What We Can Do to Help?What We Can Do to Help?

1) Conserve water: The more we use, the more we must manage

2) Do not put hazardous substances down sinks, drains, toilets

3) Don’t litter: Litter ends up with wastewater in treatments plants

4) Dispose of household items properly: Not down the drain

5) Use mass transportation and practice energy conservation Toxic chemicals from air pollution end up in wastewater

Five-Step ProcessFive-Step Process

1) Underground sewer contents hit screens capturing trash • Remaining sewage pumped to ground-level surface plants

2) Wastewater enters sedimentation tanks • 1-2 hours: solids settle / lighter materials skimmed away• Settled solids pumped to sludge handling facilities

3) Air pumped into liquid stimulating oxygen-using bacteria growth

• Micro-organisms consume remaining organic pollutants• 2nd settling tanks capture secondary sludge

4) Disinfection purifies water for release into local waterways • Water mixed with sodium hypochlorite (in bleach)

5) Sludge treatment • Sludge heated for bacteria growth + consumption of organic

materials • Methane gas captured, used as energy source • Centrifuges remove 90% of water • Addition of polymer substance converts material to bio-solid cake

Sources: New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System.” Available at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/wwsystem.html.

How Does Our Water Get So Clean?

NYC wastewater• Travels to sewer (made up of 6,000 miles worth of pipes)• Overseen by Bureau of Water Treatment

- 1,900 employees, $262 million annual operating budget- Task to convert water into high-quality wastewater for

release into waterways and eventual reuse

The process • From sewer, water meets up with runoff rain/snow, other materials• Travels to 14 plants around the city• Goes through a 7-hour series of 5 steps for rehabilitation• Process eliminates 95% of pollutants, converts sludge to biosolids

Sources: New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System.” Available at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/wwsystem.html.

Thinking About WaterThinking About Water

Current water sources• 70% of Earth’s population draws from surface water

- lakes, streams and reservoirs• 30% of population taps into underground sources• Americans use 400 billion+ gallons per day

Where water goes • America’s water infrastructure network spans 700,000 miles• How water is treated and rehabilitated for reuse complicated• We can do things to assist the process:

- ease burden on water systems- help maintain healthy water environment

Sources: United Nations Population Fund Press Release. “Investments in Reproductive Health Can Reduce Water Insecurity, Says UNFPA Report.” March 19, 2003. Available at: http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=193&Language=1.Magee M. Healthy Waters. New York. Spencer Books. 2006.DrinkTap.org. “Straight Talk on Water Infrastructure.” Available at: http://www.drinktap.org/consumerdnn/Default.aspx?tabid=198.

Production of High Quality Production of High Quality WaterWater

Requires not only a capable plant but Requires not only a capable plant but proper administration, design, proper administration, design, maintenance and operationsmaintenance and operations

Failure in any of these areas Failure in any of these areas significantly increases the risk to significantly increases the risk to public health public health

MaintenanceMaintenanceTo make a capable plant sustainable, To make a capable plant sustainable,

regular maintenance must occurregular maintenance must occurMaintenance activities must consider Maintenance activities must consider

operational constraints and must be operational constraints and must be planned accordinglyplanned accordingly

For critical systems redundancy may For critical systems redundancy may be requiredbe required

DesignDesignDesign of a treatment facility must Design of a treatment facility must

not only meet requirements for the not only meet requirements for the capable plant but must also consider capable plant but must also consider operational and maintenance operational and maintenance realitiesrealities

Design should also consider technical Design should also consider technical expertise requiredexpertise required

Capable Plant - SummaryCapable Plant - SummaryRequirements of a capable plant Requirements of a capable plant

dependent on regulationdependent on regulationAlso dependent on raw water sourceAlso dependent on raw water sourceCapability of plant restricted to design Capability of plant restricted to design

flow ratesflow ratesA capable plant only provides the ability A capable plant only provides the ability

to produce high quality water if proper to produce high quality water if proper administration, maintenance and administration, maintenance and operational systems are in placeoperational systems are in place

Capable Plant - Capable Plant - CryptosporidiumCryptosporidium

One of the greatest challenges facing One of the greatest challenges facing the water industrythe water industry

Regulations just starting (US EPA and Regulations just starting (US EPA and Canada)Canada)

Resistant to chlorine (loss of major Resistant to chlorine (loss of major barrier)barrier)

For conventional treatment must rely on For conventional treatment must rely on particle removalparticle removal

UV and ozone disinfection effective UV and ozone disinfection effective

Capable PlantCapable PlantA capable plant means if it is A capable plant means if it is

managed, operated and maintained managed, operated and maintained properly, the plant has the required properly, the plant has the required infrastructure to meet all infrastructure to meet all requirementsrequirements

