Kurt C. Peterson, Publisher
And now for something different…let’s celebrate! Yes, it’s a few days early but we are in the midst of the holiday season, making plans, buying gifts, reaching out to friends and family, all that comes with Christmas. We hope you are doing the same. This time of year, so many things get lost in the shuffle but health and happiness should not be among them.
According to the US Census Bureau, the US reached a milestone a couple of years ago, in which urban/suburban inhabitants outnumbered rural Americans 51 to 49 percent. There are, however, still a great many families dependent upon water wells, both rurally and in the municipal environment. Private water wells, not subject to federal testing requirements (yet), are a large source of waterborne illness. The rural market is under-served and in light of higher incidences of contamination, illness and poor quality, dealers who have overlooked this opportunity are missing the boat. Does this mean water treatment should change? Probably, and the industry will need to adapt to even greater challenges.
There are many issues surrounding the procurement and usage of water, one of the most highly regulated commodities in our country. Emerging contaminants are being found in many groundwater and surface water sources, as well as in the municipal sector. Around the globe, water issues are being looked at more closely and in this country, water scarcity dictates we rethink desalination and other technologies to maintain adequate water supplies. Groundwater alone is not going to bail out the Central Valley farming region of California, nor the rest of the nation.
This month, we look at water well remediation techniques with Michael Melancon of Jet Lube and Dr. Kelly Reynolds provides an appraisal of groundwater risk assessment tools. Whether it is reuse or repurposing, finding ways to remediate problem water on all levels will help to ensure more reliable sources for the future. One of the many long-term problems for which the water industry has produced a range of products is arsenic contamination. C.F. ‘Chubb’ Michaud outlines the pretreatment steps to effectively treat arsenic in the hope of bringing it down to the only possible safe level: zero! Also in this issue, we include a report on the Eastern WQA’s recent annual conference.
And in the spirit of giving, we are presenting an update from Wishing Well International Foundation (WWIF) on philanthropy and the industry. Over the years, many dealers and manufacturers have joined forces with NGOs and faith-based enterprises to enhance water quality for those in need. WWIF is a home-grown effort by water treatment professionals to take that mission a few steps further. Join them in making a difference for those in want and need. It is, after all, the season to give.
May you and yours have a safe, warm and Merry Christmas! We’ll see you in the New Year.