As this edition of The Source was being completed, I was participating in many of the activities surrounding National Water Week in Washington, DC. A collaborative event jointly planned by several national drinking water and clean water (wastewater) organizations, including the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and others. Water Week brings hundreds of public and private industry leaders, federal regulators, and congressional leaders together to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the water industry. Almost without fail when attending these events, I will hear first time attendees during congressional office visits state that the congressional staffer “kids” are actually the ones running this country and getting things done!
One of the primary issues being discussed was the current and future regulatory efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the National Drinking Water and Clean Water Acts. There was continued focus on PFAS regulations, and the financial impacts of treating and removing these chemicals from drinking water supplies and treated waste discharges. More recently, EPA published the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL-6) for public comment. The CCL is a list of contaminants that are not currently regulated or being proposed for regulation. The CCL helps to inform EPA of the occurrence or proliferation of various contaminants that may need further evaluation in their Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) testing cycles. This draft CCL included 75 chemicals, 4 chemical groups, and 9 microbes. The chemical groups are very broad categories, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, more PFAS compounds, and disinfection byproducts (DBPS). These categories will be the next “bright, shiny objects” that EPA will likely focus on; potentially developing new health advisories, treatment recommendations, and ultimately, regulatory standards and limits.
For the sake of a point that I’ve yet to make, I want to focus on the microplastics issue. Microplastics are loosely defined as plastic particles ≤ 5 mm (most microscopic) that have become ever present in the environment. While there may be general consensus that long-term exposure to microplastics could have harmful health effects, there is little consensus on anything else related to microplastics, even a firm definition. This, of course, concerns all those who may be subject to future regulation and certain financial impacts. There are definitely more questions than answers on this topic, even among all the seasoned veterans and national leaders. But here is where I finally make my point…
In this edition, we highlight one of many ways that Beaver Water District’s employees are making an impact. Meghan Post, BWD’s Education Coordinator, is actively working to reengage one of our state organizations with the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) program. The SJWP was founded almost 30 years ago by the Stockholm International Water Institute to complement their Stockholm Water Prize, which is the world’s most prestigious award for water-related achievements, honoring outstanding contributions to water conservation, protection, and sustainability. The SJWP competition is for high school students aged 15 to 20, worldwide. Although I have known about the Water Prize and the Junior Water Prize programs for many years, when Meghan indicated that she wanted to reengage AWEA with the SJWP, I researched current news and information on the program. One article immediately caught my attention. In 2021, a Brazilian highschooler named Gabriel Fernandes Mello Ferreira submitted a research project titled “Development of a Microplastic Retention Mechanism in Water Treatment Plants (WTPs)”. Gabriel’s solution was handson and practical. To obtain microplastics for filter testing, he simulated the weathering processes that plastics undergo in the environment — sanding items such as pen lids, pot lids, and bottles to obtain particles smaller than 1mm. Low-density materials that float in water were specifically chosen for the experiments. The resulting filter achieved 80% efficiency in lab tests, retaining microplastics even smaller than 300 micrometers. Gabriel’s research was selected as the winner of the SJWP People’s Choice Award. Worldwide, more than 55,000 people voted in this category, reflecting the interest that his project generated. At the 2023 SJWP international competition, a second highly innovative microplastics project earned global recognition. The Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Ayse Pelin Dedeler from Turkey for her study on how to capture microplastics using magnetic nano-adsorbents and then remove them from water using strong magnets.
More than five years before microplastics was chosen as one of the primary areas of focus for the EPA, there were high school students studying an emerging worldwide problem and developing practical solutions. The “kids” may not be in charge yet, but as I see the potential of the next generations of water industry experts, and their desire to engage and solve problems, it gives me confidence and hope for our future!