An A+ for Water Protection
By Tom Damm
Cabrini College students and professor receive their award, photo courtesy of the Schuylkill Action Network
If you’re like me, you remember staring out the window on a nice spring day thinking how great it would be to have class outside – until your teacher snapped you out of your reverie.
For students recognized by EPA last week, the outdoors has been a classroom.
At Limerick Elementary School in Royersford, students held a watershed day and planted a protective buffer of 100 trees along the Landis Creek.
Also in Royersford, students at the Spring-Ford Intermediate School created a rain harvesting project to recycle and reuse water.
At Sandy Run Middle School in Dresher, more than 700 students were involved in a project to rip out invasive knotweed in Sandy Run and replace it with native trees and shrubs that will help restore the waterway.
And at Cabrini College in Radnor, students took a variety of actions to restore Valley Creek and did important stream and community research.
Awards to the schools and their students were presented at a National Drinking Water Week ceremony at the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association in Ambler, Pa. The competition was sponsored by the Schuylkill Action Network, a team of agencies, including EPA, committed to cleaning up and protecting the Schuylkill River and its tributaries – a drinking water source for more than 1.5 million people.
Feel inspired? Check out ways you can protect your local waters.
About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division. Prior to joining EPA, he held state government public affairs positions in New Jersey and worked as a daily newspaper reporter. When not in the office, Tom enjoys cycling and volunteer work. Tom and his family live in Hamilton Township, N.J., near Trenton.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Responding to Water Impacts of Climate Change
By Christina Catanese
When we hear predictions such as temperature increases of 3 degrees Celsius, and 13 inches of sea level rise resulting from climate change, we wonder what that means for us and our communities. If the ocean is at your front door, the threat is pretty clear. But for the rest of us, the implications are not so apparent. For example, did you know that climate change could impact the systems that bring us our drinking water and prevent flooding and sewer overflows?
While the impacts will vary significantly from one region to another, climate change is almost certain to cause more extreme weather events, including changing precipitation patterns and increased severity of drought and flooding. Greater frequency and intensity of rain events could also overwhelm our systems that are designed to deal with them.
As temperatures increase and sea levels rise, salt water is likely to intrude in to surface and groundwater, resulting in more water impairment. This can make the already challenging job for our drinking water treatment operators even tougher, and cause treatment costs to rise, which would impact our pocketbooks. Learn more about the impacts of climate change on water resources here.
How should EPA’s water programs respond to climate change? In response to these challenges, EPA recently drafted the 2012 Strategy Response to Climate Change to address impacts to water and how they could affect EPA’s water programs. And we’re looking for your input.
You have until May 17th to provide your comments on this draft strategy. Find out how to comment here!
Making sure that EPA’s programs continue to protect human health and the environment even in changing climate conditions will require collaboration from all of us. We hope you’ll join us in facing up to this challenge!
About the Author: Christina Catanese has worked at EPA since 2010, and her work focuses on data analysis and management, GIS mapping and tools, communications, and other tasks that support the work of Regional water programs. Originally from Pittsburgh, Christina has lived in Philadelphia since attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science and an M.S. in Applied Geosciences with a Hydrogeology concentration. Trained in dance (ballet, modern, and other styles) from a young age, Christina continues to perform, choreograph and teach in the Philadelphia area.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
The More You Know… About Your Drinking Water
By Christina Catanese
Delivering safe drinking water is a process many of us take for granted when we turn on the tap, but one that requires careful and constant management.
When you get mail from your water provider, it probably doesn’t seem any more exciting than any of the other bills in the mail pile. But soon, you’ll be receiving something from your water system that you might want to take a closer look at. It will certainly be more interesting than writing a check, and you’ll get some valuable information about your drinking water.
Each year by July 1st, you should receive a short report (called a consumer confidence report or drinking water quality report) in the mail from your water supplier that tells you two main things: where your water comes from and what’s in it.
These annual reports provide tons of useful information in an overview of the quality of the water that comes out of your tap. It will tell you the river, aquifer, or other source of drinking water that your water comes from, and the main threats to the source water in your area. Your report will list any regulated contaminants that were detected in treated water in the last calendar year, whether there were any violations of EPA standards, and the possible risks to your health.
Besides providing a wealth of information, reports point you in the direction of places to learn even more, like EPA’s safe drinking water hotline, information about your local water system, and source water assessments. Still thirsty for information about your drinking water? Find information for your state here. Some state agencies also post information on the systems they regulate on Drinking Water Watch.
If you don’t get your annual report in the mail (or if it somehow gets eaten by the mail pile monster), you might be able to find it online. Any community water system that serves more than 100,000 people is required to make its report available on the web. Some smaller systems also post their reports online. See if your water system’s report is posted here. You can always contact your water system if you can’t find your report or have questions about your drinking water supply.
