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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-03-11 WSB AGENDAWATER & SEWER BOARD AGENDA Tuesday, March 11, 2008 5:00 P.M. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ROOM 1. MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 12, 2008 MEETING. (ATT. 1) 2. GUESTS: CITY DITCH CONCERNS-1060-70-80 W. RADCLIFF AVE. (ATT. 2) 2. GUEST: JOHN BOCK, UTILITIES MANAGER OF ADMIN. POLICY FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICES AT BUILDINGS SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION. (ATT. 3) 3. GUESTS: BILL McCORMICK AND JOE PERSHIN -ALLEN FILTER PLANT -MONITORING VIOLATION -LEAD AND COPPER. (ATT. 4) 4. 6-MILLION GALLON RESERVOIR TANK REPAIRS. (ATT. 5) 5. ARTICLES DATED MARCH 10, 2008 FROM THE DENVER POST- "PHARMACEUTICALS FOULING U.S. DRINKING WATER," AND "DENVER SOURCE NOT SO PRISTINE." (ATT . 6) 6. LETTER FROM WILLARD DEVENEAU DATED MARCH 6, 2008 RE: BRYAN CHEEK. (ATT. 7) 7. OTHER. WATER AND SEWER BOARD MINUTES February 12, 2008 AT/. I The meeting was called to order at 5:04 p.m. Members present: Clark, Moore, Wiggins, Oakley, Habenicht Members absent: Burns, Higday, Cassidy, Woodward Also present: Stewart Fonda, Director of Utilities 1. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 8, 2008 MEETING. The Englewood Water and Sewer Board approved the minutes of the meeting of January 8, 2008 meeting. Mr. Wiggins moved; Mr. Clark seconded: Ayes: Nays: Members absent: Motion carried. Jim Woodward entered at 5:05 p.m. To approve the minutes from the January 8, 2008 meeting. Clark, Moore, Wiggins, Oakley, Habenicht None Burns, Higday, Cassidy, Woodward 2 . ALLEN PLANT ALUM RESIDUALS REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL BID. Sludge is produced year-round, and it is imperative that the sludge be processed when the weather is amenable and stored until disposal. Storage space has since run out and the Allen Filter Plant needs to dispose of this sludge in a quick , economical and legally compliant method. The dewatering process concentrates a naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), also known as technologically enhanced radioactive material (TERM) that falls under State Health Department requirements with EPA guidelines . The disposal site must be approved by the State Health Department as an allowed site for properly disposing of residuals resulting from normal slud~e removal operations at the Allen Water Filter Plant. Bids were received , with Allied Waste as the recommended acceptable bidder at $108,775.00 for one year's production (2 ,000 yards). CDM reviewed the bids, did a technical evaluation and concurred that Allied Waste is the lowest, acceptable bidder. Mr. Habenicht moved; Mr. Wiggins seconded: Ayes: Nays: Members absent: Motion carried. To recommend Council approval of the bid for the Allen Water Filtration Plant residuals removal and disposal to Allied Waste in the amount of $108,775 for disposal of approximately 2,000 cubic yards of production. Clark, Moore, Wiggins, Oakley, Habenicht, Woodward None Bums, Higday, Cassidy 3. PURCHASE OF TRACTOR MOWER A John Deere 6415 Cab Tractor is being requested by the Allen Filter Plant for mowing weeds and grass along the City and McBroom Ditches, at McLellan Reservoir and the Allen Filter Plant. The John Deere 6415 tractor and mower is a CERF replacement for Unit #1335, a 1995 John Deere 5300 tractor with mower. The proposed model is an upgrade with a larger boom-type attached mower to reach places currently inaccessible to the existing mower and will provide a closer mow to the ditches. The Purchasing Department received a State Bid #CDOT-310000675 and accepted the bid from the Potestio Brother Equipment Company in the amount of $56,858.09. Mr. Oakley moved; Mr. Clark seconded: Ayes: Nays : Members absent: Motion carried. Robert Cassidy entered 5: 15 p.m. To recommend Council approval of the purchase of a 6415 Cab Tractor and Mower from Potestio Brothers Equipment Company in the amount of $56,858.09. Clark, Moore, Wiggins, Oakley, Habenicht, Woodward None Bums, Higday, Cassidy 4. CHANGE ORDER FOR TANK REPAIRS TO THE CLARKSON ST. 6- MILLION GALLON RESERVOIR TANK. The original contract for the project was awarded December 3, 2007 to Restruction Corp . for the 6-million gallon tank roof repair. After further investigation on February 6, 2008 by the contractor, the consultant and Englewood's Utilities Engineer it was revealed that additional work was required. During the inspection after the tank was drained, testing exposed 12 additional tendons that were in failure and needed to be replaced. The proposed repairs are required to maintain the integrity of the tank located at Clarkson St. and Sunset Ridge in Greenwood Village. The Change Order with Restruction Corp. for 12 tendons, at a unit price established by contract at $6,170 per tendon, is in the amount of $75,000. Mr. Wiggins moved; Mr. Habenicht seconded: Ayes: To recommend Council approval of the $75,000 Change Order to Restruction Corp. for 12 additional roof tendons. Clark, Moore, Wiggins, Oakley, Habenicht, Woodward, Cassidy Nays: None Members absent: Burns, Higday Motion carried. ***See Recording Secretary's note at end of Minutes*** 5. WATER RIGHTS UPDATE FROM DAVID HILL. The Board received water rights updates dated January 14 and February 7, 2008 from David Hill, Englewood's Water Attorney. Stu discussed developments in water litigation cases in which Englewood is involved. 6. ARTICLES FROM THE AURORA SENTINEL DATED JANUARY 16, 2008. The Board received an article that appeared January 16, 2008 in the Aurora Sentinel, "Aurora still trying to solve water woes ." The article discusses four proposed new rate structures, along with a rate hike . Stu discussed possible modest rate increases that may be necessary for Englewood water users in the next five years to finance an ultraviolet water treatment process for the Allen Filter Plant. ** Secretary's note regarding Item #2 -Alum Sludge Hauling Bid. Because further repairs were discovered upon entering the tank, the item was pulled from the January 19, 2008 Council Agenda. Future course of action to be determined after an engineer's inspection. * * The next Water and Sewer Board meeting will be Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 5:00 p .m. in the Community Development Conference Room. Respectfully submitted, Cathy Burrage Recording Secretary AT T. 2 Cathy Burrage -------·--------·---··--------------·------------·-·-·----·--- From: Cindy Grainger [cindyshortridge@comcast.net] Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 1 :03 PM To: Cathy Burrage Subject: FW: Re: FW: City Ditch issues Cathy, I hope this gets to your email. Cindy Grainger cindyshortridge@comcast.net 3031762-1405 --------------Forwarded Message : -------------- From: cindyshortridge@comcast.net (Cindy Grainger) To: Cathy Burrage" <cburrage@englewoodgov.org>, "Bill McCormick" <bmccormick@englewoodgov.org>, "Tom Brennan" <tbrennan@englewoodgov.org> Subject: Re: FW: City Ditch issues Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:06:36 +0000 Dear Cathy Burrage, I don't think that you responded to Loraine Smith. But she is unable to go into her house because of a gas leak. I will print this out and give it to her. I don't really know what is going on at this point since I have not heard all of the conversation. Cindy Grainger cindyshortridge@comcast.net 3031762-1405 3/10/2008 --------------Original message -------------- From: "Cathy Burrage" <cburrage@englewoodgov.org> -----Original Message----- From: Cathy Burrage Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 1:04 PM To: 'loraine smith' Subject: RE: City Ditch issues If you wish to contact me, my phone# is 303-762-2636 . The person that oversees the City Ditch in Englewood is Bill McCormick -his phone# is 303-762-2652. Tom Brennan is the Utilities Engineer and his phone# is 303-762-2654. Bill and Tom are on vacation and will return Monday. After 10:00 a.m . on Monday, Bill and Tom will be available to discuss the issues that have been raised. If, after your discussion with Bill or Tom, you wish to discuss your concerns with the Englewood Water Board, you are welcome to attend the next meeting on Tuesday, 3/10/2008 March 18 at 5:00 in the Public Works Conference Room at the Englewood Civic Center. Please call Cathy at 303-762-2636 to arrange a phone conference with Bill or Tom or if you wish to attend the next Water Board meeting . -----Original Message----- From: loraine smith [mailto:lovnmom@usa.net] Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 7:32 PM To: Cathy Burrage Cc: Cindy Grainger Subject: ditch issues Thank you for responding; albeit rather abruptly. My phone number is 303-781-5083, my name is Loraine Smith, my address is 1080 W Radcliff Ave. Please contact me ASAP. Also, I would like your direct line, the "ditch walker's" name and direct line and your supervisors' names and direct lines. Thank you Page 2 of2 Page 1of3 Cathy Burrage ·----·-----~~-·---------·---- From : loraine smith [lovnmom@usa.net] Sent: Tuesday , Ma rch 04 , 2008 10:26 PM To: Cathy Burrage Cc : Cindy Grainger Subject: Concerns about piping of ditch along Stanford Fol der : Sent Message 1 of 99 (OLD) ·-------··----· .. ···------·------···----------.. ~ _Delete I Reply j Reply AH j .....,-;:::::==-..:::::::.:::::::::::::;--~ Move To : .I !Trash iJ Forward 11 as Attachment 3 Received: from 24 .8.252.199 [24.8.252.199} by cmsweb10.cms.usa.net (USANET web-mailer CM.0402. 