After months of lockdown, some Californians are returning to their offices, restaurants, and gyms. But as we reach to turn on the tap or the shower, a new hazard may be lurking in the stagnant water of our abandoned plumbing—Legionella.

Yesterday, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW) issued a press release regarding new Response Levels (RL) for PFOA and PFOS.

The RL for Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is now set at 10 parts per trillion (ppt)

The RL for Perfluorooctanoic sulfonate (PFOS) is now set at 40 ppt.

Previously California RL’s were set at the federal level of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS combined.

While today’s political climate is arguably the most divisive in history, we believe those in the water industry agree on the importance of providing consumers with safe, clean drinking water. This month the Trump administration announced regulations that considerably weaken clean water protections. As the LA Times reports: 

“Defying environmentalists and public health advocates, the Trump administration on Thursday announced the replacement of Obama-era water protections with a significantly weaker set of regulations that lifts limits on how much pollution can be dumped into small streams and wetlands.

From the desert to the sea, California cities are tackling the problem of limited water supply with recycling and reuse solutions.

Promised federal regulatory actions from the EPA, the addition of PFOA and PFOS to Proposition 65, and phased implementation of the Water Board’s new Action Plan all point to one thing: PFAS liability for California.

The concern over polyfluoroalkyl substances like PFOA and PFOS is clear—what is less clear is how we will be testing for them.

The State Water Resources Control Board has established new drinking water guidelines for local water agencies in regard to two Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) substances: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).

Diamond Valley Lake in Riverside County is one of the most recent victims of harmful algal blooms, demonstrating that current conditions are ideal for rapid cyanobacterial growth.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released an 852-page review of the health risks of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The study suggests that current health advisories for PFAS, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), may not be strict enough to address serious public health risks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has selected Babcock Laboratories, Inc. to provide analytical laboratory services in support of the fourth round of its Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program (UCMR 4). As a contractor to the USEPA, Babcock Labs will conduct UCMR 4 water quality testing for up to 800 community water systems and non-transient, non-community water systems serving between 25 – 10,000 people (i.e., small systems) across the nation.