Stanley Electric Group- News Release

September 21,2022

Product launch information of reactor with 200mW high power 265nm LED for water disinfection

Stanley Electric Co., Ltd

Stanley Electric Co., Ltd. (Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and Representative Director: Yasuaki Kaizumi) announced today that new product launch of “UV-C LED Reactor ULR9C（AℓNUV_Aqua）” (hereafter referred to as “this product”) equipped with world’s highest class UV output 200mW 265nm LED light source.

We have achieved high disinfection performance and high durability through our in-house development and integrated production from UV-C LED to finished products, using optical technology cultivated as an automotive headlamp manufacturer and device performance that meets automotive quality requirements. Furthermore, the light source of this product is mercury-free in accordance with the Minamata Convention and environmental impact.

■Product overview

1. Product equipped with high output 200mW UV-C LED with high disinfection effect of wavelength 265nm.

2. Compact design utilizing optical technology and structural design technology allows to reduce the space for installation in customer’s equipment.
* Product size: φ87㎜×L330㎜

3. 10mJ/㎠ at 1.8㎥/hour of disinfection treatment is possible even in a compact size.

4. Maximum lifetime of LED 20,000hours, the world longest level among air cooled products.
Thanks to the combination of high-quality in-house UV-C LED light source and efficient cooling system.

■Applications

For pure water treatment equipment, industrial water processing systems, and small-scale water purifying plant, etc.

■Product launch schedule

■Product lineup of water disinfection product (AℓNUV_Aqua)

This new product to be launched will enhance the medium range of water disinfection products using UV-C LEDs.

We will continue to develop a variety of disinfection products, including larger flow rate UV-C LED reactors.

■ About AℓNUV brand

『AℓNUV』＝「AℓN (Aluminum nitride）＋UV（Ultraviolet）」

Stanley Electric aims to achieve a world for everyone to live safely, and has launched the disinfection product brand AℓNUV, that uses ultraviolet technology.
We have developed a UV-C LED with a high disinfection effect on bacteria and viruses using our package design, manufacturing technology, and proprietary optical technology developed over many years for such as automotive headlamps.
We provide disinfection solutions that meet the needs of our customers through AℓNUV, starting from devices that include light sources such as UV-LEDs or CCLs to modules and finished products.
Offering a safe environment through the most efficient sterilization light for all.

■Stanley Electric’s deep-ultraviolet LED have
wavelength of 265 nm, which is highly effective in disinfecting bacteria and viruses, and is realized by our original unique LED die.
Based on automotive LED technology, the LEDs also achieve high disinfection performance in high-temperature environments, and have a long-life and high reliability.

End of announcement

≪For inquiries from the press, please contact;≫ Sales Department, UV Division / In charge: Takano E-mail: [email protected]

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Originally Appeared Here

Residents on a rural water scheme in South Canterbury are facing the prospect of eight months without safe drinking water.

The current system has dangerously high levels of nitrates which the Regional Council says is due to widespread flooding in July, that saw Canterbury’s wettest July on record.

“It seems that all that rain flushed a lot of nitrate down through the soil and into the groundwater,” says Environment Canterbury’s groundwater science manager, Carl Hanson.

The affected area is the Lower Waihao Rural Water Scheme just south of Waimate, and includes the small towns of Morven and Glenavy.

The scheme serves 615 residents who now rely on council tanks to source clean drinking water because nitrate levels in the scheme’s water supply have reached the maximum acceptable value.

One of those people is Glenavy resident Lynn McGregor, who has forked out thousands of dollars for his own at-home nitrate filter to save the daily trip to the tank.

“I just don’t want to be walking over there filling up my bottles,” said McGregor.

High levels of nitrate are primarily caused by intensive farming.

The Regional Council says nitrate concentrations have been increasing “really since farming began in the region”.

“It’s been a long history of farming becoming more and more intensive, covering more and more area,” said Hanson.

Nitrogen is lost mostly through cow urine, which then passes down through gravelly soil into the groundwater, and eventually into lakes and oceans.

Freshwater ecologist Mike Joy says it’s a problem right across the whole of Canterbury and Southland.

“It’s just built up over 30 years and it’s showing up all over the place now with big problems with drinking water and with rivers and lakes,” Joy said.

It can cause a range of health conditions including blue baby syndrome and some cancers.

“We have the highest rates of colon cancer in the world in New Zealand,” Joy said.