7.83); Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:14 :49 -0000 Date: Tue , 04 Mar 2008 22:14 :49 -0700 From: "loraine smith" <lovnmom@usa.net> Add to Address Book Block Sender Allow Sender To: "Cindy Grainger" <cindyshortridge@comcast.net> Subject: Re: Concerns about piping of ditch along Stanford Allow Subject X-Mailer: USANET web-mailer (CM.0402 . 7.83) Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-ID: <195mceFNx5766S10. 1204694089@cmsweb1O.cms.usa.net> Content-Type: text/html; charset=IS0-8859-1 Fewer Details I _ Print Preview j Hi Cindy, this is great!! Hopefully, your questions will be answered satisfactori ly, but I remain skeptical. I will attend the next meeting, if I know when it is, (they don't like me much though). Also, I'm concerned about what kind of "natural grasses " they are planning to plant and what type of "weed control " will be in effect . I wonder if any effort was made to investigate whether or not any of the tax .11.aying res idents impacted, or their pets, might have allergies that could dramatically affect our quality of life. But, who cares -it's not going to bother them?! It is so frustrating because we were never consulted to begin with, it's like they never cared, or even tho@ht.to care, about us. The Water Dept. can 't do anything about it now .. .I doubt that they wooid be willing to remove all the piping and open up the ditch again . It was all handled very sneakily and inconsiderately from the get-go! It's kinda like closing the barn door alter the horses ran away!! ------Original Message ------ Received: Tue , 04 Mar 2008 10 :07:43 AM MST 3/10/2008 From: cindyshortridge@comcast.net (Cindy Grainger) To: cburrage@englewoodgov.org Subject: Concerns about piping of ditch along Stanford Dear Cathy, Page 2of3 My neighbors, John Grossman-1060 W. Radcliff Ave. and Loraine Smith-1080 W . Radcliff Ave. and myself, Cindy Grainger-1070 W . Radcliff Ave. have concerns about the piping of the city ditch that runs behind our homes on Stanford. I have not had a chance to talk to Denise Moe, the Taylors or the next house, which might not be located near the city ditch. 1. grade of ditch area is now above ours and we are concerned about run off 2 . we were not notified of the piping of the ditch and much preferred the naturalized area to the flat,dirt area that is now there 3. why is it not being fenced like the ditch that runs across Quincy? it is a dark, secluded area with no parking signs that is not regularly enforced and we are concerned about crime, homeless vagrants and young partying teens (the partying teens happened a couple of years ago across the street from us on Jason and Radcliff so it is not a far stretch to be concerned about it in as secluded of an area as this area is) 4 . we are still concerned about the thoughtless, rude neighbor that lives on Stanford and what he will now do since he has access (but I understand not legally) to the area between us where the ditch used to flow. What are our rights and what are his? Who do we call ifhe starts putting his numerous heavy equipment, dogs, junk, etc. in that area? 5. we have heard that some people who live along the ditch get compensated for that fact. are we entitled to that? I know that some of these concerns may seem silly to you but we would like to know who to ask these questions of and exactly what is going on right next to our property. Bill McCormick has been very informative but it seems that somehow we have been out of the loop of decision making and wonder exactly what our rights are and what else could possible happen in this area. I am starting a new job on March 10th so the possibility of me attending a 5:00 p.m. meeting is almost nil. I do think that one of my neighbors may be able to attend. Thank you for your help and I hope this gets to you in time to be on the next Water and Sewer Board agenda. Cindy Grainger cindyshortridge@comcast.net 303/762-1405 home 303/888-9463 cell March 4, 2008 __::j . Delete I Reply I Reply All Move To: I !Trash iJ Forward I las Attachment 3 Copyright© 2008 USA.NET, Inc .® All Rights Reserved . Users of this site agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of USA.NET's messaging service. 3/10/2008 A TT. 3 MEMORANDUM To: Stu Fonda, Utilities Director From: John Bock, Utilities Manager of Administration Date: March 4 , 2008 Subject: Water and Sewer Services at Buildings Scheduled for Demolition Management of water and sewer services before, during and after demolition of the structures to which they were connected is presently an issue. Sewer services are being lost in demolition, so no proper cut-off is assured. Water services are being cut at the curb stop and left live for years . As property values in Englewood increase, the problem is expected to increase. With the aim of managing and controlling what happens to these services at demolition, the Utilities Department staff is recommending the following policy and Code changes for your consideration: ~ Policy/Procedure Change: The Building Department, through its permit tracking system, will notify the Utilities Department when it receives an application for a demolition permit. Through the permit tracking system, Utilities Department personnel shall notify the applicant of our water/sewer service cut off requirements, and make this type of inspection a high priority. ~ Policy/Procedure Change: At the time of application, the applicant shall set a "to be completed by" date for the water and/or sewer service cutoffs . If the applicant does not complete the cut-offs within thirty (30) days after the "to be completed by" date, or if the applicant does not contact the Department to update the cutoff dates , and demolition has taken place, the Utilities Department crews may perform the cutoffs , or hire a private contractor to perform the cutoffs , and charge time and materials against the property either through the regular quarterly water bill or by lien. (Authority at 12-1B-2b) ~ Code Change: The use of existing clay tile or concrete sewer service pipes will not be permitted at new buildings . The old service must be replaced to the main with approved pipe. (12-2-4B revision needed) ~ Policy Change: New sewer service pipe may be extended to property line at the time of cut-off to avoid multiple alley cuts . The end of the pipe shall be marked with a department approved locating device. Exiting saddle or wye connections may be used if approved by Utilities Department inspectors . If abandoned, sewer service lines must be cut off at the main. (12-2-4B) ~ Policy Change: New or replacement water or sewer taps will not be allowed at new construction prior to disconnection of the previous water and sewer taps at the main unless the Utilities Department has approved use of the existing service pipes, ~ Policy/Procedure Change: The Distribution/Collection Supervisor will be notified of any water or sewer service line cut offs. Existing Authority: 12-lB-2: Tapping and Cutting Off Mains. A. The tapping of any main for the purpose of making a connection shall be done only by the City and at the expense of the applicant. The corporation valve inserted in the main and the service pipe to be laid must be of the size specified in the permit. B. The cutting off from mains may be performed by either a licensed and bonded plumber or by City personnel. In the event City personnel perform the cutoff, a charge equal to the City's time and materials will be due and payable from the applicant. If an abandoned water service is not disconnected at the main in a timely manner, the City may perform the disconnection and may charge time and materials against the property either through the next regular quarterly water bill or by lien . (Code 1985, § 12-lB-2) Proposed Code Change: 12-2-4: Private Sewers , Connections and Repairs. B . Old Private Sewers. : The use of existing or aging cast iron, clay tile or concrete sewer service pipes will not be permitted at new buildings. The old service must be replaced from the building to the main with approved pipe. Olti JH'ivat@ Bi!Wi!¥8 May @@ ttB@tl iD i!€Hlfti!@ti@D with H:i!'