General Water Resources
WQA offers information on the basics of water treatment, common contaminants, benefits of good water quality and much more. Chromium-6, a metal famous by Erin Brockovich, was found in water at levels at or above 0.02 parts per billion in 90 percent of 60,000 water samples the EPA had tested.Chloride Found at Levels that Can Harm Aquatic Life in Urban Streams of the Northern U.S.–Winter Deicing a Major Source September 16, 2009 – Recent study released to determine the causes of excess chloride in water tables in the North. The abstract states, “Use of salt for deicing roads and parking lots in the winter is a major source of chloride. Other sources include wastewater treatment, septic systems, and farming operations.” Apparently softener salt is such a minor contributor that it’s not even mentioned in the abstract. However on page 12 (page 22 of the PDF) of the study they state: “In 2005, salt for water treatment represented 3.1 percent of salt use in the United States (Kostick and others, 2007).” Makes you wonder why California didn’t conduct a similar study or take this into account before banning water softeners in certain counties.
Toxic Waters Interactive September 12, 2009 – An interactive website based on the “Toxic Waters” article by the New York Times that helps you find Clean Water Act violations in your local area. AP Investigation: Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water regularly – An ongoing investigation conducted by the Associated Press concerning pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other drugs found in drinking water supplies throughout the US. The first article calling this into concern was done around March 2009 and dozens of follow-up articles have been written since. Water Wise Guy weekly – A Culligan dealer who is always gathering water information to keep you up-to-date on the latest water news. Are there harmful effects of water softener discharges on household septic tanks? 2009 – A discussion by the Water Quality Association on the effects of water softeners on septic tanks.