“I’ve been part of research showing that the parts of New Zealand that are intensively farmed have the higher levels, the higher rates of cancer.”

Although the cause is widely understood, it’s the solution that’s causing division.

The Waimate District Council has proposed a denitrification plant to supply nitrate free water to the community.

But this isn’t set to be commissioned until mid-2023.

It would also mean producing a waste product that would also contain nitrogen.

ECan will have to give consent before the plant gets the green light, which includes ensuring the nitrate waste is disposed of without harming the environment.

The Waimate District Council says it’ll be a delicate balance.

“They’re two major issues. human health is obviously paramount but then we have the environmental impacts as well so we need to sort of try and balance those in a way that’s acceptable to consumers and to land users,” says the District Council’s asset group manager, Dan Mitchell.

But Joy says this just creates another problem.

“It’s purely an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff instead of fixing the problem it’s trying to fix,” he said.

“Instead of trying to put the fence at the top of the cliff, we’re just piling up the ambulances at the bottom.”

Joy claims the only success in reducing nitrate in water has been in Rotorua and Taupō, where farmers are incentivised to reduce livestock on the land.

“The government, through taxpayers and a little bit from ratepayers, pay farmers to not farm cows to protect those lakes from nitrogen so we have a precedent now where a price is being put on that nitrogen,” he said.

“It’s the only change I’ve seen in reducing nitrate loads to fresh water.

“I hate to say it but that’s the only thing that’s actually worked so far.”

He says it should be considered further south.

“Where it’s causing expensive harm for others then it should be up to the industry to cover these costs, not the individuals who are caught up in it.”

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Originally Appeared Here

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Since the mid-90s, Tucson Water users have managed to cut their home water use by 32.2%, bringing the average daily water used by Tucson residents lower than the national average.

That’s a positive thing for Tucson as water supplies dwindle in the west. The City of Tucson has shared that it’s “the most water resilient city in the desert southwest,” as a result of a diversified water supply and incentives that encourage residents to conserve, among other things.

You may already be actively engaged in water-saving techniques in your home, but if you’re looking for some tips to getting started on a water conservation journey, here are five ideas that can help you use less of this precious resource and save money on your water bill.

Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is the practice of landscaping around a home using native drought-tolerant plants that use less water. This landscaping technique has the added benefit of encouraging pollinators like butterflies, and helping sustain the unique biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert region.

As part of the city’s conservation efforts, xeriscaping is actually written into city code: Since February 1991, the City of Tucson requires new multifamily, commercial and industrial developments to use approved drought-tolerant plants and landscape in a way that takes advantage of storm runoff.

If you’re interested in getting started with xeriscaping on your property, there are number of resources to help you plan.

Get a free water conservation kit

Steps to conserve water at home can be as simple as reducing shower time to five minutes or installing hardware to prevent you from wasting water.

Tucson Water is offering customers these materials for free:

• Low-flow showerhead, which mixes air into the water stream, reducing consumption
• 5-minute shower timer, which can help children, teens and adults keep showers short
• Toilet tank bag, which displaces water in the tank. This helps the toilet use less water with every flush
• Toilet leak detection dye tablets, which can help you figure out if your tank flapper needs replacing
• Bathroom faucet aerator, which will conserve water in a similar way to a low-flow showerhead

Sign up for your free kit at this website. The website also contains videos to help install the kit components.

Install a grey water system

According to the City of Tucson’s website, 31% of wastewater homes—generated by clothes washers, faucets and showers—can be re-used as grey water for watering landscape plants.

Tucson Water offers a program that will reimburse 50% of qualifying costs, up to $1000, for permanent in-home grey water installation systems. Applicants must attend a Grey Water Rebate Workshop and contact the City of Tucson Planning Department to find out if a permit is necessary.

Visit the Tucson Water website for application materials. Call (520) 791-4331, or email [email protected] for more information.

Rainwater Harvesting

“Rainwater is such an amazing resource, and so why let it run away down the street? Capture it and use it for the plants you want,” says Tucson Water Harvesters Member Sara Birtalan.

Those interested in getting started may be eligible for rebates from Tucson Water if they:

• are Tucson Water customers with active service
• attend an approved Rainwater Harvesting Incentives Program Workshop

Information about the rebate program are available at the Tucson Water website.

Low Income residents could also qualify for an additional harvesting grant/loan program.

