Posts made in April 2021

Consumer Reports, NDMA, Watershed Tool

Here are some items that may be of interest.

Consumer Reports/Guardian Nine-Month Study of Drinking Water

Consumer Reports and The Guardian published an article on a nine-month study they conducted to test drinking water around the United States (“We sampled tap water across the US – and found arsenic, lead and toxic chemicals”).  Towards the end of the article there is a list of communities where samples were collected.

Consumer Reports article:

https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/how-safe-is-our-drinking-water-a0101771201/

Same article posted in The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/31/americas-tap-water-samples-forever-chemicals

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and NDMA Study

Last week the Massachusetts DPH released a study (copy enclosed WILMINGTON-Childhood-Cancer-Study-Final-Report_3-24-21) on the association of childhood cancers and exposure to NDMA in drinking water.  The text below is quoted from the DPH Press Release:

“The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Environmental Health (DPH) has completed a long-running epidemiological study evaluating potential environmental contributors to elevated rates of childhood cancer observed in the town of Wilmington during the 1990s. Results of the study suggest an association between maternal (i.e. prenatal) exposure to carcinogenic compounds previously contaminating the Wilmington public water supply and development of childhood cancer, particularly leukemia or lymphoma, during this time period.”

“The study focused on exposure to n-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a contaminant that originated from a now-defunct chemical manufacturing facility…”

Massachusetts DPH Press Release:

https://www.mass.gov/news/state-study-suggests-link-between-elevated-rates-of-childhood-cancer-in-wilmington-in-the-1990s-and-formerly-contaminated-public-water-supply

Boston Globe article:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/25/metro/after-decades-study-state-officials-link-drinking-water-contamination-with-elevated-rates-childhood-cancer-wilmington/

Watershed Management Tool

On April 29, 2021, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm (ET), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a training webinar on EPA’s “Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST).”  A copy of the announcement is enclosed ( EPA Watershed Tool_WMOST).

The text below is taken from the enclosed announcement:

“EPA’s Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is a decision support tool to facilitate integrated water management at the watershed and community scales. It allows users to determine the most cost-effective suite of

wastewater, drinking water, stormwater, and land conservation management practices to meet both water quantity (flood or combined sewer overflow reductions, sustainable water supply) and water quality goals (meeting water quality criteria or pollutant loading targets). WMOST allows users to evaluate 11 stormwater control measures, nonstructural stormwater measures (street

sweeping, urban canopy, outfall enhancements), four agricultural conservation practices, riparian buffer restoration, land conservation, water conservation, repair of infiltration/inflow to sewer lines, improved wastewater treatments, water reuse and aquifer recharge.”

Link to register:

https://www.epa.gov/research-states/forms/register-epa-tools-resources-training-webinar-watershed-management