Helping Well Owners Make Wise Decisions
What lurks within your well may shock you. Testing of water, maintenance and repair of private wells is not usually done until a problem is suspected.
To help well owners make wise decisions, Well Wise, a new non-profit company, officially opened its doors to the public last Wednesday at 5331 Main St., Orono.
The Well Wise Centre is an educational resource for well owners to learn more about proper well construction, well upgrading, well decommissioning and well water testing. In addition, information on proper septic system care, groundwater quality and numerous other related topics would be available. The Well Wise Centre also launched its provincial water testing program at the opening event.
"Studies have shown that 89 per cent of wells need repair," said Mary Jane Conboy PhD., P.Geo, executive director of Well Wise. "Three million Ontarians rely on groundwater for their water supply. Many (Ontarians) are not testing their wells regularly for bacteria. Few are testing for anything beyond the complimentary bacterial test."
For more information, please visit: NewsDurhamRegion.com
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The Coca-Cola Company Pledges to Replace the Water It Uses in Its Beverages and Their Production
The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) today pledged to lead its global beverage operations, including those of its franchise bottlers, to replace the water it uses in its beverages and their production. The Company will focus its actions in three core areas: 1) reducing the water used to produce its beverages, 2) recycling water used for beverage manufacturing processes, and 3) replenishing water in communities and nature.
The pledge was announced at the annual meeting of WWF in Beijing, where the Company launched a multi-year partnership with WWF to conserve and protect freshwater resources. This $20 million (US) commitment from The Coca-Cola Company to WWF will be used to help conserve seven of the world's most important freshwater river basins, support more efficient water management in its operations and global supply chain, and reduce the Company's carbon footprint.
"We are focusing on water because this is where The Coca-Cola Company can have a real and positive impact," said E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "Our goal is to replace every drop of water we use in our beverages and their production. For us that means reducing the amount of water used to produce our beverages, recycling water used for manufacturing processes so it can be returned safely to the environment, and replenishing water in communities and nature through locally relevant projects."
For more information, please visit: CSRwire
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NSF Announces New Nitrogen Reduction Standard
NSF International today announced that a new national standard has been published to reduce nitrogen from residential wastewater. The focus of the standard is to decrease excess nitrogen from any source that flows into surface waters and stimulates algae formation, a condition which could potentially harm marine life habitat and destroy fish and shellfish populations.
NSF/ANSI Standard 245: Wastewater Treatment Systems – Nitrogen Reduction was developed to address regulatory agencies’ concerns about onsite wastewater systems’ environmental impact. Specifically, this standard addresses the impact these systems have on ground water used as a drinking water source, and on surface waters receiving discharge from the systems.
Nitrite and nitrate in concentrations above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water standards may present public health problems for infants, pregnant women and populations that may be immunocompromised.
“Communities and their local community leaders sought NSF to provide leadership in helping reduce nitrogen loads to soil, ground water, streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries,” said Dr. Mike Hoover, professor of North Carolina State University who also serves as chair of the NSF Wastewater Technology Joint Committee. “The recent adoption of this new standard will assist health and environmental agencies in doing just that. The standard will enhance public health protection, but still allow people to use their land for development purposes.”
For more information, please visit: NSF
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Ontario Takes Action To Address Lead In Water
The Ontario government will implement recommendations made earlier this week by its Drinking Water Advisory Council and advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Chief Drinking Water Inspector to expand water safety protections and reduce potential levels of lead intake for pregnant women and children six and under.
“Lead levels in blood samples of Ontarians have fallen dramatically during the past three decades, due to the phasing-out of lead in paint, gasoline and water pipes,” said Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. George Pasut. “While the health risks are minimal, and drinking water is a minor contributor to blood lead levels, today’s action will further protect pregnant women and children six and under in older neighbourhoods with elevated lead levels.”
“Let there be no misunderstanding: tap water in this province is among the safest in the world, and today’s actions will make it even safer,” said Jim Smith, Ontario’s Chief Drinking Water Inspector. “Adjusting water chemistry in municipal systems so it picks up less lead should effectively resolve this problem.”
For more information, please visit: Ontario - Ministry of the Environment
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U.S. Adopts Limits On Clean Water Law Enforcement
The landmark U.S. law to fight water pollution will now apply only to bodies of water large enough for boats to use, and their adjacent wetlands, and will not automatically protect streams, the U.S. government said on Tuesday.
Environmental groups said they fear the new policy will muddy the purpose of the federal Clean Water Act and put many smaller bodies of water at risk. Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation mandating protection of creeks, estuaries and other watersheds.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers wrote the new guidelines after the Supreme Court split a year ago in a case about which waters fall under the Clean Water Act.
For more information, please visit: Reuters
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