Have you gotten your annual report yet? Do you usually read them when you get them? What information would you like to see that isn’t included in your annual report? Tell us what you learned from your report in the comments section.
National Drinking Water Week is next week, May 6-12! Celebrate by taking some time to get to know your drinking water.
About the Author: Christina Catanese has worked at EPA since 2010, and her work focuses on data analysis and management, GIS mapping and tools, communications, and other tasks that support the work of Regional water programs. Originally from Pittsburgh, Christina has lived in Philadelphia since attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science and an M.S. in Applied Geosciences with a Hydrogeology concentration. Trained in dance (ballet, modern, and other styles) from a young age, Christina continues to perform, choreograph and teach in the Philadelphia area.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Celebrate Shad!
By Nancy Grundahl
American Shad, photo courtesy of the National Park Service
Every spring around this time folks in the Delaware Valley pay homage to shad. Why? We are celebrating their return after many years of reduced populations due to polluted rivers and the construction of dams that blocked their migration upstream to spawn. Healthier waters and fish ladders have been instrumental in their comeback and so we celebrate.
How? By eating shad, of course! Restaurants serve all sorts of yummy dishes that use shad, like seared shad and shad croquettes. On the web there are tips on where to fish, when to fish and how to fish for shad. And there are festivals. Lots of them. Here are a few you might want to visit this weekend.
Lambertville, New Jersey Shad Fest – (on the Delaware River just across from New Hope, Pa.)
April 28 & 29, 2012
12:30-5:30 pmFishtown Shadfest 2012 – Penn Treaty Park (on the Delaware River in Philadelphia)
April 28, 2012
noon-6 pmSchuylkill River Shad Festival (on the Schuylkill River in Mont Clare, Pa.)
April 28, 2012
11 am – 5 pm
Can’t make it to the festivals but want to celebrate in your own special way? Then take a look at Philadelphia’s Fish Cam. If you are lucky, you will see shad migrating upstream by using the river ladder on the Fairmount Dam. And listen to our podcast for more about the fish ladder.
Take a look. Take a listen. Celebrate shad.
About the author: Nancy Grundahl has worked for the Philadelphia office of EPA since the mid-80’s. Nancy believes in looking at environmental problems in a holistic, multi-media way and is a strong advocate of preventing pollution instead of dealing with it after it has been created. Nancy likes to garden and during the growing season brings flowers into the office. Nancy also writes for the EPA “It’s Our Environment” blog.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
What Water Means to You…in just Six Words
By Christina Catanese
I swear that pesky word counter at the bottom of my screen is mocking me. My wordiness seems to get me in trouble, and my word count is always higher than I want it to be. 700 words when I need it to be 500. 253 when it has to be below 250. 100 words when I need it to be…6?
Six words! How can you say anything in only six words?
It turns out you can say a lot. Believe it or not, there have been short stories and even memoirs written in just six words.
And now, EPA has teamed up with SMITH Magazine to launch the Six Words for the Planet project, where anyone (you!) can submit a six word essay about our planet.
Since this is the Healthy Waters Blog, we’ve obviously got water on our minds, so I and a few of my fellow EPA employees took a crack at writing our own six words… for water.
Water: could I use less? Yes.
-Christina
Headwaters to Bay, canoe that someday.
-Ken
Water? Almost everywhere; most, alas, undrinkable.
-Larry
Water Needs Energy. Energy Needs Water.
-Walter
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays…Our Legacy.
-Matt
Water. We can’t live without it.
-Nancy
Burdened mind. River walk. Feeling better.
-Alysa
When the currents are swift, portage.
-Brent
Everyone deserves clean water. Get involved.
-Tom
And now it’s your turn! This Earth Day, take a few minutes to think about what the planet (water or otherwise) means to you, then pen your own six word essay and submit it here. You might even have your six words featured on EPA websites or social media channels!
Get more information about Six Words for the Planet in this Greenversations Post.
About the Author: Christina Catanese has worked at EPA since 2010, and her work focuses on data analysis and management, GIS mapping and tools, communications, and other tasks that support the work of Regional water programs. Originally from Pittsburgh, Christina has lived in Philadelphia since attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science and an M.S. in Applied Geosciences with a Hydrogeology concentration. Trained in dance (ballet, modern, and other styles) from a young age, Christina continues to perform, choreograph and teach in the Philadelphia area.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
By Kaitlyn Bendik
Have you ever heard of a fish called the Atlantic Sturgeon? I hadn’t until recently. When I sought out to learn about the different endangered species in the District of Columbia, I learned that this fish can grow to an enormous 14 feet long and weigh up to 800 pounds, but it is also endangered. Who knew such aquatic behemoths lived in rivers and estuaries in the Mid Atlantic Region?
