National Water Research Institute
May 24, 2016, E-Newsletter
In This Issue
- 2016 Drought Workshop: Presentations Available
- Current NWRI-SCSC Fellows Provide Final Progress Reports
- EPA Issues Health Advisory Level for Perfluorinated Compounds in Drinking Water
- WaterUCI Presents a Wider Perspective on California Drought (May 24)
- STORMS Seminar Presentation on Groundwater Recharge (May 27)
- DWR Briefing on San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Conditions (June 1)
- Webcast on Treatment Strategies for Perfluorinated Chemicals (June 2)
2016 Drought Workshop: Presentations Available
Presentation slides are now available from the 2016 Drought Response Workshop, which was held on May 16-17, in Irvine, California. Sponsored by California Department of Water Resources (DWR), NWRI, and Southern California Water Committee (SCWC), the workshop focused on drought planning, response, and mitigation measures. Featured speakers included general managers and hydrogeologists from several California water districts, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, and water resources professionals working with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and DWR.
View and download the presentation slides and the workshop agenda from the event web site at: http://www.nwri-usa.org/drought2016.htm.
Current NWRI-SCSC Graduate Fellows Provide Progress Reports
The recipients of the 2014-2016 NWRI-Southern California Salinity Coalition (SCSC) Graduate Student Fellows recently submitted their progress reports on their research for the current semester. The NWRI-SCSC Fellows are:
- Tushar Jain, University of California at Riverside. Harvesting Energy from Desalination Concentrate via Electric Double-Layer Capacitor.
- Allison Kupsco, University of California at Riverside.Impacts of Hypersalinity from Brine Disposal on Selenium Embryo Toxicity in Fish.
Visit the NWRI Current Fellows webpage at http://www.nwri-usa.org/Fellows.htm to learn more about the Fellows and to download PDFs of their progress reports. NWRI is currently reviewing applications for the 2016-2018 Fellowship Program and expects to announce winners this summer.
EPA Issues Health Advisory Level for Perfluorinated Compounds in Drinking Water
The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for exposure to two perfluorinated compounds (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid [PFOS] and perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA]) in drinking water. When both compounds are detected in drinking water, their combined concentration should not exceed 70 parts per trillion. This level was calculated by the EPA to allow a margin of protection for the most vulnerable human populations based on a lifetime of exposure to both chemicals in drinking water.
The EPA has advised water systems with detections above the health advisory level to conduct additional tests, issue public safety notices to residents, and consult with the state’s drinking water agency to discuss next steps. The chemicals have been phased out of manufacturing during the past 15 years but have been used to make hundreds of household products including Teflon and Scotchgard. The chemicals were also used to make firefighting foam, which has been heavily used for decades at airports, refineries and military bases across the country.
Both PFOA and PFOS have been linked to adverse health effects in humans. To access the health advisory visit: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos.
For more information on how these compounds are assessed and managed under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), go to:
WaterUCI Presents a Wider Perspective on California Drought (May 24)
WaterUCI will present a lecture on the California drought on May 24, 2016, at 11:30 am at the UCI University Club Library. The lecture will be presented by Glen M. MacDonald, Ph.D. John Muir Memorial Chair of Geography, Director of the White Mountain Research Center and Distinguished Professor at University of California, Los Angeles, and will address California’s vulnerabilities in its water resource infrastructure. The event is free and open to the public; learn more and register online at: http://water.uci.edu/event/wider-perspectives-current-california-drought/.
STORMS Seminar Presentation on Groundwater Recharge (May 27)
The California State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) STORMS Seminar Series will present a talk on “Using Deep Infiltration and Drywells for Groundwater Recharge” on Friday, May 27, 2016, at SWRCB headquarters in Sacramento, California. This session will explore opportunities to effectively manage stormwater as a resource. Those who cannot attend in person can participate via live webcast. To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/storms-seminar-series-deep-infiltration-drywells-for-groundwater-recharge-tickets-25251894095.
The STORMS Seminar Series is part of an ongoing effort by the State Water Board to educate the regulated community and public on stormwater management strategies, tools and actions that could be applied to more effectively capture and use stormwater runoff, and improve stormwater quality and watershed processes. This is the fourth seminar in the STORMS Seminar Series. For more information, contact Matthew Freese at mfreese@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 341-5485.
DWR Briefing on San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Conditions (June 1)
California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Water Education Foundation (WEF) will present a special briefing on June 1, 2016, at the University Business Center at Cal State University Fresno, at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The briefing will address how continuing drought conditions in the San Joaquin Valley has created increased reliance on groundwater. Increased pumping of groundwater resources has contributed to declining water table levels, overdraft of groundwater basins, and a heightened awareness of California’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). There is no cost to attend, but advanced registration is required. Learn more and register online at: http://www.watereducation.org/foundation-event/water-year-2016-san-joaquin-valley-groundwater-conditions.
Webcast on Treatment Strategies for Perfluorinated Chemicals (June 2)
Join the Water Research Foundation (WRF) on June 2, 2016, for a webcast on Treatment Mitigation Strategies for Poly-and Perfuorinated Chemicals. This webcast will present the results of WRF project #4322. These substances (PFASs, also known as perfluorinated chemicals or PFCs) are water-soluble synthetic chemicals used in industrial processes and consumer products, and are commonly detected in drinking water sources. Register online at: https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1102602.
The first objective WRF project #4322 was to review the literature on the global occurrence and treatability of PFCs. The second objective was to conduct a strategically targeted assessment to determine the fate of these compounds in North American water treatment plants to validate the findings from the literature. The report may be downloaded for free from the WRF website at http://www.waterrf.org/Pages/Projects.aspx?PID=4322.
Tags: NWRI, research, water