.V @ttiltimgs @nly wh@ft th@y 8:£8 f@ooti tEJ m@@t all ¥il€tliif'emeftts hernift Mti B€Jl@ly at the PislE @f th@ MBeP; @th@Avis@, @lti Abandoned private sewers shall be plugged at the sewer main and at the user's expense upon discontinuance of service. The plug in the old private sewer must be inspected and approved and a plan review and inspection fee will be charged by the City. Exiting sewer saddles or wye connections may be used for new sewer services if approved by Utilities Department inspectors. If an abandoned sewer service is not plugged at the main in a timely manner, the City may perform the disconnection and may charge time and materials against the property either through the next regular quarterly water bill or by lien. H:\JBock\Documents\Water & Sewer Services at Buildings Scheduled for Demo.doc Notice Important Information About Your Drinking Water AT T. Y. The Lead and Copper Tap Water Monitoring Requirements Were Not met for the City of Englewood Our water system violated state and federal drinking water standards for the monitoring period 2005 -2007 . Even though these were not emergencies , as our customers , you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct these situations . We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards . During 2005 we did not complete all monitoring or testing for lead and copper chemicals and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time . What should I do? There is nothing you need to do at this time. The table below lists the contaminants we did no t properly test for during 2005, how often we are supposed to sample for these contaminants and how many samples we are supposed to take , how many samples we took , when samples should have been taken , and the date on which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken. Required Sampling Number of Samples When All Samples When Samples Were or Will Be Contaminant Should have Been Frequency Taken Taken Taken Lead and Copper 30 samples every zero June -September Because of the time lapse , no three years 2005 samples were taken What happened? What is being done? The City of Englewood was required to monitor for lead and copper in June -September of 2005. The monitoring was done in October, 2005 . All samples taken in October 2005 were below the Action Levels set in the Lead & Copper Rule . The reason for the June -September monitoring period is because during that time, the water is warmer than other times of the year and could be corrosive to interior plumbing. Because of the long period of time between when the samples were to be taken in 2005 and the water system being notified of the violation in February of 2008, no samples are planned . The City of Englewood is scheduled to monitor for lead and copper during the June -September period of 2008. Lead may cause adverse health affects to pregnant women and children. Children can be affected by learning disabilities and adults can see problems with kidney functions and high blood pressure . Chronic exposure may lead to these problems . Multiple levels of administration will , from this time on, assure that the scheduled sampling periods are met. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this wa ter, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example , people in apartments , nursing homes, schools, and bussinesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. For more information, please contact Joe Pershin at 303-783-6826 or by mail at 1500 W. Layton Ave ., Englewood, Co 80110 or by e-mail at jpershin@englewoodgov .org. This notice is being sent to you by the City of Englewood, Colorado Public Water System ID# C00103045. Notice Important Information About Your Drinking Water The Flouride Tap Water Monitoring Requirements Were Not met for the City of Englewood Our water system violated state and federal drinking water standards for the monitoring period 2007. Even though these were not emergencies , as our customers , you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct these situations . We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis . Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. During 2007 we did not complete all monitoring or testing for fluoride chemicals and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time . What should I do? There are no adverse health effec ts from a failure to mon itor. There is nothing you need to do at this time . The table below lists the contaminants we did not properly test for during 2007, how often we are supposed to sample for these contaminants and how many samples we are supposed to take , how many samples we took, when samples should have been taken, and the date on which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken . Required Sampling Number of Samples When All Samples When Samples Were or Will Be Contaminant Should have Been Frequency Taken Taken Taken Fluoride 1 Sample per Year zero 2007 Sample will be taken for the 2008 Compliance Period What happened? What is being done? The City of Englewood was required to monitor for fluoride in 2007 . Fluoride is scheduled to be monitored once per year along with metals and nitrate . No particular part of the population has been exposed to any potential health effects from this failure to monitor . A alternate water supply is not necessary. No medical help is necessary. Multiple levels of administration will, from this time on , assure that the scheduled sampling periods are met. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and bussinesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. For more information, please contact Joe Pershin at 303-783-6826 or by mail at 1500 W. Layton Ave., Englewood, Co 80110 or by e-mail at jpershin@englewoodgov.org. This notice is being sent to you by the City of Englewood, Colorado Public Water System ID# C00103045 . fluoride A TT. 5 Pharmaceuticals fouling U .S. drinking water -The Denver Post AT T. (p denver~ost .com 111£ DF.N\l'ER ~.- nation and world Pharmaceuticals fouling U. 5. drinking water A five-month study finds a variety of drugs in water supplies -and growing concern among experts. By Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza and Justin Pritchard The Associated Press Art icle Last Up dated : 03/10/20 08 01 :15 :50 AM MDT A vast array of pharmaceuticals -including antibiotics , anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -has been found in the drinking-water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny , measured in parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe. But the presence of so many prescription drugs -and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -in our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health. In a five-month inquiry, AP discovered that drugs have been detected Advertisement in the drinking-water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -from Southern California to northern New Jersey , from Detroit to Louisville, Water is seen dripping from a tap in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 4, 2008 . (M att Rourke, The Associated Press) Ky . Denver was among them. Water providers rarely disclose results of Multimedia • View a 30 interactive on the cycle of drugs in drinking-water supplies Print Powered By l. ] FonnaL~Y ~.§l!'Tlics ·) http://origin.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ ci _ 8516077 3/10/2008 Pharmaceuticals fouling U.S. drinking water -The Denver Post denverpost .co m llIE D ENVE R Posr pharmaceutical screenings unless pressed, AP found. For example , the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed . How do the drugs get into the water? People take pills . Their bodies absorb some of the medication , but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers and lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking-water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue . Researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals. But recent studies have found alarming effects on human cells and wi ldlife. "We recognize it is a growing concern , and we're taking it very seriously ," said Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U .S. Environmental Protection Agency . Tip of the iceberg? Members of the AP National Investigative Team reviewed hundreds of scientific reports, analyzed federal drinking-water databases, visited environmental-study sites and treatment plants and interviewed more than 230 officials, academics and scientists. They also Advertisement surveyed the nation's 50 largest cities and a dozen other major water providers, as well as smaller community water providers in all 50 states. Some key test results obtained by AP : • Officials in Philadelphia said testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain , infection , high cholesterol, asthma , epilepsy , mental illness and heart problems . Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts were found in the city's watersheds . • Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a portion of the treated drinking wate r for 18.5 million people in Southern California . • A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water. • Three medications , including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson . • Antibiotics were found in Denver's water supply. The situation is likely worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented by AP . The federal government doesn't require any testing and hasn 't set safety limits for drugs in water . Of the 62 major water providers contacted , the drinking water for only 28 was Print Powe red By I _ 11~-orr r _1aLbynam i_c s http://origin.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci _ 8516077 Page 2of4 3/10/2008 Pliarmaceuticals fouling U.S. drinking water -The Denver Post denver~ost .com 'IllE DENVER~·- tested. Colorado Springs was among the cities that do not do such testing. Some providers screen only for one or two pharmaceuticals , leaving open the possibility that others are present. Watersheds affected too AP's investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural sources of most of the nation's water supply, also are contaminated. Pharmaceuticals were detected in 28 watersheds of 35 surveyed by AP. In several cases, officials at municipal or regional water providers told AP that pharmaceuticals had not been detected, but AP obtained the results of tests conducted by independent researchers that showed otherwise. Of the 28 major metro areas where tests were performed on drinking-water supplies , only Albuquerque; Austin, Texas ; and Virginia Beach , Va .; said tests were negative . The drinking water in Dallas has been tested, but officials are awaiting results . AP also contacted 52 small water providers - one in each state, and two each in Missouri and Texas -that serve communities with populations around 25,000 . Among them were Grand Junction and Laramie. All but one said their drinking water had not been screened for pharmaceuticals; officials in Emporia, Kan ., refused to answer AP's questions, citing post-9/11 security issues . Advertisement Rural consumers who draw water from their own wells aren't in the clear either, experts say. Watershed tests in upstate New York found relatively high levels of caffeine, a common contaminant that scientists often look for as a possible signal for the presence of other pharmaceuticals . Researcher Anthony Aufdenkampe said he suspects caffeine escapes from failed septic tanks , maybe with other drugs. "Septic systems are essentially small treatment plants that are essentially unmanaged and therefore tend to fail," Aufdenkampe said . Testing of Denver's watershed also found traces of unspecified antibiotics, according to AP. Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems. Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, the source of 40 percent of the nation's water supply. Federal scientists who drew water in 24 states from aquifers near contaminant sources such as landfills and animal feed lots found minuscule levels of hormones , antibiotics and other drugs. "Little or no risk" Ask the pharmaceutical industry whether the contamination of water supplies is a problem, and officials will tell Print Powered By I ~I r=or rna I D ynamics · ! http://origin.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_ 8516077 Page 3of4 3/10/2008 Pharmaceuticals fouling U.S. drinking water -The Denver Post denver~ost .com 11IE DENVER Posr you no. "Based on what we now know, I would say we find there's little or no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health," said microbiologist Thomas White, a consultant for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. But at a conference last summer, Mary Buzby - director of environmental technology for drugmaker Merck & Co . Inc. -said, 'There' s no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment, and there is genuine concern that these compounds , in the small concentrations that they're at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms." Advertisement Print Powered By i:.11--01 nii::lt Dynamics · J Page 4 of 4 http://origin.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ ci _ 8516077 3/10/2008 Denver source not so pristine -The Denver Post denverl?!>i!t~om denver and the west Denver source not so pristine By Steve Lipsher The Denver Post Art icle Last Updated: 03/10/2008 01 :16:39 AM MDT Denver draws its water supply for more than a million people from Rocky Mountain snow melt , so when traces of antibiotics and other "micro- constituents" were discovered, it was unexpected . "We were surprised that we found anything in the first place , knowing the quality of our watershed," said Brian Good, director of operations and maintenance for the Denver Water Board. "Maybe that says something about how common these things are in our environment." Denver Water continues to support research into contaminants , including efforts to better detect Advertisement them , determine their potential impacts and filter them, he said . "We don't know what treatment processes remove them very well ... or even what the presence of something Multimedia • View a 30 interactive on the cycle of drugs in drin king-water supplies like that means," Good said . "Even the best scientists in the world don't know what the presence of these substances means to human health ." In many cases, contaminants pass through wastewater-treatment plants to enter water supplies, but Denver's system is not downstream from other municipalities. "It's quite likely these things have been out there for a long time and it's just now the technology is catching up ," Good said. "It may not mean anything , or it may mean we need to change our treatment process." Still, Good said he had no immediate fears of what may be in the water that everyone has been drinking for years . "I sat here and drank three liters of water this afternoon ," he said, "and it's not something I'm the least bit concerned about." Print Powered By ! 1 lorma~Dyn ~m i cs '" Page 1 of 2 http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci _ 85 l 5872 3/10/2008 Denver source not so pristine -The Denver Post denver~2!.t~om A 2004 study by Colorado State University researchers found livestock antibiotics in the Cache la Poudre River, which originates near the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park and flows to Fort Collins. Advertisement http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci _ 8515872 Page 2of2 3/10/2008 Pharmaceutical traces taking toll on wildlife -The Denver Post nation and world Pharmaceutical traces taking toll on wildlife Fish, birds and algae are showing adverse effects, including severe reproductive problems. By Jeff Donn , Martha Mendoza and Justin Pritchard The Associated Press Article Launched : 03/11 /2008 01 :00 :00 AM MDT LAKE MEAD , Nev. -On this brisk , glittering morning , a flat-bottomed boat glides across the massive reservoir that provides Las Vegas its drinking water, capturing carp . The specimens will be flown across the country to laboratories where aquatic toxicologists are studying what happens to fish that live in water contaminated with at least 13 different medications -from over-the-counter painkillers to prescription antibiotics and mood stabilizers . More often than not these days , the laboratory tests bring unwelcome results . A five-month Associated Press investigation has determined that trace amounts of many of the pharmaceuticals we take to stay healthy are seeping into drinking water suppl ies , and a growing body of research indicates that this could harm humans. Advertiseme nt But people aren't the only ones who consume that water. There is more and more evidence that some animals that live in or drink Multimedia • View a 30 interactive on the cycle of drugs in drinking-water supplies from streams and lakes are seriously affected . Pharmaceuticals in the water are being blamed for severe reproductive problems in many types of fish : The endangered razorback sucker and male fathead minnow have been found with lower sperm counts and damaged sperm ; some walleyes and male carp have become what are called feminized fish, producing egg yolk proteins typically made only by females . Meanwhile, female fish have developed male genital organs . Also , there are skewed sex ratios in some aquatic populations , and sexually abnormal bass that produce cells for both sperm and eggs . There are problems with other wildlife as well : kidney failure in vultures , impaired reproduction in mussels , inhibited growth in algae . "We have no reason to think that this is a unique situation," says Erik Orsak , an environmental contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We find pretty much anywhere we look , these compounds are ubiquitous ." Print Powered By [:j ! l onnaL Dyn._afl!!cs ·· Page 1 of 2 http://www.den verpost.com/breakingnews/ci_ 8526203 3/11/2008 Pharmaceutical traces taking toll on wildlife -The Denver Post denverl?2!.t~om For example: • In a broad study still underway, fish collected in waterways near or in Chicago ; West