The City of Tucson, Pima County and the University of Arizona offer a number of workshops and demonstration sites to get started.

Calculate your water use!

Can’t commit right now to making big changes to your home? Even making a small effort to track your home water use can make an impact when it comes to water conservation.

You can find your water footprint using this online calculator. The site also contains tips and teaching tools that help you better understand how use of tap water is only one measure of your water use. Monitoring activities such as the food you eat to the products you buy can also help conserve water.

RELATED: Creating a sustainable landscape with native plants

Tucsonans use less water at home than the daily national average

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Anne Simmons is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing [email protected] or by connecting on Instagram or LinkedIn.

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Originally Appeared Here

Alkaline water pulled from shelves

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — One human death, several pet deaths, liver transplants, multiple miscarriages and other ailments are listed as claims involving Real Water, a now-shuttered brand that is the basis of several lawsuits reviewed by the 8 News Now Investigators.

Real Water sold alkaline water, which has a pH level higher than tap water, through a home delivery service and in bottles sold in stores. The water was marketed as “the healthiest drinking water available today,” according to several lawsuits filed since last year.

According to one recent lawsuit, more than 50 people “that suffered severe liver damage” have filed claims in court, lawyers for several plaintiffs said.

As of last fall, at least 18 cases of acute non-viral hepatitis in Clark County were linked to Real Water, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Three additional cases were reported in California, according to the CDC.

Acute non-viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by exposure to toxins, autoimmune disease or drinking too much alcohol.

The health district said at the time it was investigating 50 additional reports. Five cases involved children.

Each of those investigations is based on people who self-identified to the health district, were reported by a health care provider, or because their Real Water subscription was canceled due to health concerns, officials said at the time.

Lawyers for Kemp Jones, a firm representing several Real Water clients, believe there were three distinct outbreaks where too much of the company’s concentrate was allegedly added into the product. According to a prior lawsuit, the concentrate used in Real Water is made up of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.

The firm believes the outbreaks occurred in 2018, the fall of 2019 and the late summer and fall of 2020, documents said.

A woman in her 60s died from liver failure in 2020 in what lawyers believe was the first death connected to Real Water, a lawsuit claimed. The woman, identified in court documents as Kathleen Ryerson, received Real Water via home delivery and was hospitalized with severe liver failure in September 2020. She was hospitalized a second time in October 2020 and died on Nov. 11, 2020.

Real Water bottles (District Court/KLAS)

Her death remains the only human one possibly connected to the water, records showed. Lawyers believe five dogs died during the outbreaks, documents said.

In March 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended consumers, restaurants and retailers discontinue drinking, cooking with, selling or serving the water. The company ceased operations that June, according to the FDA.

The Las Vegas-based company issued a statement in March 2021, saying it was notified of a potential problem with its water on March 16 and that the problem dated back to November 2020.

In a video posted in March 2021, the company’s majority owner and founder apologized to customers. The company has not released a statement since, however, lawyers for the company and others named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations in court documents.

It remains unclear when a jury trial could start and how and if the cases could be combined.

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Originally Appeared Here

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Funding from Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law will be used to provide more safe drinking water across the state.

“Thanks to our work to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more Arizona communities will have the resources needed to upgrade critical water infrastructure during this historic drought. We’ll keep working with local leaders to ensure that Arizona communities have the tools needed to secure our state’s water future,” expressed Sen. Mark Kelly.

Over $32,000,000 will be provided towards Arizona projects through the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Every Arizonan deserves access to clean, safe drinking water. This latest investment from our bipartisan infrastructure law funds projects updating and improving public water systems – protecting public health across our state and ensuring Arizona communities can continue to thrive without fear of contaminated water,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.

——-
Marcos Icahuate is a digital content producer for KGUN 9.
Marcos joined the KGUN team in September 2022. He previously worked on digital content in Southern California’s Imperial County where he was raised. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marcos by emailing [email protected].

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Originally Appeared Here

When it happened, grocers said the rush on bottled water was equivalent to what they saw just before New Year’s Eve during the Y2K scare. It was February 2000, and some Baltimore residents had been told to boil their drinking water.

The city — and the world — had passed Jan. 1, 2000, without a predicted massive computer breakdown based on the concern that some older systems couldn’t distinguish between dates in different centuries.

Now, Baltimore was grappling with the news that 1.5 million gallons of water hadn’t been properly filtered at the Ashburton Water Filtration Plant. But after residents cleared store shelves of the bottled kind, the city reported four hours later that the inadequately filtered water had been diverted out of the drinking water system and there was no threat to public health.