Criteria for capable plant largely Criteria for capable plant largely dependent on regulationdependent on regulation

Capable Plant ModelCapable Plant Model

High Quality Treated Water

Operation (process control)

Capable Plant

Administration Design Maintenance

Basic Characteristics of Drinking Basic Characteristics of Drinking Water ScamsWater Scams

Like most scams, they sound too good to be trueLike most scams, they sound too good to be true They are not based on clear proven scientific principlesThey are not based on clear proven scientific principles They have no peer-reviewed reputable support literatureThey have no peer-reviewed reputable support literature They have testimonials from crackpots who promote They have testimonials from crackpots who promote

pseudosciencepseudoscience They have fake testimonials from satisfied customersThey have fake testimonials from satisfied customers There is pressure to purchase or invest immediatelyThere is pressure to purchase or invest immediately

Why Drinking Water Scams WorkWhy Drinking Water Scams Work Because survival is more important to us Because survival is more important to us

than truth, logic and reasonthan truth, logic and reason Because we are prone to be superstitious Because we are prone to be superstitious

and use irrational thinkingand use irrational thinking Because many people are scientifically Because many people are scientifically

illiterate and cannot tell the difference illiterate and cannot tell the difference between science and pseudosciencebetween science and pseudoscience

Because science education does not Because science education does not equilibrate to logical and critical thinkingequilibrate to logical and critical thinking

Bottled Water or Treatment Bottled Water or Treatment Device Health Quackery ScamsDevice Health Quackery Scams

Oxy-Plus Water Treatment Oxy-Plus Water Treatment DevicesDevices

Two Categories of Water Two Categories of Water Treatment ScamsTreatment Scams

1. Those convincing consumers to purchase 1. Those convincing consumers to purchase treatment devices that do not worktreatment devices that do not work

2. Those convincing consumers to purchase 2. Those convincing consumers to purchase treatment devices they do not needtreatment devices they do not need

There are scams associated with remedying There are scams associated with remedying both health and nuisance problemsboth health and nuisance problems

The Growing Bottled Water The Growing Bottled Water IndustryIndustry

Modern Day Drinking Water Modern Day Drinking Water ScamsScams

Bottled water scamsBottled water scamsHealth quackery scamsHealth quackery scamsWater treatment scamsWater treatment scamsWater testing scamsWater testing scamsWater supply scamsWater supply scams

Examples of Past Water ScamsExamples of Past Water Scams

Medical use of hydrotherapyMedical use of hydrotherapyDrinking radon or radium waterDrinking radon or radium water

History of Water-Related ScamsHistory of Water-Related Scams

Water: A Very Unusual Water: A Very Unusual Substance and it has Held Great Substance and it has Held Great Mystery for Humans Since Early Mystery for Humans Since Early

TimesTimes

What is a Drinking Water What is a Drinking Water Scam?Scam?

ObjectiveObjective

To make people more aware of the To make people more aware of the various types of scams associated various types of scams associated with drinking water so that they with drinking water so that they can better recognize a scam or can better recognize a scam or

potential scam and know how to potential scam and know how to deal with it.deal with it.

Drinking Water ScamsDrinking Water Scamsbyby

Southern Region Drinking Southern Region Drinking Water Program TeamWater Program Team

Case

St

udy

Heat Pump for Energy EfficiencyHeat Pump for Energy Efficiency

Sheung Shui Slaughter House

Utilize rejected heat from Utilize rejected heat from air-cooling operation to air-cooling operation to further heat up waterfurther heat up water

Case

St

udy

Odour ControlOdour Control

Sheung Shui Slaughter House

Odour generated = 1,000 OU Odour generated = 1,000 OU vs. vs.

Acceptance standard = 5 OUAcceptance standard = 5 OU

Chemical scrubbers Chemical scrubbers & odour neutralizing & odour neutralizing agent system for agent system for odour controlodour control

5 OU is achieved at 5 OU is achieved at sensitive receiverssensitive receivers

Case

St

udy

Solar Hot Water SystemSolar Hot Water System

Sheung Shui Slaughter House

Consumption of hot Consumption of hot water 630mwater 630m33 per day per day

Provision of 450 solar Provision of 450 solar panels to pre-heat panels to pre-heat waterwater

Case

St

udy

Waste Water TreatmentWaste Water Treatment

Sheung Shui Slaughter House

5000 m5000 m33 waste waste water / daywater / day

Concentration 10 times Concentration 10 times higher than domestic higher than domestic waste waterwaste water

Pre-treat waste water Pre-treat waste water using bacteria and using bacteria and other other

micro-organisms to micro-organisms to achieve domestic achieve domestic effluent standardeffluent standard before before passing to Shek Wu Hui passing to Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Sewage Treatment PlantPlant