Chester, Pa .; Orlando , Fla .; Dallas ; and Phoenix have tested positive for an array of pharmaceuticals - analgesics , antibiotics, antidepressants , antihistamines , anti-hypertension drugs and anti-seizure medications. • That research follows a 2003 study in northern Texas, where every bluegill , black crappie and channel catfish researchers caught living downstream of a wastewater treatment plant tested positive for the active ingredients in two widely used antidepressants . • In several recent studies of soil fertilized wi t h livestock manure or with the sludge product from wastewater treatment plants , American scientists found earthworms had accumulated those same compounds , while vegetables - including corn, lettuce and potatoes -had absorbed antibiotics. • And in Colorado's Boulder Creek, 50 of the 60 white suckers collected downstream of Boulder's wastewater treatment plant were female , compared with about half upstream . Elsewhere in the world -from the icy streams of England to the wild game reserves of South Africa -snails, fish, even antelope, are showing signs of possible pharmaceutical contamination . More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface waters throughout the world . Advertisement - "It's inescapable," said Sudeep Chandra, an assistant professor at University of Nevada, Reno who studies inland waters and aquatic life . "There's enough global information now to confirm these contaminants are affecting organisms and wildlife." At the same time , scientists are looking for remedies . In Las Vegas , just off the Strip at the Desert Research Institute , microbial biologist Duane Moser optimistically held a tray of increasingly murky test tubes. "We put a little bit of estrogen in here, and then we added a particular bacteria , and guess what? The bacteria are consuming the estrogen ," he said . Someday , perhaps , scientists will be able to use these special bacteria to clean estrogen out of contaminated water. "It's early ," he said, "but it's promising ." Print Powered By http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_ 8526203 Page 2 of2 3/1 1/200 8 Willard F. Deveneau 3030 So. Cornell Circle Englewood, Colorado 80113-3073 (303) 789-9948 March 06, 2008 Mr. John Bock Supervisor, Englewood Public Works 1000 Englewood Parkway Englewood, Colorado 80110 Dear Mr. Bock, ATT. 7 I wanted to write and express my appreciation for your professionalism and concern, regarding the events that ·occurred at this residence, on March 04, 2008. Mr. Bryan Cheek went well above and beyond the call of duty, and allow me to praise his efforts in resolving a potentially unpleasant situation . Please indulge me a brief moment. Bryan came to the house to read the meter last quarter, and was very nice. He informed me that new meters were available, and the days of having to go into the backyard to read meters were over. He gave me Laurie's number (303-762-2644) to schedule the replacement, and said it would be a 15 or 20 minute job. He was very professional and courteous. I blew it off, and of course did not make the call. On March 3'°, Bryan came to read the meters again . He asked if I would be here at the house on the 4tt1, and he would bring a new meter, and replace it himself. March 4th , Bryan arrived at 2:00 P.M., and started to replace the meter. He closed the main shut-off valve inside the house. It did not completely stop the water flow, and Bryan closed the street valve to be sure . Ten minutes later, the meter was replaced and the job appeared to be complete. Bryan opened the street valve, and came in to open the shut-off valve to verify that water was available and that the meter was not leaking. He turned the valve handle, and nothing. The valve broke in the closed position. By all rights, Bryan could have said "the meter is in. I see no leaks. Have a nice day." But he did not do that, and I want to thank him and you for having the shut-off valve replaced. Bryan asked if I had a specific plumber I used. I said "no". He recommended J .J. Lay as a competent plumbing company, and mentioned that the City had a good history with them . Bryan made the call. Robert, the plumber from J.J. Lay was here about 30 minutes later. Within 40 minutes of that, the old valve was replaced with a new pretty ball type valve and we had water running once again . . Thank you again to you and Bryan . I have some ability to deal with plumbing issues. Like replacing faucets , or other minor things . That would have sent me into "the dark place". I do not believe you were legally required to replace that valve, but you did anyway. For that piece of mind I am extremely grateful. Best to you in 2008 and beyond . Sl~~ Willard F. Deveneau .. Bottled water faces same standards as tap -none -The Denver Post denver~9!tt£om nation I world Bottled water faces same standards as tap -none By Justin Pritchard The Associated Press Ar tic le Las t Upd ated : 03/11 /2008 08:24 :33 PM MDT The federal standards for acceptable levels of pharmaceutical residue in bottled water are the same as those for tap water -there aren't any . The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the $12 billion bottled water industry in the United States, sets limits for chemicals , bacteria and radiation, but doesn't address pharmaceuticals. Some water that's bottled comes from pristine , often underground rural sources; other brands have a source no more remote than local tap water. Either way , bottlers insist their products are safe, and say they generally clean the water with advanced treatments, though not explicitly for pharmaceuticals. Nestle Waters North America Inc., an industry leader whose brands include Arrowhead , Poland Springs and Ozarka, said it selects sources that are removed from human activity , increasing the chances that the water will be pure . It then runs the water through three cleansing stages . Advertisement http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_8538407 "We know that our multiple barrier process is effective ," said Kevin Mathews , the company's director of health and environmental affairs . Absent a regulatory mandate, however, Nestle follows the industry norm and does not test for pharmaceuticals. And given that testing can detect extremely small concentrations, Mathews would not rule out the presence of traces of pharmaceuticals in its water. "I don't think anybody could say anything is free" from pharmaceuticals, Mathews said . Annual bottled water consumption in the United States has increased about 50 percent, to 30 gallons per person, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation . "The industry is monitoring it," said Bob Hirst, a vice president at the International Bottled Water Association , which represents dozens of brands . "But we haven't seen anything to alarm us at this point." Print Powered By . Iii !10 1-~a l Dyn ami cs ·· Page 1of1 3112/2008 Water cleaning technologies present challenges -The Denver Post nation I world Water cleaning technologies present challenges By Justin Pritchard The Associated Press Artic le Last Upda ted: 03/11/2008 08 :25:33 PM MD T FOUNTAIN VALLEY , CALIF. -Shivaji Deshmukh drinks water extracted from raw sewage . He knows the water is clean because his job is to help make it so as an engineer at the Orange County Water District. "It's an efficient, cheap water supply -and it's the best quality," says Deshmukh, amid the hiss of machines at the state-of-the-art facility. Performing the recycling transformation requires a battery of treatments . Wastewater strained and disinfected at an adjacent sewage treatment plant is first filtered through tiny straws . Then , in a process called reverse osmosis, the water is forced across a spiraled sheet of plastic with holes so small that little else can slip through. In the final phase, the water is zapped with ultraviolet light. The three-step operation is one of the most sophisticated cleansing systems anywhere . While the incoming water contains minuscule levels of Advertisement prescription drugs, tests for any traces of a half- dozen pharmaceuticals, conducted as the treated water leaves the plant , detect nothing . The end product supplies more than 500 ,000 Orange County residents for a year, nearly one- quarter of the district's potable water needs. The cleansing procedure illustrates how difficult -and expensive -it is to scrub virtually every iota of contaminant from our supplies. The standard ways of cleaning water are not designed to snare the tiny amounts of prescription drugs that survive digestion , and then , with a flush of the toilet , begin their journey toward America's taps . It's not an academic exercise: According to an Associated Press investigation, scientists have found that water piped to tens of millions of people nationwide contains minute concentrations of dozens of pharmaceuticals from tranquilizers to painkillers to antibiotics. While scientists have not