do something about it.

• U.S. Representatives Investigating Nestlé Bottled Water Operations

  Major bottled water provider Nestlé has come under scrutiny this month from some of the highest powers in the country for its controversial use of natural resources.

• Minnesota's Nitrate Problem Is Getting Worse

  Nitrates are naturally occurring compounds that find their way into drinking water via groundwater in several benign ways.

• Major California Reservoir To Be Drained Due To Earthquake Risk

  In one of the most source water stressed regions of the country, the threat of natural disaster has dealt an unusual and devastating blow to supplies.

• San Diego’s Recycled Water Project Losing $4 Million Per Month With Delays

  With consumption challenges including a booming population and pervasive source water scarcity in the region, San Diego has pursued its Pure Water project for years, an ambitious plan to bolster up to one-third of its supply with recycled water by 2035.

• Across The Country, Polluters Forced To Pay Out For PFAS Contamination

  It’s possible that contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of chemicals that has found its way into source water throughout the country via industrial operations, poses acute health threats when consumed, and resists standard treatment methods — has become the defining drinking water obstacle of our time.