Stay in the know on all things drinking water
Dr. William B. Anderson is a Research Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Water Science, Technology & Policy Group at the University of Waterloo. He has been active in drinking water quality and treatment research for more than 40 years, recently focusing on pathogen identification/removal/inactivation, assessment of adsorbed and desorption of contaminants on microplastics, better understanding of the role of colloidal nutrients on cyanobacterial growth in drinking water reservoirs, perfluorinated compounds, and biological filtration.
The past 15 years, Bill has maintained an email service drawing attention to items of interest to drinking water professionals including, for example, the latest research articles, regulatory updates, outbreak reports, topical issues, and media stories. Bill’s email service has expanded over time to include all interested individuals. These emails are now also archived here in a blog format as they are released, which can be explored by category or simply by scrolling through the posts below.
If you would like to join Bill’s email list for updates straight to your inbox, you can send an email to Bill to be added to the list.
Common themes contributing to recent drinking water disease outbreaks in affluent nations
Following up from articles and books on disease outbreaks the Hrudey’s have published another timely article on the same theme. As we have been observing in the research world we are now educating students who have not heard of the Walkerton outbreak in 2000 (or were born since then!). The study authors report that 24 drinking-waterborne disease outbreaks in affluent nations have occurred since then, pointing to the recent campylobacteriosis outbreak with 5,500 cases and four fatalities.
Public consultation on aluminum in drinking water
A document entitled “Aluminum in drinking water: Guideline technical document for consultation” has been posted on Health Canada’s website. A new health-based guideline (MAC) of 2.9 mg/L is being proposed for aluminum for the first time.
Statement from the State of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
I’ve seen some news reports that prosecutors have dismissed all charges in the Flint water crisis investigation (recall that there were two issues, lead which was the focus, but also Legionnaires disease which was not considered in the original investigation)...
Efficacy of Flushing and Chlorination in Removing Microorganisms from a Pilot Drinking Water Distribution System
There are several best practices (and guidelines and regulations) for flushing and ‘disinfecting’ drinking water distribution piping following installation or repair (e.g. AWWA Standard C651-05 Disinfecting Water Mains, and the Watermain Disinfection Procedure in Ontario)...
Webinar on the Health Canada Guidelines for Cyanotoxins in Drinking and Recreational Water
Health Canada is hosting a 1.5 hour webinar entitled ‘Guidelines for Cyanotoxins in Drinking and Recreational Water’ on Wednesday, May 29, at 1:30 pm EDT. There is no cost for this webinar, but the number of participants is limited.
Analysis of building plumbing system flushing practices and communications
An interesting paper dealing with contamination incidents in distribution systems prompting public agencies and drinking water utilities to issue do-not-drink and do-not-use advisories has been recently published...