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Tubewells installed by local drillers, provide access of drinking water in rural Bangladesh. Significant proportion of these wells contains arsenic (As) above the WHO guideline and the Bangladesh Drinking Water Standard. Various attempts for mitigation at household and community scale have resulted in limited success, but through the local driller's initiatives, the tubewells are the source of priority drinking water supply. We have developed a concept of Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation (SASMIT) to identify and target the safe aquifers through detailed hydrogeological studies for scientific validation of the water quality with respect to the color of the shallow sediments as perceived by local drillers. Together with water quality monitoring, we have also targeted the Intermediate Depth Aquifers (IDA) for providing As-safe and low manganese (Mn) water. SASMIT intervention logic also considered the relevant socio-economic scenario, such as household distribution, poverty issues and available safe water access for prioritizing safe well installation., QC 20141217

This study attempts to make a statistical comparison between Tubewell (TW) platform color and the level of Arsenic (As) and Manganese (Mn) concentration in groundwater abstracted from a set of 423 Tubewells (TWs) in Chakdaha Block of Nadia District, West Bengal, India to validate platform color as a screening tool for both As and Mn in groundwater. The results indicate that water extracted from TWs with black colored platform in 93% cases was safe for As while water extracted from TWs with red colored platform is contaminated with As with 38% certainty, compared to drinking water standard of India (50 ÎŒg/L). At this standard the respective efficiency, sensitivity and specificity of the tool are 65, 85 and 59%. If WHO drinking water guideline (10 ÎŒg/L) is considered, the certainty increases to 73% and 84% respectively for black and red colored platform with respective efficiency, sensitivity and specificity values of 79, 77 and 81%. Furthermore, the black colored platform with 78% certainty indicates well water is enriched with Manganese (Mn), while red colored platform indicates water is low in Mn with 64% certainty evaluated against Indian national standard of 300 ÎŒg/L. This study demonstrates that platform color can be potentially used as an initial screening tool for As and Mn, to assess the safe water acess for drinking purposes., QC 20120828

This study conducted in Bongaigaon and Darrang districts of Assam, India is based upon water chemistry and sediment characteristics investigation in an reportedly arsenic infested belt. Of total 50 sampled wells, 15 had arsenic concentration above national drinking water standard of 50 μg/l, and 33 had As concentrations above the WHO guideline of 10 μg/l. However no distinct zones or depths with specific sedimentological features could be identified. Sediments with colour on green-olive scale are probably more likely to bear As contaminated water than white sediments. Sand filters used to reduce high iron content seem to reduce As content of water effectively. Arsenic rich water is also partly avoided since drillers seek water low in iron, which is often also low in arsenic content. Reductive dissolution of Ferric hydroxides is believed to be the release mechanism controlling the mobility of arsenic, rather than oxidation of arsenopyrite or pH induced desorption., QC 20141022

Consumers concerned about their water quality must sort through an assortment of information to determine what contaminants are present, which contaminants are of real concern and the appropriate response and treatment that will be most effective for their particular situation. This 2008 extension circular provides an overview of household water problems, causes and potential­ health effects. The problem then can be matched to appropriate treatment method(s) for further investigation. The treatment methods listed in this guide are for household water problems requiring prolonged treatment.

Perchlorate is the explosive component of solid rocket fuel, fireworks, road flares, and other products. Used mainly by the Department of Defense (DoD) and related industries, perchlorate also occurs naturally and is present in organic nitrate fertilizer from Chile. This very soluble, persistent compound has been disposed of in the ground for decades and has been detected in sources of drinking water for more than 11 million people. It also has been found in milk, fruits, grains, and vegetables. Thus, concern has increased about the potential health risks from perchlorate exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) effort to make a determination whether to regulate perchlorate in drinking water has been slowed by uncertainties regarding the health effects of exposure at low levels and by the need for further research on occurrence and treatment technologies. Related issues include environmental cleanup and water treatment costs, which will be driven by federal and state standards. Because of scientific uncertainties and interagency disagreement regarding the risks of perchlorate exposure, several federal agencies asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess perchlorate's health effects and the EPA's draft risk assessment. The NRC issued its report in January 2005, and the EPA has adopted the NRC's recommended reference dose (i.e., the expected safe dose) for perchlorate exposure. The reference dose provides a basis for developing a standard; however, the EPA has not decided to regulate perchlorate, and new studies raise more questions about what level of exposure might be safe. This report reviews perchlorate water contamination issues and related actions., CRS Report for Congress.

Perchlorate is the main ingredient of solid rocket fuel and has been used mainly by the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and related industries. This highly soluble and persistent compound has been disposed of on the ground for decades, and now has been detected in sources of drinking water that serve more than 11 million people. It also has been found in milk and lettuce. Thus, concern has grown regarding the potential health risks of exposure to perchlorate. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) efforts to make a determination about regulating perchlorate in drinking water have been slowed by uncertainties regarding the health effects of perchlorate exposure at low levels, and because of the need for more research on water treatment technologies. Related issues involve water treatment and environmental cleanup costs, which will depend on the level at which a standard is set. Because of scientific uncertainties and interagency disagreement over the risks of perchlorate, several federal agencies asked the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences to assess perchlorate's health effects and EPA's draft risk assessment. The NRC issued its report in January 2005, and on February 18, EPA adopted the NRC's recommended safe dose for perchlorate exposure. This report reviews perchlorate issues and will be updated to reflect developments., CRS Report for Congress.

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The Monte Verde public water system operates a single well to supply potable water for consumptive use by the Monte Verde subdivision in the community of Mountain Green. The well is in western Morgan Valley, near the head of Weber Canyon, northern Utah. To protect this well from contamination and to comply with Utah’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program, the subdivision is developing a drinking water source protection plan.

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The Monte Verde public water system operates a single well to supply potable water for consumptive use by the Monte Verde subdivision in the community of Mountain Green. The well is in western Morgan Valley, near the head of Weber Canyon, northern Utah. To protect this well from contamination and to comply with Utah’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program, the subdivision is developing a drinking water source protection plan.

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This report summarizes the results of a demonstration of selected technologies used to treat groundwater contaminated with dissolved MTBE and other VOCs. The specific technologies include Spray Aeration Vacuum Extraction (SAVE), developed by Remediation Service International (RSI), and Hollow Fiber Membrane (HFM) degasification, developed by the University of California at Santa Barbara. The test was conducted at the Hydrocarbon National Test Site located at the Naval Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme, California, between 21-25 June 1999. The project scope consisted of demonstrating the combined SAVE and HFM systems at the field scale for treating groundwater contaminated with MTBE and other gasoline components. The main objectives were to: (1) meet a target remediation goal of 5 ug/L for MTBE (the secondary drinking water standard for California water supplies); (2) quantitatively define the component-by- component performance in terms of removal efficiency and mass transfer coefficient for each technology; (3) evaluate these treatment technologies from a cost-and-performance perspective; and (4) develop a set of recommendations for routine application of this combination of remediation technologies. During the 5-day demonstration effort, approximately 34,200 L (9,000 gallons) of contaminated groundwater was treated while continuously meeting the project's MTBE clean up goal of 5 ug/L. Specific operation and performance details are presented and discussed, as well as suggestions for design improvement.

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