”Like Y2K, the fear was worse than reality,” The Baltimore Sun wrote at the time.

Some 22 years later, the city’s next boil water advisory spanned about four days, after city officials discovered E. coli contamination in drinking water samples from three buildings in West Baltimore. More than a week after the advisory was lifted, though, officials still don’t know precisely what caused the string of positive E. coli tests on Labor Day weekend.

Water is flushed from a hydrant in front of Fire Station 8 in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

The Department of Public Works has said the problem didn’t stem from one of the city’s three treatment plants this time. So, the search for the source turned elsewhere, including to the miles of pipes below ground that transport water from treatment plants and holding areas to faucets around the city and in neighboring counties.

The size of the system complicates the quest for clarity, officials say, and raises the possibility that the city may not be able to definitively identify the point of contamination.

“The conclusion of our investigation may not yield one definitive source, if you will. It might be a combination of sources,” said Yosef Kebede, the department’s bureau chief for water and wastewater, during a City Council hearing Thursday about the contamination. “And we may have to follow that by saying that, ‘We have a high degree of confidence,’ as opposed to saying that definitively: ‘This is the source.’”

A departmental analysis of the problem could come soon, Kebede said.

“I wouldn’t say months. I would say maybe a couple of weeks,” he said.

[ For West Baltimore neighborhoods, water contamination is yet another crisis that compounds intractable inequities ]

It’s possible the department never will conclusively trace the source of the bacteria, said Upal Ghosh, a professor in the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering department.

For example, there could be areas within the city’s pipes where water wasn’t moving, allowing bacteria to grow as chlorination decayed, Ghosh said. A change in pressure elsewhere in the drinking water system could have caused bacteria in such sections to bleed into the larger system, Ghosh said.

After the positive E. coli tests, officials flushed out the system with more chlorinated water than normal to kill any harmful bacteria, letting fire hydrants gush water onto streets around the neighborhood. That removes potentially contaminated water and replaces it with more recently treated water.

“You would not know retrospectively what specific section that was,” Ghosh said. “But maybe people who understand how the network works — the potential points where water could be sitting and stagnating for a period of time to cause something like this — will be able to figure it out.”

In the West Baltimore neighborhoods at the epicenter of the crisis, Harlem Park, Sandtown-Winchester and Midtown-Edmondson, the city’s lackluster communication about the contamination stirred distrust, and vague answers may not improve matters.

A hydrant being flushed is seen at the corner of Mosher and Mount streets in West Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

The city first received a positive E. coli result in Harlem Park on the Saturday before Labor Day. Regulations required it to retest the water before sounding the alarm. But even after a test confirmed Sunday the presence of the potentially hazardous bacteria at three buildings, communication didn’t go out to the public until Monday morning. Even then, it was via a series of tweets and Nextdoor posts that city lawmakers have blasted as insufficient.

It was the latest public challenge for the city’s Department of Public Works, which has struggled to manage its wastewater treatment plants, causing pollution woes in the Back and Patapsco rivers, and to pick up garbage and recycling in a timely fashion during the coronavirus pandemic.

The department says its search to pinpoint the origin of the water contamination continues in earnest. Public Works Director Jason Mitchell said there were two water main breaks in that area that could have contributed, and a number of construction projects were underway. Officials also are exploring other, previous disruptions in the water infrastructure to determine whether they could have played a role, including sinkholes at the foot of the Ashburton Dam and along North Avenue.

“We’re looking at all the construction activity and all the things that were going on to figure out what could have reduced the chlorination levels,” Mitchell said.

Workers stand July 5, 2022, next to a sinkhole in the 700 block of E. North Ave. in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

In a system where the average age of pipes hovers around 75 years old, water main breaks are an important possible culprit to evaluate, since they can lower water pressure, said Birthe Kjellerup, an associate professor at the University of Maryland’s department of civil and environmental engineering.

Maintaining pressure is a key part of the system, she said, because if breaks happen, water needs to rush out — not in.

“Baltimore is famous for water main breaks — and those are just the mains that we hear about here and there,” she said. “With that old infrastructure that is in Baltimore, it is not unlikely that even though it is a pressurized system, that there could be some leaks, because it’s only as safe as any kind of break.”

