Water in China: Some Facts

The United Nations says China is one of 13 countries with extreme water shortages.

The problem is partly demographic.  While China has 20% of the world’s population, it holds six percent of the world’s water resources. but is also exacerbated by rapid and short-sighted development. Rapid and short-sighted development have made this built-in shortage of water worse.

Strong economic growth has turned the country into the world’s second largest economy but at the expense of the environment.

The Yangtze River, once the lifeblood of the country, now flows a foreboding blood red, possibly due to industrial pollution.

Chronic droughts plague important agricultural regions like Shandong province, which produces most of China’s grain.

Within a few years, China’s water demand will reach 818 billion cubic meters, experts say, and yet there’s only 616 billion cubic meters available.

Beijing has about 100 cubic meters of water available per person, well below the U.N. standard of 1,000 cubic meters per person, a threshold used to measure chronic water shortage.

To put things in perspective, China has 25 bathtubs of water per person. The U.S. has the equivalent of 125 bathtubs.

China now has around 300 million people with no access to potable water, resulting in some 66,000 deaths per year, according to the World Bank. It estimates the cost of water pollution to China at $22 billion, roughly 1.1 percent of the country’s GDP.

The Chinese government recognizes the problem and is seeking to cut water consumption by 30%.

China’s rapacious water consumption is in part boosted by an illogical scenario: water, while scarce, is unusually cheap. Water in China, in fact, is really three to five times cheaper than it should be. China is trying to reduce consumption by raising water prices, and this has been taking place slowly since 2009.

As with other areas, however, where public consumption becomes the focus of water saving efforts, in China the largest users and the largest polluters of water are industry and agriculture. They use about 85% of the water in China.

As with other countries, a simple step could save immense amounts of water: fixing leaky pipes. There are literally hundreds of millions of miles of pipe laid around the world that are leaking and wasting water. These are some simple fixes that we could do right away.

 Reference.

 

 

 

 

Reduced Water Flow from the Missouri Threatens to Close Barge Traffic on the Mississippi

A 200-mile section of the Mississippi River may have to shut down due to reduced flow of water from reduced flow from a reservoir into the the Missouri River, which feeds into the Mississippi.  The Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to reduce flow from the reservoir.

The corps annually decreases water releases to ensure adequate reservoir levels and to prevent ice buildup and flooding. This year, already-low river levels caused by drought could shrink to the point that barges carrying grain, coal and other products won’t be able to navigate the Mississippi. The Missouri flows into the Mississippi near St. Louis.

Because of the drought, most vessels on the Mississippi are now limited to a 9-foot draft — their depth in the water.  Going to a 6-foot draft effectively closes the river.

 

 

 

The temporary closure of the Mississippi from St. Louis to Cairo, Ill., could result from an Army Corps of Engineers plan to reduce water flow from a reservoir into the Missouri River starting today, shipping companies and industry groups warn.

Monique Farmer, a corps spokeswoman, says water releases from the reservoir at Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border will drop gradually starting November 22 from 36,000 cubic feet per second to 12,000 by Dec. 11. “We need to begin conserving water in our system,” Farmer says. It’s like turning down a faucet: Less water moves into the Missouri, which feeds the Mississippi, so Mississippi levels also drop.

The slowdown in water release threatens to delay shipment of billions of dollars worth of commodities during December and January. It is expected that the low water situation in the Mississippi will eventually result in higher consumer prices.

 More from USA Today.

 

 

Severe Thigh Injury Sustained by Woman Rushing to Buy Water Filter

What is believed to be the first serious injury of the holiday shopping season was sustained by shopper Martha Nicholson as she rushed to buy a countertop water filter earlier today at a Dallas-area water treatment store.

The store, Pure Water Products of Denton, Texas,  following the national trend of beginning the after-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” sales event early, opened its doors to after-Thanksgiving shoppers at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  “Since we are closed on Black Friday,” store manager Katey Shannon explained, “we decided to provide our customers the opportunity to do their post-Thanksgiving shopping on Wednesday.”

Although the store has the  policy of “same low price every day” pricing and it never has sales, shoppers were lined up in its parking lot well before the 8:00 AM opening.  Mrs. Nicholson, a Garland, Texas resident who had come to Denton especially for the early shopping opportunity, was believed to be fourth or fifth in line when the store opened its doors.  As she raced for the countertop water filter counter, Mrs. Nicholson somehow lost her footing,  fell in the store aisle, and skidded several feet on her right thigh.  It is not known at this time if broken bones resulted or if the injury is only a bad sprain.

