Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 8, 2009
4. Water Quality –
Stricter labeling urged for bottled water
Tri-Valley Herald
State requires Lodi to revisit wastewater permit
Lodi News-Sentinel
Winters meeting looks at 'front yard' pollutants
Woodland Daily Democrat
City meets state, federal water regulations in 2008
Hollister Free Lance
City: 13 of 18 wells meet arsenic standard
Hanford Sentinel
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Stricter labeling urged for bottled water
Tri-Valley Herald-7/8/09
By Emily Fredrix (Associated Press)
Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, researchers and congressional investigators say in new reports.
Both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy organization, recommend in reports being released Wednesday that bottled water be labeled with the same level of information municipal water providers must disclose.
The researchers plan to urge Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water during their testimony before a congressional subcommittee Wednesday morning.
Bottled water—an industry worth about $16 billion in sales last year—has been suffering lately as colleges, communities and some governments take measures to limit or ban its consumption. As employers, they are motivated by cost savings and environmental concern because the bottles create unnecessary waste and can be hard to recycle.
Bottled water sales were growing by double-digit percentages for years and were helping buoy the U.S. beverage industry overall. But they were flat last year, according to trade publication Beverage Digest.
Beverage Digest editor John Sicher said some consumers are turning on the tap during the recession simply because it's cheaper.
From 1997 to 2007, the amount of bottled water consumed per person in the U.S. more than doubled, from 13.4 gallons to 29.3 gallons, the GAO report said.
The issue on Wednesday though, before a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, was less about waste and water quality concerns and more about the mechanics of regulating bottled water.
As a food product, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and required to show nutrition information and ingredients on its labels. Municipal water is under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The two agencies have similar standards for water quality, but the FDA has less authority to enforce them, the GAO said, and the environmental agency requires much more testing.
The GAO noted the FDA also has yet to set standards for chemicals called phthalates, found in many household products, while the EPA limits their presence in tap water.
In a survey of officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GAO found they think consumers are misinformed about bottled water.
"Many replied that consumers often believe that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap water," according to the GAO report.
The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group said in its report that consumers do not get enough information to determine which water best for them.
Both groups said some bottled water brands include the same information required of tap water providers on either labels or company Web sites.
The GAO called for more research but said the FDA should start by requiring that bottled water labels tell consumers where to find out more.
Community water systems must distribute annual reports about their water's source, contaminants and possible health concerns.
Consumers should know where all their water comes from, how it is treated and what is found in it, said Richard Wiles, senior vice president for policy and communications for the Environmental Working Group.
"If the municipal tap water systems can tell their customers this information, you would think that bottled water companies that charge 1,000 times more for this water could also let consumers know the same thing," he told The Associated Press.
The bottled water industry's trade group, the International Bottled Water Association, planned to testify Wednesday that the product,—subject to the same regulation as other soft drinks, teas, juices and other beverages—is safe. Additional standards apply for bottled water products labeled as "purified water" or "spring water," among other labels, because they must meet prove a connection to those sources, according to planned testimony from Joseph Doss, president and chief executive of the International Bottled Water Association.
Doss said consumers can learn about bottled water by contacting the company, reading its Web site and visiting sites run by state governments.
State safeguards for bottled water often exceed the federal, though they are less stringent than for tap water, the GAO wrote.
The trade group declined to comment on the reports before they are released.#
State requires Lodi to revisit wastewater permit
Lodi News-Sentinel-7/7/09
By Maggie Creamer
The State Water Resources Control Board reviewed the permit after the California Sportsfishing Alliance brought up concerns about the levels of pollutants in groundwater near the White Slough wastewater plant. The city uses wastewater to irrigate 790 acres of crops and stores some of it in 49 acres of unlined storage ponds.
The board sent the permit back to its regional board for revisions. It is unclear what the exact consequences will be, but the decision could open the city up to lawsuits from third parties or additional requirements on how the city treats the irrigation water.
On Aug. 5, the Lodi City Council will discuss with Charlie Swimley, the city's water services manager, whether the city can afford to continue running the plant without any changes.
The city mixes water run through the treatment plant with pre-treated water from industrial companies, like Pacific Coast Producers, and either irrigates crops or adds it to unlined storage ponds. The alliance believes this practice is adding high concentrations of nitrates and salt to the soil.
The city argues there are many reasons there could be salt content in the area, including dairies and the proximity to the Delta, Swimley said.