Kebede said public works staffers also are investigating whether the problem could have started at the Vernon Pumping Station near Druid Hill Park, which was taken offline in late August for a repair and brought back online Sept. 5.

That station pumps treated water stored in Druid Hill Lake into a zone that includes the parts of the city and county that fell under the boil water advisory. But only three sites ever tested positive for E. coli or coliform, all of them in those West Baltimore neighborhoods.

Drinking water in Baltimore comes from three reservoirs in Baltimore County — Loch Raven, Liberty and Prettyboy — before being treated at one of the city’s two treatment plants. From there, the water either flows through the pipes by gravity to homes and businesses, or it is stored for pumping at places like Druid Hill Lake.

Two water storage tanks under construction in 2021 at the west end of the lake in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

As the search for answers persists, water sampling efforts have returned to their normal frequency, Kebede said.

The area that was covered by the recent boil water advisory was last tested for E. coli on Sept. 13 as part of routine monitoring efforts, and came back negative, Kebede said. The city has 90 sample sites, and each one is tested weekly, said Jack French, a spokesman for Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott, in a statement.

Because the boil water advisory has passed, the city is allowed to return to its normal testing regimen. But officials could consider additional testing in the affected area to bolster confidence in the system as they continue to search for the source, Kjellerup said.

“Good practice would be to do that more frequently,” Kjellerup said. “So, step it up. Double it. Triple it. Something about that.”

That being said, the department’s repeated negative tests in those key neighborhoods are a clear indication that lifting the boil water advisory was appropriate, Kjellerup said.

“It is common practice to do exactly what they did — and should be common practice. And I understand that people might be worried that it’s not sufficient,” she said. “But as far as I understand, they have had multiple days, maybe a week of continuous monitoring, seeing that there is no E. coli in multiple samples.”

During Thursday’s hearing, Kebede said officials focused on flushing the system to ensure chlorine is more evenly distributed throughout.

“We’ve ensured that there is better blending to make sure that there is adequate chlorine residual, but we haven’t necessarily upped the dosage at the plants,” Kebede said. “It’s a balancing act. Too much chlorine contributes to what we call disinfection byproducts, which are carcinogenic. So, we have to be within a sweet zone, if you will.”

Drinking water currently leaves the city’s treatment plants at a concentration of about 1 milligram of chlorine per liter, French said. Raising it to 2.5 milligrams per liter would require notifying dialysis centers, since the more heavily chlorinated water could endanger their patients. Raising it to the EPA’s maximum of 4 milligrams would require a public notification, French added.

[ Baltimore City Council blasts Scott administration over communication during E. coli contamination ]

Baltimore Sun librarian Paul McCardell contributed to this article.

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Originally Appeared Here

Four in five adults want the EPA to continue taking the lead to protect clean water, according to a Morning Consult poll for the Walton Family Foundation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Walton Family Foundation, in collaboration with Morning Consult, released new polling today showing that at least seven-in-ten adults nationally have a favorable opinion of the Clean Water Act (CWA). This comes with the Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments in October about whether certain waters can be protected under the Clean Water Act in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The poll, released as UN Climate Week gets underway, shows Americans strongly prefer that the federal government maintains water standards. The EPA is the top choice of Americans to set standards to protect the rivers, lakes and streams that provide drinking water from pollution – and 68% think it is very important the EPA have the authority to protect clean water through the Clean Water Act.

“Clean water and the Clean Water Act continue to unite Americans,” said Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director of the Walton Family Foundation. “We all believe that water is vital to every aspect of our lives – from our health to the economy to our ecosystems–and that we must continue to have strong laws that protect this vital resource. Americans do not want to roll back clean water standards, because they want to trust that drinking water is safe.”

Key findings from the poll include:

• 95% of Americans say that protecting the water in our nation’s lakes, streams and rivers is important. Further, 79% want to strengthen or maintain current standards, while just 8% want to relax them. 
• 88% agree that it is important that the EPA has the authority laid out in the Clean Water Act – such as restricting pollution entering our waters and limiting the destruction or physical damage to lakes, rivers, wetlands, streams and other waterways.
• After a brief description of Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency, 75% of adults are supportive of protecting more waters and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.
• 89% of adults would be concerned if polluters no longer had to meet water requirements before adding waste into streams or wetlands and 88% would be concerned if the permit requirement to make a permanent physical change to a water body was removed in some cases.
• Adults want more safety standards for water releases from factories and industrial processes (69%), municipal drinking water (68%) and drinking water in their community (67%).