Miss Shannon blamed excessive speed for the accident and added that the store’s spacious, unobstructed aisles  might encourage shoppers to move more quickly than is prudent.  “We have clearly visible, friendly signs throughout the store,” Shannon said, “that remind shoppers: DO NOT RUN.  THIS MEANS YOU!”

Commenting on Mrs. Nicholson’s accident, Shannon said, “Look, I’m sorry she hurt her hip, but we warned her not to gallop through the store.”

 

Mrs. Nicholson is still in a Denton hospital and could not be reached for comment.

Miss Shannon said that Pure Water Products recommends “Safe Shopping,” which means avoiding the dangers of crowded stores by buying online.

Water Treatment 101: Scale

Scale  is a serious problem caused by the deposit of hardness minerals (mainly calcium and magnesium).   Hardness can block piping systems, causing the loss of water pressure due to reduced pipe diameter, and it can greatly reduce the effectiveness of home heating systems and hot water heaters. Scaled pipes and appliances waste energy and money.

Scaling is caused by hardness of water.  Hardness is defined, in simple terms, as the amount of calcium and magnesium present in the water.  Hardness is measured either in parts per million or as grains per gallon.  Water treatment professionals most often use grains per gallon.  The conversion is easy: a “grain” is equal to about 17.1  parts per million.

Although there is no absolute standard, water is usually considered  hard enough to cause problems at about 4 grains per gallon, and it is considered hard enough to require treatment at 7 grains per gallon and up. There is no upper limit on hardness, but water of 100 grains per gallon is rare.

The standard residential treatment for hard water is the conventional water softener, which exchanges sodium ions for the hard water minerals, calcium and magnesium. Conventional softeners are proven, reliable tools.  They use salt in the softening process.   In recent years a number of electronic and non-electronic softener substitutes have come on the market. Some of these are more effective than others.  Template Assisted Crystallization (called TAC) is now the most widely used of the alternative scale preventives.   TAC units not only prevent scale buildup but they remove existing scale as well.

 

More information:

Hard Water

How Water Softeners Work

Template Assisted Crystallization

The EPA Has Launched A Program, SepticSmart, To Help Homeowners Care for Their Septic Systems

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 25 percent of U.S. households—more than 26 million homes—and almost one-third of new developments are serviced by septic systems.  If properly built and properly maintained, a septic system can provide years of trouble-free and environmentally safe disposal of wastewater and sewage for a home.

A septic system typically consists of a septic tank and a drain field for the absorption of wastes.   The picture below from the EPA’s website  shows a standard septic setup:

Here’s how it works:

1. All water leaving the home is directed via a single pipe into a septic tank.
2. The septic tank is a buried, water-tight container usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene. Its job is to hold the wastewater long enough to allow solids to settle down to the bottom (forming sludge), while the oil and grease floats to the top (as scum).  Compartments and a T-shaped outlet prevent the sludge and scum from leaving the tank and traveling into the drainfield area.
3. The liquid wastewater (effluent) then exits the tank into the drainfield.  If the drainfield is overloaded with too much liquid, it will flood, causing sewage to flow to the ground surface or create backups in toilets and sinks.
4. Finally, the wastewater percolates into the soil, naturally removing harmful coliform bacteria, viruses, and nutrients.

To aid septic tank owners, the EPA recently launched is “SepticSmart” program to promote proper septic system care and maintenance. This national program aims to educate homeowners about proper daily system use and the need for periodic septic system maintenance.  SepticSmart also provides industry practitioners, local governments and community organizations with tools and materials to educate their clients and residents.

Here are some basic tips from SepticSmart:

• Spread out laundry and dishwasher loads throughout the day. Consider fixing plumbing leaks and installing faucet aerators and water-efficient products. Too much water use at once can overload your system, particularly if it hasn’t been pumped in the last couple of years.

• Avoid pouring fats, grease and solids down the drain, which can clog your system.

• Homeowners should have their septic system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor and have their tank pumped when necessary, generally every three to five years. Regular inspection and pumping of a septic system can save homeowners from costly repairs—on average, it costs homeowners $250 to pump their septic system, while the average cost of replacing a conventional septic system is $5,000 – $10,000. As the holidays approach, consider having your tank inspected and pumped.

• Ask guests to only to put things in the toilet that belong there. Dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, and cat litter can clog and potentially damage septic systems.

• Remind guests not to park or drive on your system’s drainfield because the vehicle weight could damage buried pipes or disrupt underground flow causing system backups and floods.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/septicsmart.

 

Rialto perchlorate site not harming drinking water, say state health officials

by Josh Dulaney

Contra Costa Times

 

RIALTO – Drinking water near a contaminated manufacturing site in the north end of town is safe and those who work there are not at risk from exposure to chemicals, state public health officials have concluded.

