From the Editor

1. Fort Lauderdale’s Major Sewer Problems Have No Fix In Sight 2/28/2020

   Of the many persistent obstacles faced by wastewater treatment utilities, outdated infrastructure might be the most disruptive. And few places feel this disruption as acutely these days as Fort Lauderdale.

2. Will Mark Ruffalo Become The PFAS Erin Brockovich? 2/25/2020

   In the fight against drinking water contamination, water systems and consumers can often use all the help they can get. As communities in North Carolina wrestle with elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), so-called “forever chemicals” found in water across the country and linked to devastating health effects, that has come in the form of some star power.

3. Coronavirus Prompts North Korea To Test Source Water, Wastewater Quality 2/19/2020

   With the outbreak of coronavirus in mainland China spreading despite efforts to contain it, a neighbor appears to be concerned about how the pandemic will affect regional source water and wastewater.

4. Critics Argue New York’s New Water Regulations Would Threaten Consumer Health 2/18/2020

   New York State is dealing with its fair share of drinking water quality issues, including ongoing 1,4-dioxane contamination, problems with lead-based infrastructure, and concerns over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). So, state officials are working to put new rules in place that will keep chemicals out of the public drinking water supply.

5. Miami Unveils Major Climate Resiliency Plan 2/12/2020

   Few cities around the country are as acutely threatened by climate change as Miami.

6. Love Is In The Air At Wastewater Treatment Operations 2/11/2020

   When Valentine’s Day rolls around, couples typically celebrate at intimate restaurants, atop beautiful vistas, or with romantic movies at home. But this year, an unconventional venue choice has emerged as a romantic destination: wastewater treatment operations.

7. Ohio Targets Nonpoint Pollution With Toxic Algae Incentive Program 2/5/2020

   Source water contaminated with toxic algae has forced communities in Ohio to institute a drinking water ban, shut down a treatment plant, and grant Lake Erie legal rights usually reserved for human beings. Now, in an effort to curb the problem once and for all, state officials are targeting the root cause.

8. California Moving Forward With $11 Billion Water Tunnel 2/4/2020

   The latest update in California’s everlasting battles with water management sees the state pursuing a multibillion-dollar project to disperse the coveted resource.

9. Tucson Wants To Alter Consent Order That Could Force It To Serve PFAS Water 1/30/2020

   Throughout the country, drinking water treatment operations are doing their best to avoid supplying consumers with water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — so called “forever chemicals” that have leached into supplies from industrial sources and have been tied to long-term health issues.

10. EPA Introduces Navigable Waters Protection Rule 1/28/2020

    Ever since it was installed by the Obama administration in 2015, the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule — a layer of the Clean Water Act meant to clarify how the country’s water resources should be managed — has drawn controversy.