Cyber Security 101 for Drinking Water

As we move closer to another new decade in the not-so-new millennium, it seems a safe bet that virtually everyone reading this article is familiar with cyber security. By now, many readers have been personally affected by a breach in cyber security. Despite being celebrated as a U.S. public health triumph, drinking water utilities are


Celebrating Dr. John L. Leal and 110 Years of U.S. Drinking Water Chlorination

Most Americans are just a twist of the tap away from safe, cheap (pennies per treated gallon), and abundant drinking water. But this remarkable public health and engineering triumph—made possible by drinking water treatment—did not appear overnight! It can, however, be traced to a pivotal day in U.S. public health history in Jersey City, New


World Water Week 2018: Water, Ecosystems, and Human Development

Established in 1991 and administered each year by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), World Water Week provides a unique forum for confronting water-related challenges and their global impact on public health and the environment. It focuses on innovative thinking and positive action from scientists, decision-makers, business innovators, and especially young professionals from diverse sectors


Harmful Algal Blooms: Cyanobacteria and Safe Drinking Water

This summer, you may have read about the growing problem of harmful algal blooms (HABs1) due to cyanobacteria in lakes, rivers, and other freshwater bodies across the United States and worldwide. In 2014, we wrote about the 500,000 residents in and around Toledo, Ohio, who were alerted that their tap water had been declared undrinkable.


You Too Can Embrace Water Conservation (And It Really Works)

I remember 1980, when water conservation wasn’t really a thing, household showers could blast away dirt and grime, and low-flow toilets were a novelty. Thanks to the US Geological Survey (USGS), we know that 1980 also marked the peak of US water use at 430 billions of gallons per day (Bgal/d).1 Much has changed since


Understanding Boil Water Advisories and Notices

Every day new boil water advisories or notices are issued in the United States for various reasons and affect thousands.1 Perhaps you have experienced one and wondered what it is, why it was given, and whether it could be ignored? (DON’T ignore it!) Fortunately, the vast majority of almost 300 million Americans served by more


Managing Legionella Bacteria in Building Water Systems: Q&A with Dr. Joe Cotruvo

Last month, more than 450 researchers, regulators, healthcare providers, and others met in Baltimore, Maryland, to discuss opportunities and challenges to manage public health risks associated with Legionella bacteria in building water systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of U.S. drinking water-related outbreaks, and the only one


Celebrating Drinking Water: Louisville pure tap®

After the air we breathe, safe drinking water is the most essential human need, and each day, over 50,000 community drinking water systems provide treated (finished) drinking water to over 300 million Americans. One of those systems is Louisville Water Company in Kentucky, which delivers over 115 million gallons of drinking water to nearly 1


Drinking Water Treatment: Chloramine Disinfection and Chlorine Maintenance

Water Treatment Plant and TowerPhoto credit: North Texas Municipal Water District Just over two years ago, I wrote an article called Facts about Chloramine Drinking Water Treatment (see also text box below), a now century-old public health practice that continues to grow in use across the United States. About a year later, a follow up


Blind Taste Test: Recycled Wastewater, Bottled Water, and Tap Water

Last year, the members of the WQ&HC had the pleasure of touring Orange County’s world-renowned Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) in southern California. It was a memorable trip, concluding, naturally, with a taste test of the finished water. The high-tech water treatment facility includes microfiltration, reverse osmosis (RO), and ultraviolet (UV) light with hydrogen peroxide. But