The BF Goodrich site is a 160-acre area where several companies used perchlorate and trichloroethylene during the production of fireworks and other explosives from 1952 to the mid-1980s.

Trichloroethylene is an industrial cleaning solvent that affects the central nervous system and has been linked with various cancers.

Perchlorate is used in rocket fuels and fireworks. Studies have suggested it can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland and mental development.

 

Before the EPA stepped in, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board oversaw monitoring of the site.

Such sites by law must be cleaned up and companies that dumped the chemicals in many cases are required to pay for the fix.

A settlement agreement between Rialto and the local companies could be signed as soon as December.

The state Department of Public Health worked with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in looking at the health effects of the BF Goodrich site’s chemicals on Rialto residents.

The Atlanta-based federal agency is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Investigators looked at the amount of perchlorate and trichloroethylene in the air, soil and groundwater at the site, and whether workers there and nearby residents since 1952 had contact with the chemicals.

In a report released Nov. 5, investigators said those working at the BF Goodrich site “are not at risk from exposure to chemicals in the soil, soil vapor, or groundwater.”

The groundwater at the site contains perchlorate and trichloroethylene, but is deep enough below the surface not to be a threat, and businesses at the site don’t use it for drinking water, according to the report.

Investigators said the drinking water supplied by the city, the West Valley Water District, the Terrace Water Co. and Colton is safe to drink and “does not put people at risk for health problems.”

Manufacturers dumped the chemical waste onto the ground and into pits on the BF Goodrich site.

The chemicals then leaked into the ground and the Rialto-Colton Basin. Manufacturers stopped dumping the chemicals around 1985, but the pits still leaked, according to the report.

Officials test local drinking water regularly to make sure residents aren’t using water with levels of perchlorate and trichloroethylene that could damage their health.

“The reality is we’re not serving contaminated water to our residents,” Councilman Ed Scott said.

Trichloroethylene testing became a requirement in 1989. Perchlorate testing began in 1997.

According to the report, it isn’t possible to know whether eating vegetables or fruits from a garden would have been harmful before 1997.

Investigators said fruits or vegetables could have contained perchlorate if irrigated with perchlorate-contaminated water, “however, there is not enough information to determine how much perchlorate got into the fruits and vegetables.”

The state Department of Public Health conducted a series of meetings with Rialto residents to learn about their concerns about contamination at the BF Goodrich site.

Most of the concerns were about chemicals in the drinking water and whether they could be linked to thyroid diseases, migraines, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, allergies, skin rashes, miscarriages, stillbirths, and birth defects.

They also were worried that children exposed to contaminated water began to talk later than normal.

Other residents asked about white residue left by water.

Investigators concluded that the levels of perchlorate locally would not have been high enough to impact an adult thyroid gland, and exposures in the study would not be expected to cause speech delay.

Perchlorate exposure has not been linked to allergies, skin rashes, miscarriages, stillbirths, or birth defects, according to the report.

Trichloroethylene exposure has not been linked to miscarriages or stillbirths, investigators said. But some who have had direct skin contact with the chemical have reported skin rashes.

High levels of trichloroethylene exposure have been known to cause allergies, according to the report.

Perchlorate has not been shown to cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but studies reveal a possible link between trichloroethylene and the disorder.

According to the report, perchlorate hasn’t been linked to kidney cancer, but both animal and human studies have linked trichloroethylene with the disease. It is unclear as to what amount is related to kidney cancer.

Investigators said the white residue that residents see when water dries on a surface is caused by minerals like calcium and magnesium.

High levels of the minerals are not associated with health problems.

Neither perchlorate nor trichloroethylene leaves a white residue, according to the report.

Editor’s Note:  Reprinted from Contra Costa Times.

More from the EPA Website.

Gazette Fair Use Statement

Cesspools Are Still in Use, and the EPA Is Keeping an Eye on Them

Most of us have no direct experience with cesspools, but the EPA is charged with the responsibility of monitoring them.   Although cesspools exist in other states, they are common only in Hawaii.

Cesspools, which are also called “dry wells,”  are underground holes used throughout Hawaii for the disposal of human waste.  Raw, untreated sewage is discharged directly into the ground via cesspools.  This is not a perfect disposal system, because it often contaminates oceans, streams and ground water by releasing disease-causing pathogens and nitrates.

Beginning in 2005,  EPA regulations required all existing large capacity cesspools to be closed and replaced with an alternative wastewater system.   Since 2000, EPA has prohibited the construction of new large capacity cesspools nationwide.  The regulations do not allow an extension of the deadline.

The EPA recently levied a substantial fine against the Lealani Corp. and Poipu Inn, Inc.,  owners of Brennecke’s Beach Broiler for failing to close two large capacity cesspools in Poipu,  Kauai.

