{"title":"The $50 Billion Question: Examining EPA's PFAS Drinking Water Limits","authors":"Peter Lusardi","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2503","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2503","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).</p>\u0000 <p>Most detections of PFOS and PFOA, two regulated PFAS, are just barely above the MCLs, and EPA has substantially underestimated PFAS regulatory compliance costs.</p>\u0000 <p>The PFAS MCLs set by EPA, established using only limited health effect data, are much lower than standards set by other countries and those set by several US states.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"38-46"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leila Khatib, Anh Pham, Khaled Ahmed, Val S. Frenkel
{"title":"Data Centers and Water: Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Cooling","authors":"Leila Khatib, Anh Pham, Khaled Ahmed, Val S. Frenkel","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2504","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2504","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Data center operations require vast quantities of water, often in regions where access is limited.</p>\u0000 <p>As data centers expand to meet the surging demands of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, their water and energy use has become a pressing challenge.</p>\u0000 <p>Data centers’ water use results in potential ecological risks from discharge of heated water and elevated salinity.</p>\u0000 <p>Innovative strategies can help data centers mitigate the negative effects they have on water supply and environmental health.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"48-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Norma J. Ruecker, Monica B. Emelko, Norman F. Neumann, Bina Nayak
{"title":"Total Coliform Testing: Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward","authors":"Norma J. Ruecker, Monica B. Emelko, Norman F. Neumann, Bina Nayak","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2505","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2505","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"54-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Standards Official Notice","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2511","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2511","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Generational Water Balance","authors":"David B. LaFrance","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2512","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2512","url":null,"abstract":"<p>It was a peaceful parcel of land, appropriately nicknamed Doc's Haven. Not surprisingly, the owner was a doctor, the kind who carried a black doctor's bag packed with medical supplies and instruments during the day and who, after dinner with his wife, sons, and daughter, grabbed his black bag and went out on house calls to check on his patients.</p><p>When he was at Doc's Haven, he replaced his black doctor's bag with a bulky metal fisherman's tackle box stuffed with lures. Only at Doc's Haven on Bear Island, with a fishing rod in hand and Lake Winnipesaukee stretching out before him, was he finally able to relax. Everything about this place, especially the New Hampshire lake water, was peaceful and restorative.</p><p>I personally know the powerful peacefulness of Doc's Haven. Each summer while I was growing up, I spent at least two weeks there, often overlapping with the doctor's visits, spending time on the water fishing with him and rummaging through his tackle box. The doctor was my grandfather—he would be 120 years old this year if he were still with us—and his daughter is my mother. I was the first of the next generation and happened to be born on my grandfather's birthday. To this day, my mother still recalls time at Doc's Haven, with family, as some of her most treasured memories. And she is not alone; we all feel that way, including my siblings and cousins.</p><p>It is only in hindsight that I can say my love for water first began during those summers on Lake Winnipesaukee. I certainly could not explain it at the time, but like my mother and grandfather, I felt peace, happiness, and confidence by simply being around water.</p><p>While I can peg many of my significant, youthful, life moments to water, including my college entrance essay, I did not have an awareness that water could be a career. It was just water, after all—not a job. As it turns out, even the magic of water cannot cure youthful career naiveté.</p><p>Little did I know that, years later, after a couple of decades working as a water professional, Wallace J. Nichols would write an inspiring book, <i>Blue Mind</i> (published in 2014) that would explain why being on, near, and around water makes us happier, more connected, and better at what we do. The explanations in the book provided helpful context for my water experiences.