I also learned that the Atlantic sturgeon is an anadromous fish species that can live up to 60 years. It dwarfs the other two sturgeon species found in eastern North America, and is a benthic or bottom feeder.
Recently, the Atlantic Sturgeon was added to the Endangered Species List in the Chesapeake Bay and four other “distinct population segments.”
So how does a species get listed? A concerned citizen like you may petition the United States Secretary of the Interior to add a species, which begins a process of deciding whether there’s enough information to prove that a species needs listing. Likewise, an organization such as the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service engages in a candidate species process, where a scientific study is conducted to gather data. When the study concludes a species needs listing, it publishes its findings in the Federal Register for public comment. Once that process is complete, the species can get its spot on list.
Why is the Atlantic sturgeon on the list? Historically, this fish was a part of commercial fisheries in the US. But due to dwindling numbers, in 1998, a harvest moratorium was put on the Atlantic sturgeon. Despite that action, sturgeon populations are still threatened today. They get caught inadvertently by fishermen, and in estuaries and rivers, they face habitat degradation and loss due to human activities like dredging, dams, water withdrawals, and development, as well as being hit by ships.
The Atlantic sturgeon species numbers in the Chesapeake Bay have dropped substantially, from about 20,000 breeding females in 1890 throughout the Bay and its tributaries, to less than 300 breeding females that are found in only the James River. But a comeback is hopefully soon to come with the actions taken to build back its population.
Keeping our water clean will help keep the Atlantic sturgeon around forever. Visit the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Delaware River Basin Commission website for tips on what you can do to help protect the bays and the endangered species that call them home.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Fix a Leak: Little Effort, Lots of Savings
By Tom Damm
2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the nation’s law for protecting our most irreplaceable resource. Throughout the year, EPA will be highlighting different aspects of the history and successes of the Clean Water Act in reducing pollution in the past 40 years. The month of April will focus on Water Conservation.
Barbara (B.J.) McDuffie of the ECA installs faucet aerator during Fix a Leak event.
Consider this: The average American home leaks more than 10,000 gallons of water a year – about the amount of water needed to wash 280 loads of laundry or take more than 600 showers. A faucet that leaks at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.
Though my family cringes when I volunteer to fix things, knowing that I’m likely to do more damage than good, even I could handle this one:
Unscrew the end of the faucet spout, pop out the existing rubber washer and filter screen, install a low-flow aerator and its washer, reattach the end of the spout.
That’s it. Time involved? About 30 seconds. Watch this video of how to install the aerator if you don’t believe me.
Barbara (B.J.) McDuffie of the Energy Coordinating Agency demonstrated how quick and easy it can be to save money and water during a recent EPA Fix a Leak Week event at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, where sets of new fixtures – aerators, showerheads and toilet flappers donated by the Delta Faucet Co. – were being installed throughout the building.
“Fix a Leak Week is a time for us to highlight the benefits of finding and fixing residential leaks,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin, having just repaired a leaky fixture in his own home. “So we’re urging everyone to take three basic steps – check, twist and replace.”
- Check for leaks. Toilet leaks can be found by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to also check irrigation systems and spigots.
- Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or showerhead.
- Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for the WaterSense label when replacing plumbing fixtures, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.
Can’t wait to break out the tool box.
About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division. Prior to joining EPA, he held state government public affairs positions in New Jersey and worked as a daily newspaper reporter. When not in the office, Tom enjoys cycling and volunteer work. Tom and his family live in Hamilton Township, N.J., near Trenton.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
On the Road to Wastewater Energy Savings
By Matt Colip
Kent County Wastewater Treatment Plant has implemented some innovative energy efficiency measures, like solar panels, instrument optimization, and sludge drying greenhouses.
It’s a fact that a modern, four-cylinder hybrid engine gets much better gas mileage then a larger, earlier generation, eight-cylinder engine. Both get us where we need to go, but at different levels of energy use and fuel costs.
A similar concept can be applied to our local wastewater and drinking water facilities. Operators of these facilities are becoming more aware of just how much energy they use and more informed about ways to reduce energy usage. There are many methods of wastewater treatment, but just like cars, these processes vary in energy use and cost.
One easy way for water treatment operators to learn about the latest strategies in making their facility energy efficienct is by referring to EPA’s guidance document Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities. It’s designed to guide treatment plant operators through the process of maximizing their facility’s energy efficiency, while also reducing their costs. The guidebook utilizes a four-step approach: Plan, Do, Check, and Act.
They can also attend the May 8 Energy Roundtable Conference in Harrisburg that we blogged about recently. This event (held by EPA in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) is for wastewater treatment operators interested in reducing their facilities’ energy costs and ultimately carbon footprint, and will highlight several areas related to energy efficiency.