definitively established that people are harmed by these drugs , laboratory tests have shown tiny amounts can have ill effects on human cells . And the fact that they are being consumed in combination, over many years -at any level -worries some researchers. If those fears are borne out by future studies , it could lead communities and water providers to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on more Print Powered By ~fr--onnat Dynami c s · Page 1of3 http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_8538412 3/12 /2008 Water cleaning technologies present challenges -The Denver Post denver~9!t~om advanced treatments to improve on the commonplace regimen of filtration and disinfection with chlorine. A large-scale reverse osmosis system is expensive. It costs Orange County about one- eighth of a penny per gallon -or $15 month for the 12 ,000 gallons used by a typical family of four , a price that doesn't include overhead charges , such as construction, salaries and maintenance. Officials at the Greater Cincinnati Water Works say their granular activated carbon filtering system costs 93 .6 cents per month for the typical family of four. Following a parasitic outbreak , the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas -which processes up to 900 million gallons daily at two treatment plants -invested millions of dollars i n a different advanced system that dissolves ozone gas into water to destroy micro-organisms . Ozonation costs less than one-thousandth of a penny per gallon there -just 9 cents per month for the typical family. The extra cost of reverse osmosis is nearly impossible to justify because at this point there are no confirmed human health risks posed by pharmaceuticals , according to David Rexing , water quality research and development manager at the Southern Nevada utility . "How do we strap the customer with that cost?" asks Rexing. Advertisement Unlike the other treatments , reverse osmosis requires several gallons for every gallon it produces, with the excess an undrinkable brine -and that creates "a bigger environmental issue" than the presence of trace pharmaceuticals , according to Paul Westerhoff, an engineering professor at Arizona State University. The cheaper ozonation process isn't designed to remove pharmaceuticals , though it does take care of many compounds. Still, tests at the Nevada authority have shown that tiny concentrations of the tranquilizer meprobamate and an anti-epileptic drug regularly resist the treatment , as on occasion has carbamazepine, another anti-convulsant. At the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 18 .5 million people , tests at one of its five plants show that ozonation failed to remove a tranquilizer and an anti-epileptic drug from the finished drinking water , according to an ongoing study. That district and the Southern Nevada Water Authority both draw from the Colorado River, which , tests show, can contain several hundred parts per trillion of pharmaceuticals including the active ingredients in medicines to treat depression and anxiety. The drugs get there because wastewater plants that drain into the river use basic treatments designed to remove microbes and industrial contaminants , not pharmaceuticals -the same scenario in many rivers nationwide . .. .. Print Powered By 1 t lo ~·m a t Dynamics ·· Page 2of3 http ://www.denv erpost.com/nationworld/ci_8 538412 3/12/2008 Water cleaning technologies present challenges -The Denver Post denver~ost.com THE DENVER l'osr Even in Europe, where governments have gone much further in addressing trace levels of pharmaceuticals in the environment, there's scant political will to invest broadly in advanced wastewater treatment. "The cost isn't acceptable right now," Yves Levi , a pharmacist and professor of public health at Paris-South 11 University , said in an interview in French. "No one knows if the risk is considerable or not." Another advanced process at drinking water treatment plants, the use of carbon filters, also lets some pharmaceuticals through. Some of the most detailed testing was done at the Passaic Valley Water Commission in Northern New Jersey , where a drinking water treatment facility downstream from numerous sewage treatment plants chemically removes sediments from water, then disinfects it with chlorine and runs it through the extra filtering step. Although the treatment decreased pharmaceutical concentrations, some samples heading into drinking water pipes contained all or some of the following: the painkiller codeine , an anti-convulsant drug, the remnants of a drug to reduce chest pains and caffeine . Lead researcher U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Paul Stackelberg said he expected tests at the same type of treatment plant anywhere in the nation would produce similar results . "It's very easy to use all of the products Advertisement http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_ 853 8412 that we use in our daily lives and not think twice about it ," Stackelberg said . Stackelberg also raised an X-factor: Rather than obliterating some pharmaceuticals , chlorination could chemically transform them into compounds that are even more toxic . In one lab study, scientists found that acetaminophen, after undergoing chlorination, reacted to form tiny amounts of two known toxic compounds -1,4- benzoquinone and N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, the latter being associated with acetaminophen overdoses. --AP National Writers Jeff Donn, based in Boston , and Martha Mendoza , based in Santa Cruz, Calif., also contributed to this report. Print Powered By 1 ~J r-0 1 -r n a -l Dynamics · Page 3of3 3/12/2008 No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water -The Denver Post denver1t2~!~om nation I world No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water By Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza and Justin Pritchard The Associated Press Article Last Up dated : 03/11 /2008 08:23:39 PM M DT PHILADELPHIA-Just a century ago , this historic city notched by the Delaware and Schuylkill treated these rivers as public sewers, but few cared until the waters ran black with stinking filth that spread cholera and typhoid . Today , munici pal drinking water is cleansed of germs - but not drugs. Traces of 56 human and veterinary pharmaceuticals or their byproducts -like the active ingred ients in medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems -have been detected in Philadelphia's drinking water. Starting their winding journey in medicine cabinets and feed bins , they are what's left of drugs excreted or discarded from homes and washed from farms upriver. Is Philadelphia worried? Not so far. Tens of millions of Americans here and elsewhere drink water that has tested positive for minute concentrations of pharmaceuticals, and they don't even realize it, The Associated Press learned during a five-month investigation. Advertisement http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ ci _ 8 5 3 8406 Though U.S . waterways coast to coast are contaminated with residues of prescription and over-the-counter drugs , there's no national strategy to deal with them -no effective mandates to test , treat, limit or even advise the public . Benjamin H. Grumbles , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator for water, told the AP the agency recognizes that this contamination in water supplies is a growing concern and that government has some catching up to do: "Our position is there needs to be more searching , more analysis." He said the EPA has launched a four-pronged approach : to identify the extent of the problem, to "identify what we don't know and close the gap ," to take steps using existing science and regulatory tools, and finally , to increase dialogue and awareness with water providers and state and local agencies. But none of those goals has any regulatory firepower. Some researchers , environmentalists , health professionals, water managers and bureaucrats say it's time for government to do more. "The onus has been on the scientific community to provide the research, but at this point the evidence is conclusive," says U.S. Geological Survey scientist Steven Goodbred, who has studied carp in drug-tainted waters . "Now it's up to the public and policy makers to decide what they want to do about it." Yet Page 1of6 3/12/2008 No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water -The Denver Post water regulators are barely budging: -The government has set no national standards for how much of any pharmaceutical is too much in waterways or taps . Drugs in the environment are "not currently a priority" of the National Center for Environmental Health, says spokesman Charles L. Green , at its parent U.S . Centers for Disease Control. -Though the Food and Drug Administration can review the environmental impact of new drugs , it has never rejected one on this basis, according to