WilliamBAnderson

About Bill Anderson

William B. Anderson is a Research Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Water Science, Technology & Policy Group at the University of Waterloo who has been active in drinking water quality and treatment research for almost 40 years.

Data from Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rules-4 published

EPA uses the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) program to collect nationally representative data for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water, but that do not have regulatory standards. UCMR 4 requires monitoring for 30 chemicals between 2018 and 2020.

The detection of airborne anatoxin-a during a harmful algal bloom

A study just published in the journal ‘Lake and Reservoir Management’ is the first to report “airborne anatoxin-a (ATX) collected outside an aquatic ecosystem.” In addition to potential recreational exposure and in association with irrigation systems, this could theoretically have implications for drinking water treatment.

4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic Acid (MCPA) in Drinking Water: Guideline Technical Document for Public Consultation

This guideline technical document outlines the evaluation of the available information on 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) with the intent of updating the guidelines for MCPA in drinking water. The purpose of this consultation is to solicit comments on the proposed guidelines, on the approach used for its development, and on the potential impacts of implementing it.

Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water: A Guide to Their Public Health Consequences, Monitoring and Management

Briefly, it presents the current state of knowledge on cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and from a drinking water treatment perspective it provides guidance for monitoring and controlling risks in source water and at intakes.

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document – Aluminum

There are changes from the 1998 guideline, which it replaces, and from the August 30 2019 proposed values when it was posted for comment. The new “maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for total aluminum in drinking water is 2.9 mg/L (2,900 µg/L) based on a locational running annual average of a minimum of quarterly samples taken in the distribution system.

Potable water volumes and population served from Canadian drinking water plants, by treatment category

It is a Statistics Canada searchable database that lists drinking water plants by treatment category, characteristics of water treatment plants, population served, operation and maintenance costs (split into categories), and total potable water volume (split into surface water and groundwater) for the years 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

By |2021-03-25T11:47:00-04:00February 23rd, 2021|Drinking Water, Papers & Articles, Water Treatment|0 Comments

CDC Releases First National Summary of Harmful Algal Bloom and Illness Surveillance

A new CDC report shows that from 2016–2018, 18 states reported 421 harmful algal blooms, 389 human illnesses, and at least 413 animal illnesses linked to harmful algal blooms.

By |2021-03-25T13:13:12-04:00February 19th, 2021|Drinking Water, Papers & Articles, Water Treatment|0 Comments

Challenges of Detecting Lead in Drinking Water Using at-Home Test

Lead in drinking water remains a significant human health risk. At-home lead in water test kits could provide consumers with a convenient and affordable option to evaluate this risk, but their accuracy and reliability is uncertain. This study examined the ability of at-home lead test kits to detect varying concentrations of dissolved and particulate lead in drinking water.

By |2021-03-25T13:31:25-04:00January 17th, 2021|Drinking Water, Papers & Articles, Water Treatment|0 Comments

Estimate of burden and direct healthcare cost of infectious waterborne disease in the United States

There is a huge amount of occurrence, hospital visit, and cost data in this report. It is the most comprehensive paper I have seen on this topic and worth a detailed read. It is available free of charge.

By |2020-12-17T09:52:33-05:00December 17th, 2020|Drinking Water, Papers & Articles, Water Treatment|0 Comments

Probable Evidence of Fecal Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a High-Rise Building

A recently published peer reviewed paper in the journal ‘Annals of Internal Medicine’ reports that “on the basis of circumstantial evidence, fecal aerosol transmission may have caused the community outbreak of COVID-19 in this high-rise building.” Fecal aerosolization and droplet production are nothing new when it comes to our understanding of pathogen risks, with some early papers having been published nearly 50 years ago.

By |2020-12-17T11:40:18-05:00November 26th, 2020|Drinking Water, Papers & Articles, Water Treatment|0 Comments
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