Water Quality From Source Through Treatment—Joint research by the USGS and the USEPA
Citation:
Furlong, E., S. Glassmeyer, J. Sullivan, AND D. Kolpin. Water Quality From Source Through Treatment—Joint research by the USGS and the USEPA. Association of State Drinking Water Administrators Webinar, webinar, September 05, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this presentation is to share the results of three collaborative studies with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. These collaborations examine the fate of contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water treatment as well as how they persist through surface water.
Description:
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) is a term which encompasses a vast array of chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, perfluoroalkyl substances, and surfactants, as well as microorganisms such as Mycobacteria and Legionella. These contaminants end up entering the water cycle, either through municipal or household use (entering the grey water), or excretion (entering the black water). CECs can survive wastewater treatment, and end up in surface waters, along with other contaminants which may run off of the land into the watershed. This water can be the drinking water source for a downstream community. Scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Geological Survey have collaborated on a study examining the occurrence of CECs both in the source water and treated drinking water from drinking water treatment plants from across the United States and potential effects of CECs during de facto water reuse..