Raanan Bloom , an FDA environmental officer. Most pharmaceuticals are excluded from environmental review on the basis of their presumed low concentrations in water. -Even though residues of many types of prescription and over-the-counter drugs have been discovered in scores of watersheds and drinking water systems nationwide, the EPA says it awaits more survey data before considering action. The agency has little information "that goes into whether these substances are occurring in the environment ... and at what level ," says Suzanne Rudzinski , a manager at EPA's Office of Water. But even when the EPA says it's taking action, little is accomplished . The agency analyzed 287 pharmaceuticals for inclusion on a draft list of contaminants to be considered for regulation . Only one , nitroglycerin, which can be used as a drug for heart problems, has been nominated . Asked to explain, an EPA spokesman Advertisement acknowledged the primary reason for inclusion was its use in making explosives . -Though pharmaceutical sales are rising , plants that cleanse sewage or drinking water are not required to remove drugs. They aren't even required to monitor for them. When contacted directly by the AP, many water utilities confirmed whether they had tested for the presence of pharmaceuticals in their water. But federal agencies and industry groups declined to identify the cities and treatment plants where traces of pharmaceuticals had been found during independent studies , citing confidentiality concerns . Philadelphia has found more pharmaceuticals in its source and drinking waters than any of the other 61 big water providers surveyed by the AP . It tested for more drugs and byproducts than other utilities -a total of 72 -and it found 56 , or three-quarters of those checked, in its drinking water. It found 63 -almost 90 percent of those checked -in its source waters. More study is planned . However, water managers detected scant concentrations similar to other places , suggesting they found so much largely because they tested for a larger list of pharmaceuticals - not necessarily because their watersheds are more contaminated . David A. Katz, a deputy water commissioner for the city , said the water was tested so heavily out of vigilance : "We choose to know ; we choose to look ." Under no obligation to tell , Philadelphia keeps it quiet Print Powered By I u·-orr]1at Dynamics ·:· Page 2of6 http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_ 853 8406 3/12 /2008 No standards to test, treat phannaceutical s in water -The Denver Post when tests show that drugs have reached its drinking water, the AP found. Philadelphia Water Department spokeswoman Laura Copeland provided the findings for an AP survey but added: "We don't want to create any perception where people would be alarmed ." John Muldowney, who oversees the city's three drinking water treatment plants , said no immediate upgrades are planned to filter out pharmaceuticals. "Based just on the data that's available now ... we would be risking spending a lot of money, a lot of public funds , for very little health benefit," he explained. Government leaders seem largely to share that attitude . "We're not really doing anything on this right now ," says a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid , D-Nev ., though he has earmarked funds in the past to study environmental drugs in his state . Congress held hearings in 2006 on endocrine- disrupting compounds after researchers discovered that the Potomac River, dotted with sewage treatment plants , contains feminized male bass which create egg yolk proteins, a process usually restricted to females . But the hearings produced no new proposals. In Boston, drug makers , state representatives and water managers have been grinding through their third year trying to craft a compromise approach to dealing with the problem on a national scale . Scott Cassel, director of the Product Stewardship Institute, which is hosting the dialogue, says controlling waterborne pharmaceuticals will make the disposal of old Advertisement http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_ 8538406 computers "seem simple by comparison." "There's definitely a growing movement and a growing concern, but at this point there isn't a lot of direction from the federal government," adds Susan Frechette, a policy expert at the institute. Grumbles , the EPA's top water pollution official, said the agency has embarked on four studies specific to the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater and fish tissue. One "national study," expected to be completed next year, will look at the inflow and outflow at nine sewage plants; another will study sludge from 7 4 randomly selected sewage treatment plants. The fish tissue study will focus on five streams where the flow primarily originates at a sewage treatment plant. Just two months ago the agency developed three new methods to detect and quantify about 160 different pharmaceuticals and personal care products , including steroids and hormones, in wastewater and sewage sludge , Grumbles said. A year ago, the federal government put out its first consumer guidelines for discarding leftover or expired med icines . The goal was to slow the flow of drugs flushed down the toilet. Though Grumbles acknowledged that human excretions are the major factor in spreading pharmaceuticals through the waste stream, he said it is important for all Americans to realize "the toilet is not a trash can ." But the guidelines immediately drew criticism from some Page 3of6 3/12/2008 No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water -The Denver Post denver~ost.com 111 E DENVER IU,T environmentalists , water treatment experts and pharmaceutical researchers who say they are contradictory, confusing, and don't solve the problem . The guidelines say that about a dozen specific drugs should still be flushed down the toilet to keep others from finding and abusing them. The rest should be mixed with something unsavory like coffee grounds and tossed into the trash . That just moves the problem, though : The drugs end up at landfills , where they can slowly seep into the groundwater. The EPA is also engaged in a national study- expected to be completed by the end of the summer -to examine how long-term health care facilities and nursing homes dispose of pharmaceuticals . "We don't really know what to do with waste pharmaceuticals," acknowledges Laura Brannen , executive director of the professional group Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. The government barely oversees drugs spilled or tossed by hospitals and drug makers . Discharge limits for drug makers concentrate on chemicals used in manufacturing , not the drugs themselves ; Virginia Cunningham, an environmental executive at drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, says the industry spills very little of the drugs that turn up in waterways . At hospitals , the EPA flags about three dozen specific drugs as hazardous waste . Though their dangers are acknowledged, the rules for special Advertisement http://www .denverpost.com/nation world/ ci _ 8 5 3 8406 disposal have been casually observed, according to environmental specialists in the industry. They say many hospitals still dump some of those hazardous pharmaceuticals into their other garbage. Also, the list hasn't been updated for years and ignores scores of troublesome newer drugs , including toxic chemotherapy agents. "It has not been practical or economical to keep pace with the large number of pharmaceuticals developed, approved ... and marketed each year," explains EPA spokeswoman Roxanne Smith. And what of the drug waste generated by millions of U.S. households? It's exempt from these rules . The EPA again says it would be impractical to act. In fairness , even those pressing for action realize that regulators must strike a hard balance between potential benefits and costs . Several recent studies indicate that even very dilute pharmaceuticals can harm human cells , but scientists are still unsure if there's a significant health risk from drinking water with trace drugs . Environmental standards focus on better- understood contaminants from disease-causing germs to manmade dioxins . The government also is pondering a raft of newly identified water contaminants in many products from cosmetics to vitam i ns -not just in pharmaceuticals . Print Powered By 'Iii lormat Dynamics ·· Page 4of6 3/12/2008 No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water -The Denver Post denver~.9o!,tT~om The government has tried to narrow the focus of much of its drugs-in-water research to powerful hormones that orchestrate reproduction and development and omnipresent antibiotics that strengthen the very germs in the environment that they're meant to kill in the body . "This is a complex issue because each and every one of us is a part of this problem . But there's no doubt