The company will pay a $47,455 fine  and has closed and replaced its two large capacity cesspools. In addition, the company paid for and completed a supplemental environmental project costing over $500,000 to connect the County of Kauai’s restrooms at Poipu Beach Park to the Poipu Wastewater Plant.

EPA does not regulate the cesspools of single family homes or those of non-residential facilities that serve fewer than 20 persons per day and dispose of solely sanitary waste. However, these smaller cesspools may be regulated by state and local governmental agencies (e.g., departments of health).

The definition of a “large cesspool” is complicated (and can be read on the EPA’s website), but in general it means a cesspool that serves over 20 people.

Here is what a cesspool looks like and how it works:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about cesspools from the EPA’s website.

Simple Chlorine Is An Excellent Way to Make Water Safe In Times of Emergency

Editor’s Note:  The information below is from the makers of Clorox Bleach.  We’ve edited it slightly and added a picture.  We should tell you, too, that other brands of bleach will work, but you should definitely follow  Clorox’s advice and use regular bleach,  not the perfumed variety.  –Hardly Waite.

Boiling Is Best

Short of using a very high-quality water filter, this is the most reliable method for killing microbes and parasites. Bring water to a rolling boil and keep it simmering for at least several minutes. Add one minute of boiling to the initial 10 minutes for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Cover the pot to shorten boiling time and conserve fuel.

Liquid Clorox Bleach

In an emergency, think of this one gallon of Regular Clorox Bleach as 3,800 gallons of drinking water.

When the tap water stops flowing, Regular Clorox Bleach isn’t just a laundry-aid, it’s a lifesaver. Use it to purify water, and you’ll have

Common Laundry Bleach is 5.25% chlorine. That’s 52,500 parts per million. A single gallon of bleach will treat over 3,000 gallons of water!

something to drink.

It’s the same in any natural disaster. As the shock wears off and the days wear on, the biggest demand is for drinking water. Time after time, relief crews hand out free Clorox Bleach with simple instructions: use it to kill bacteria in your water and you’ll have purified water to drink. Here’s how: (Store these directions with your emergency bottle of Clorox Bleach.) 

First let water stand until particles settle. Pour the clear water into an uncontaminated container and add Regular Clorox Bleach per the amounts given below. Mix well. Wait 30 min. Water should have a slight bleach odor. If not, repeat dose.  Wait 15 min. Sniff again. Keep an eyedropper taped to your emergency bottle of Clorox Bleach, since purifying small amounts of water requires only a few drops. See below suggestions for storage bottle replacement.

Don’t pour purified water into contaminated containers. To sanitize water jugs first, follow the instructions below.

Without water and electricity, even everyday tasks are tough. In lieu of steaming hot water, sanitize dishes with a little Clorox Bleach. Just follow the directions below to keep dishes clean.

Whether you use Clorox Bleach in an emergency or for everyday chores, it’s always an environmentally sound choice. After its work is done, Clorox Bleach breaks down to little more than salt and water, which is good news anytime. 

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification

2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water

8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water

1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water

If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.

Only use Regular Clorox Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, replace your storage bottle every three months.) 

Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution

Mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

See also, A Practical Guide To Emergency Water Filters.

 

Roquette America To Pay A Heavy Fine for Permit Violations

The large grain producer Roquette America, Inc. will pay $4,100,000 in civil penalties to settle violations of the Clean Water Act and its  National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.  The EPA maintains that Roquette violated the terms of its permit by allowing spills from its wastewater plant at its grain processing plant at Keokuk, Iowa.

As early as 2008, Roquette was aware that its wastewater treatment plant was marginally adequate and that it could not handle spills or surges in loading. Instead of constructing additional containment structures for wastewater surges, or routing spills to the wastewater treatment plant, Roquette allowed the industrial waste to be discharged directly into the Mississippi River and Soap Creek.

According to the EPA, the Keokuk facility violated its  permit at least 1,174 times, and on at least 30 occasions illegally discharged via storm drains resulting in at least 250,000 gallons of industrial waste being released into the Mississippi River and Soap Creek. In addition to these permit violations and illegal discharges, Roquette discharged partially treated industrial waste from its wastewater treatment plant, and discharged steam condensate into Soap Creek through an unpermitted outfall.

In addition to paying the penalty, Roquette will complete other requirements valued at more than $17 million to further protect the Mississippi River and Soap Creek. Among these requirements are the completion of a sewer survey to identify possible discharge locations, the implementation of sewer modifications, the construction of upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, and the performance of enhanced effluent monitoring.

Full Details from the EPA’s Website.