The regional board had previously approved the city's current permit, with the requirement that the city further investigates whether it is contributing to groundwater contamination in the area.
The state's decision changes the city's status to being in noncompliance with its own permit until the studies are complete, which can open up the city to legal action, said Kathryn Gies, the principal engineer for West Yost Associates, the company the city hired to do the studies.
The state board had previously said the city did contribute to groundwater contamination, but took out that language at Tuesday's meeting after City Attorney Steve Schwabauer threatened to sue.
The decision has possible consequences for other wastewater plants in the Central Valley and elsewhere throughout the state, because other plants operate similarly to Lodi, said Debbie Webster, the executive officer of the Central Valley Clean Water Association. The association often advocates at regulatory proceedings for its members, which are mainly wastewater agencies.
While Webster is not sure what the result of the Lodi decision will be, she is worried it will just add another layer of government.
"This could increase costs to our member agencies and ratepayers without an increase in water quality benefits," she said.
But the sportsfishing alliance said Lodi's situation is unique because it mixes in industrial waste, so it will not set a precedence, said Richard McHenry, a senior engineer for the alliance.#
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/07/08/news/4_water_090708.txt
Winters meeting looks at 'front yard' pollutants
Woodland Daily Democrat-7/8/09
How many times have you forgotten about your sprinkler, or witnessed someone else do the same?
Local researchers have found that the water running off residential lawns, across sidewalks, down gutters, and into storm drains often contain harmful chemicals which make their way into local waterways.
Learn more about this research and how your landscaping can protect water quality by attending at CreekSpeak lecture from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, at the Winters Community Center, 201 Railroad Ave.
Loren Oki and Darren Haver, Water Resources & Water Quality advisers of UCCE Orange County, lead a team of researchers on a statewide project that is characterizing the runoff that flows from residential areas. Since 2006, they have collected water samples from eight neighborhoods in Sacramento and Orange counties.
In his talk Oki will discuss how these findings apply to Putah Creek and other local creeks that receive runoff from residential sources. He will also give tips about what people can do to lessen runoff and improve water quality to local creeks, such as alternatives to pesticides to control ants, how to irrigate using low-flow methods, plants that are particularly suited to our climate, and the like.
The water quality samples were analyzed for 30 different parameters including pesticides, nutrients, drinking water constituents of concern, and human pathogens and pathogen indicators. Surveys conducted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the UC Integrated Pest Management Program revealed that more than 60 percentof the pesticides purchased by homeowners are used to control ants.
They have detected these types of pesticides (2 organophosphates, 9 pyrethroids, and a pyrazole) at high frequencies and often at concentrations of concern. These pollutants move from the outdoor areas of homes into storm drains via runoff generated from storms, landscape irrigation, and other outdoor water uses.#
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_12775240?IADID=Search-www.dailydemocrat.com-www.dailydemocrat.com
City meets state, federal water regulations in 2008
Hollister Free Lance-7/7/09
The City of Hollister's annual drinking water quality report for 2008 concluded the local supply met all necessary state and federal regulations for the year, according to the recently released document.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state's public health division of drinking water and environmental management set requirements for the amount of certain contaminants in the supply. Some contaminants that often exist in water include microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria; inorganics such as salts or metals; and pesticides and herbicides, according to the report.
"As you can see from the tables above, the City of Hollister had no violation in 2008," the report reads. "We're proud that your (sic) drinking water meets all Federal and State regulations."
It notes that the presence of contaminants "does not necessarily pose a health risk" but how some people, such as those with a compromised immune system, can be more vulnerable to them.
During 2008, Hollister obtained 76.3 percent of its water from seven active, deep groundwater wells in the city and Cienega Valley. Another 15.9 percent came from San Felipe surface water treated at the LESSALT Water Treatment Plant, while 7.8 percent is from the Sunnyslope Water District wells, the report reads.#
http://www.freelancenews.com/news/257478-city-meets-state-federal-water-regulations-in-2008
City: 13 of 18 wells meet arsenic standard
Hanford Sentinel-7/8/09
A water quality report by the city of Hanford last month indicate a half of city wells still fail to meet the arsenic standard, but officials say the information is old.
As of today, 13 of 18 wells are in compliance, Hanford Public Works Director Lou Camara said today. By the end of the year, all wells should be in full compliance, he said.#
http://hanfordsentinel.com/articles/2009/07/08/newsupdates/doc4a538e22e18a8940929946.txt
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