we need a new standard of wastewater treatment. If the limits were there , believe me when I say it could be done ," argues environmental toxicologist Greg Moller, at the University of Idaho. As with global warming , some cities and states have tried to forge ahead , even without strong federal direction . Small pilot programs and one- day pickups of unused drugs have popped up in the Northeast , California , Washington state , Florida , and elsewhere . Maine is preparing to accept unwanted pharmaceuticals on a grander scale. The federa l and state governments have split the $300 ,000 cost to launch a four-county trial in coming months. Pharmaceutical buyers will take home prepaid mailers to send drug leftovers to a way station , where most will be picked up for transport to incinerators. Organizers intend eventually to roll out the program statewide . Drug pollution stirs more anxiety in Europe , Canada and Australia , and officials in those places have acted more aggressively to reclaim Advertisement unused drugs. A French program recaptured about 6 ,500 tons at drug stores in 2005 , managers estimate. Two-thirds of the French say they participate, according to one poll. That program is run by Jacques Aumonier, an environmental officer for Cephalon , Inc., a Pennsylvania-based biopharmaceuticals firm. He said pharmaceutical levels in water may be modest now, "but with more and more drug use, it can become more important." Some researchers and activists want to catch and stop drugs from en tering waterways at both types of water treatment plants -those for sewage and for drinking water. Standard techniques allow many to slip through , research shows . It seems possible to remove virtually all detectable pharmaceutical traces with an advanced treatment known as reverse osmosis , and hotter incinerators also could burn more drugs . But all that is viewed as too expensive and maybe unnecessary , at least until the threat is better understood . "When there 's no regulation or limit, and no evidence of human health impacts, it's very hard to justify putting in energy and money to test for it ," said Shane Snyder, research and development project manager at the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas . Never mind spending much more to remove it. Some critics want drug companies to design medicines that break down more easily into safer Pr in t Powered By jj r·-f,t r r1al Dynamics · Page 5of6 http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_8 538406 3/12/2008 No standards to test, treat pharmaceuticals in water -The Denver Post byproducts . "In the long run ... we can at least make some of the compounds greener," says chemist Klaus Kuemmerer, at the University of Freiburg Medical Center in Germany. However, that would come "a distant third" after designing drugs for effectiveness and safety, says Cunningham of GlaxoSmithKline . In coming years, public pressure is likely to grow , as more pharmaceuticals find their way into less water. Drug use is expanding in many countries, and more communities will need to recycle treated wastewater for drinking to cope with increased demand, drought, and global warming . At the same time, today's chemical tests that reveal pollutants in parts per trillion will no doubt be able to detect even finer levels in the future . The added knowledge may not equal bl iss , though . "There isn't such a thing as 100 percent pure water," said EPA scientist Christian Daughton , one of the first to sound warnings over pharmaceutical pollution . "Yet people have a tough time with the idea that water contains all kinds of chemicals ." Advertisement Print Powered By Ci r--·ormat Dynamics . Page 6of6 http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ ci _ 8 5 3 8406 3/12/2 008 Contaminants raise disturbing questions: Local News: The Rocky Mountain News STORY TOOLS Email this Print this Comments Change text size + - Subscribe to print edition iPod friendly Share this site •• ~ n ~$ Antibiotics and lotions, pills and hormones foul Colorado's water, from the most pristine alpine lakes to the downstream ri vers, say water experts. An Associated Press report says research indicates the chemicals could harm humans, but there is no question that the medicines and personal-care products in the rivers and streams are greatly transforming the fish population, right here on the Front Range. Below the wastewater treatment plant in Boulder, female suckers outnumber male suckers 5-to-1, likely from ingesting estrogen in the streams, said Alan Vajda, a research associate in integrated physiology at the University of Colorado. Males have egg-yolk proteins in their systems, low sperm counts and intersex gonads. Downstream from Denver on the South Platte River, female fish also greatly outnumber the males, he said . Pristine areas affected It's a challenge that could rival mill tailings and agricultural waste in the battle to keep water safe for drinking and for wildlife. "These contaminants, we're finding them everywhere," Steven Gunderson, director of Colorado's Water Quality Control Division, said Monday . "Shampoos, conditioners, lotions -we're finding them in pristine areas, all these chemicals we use in everyday life. "There are literally hundreds of them," Gunderson added. "We're still trying to get our hands around this." Water treatment plants weren't built to weed out antibiotics and, apparently, they're not. Mixed opinions Denver Water two years ago was surprised to find that it wasn't immune from this new national problem when it first tested its upstream surface water supplies for the presence of antibiotics, manager Brian Good said. "I wouldn't have been surprised to see it in New Orleans," the last big city downstream on the Mississippi, he said. Good and -Gunderson will confidently keep drinking quarts of Colorado water every day. "The water quality in Colorado is outstanding," Gunderson said. "We have the benefit of being the headwaters of the nation." Vajda isn't quite so sure. He notes that Aurora is one of the big cities downstream from Denver's wastewater treatment plant , and that the water downstream from the plant is mostly effluent. "I would be concerned," he said. Solution not near Trouble is, there's no easy or obvious solution. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/1 O/whats-colorados-water/ Page 3of6 LINCICOME : Shanat Avalanche dominate! CALENDAR Laurie Maves --03/1 · Richard Vincent --03 Paul Pascarella --03. The Wedding Party -· SUBMIT EVENTS I MC NEWS TIP Know about something SPONSORED LINKS Denver LASIK Cash Advance Denver Real Estate Compare Prices Denver Kitchen Rem Free Online Dating Corvette Parts Mesotherapy & Lipoc 3/14/2008 Contaminants raise disturbing questions: Local News: The Rocky Mountain News Buy bottled water? Most of that is just chilled tap water, and even if it's from aquifers, groundwater isn't immune from the traces of antibiotics and hormones. Remove the contaminants at treatment plants? Research is advancing -Denver Water contributes $100,000 a year -but so far there's no silver bullet. The new $30 million wastewater treatment plant just below Boulder will be an improvement over the old when it goes online next year, says Bret Linenfelser, coordinator of Boulder's water quality and environmental services. And while it wasn't built to capture antibiotics, it probably will do a better job at that than its predecessor. People shouldn't overreact to the revelation that there is some nasty stuff in the water, say water managers. For one thing, detection devices are so good now they can find chemicals in the parts- per-trillion range, which is the concentration of many of the contaminants in the AP report. "The concentrations are incredibly small ," Good said, noting that a few parts per trillion is equivalent to a single drop of a contaminant in 20 Olympic-sized pools. Overmedicating eyed No one is ready to say that concentrations that low are nothing to worry about, but the assumption is that most healthy people can shrug off those amounts. The concern is more for pregnant women , fetuses in the womb, youngsters going through puberty, people with weak immune systems and the elderly. Meanwhile, there are a few lessons to be learned. The contamination is one more good reason to stop overmedicating, say water experts. That means consumers shouldn't pester their doctors for antibiotics when the ailment is likely a virus; and doctors shouldn't bow to patient pressure to prescribe something if it's not going to do any good. "Nobody really knows what all this stuff means," Good said. "We all need to be aware about the choices we make." The solution probably will be a combination of reducing use of the chemical-laced products and finding a better way to capture the contaminants at the treatment plants, he said. "We share this planet and we impact this planet." Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News COMMENTS Page 4 of<