Comments on: EPA Wants to Know Where Wastewater is Going

By: Dee Fulton

Dee Fulton — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:36:11 +0000

Hi Nic. The trihalomethane issue is why I purchased a carbon filter for my showerhead (I’m on MUB water). But how many people are unaware of the need for this device? Aren’t we supposed to be able to trust our municipal authorities to deliver clean, healthy water? Not anymore.

By: Nicole Good

Nicole Good — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:33:03 +0000

I grew up swimming in the Cheat River and fishing in its tributaries. It’s a common childhood nostalgia of people from Randolph County, and other rural places in West Virginia. Simply charging me more for my tap water so that it can be properly treated doesn’t protect that quality of life.

Also, I just got my report from MUB– there are trihalomethanes in our Morgantown tap water very near the limit. My Pur filter takes them out of my glasses of water, but I’ll still breathe them in in the shower. MUB doesn’t have the technology to remove the bromides (a product of drilling) from the river water that create this carcinogen, and if the technology existed, would drilling companies pay for the municipal water treatment update? I’m pretty sure the price would fall on consumers.

By: RD Blakeslee

RD Blakeslee — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:28:10 +0000

No need to get personal, Ms. Fulton. There is plenty to debate re drilling for gas, per se. What I have called a quasi-religious fervor seems to take hold whenever (shudder) FRACKING is mentioned.

Your example of trihalomethanes vs. parisites in water treatment is a good example of the fact that our groundwater is increasingly contaminated by all sorts of stuff and it will get worse. My contention is that we should devote more resources to treatment of water for human consumption, rather than just advocating “finger in the dike” schemes which purport to eliminate polutants – a hopeless task, if carried to the extreme advocated by some of our our more radical environmentalists.

By: Dee Fulton

Dee Fulton — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:00:23 +0000

Let’s look at a bit of history. Fall 2008 – All 17 public water intakes between the West Virginia state line and Pittsburgh were delivering water laced with carcinogenic trihalomethanes to the consumers. This was due to frack wastewater being legally dumped wholesale through sewage plants and illegally dumped by haulers such as Allens. Fall 2009 – Dunkard Creek Disaster. Water withdrawals (and quite likely illegal dumping of wastewater) for shale drilling coupled with Consol pumping water with a TDS of 50,000mg/l, 1 and 1/2 time saltier than ocean water, eradicated practically all fish life and other gilled insects and amphibians from 42 miles of stream. Recently Carmichaels PA had to suspend public water services an issue a boil water alert because they were forced to try to tiptoe the delicate line between delivering water carrying parasitic organisms and water carrying trihalomethanes.
And yet there are people out there who persist in clenching tightly to their belief that our states are adequately regulating industry and protecting citizens. You appear to be one of them, Mr. Blakeslee.

By: RD Blakeslee

RD Blakeslee — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:08:48 +0000

The EPA under this administration has acted characteristically in accordance with the central philosophy of the administration: centralize in Washington as much control over American life as possible.
Several bills have been introduced in Congress to reign in the overbearing (at least) and possibly extra- statutory, activities of the EPA.
In this case, local authorities are working with industry to understand problems associated with wastewater and improve their practices. But here comes the EPA: Hit them with “legally enforceable regulations to the greatest extent possible”, right up front!. Typical.