As a homeowner, you can help your drinking water and wastewater plants save operating costs by becoming more water efficient yourself. One way to do this is by utilizing WaterSense products in your household.
For more information on energy efficiency, please visit our website. For information about the Energy Roundtable event, please contact Walter Higgins at Higgins.walter@epa.gov, or by phone at 215-814-5476.
About the Author: Matt Colip works in the region’s NPDES Enforcement Branch and focuses primarily on enforcing wastewater and stormwater regulations. Originally a Texan, turned Pennsylvanian, Matt graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., with a BA in Special Studies – Public Health and is currently working on an MS in Environmental Protection Management at Saint Joseph’s University. He is also interested in technologies that promote efficient living, strives to practice what he preaches, and is moving to a house on a pervious pavement street in Philadelphia. Matt’s love of bicycling took him on a solo cross country tour (riding from San Francisco to the New Jersey shore) as well as around Puerto Rico and across Ohio with colleagues and friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Virtual Water, Real Impacts: World Water Day 2012
By Christina Catanese
In this digital age, it seems everything is becoming virtual. There are virtual pets, virtual reality, virtual keyboards, and virtual books. From your computer, you can shop virtually, and take virtual tours.
But virtual water? How does that work? We can’t consume water that we can’t see… or can we?
Virtual water is a concept that refers to the water needed to make a product. We know we should drink 8 glasses of water a day to be hydrated, but it’s easy to overlook the gallons and gallons of water required to produce the food we eat and the things we buy. This water is virtual in that the end-consumer of a product is not directly using water, but there was water that went into producing the item. So by consuming these items, we use water indirectly, hence virtually. You might be surprised at how much the hidden water that we consume adds up.
Let’s take the cheeseburger I had for lunch yesterday, for example. Estimates are that a 1/3 pound burger requires 660 gallons of water to be produced, most of which is for the beef. One pound of beef requires 1,799 gallons, a pound of cheese requires 700 gallons, and two slices of bread require 22 gallons. Why does meat require so much more water? Well, it factors in what’s needed during the entire life of a cow: water for the animal to drink, to grow feed and hay, and to keep stables and farmyards clean. Guess I should have gone with the salad after all: lettuce only takes about 13 gallons per pound to produce.
Once I started looking for this hidden water, the amount of water I found that I eat got higher quickly, and I started to see connections. How much water did it take to grow the coffee I drank this morning, and to produce the milk and sugar I put in it? The banana I put in my cereal? The cereal itself? The candy bar I had for a mid-afternoon boost?
Beyond diet, what about the paper all over my desk (1,321 gallons to make 500 sheets)? The jeans I’m wearing (2,900 gallons for one pair)? How about the water it takes to produce the fuel that brought all these things to Philadelphia for me to use and consume? And the energy to power all my appliances at home? The hidden water we use really adds up, and when you do the math, it starts to seem much more real than virtual.
The estimates of virtual water in this post come from National Geographic and the Water Footprint Network. Check out this Water Footprint Calculator to see how much water you’re using, virtual or otherwise! Are you surprised by these numbers? Do they make you want to change your consumption habits? WaterSense labeled appliances are one way to reduce your water footprint; what others can you think of?
March 22 is World Water Day, a commemorative day by the United Nations to raise awareness about water issues. This year’s WWD focuses on water and food security and production all over the world.
About the Author: Christina Catanese has worked at EPA since 2010, and her work focuses on data analysis and management, GIS mapping and tools, communications, and other tasks that support the work of Regional water programs. Originally from Pittsburgh, Christina has lived in Philadelphia since attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science and an M.S. in Applied Geosciences with a Hydrogeology concentration. Trained in dance (ballet, modern, and other styles) from a young age, Christina continues to perform, choreograph and teach in the Philadelphia area.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
What Lurks Beneath
By Lee Murphy
They’re underground, out of sight, and generally out of mind.
Many of us take for granted the systems that bring water to our homes and take it away when we’re done with it. That is, until something goes wrong. Water main breaks and sewage backups are becoming more common. They offer stark reminders that the network of pipes and other water-related hardware in many communities is getting old.
Studies like one done in Pennsylvania in 2008 identify just how serious the problem is, and the challenges of financing needed infrastructure repairs.
So what can you do about it? If your water and wastewater system is publicly owned (by a local government) you can get involved by:
- Attending local meetings: Ask about the condition of the system. The best systems maintain an inventory of their physical assets, know the condition of those assets, know the risk and impact of failures, and have a plan for the eventual replacements. If the managers of your system cannot provide the information, suggest they do Asset Management Planning.
- Learning more: You can find more information on public water and wastewater systems here, here, and here.
Out of sight doesn’t have to mean out of mind when it comes to our water infrastructure! Do you know anything about the condition of the water infrastructure in your community and what’s being done about it? What is water worth to you?
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
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