</p><p>I first picked up <i>Blue Mind</i> on an airplane flight and couldn’t put it down. It reminded me why I fell in love with water in the first place. Growing up in the water-rich regions of New England and the Pacific Northwest, I was surrounded by it, loved it, and unknowingly often took it for granted. Then, living in the beautiful but dry West, I found myself happily and proudly working in water and <i>for</i> water. I was surrounded by its importance and community impact. I loved it, and I never took it for granted—it was water, after all—not just a job. Yet I felt detached from water personally. Somehow, the balance of my personal and professi","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/awwa.2512","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Walkerton: 25 Years Later","authors":"Kenneth L. Mercer","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2497","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2497","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The 2000 <i>Escherichia coli</i> outbreak in Walkerton, Ont., remains one of the most tragic and transformative events in North American water history. Of the 1,346 reported cases of gastroenteritis, 65 people were hospitalized, and 27 of those developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. Ultimately, seven people died, an estimated 2,300 fell ill, and the public's trust in water systems and government oversight was deeply shaken.</p><p>The contamination, which was caused by manure runoff into a well following extreme rainfall, exposed critical failures in the ways that the local water system was operated and managed. An inquiry after the tragedy revealed it was all preventable; inadequate chlorination, poor operator practices, and weakened provincial oversight—exacerbated by recent budget cuts—were all contributing factors. Perhaps most troubling was the lack of urgency from operators even as the signs of a public health threat emerged. Sweeping reforms followed, and Ontario enacted its Safe Drinking Water Act in 2002 and introduced its Clean Water Act in 2005, emphasizing a multiple-barrier approach and watershed-based source water protection.</p><p>Walkerton catalyzed a shift in how drinking water quality is managed and maintained, but its lessons remain just as urgent today. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like flooding, which heighten the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks along with other public health threats.</p><p>Tools like wellhead alert systems and real-time weather monitoring can help water system operators better anticipate and respond to contamination threats. But despite technological advances, vigilance remains the cornerstone of safe drinking water, and licensed operators are the first line of defense. They must be empowered with training, tools, and authority to act decisively.</p><p>The Walkerton incident underscored the fact that regulations must be paired with robust management systems, competent personnel, and a culture of continuous improvement. And the tragedy reminds us that microbial pathogens pose the most consistent and deadly risks to public health.</p><p>As utilities face competing priorities, health protection must always come first. Complacency is the enemy, and even after years without any incidents, water professionals must always remain alert. Walkerton happened 25 years ago, but it still teaches us that safe drinking water depends not just on infrastructure but on people—operators, managers, and regulators—making the right decisions every day.</p><p>For a compelling account, read <i>Well of Lies: The Walkerton Tragedy</i> by Colin N. Perkel (McClelland & Stewart 2002). And if you have insights to share on improving water system operation and management, consider writing for <i>Journal AWWA</i>—contact me at <span>[email protected]</span>.</p>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/awwa.2497","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hunter Adams, Katie Kohoutek, Sam Reeder, Andrea M. Dietrich, Christiane Hoppe-Jones, Susheera Pochiraju, Keisuke Ikehata
{"title":"Preparing Standards for Analysis of Taste and Odor","authors":"Hunter Adams, Katie Kohoutek, Sam Reeder, Andrea M. Dietrich, Christiane Hoppe-Jones, Susheera Pochiraju, Keisuke Ikehata","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2501","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2501","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Taste and odor (T&O) events in drinking water systems can arise from a variety of sources.</p>\u0000 <p>For T&O compound analysis, some standards can be purchased as solutions with known concentrations, but most must be prepared from high-purity neat standards and solids.</p>\u0000 <p>Stock standards must be prepared accurately to produce precise calibration curves.</p>\u0000 <p>Two approaches can be used to analyze samples for T&O compounds: targeted and suspect screening analyses.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"22-31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Legislation Lost (This Time), Lessons Gained: Michigan's Water Affordability Fight","authors":"Debra N. Pospiech","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2508","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2508","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"68-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building Cyber Resilience in the Water Sector","authors":"Andrew Ohrt, Daniel A. Groves","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2507","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2507","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"64-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/awwa.2507","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Nissim Gore-Datar, Rasheed Ahmad
{"title":"Optimizing New Water Infrastructure With Design-Phase Digital Twins","authors":"Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Nissim Gore-Datar, Rasheed Ahmad","doi":"10.1002/awwa.2506","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.2506","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 8","pages":"58-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}