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In the News Arsenic Compliance Difficulties Prompt EPA To Mull ' , Variances, Exemptions ucaeton' rid the Environment Responding to the financial hardship laced on small scale water deliver systems p g p p y y Initiative or Brian Brown, California Project by the new federal drinking water standard for arsenic, the U.S. Environmental WET Coordinator Protection Agency (EPA) is considering whether to grant a variance or exemption San Francisco, CA to the rule that would allow higher levels in some communities. The action, announced in a March 2 Federal Register notice, comes on the heels of the Jan. 23, 2006 adoption of a 10 parts per billion (ppb) drinking water standard °oordinator's for arsenic. That figure replaced the previous standard of 50 ppb, which had been in Conference place since 1942 but was determined to be insufficiently protective of human Brian Brown, California Project health. One ppb is equivalent to one drop in an Olympic -size swimming pool. ator Y EPA's proposal would allow water systems serving 10,000 or fewer residents to ".William, have arsenic at 30 ppb. Naturally- occurring arsenic is prevalent in many parts of the West, includin Arizona New Mexico and California's Central Valle . g y f Monterey Bay According to scientific research, trace amounts of arsenic in drinking water Governments can cause an increased risk of skin, bladder, lung, kidney and liver cancer. Many of 3`d Annual Regional Water Forum the studies that are the basis of current knowledge were done in Taiwan where Rita Schmidt Sudman, speaker some people had consumed well water with arsenic levels in excess of 300 ppb. Monterey, CA The possible cancer - causing effects of arsenic at levels of 5 to 50 ppb in drinking water are the focus of current concerns about public health in the United States. Folsom Dam 50 h Anniversary In its announcement, EPA cited the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments Celebration of 1996, which stipulated that complying with federal drinking water standards is Water Education Foundation, not to cost water systems more than 2.5 percent of the median U.S. household Cooperating Agency income. "The fundamental problem is one of economics," the notice says. "Maxi- Beals Point State Park mum contaminant levels in national primary drinking water regulations have Folsom CA been based on the best available treatment techniques that are affordable for large systems. Because small systems do not enjoy the economies of scale that are available to large systems (infrastructure costs cannot be spread over a large Water Education Foundation number of households) drinking water regulations can have a much greater Reporters' Tour Judy Maben, coordinator economic impact on small systems." Sacramento, CA Environmentalists are concerned that allowing more than 10 ppb arsenic in drinking water could have serious public health implications while the Associa- tion of State Drinking Water Administrators fear the higher standard would "Building a Delta Vision" become the rule, not the exception if larger water agencies seek relief. Conference Krista Clark, regulatory affairs specialist with the Association of California Water Education Foundation, Water Agencies, said EPA has always had the ability to grant variances or exemp- sponsor tions to certain parts of the regulated community. In this case, she said it became Stockton, CA apparent the costs of meeting a 10 ppb arsenic standard would be beyond the financial ability of small water delivery systems. .- f oundation Bay- "I think EPA came to the realization that some of the smaller systems can't Delta Tour afford it and that they are going to bankrupt them," she said. Judy Maben, coordinator Arsenic's natural occurrence in many parts of California is problematic for Sacramento, CA many rural water districts. Of the 487 wells with detections at least 10 ppb, 154 of them serve populations of 200 or fewer people, Clark said. Some water districts, June including the Coachella Valley Water District, are "ahead of the pack" in coming eachers to grips with arsenic treatment. Steve Bigley, water quality specialist with Brian Brown, Education Specialist Coachella, said two of the five smaller systems served by the district are grappling Meadow Valley, CA with the compliance issue. "It's interesting because we are kind of like the country," he said. "The small cation Foundation Water guys are the ones getting hurt in our area." Coachella has pledged more than $12 Law olicy Briefing for its compliance strategy, which includes two treatment plants using state of the Rita Schmidt Sudman, coordinator art technology. — Gary Pitzer -v Anaheim, CA MAY /JUNE 2006