Polling Methodology:

This poll was conducted between August 26th – 27th, 2022 among a sample of 2,210 Adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of Adults based on gender, age, race, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

About the Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. We work in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE Walton Family Foundation

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Originally Appeared Here

Rafters on the James River near Richmond tackle a burst of whitewater. 

Dave Harp

I recently sat on the banks of the James River in Richmond, watching whitewater rafters head through the Pipeline Rapids, shrieking with joy as they were splashed on the last rapid before reaching the takeout. All around them, I saw no less than seven herons perched on rocks. An osprey flew to its nest on an old railroad pillar nearby, and turtles sunbathed on exposed rocks from the low river levels.

Backdropped by the city skyline, I couldn’t help but think what a privilege and joy it is to live near this section of the James.

I lived for seven years in New England, spending most of my time in the mountains and forests. When I moved to Richmond in 2017, I arrived in brutal heat and humidity in late September.

I was drawn to the James River, where I saw people swimming and fishing, dogs splashing in the water, and families and friends gathering. I watched kayakers and rafters run the Hollywood Rapids, having no idea at the time that the James River, and this set of rapids, would become such an important part of my life.

A group of paddlers explore the James River as it flows through Richmond. Good public access, along with a drop in elevation as the river travels through the city, have made this section of the James one of the nation’s best locations for urban kayaking and rafting. It is also part of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. 

Dave Harp

Even when temperatures started to cool, I found myself and my water-loving dog using our free time to explore the river’s many public access spots within city limits, which the James River Park System works tirelessly to maintain.

Cooler temperatures meant fewer crowds, but the always present paddlers at the put-ins above the rapids never waned. As I got to know the regulars, I learned more about the vast boating community in Richmond and the whitewater recreational opportunities here and throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

And it’s no secret that the more connected people are to their waterways, the more they want to protect them.

In Richmond, we have outfitters with trained guides to keep people safe on the river, whether it’s a whitewater trip through the rapids or a leisurely flatwater float. There are summer and after-school educational programs that focus on getting students in canoes and kayaks, connecting them with local waterways. There are groups like James River Women, aimed at supporting more women and femme-identifying paddlers on their journey into whitewater paddling.

Especially in the summer, the James is heavily visited by rivergoers of all abilities. Safety must be a priority for everyone, and there are lots of resources to help paddlers and swimmers enjoy the river safely. We must remember that being safe on the river is often a privilege gained from exposure to guided trips, mentors, summer camps and more. Websites for the Westham Gauge, Riverside Outfitters and James River Park System, as well as the How’s the James RVA Instagram page, help prepare people for a fun and safe visit.

Rafters float down the James River as it passes by Richmond. 

Dave Harp

Recreational boaters, a powerful stewarding resource in the Chesapeake community, also provide voices on and off the river with information about river health and safety.

I’ve witnessed paddlers share resources with other river users about how to get alerts on their phone when sewage-tainted stormwater enters the river and where to go to check bacteria levels at their favorite swimming locations. I’ve seen paddlers advocate for more education on river safety and access, including the recently constructed universal access ramp at Huguenot Flatwater. Paddlers promote these resources, follow local recommendations and set examples for others.

Not only am I fortunate to recreate on the river in my free time, but I’m also able to connect with the James in my everyday work life — as a water quality monitoring coordinator for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. I help train community members to collect baseline water quality trends. RiverTrends, launched in 1985 and funded primarily by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, is an Alliance-managed project that provides training, equipment and technical support to volunteers who conduct chemical and physical water quality monitoring in their communities.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Virginia team enjoys an afternoon on the James River. (Sophie Stern/Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay)

The Alliance recently became involved with the Citizen Science Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program in the District of Columbia, funded by the city’s Department of Energy and Environment. Alongside our partners at Anacostia Riverkeeper, the Rock Creek Conservancy and Audubon Naturalist Society, we provide weekly water quality data to residents and visitors during peak recreation months. This is the first effort to integrate citizen science water quality data into the District’s water quality plan, an important tool for policy management and assessments.

Most of these volunteers find us because they’re already passionate about their local waterway. However, they are even more connected and informed by having a profound understanding of the waterway they call home. Collecting this data is crucial in informing the public of the safety and quality of our rivers.

Now more than ever, it’s essential to see how recreation on the water and is intertwined with water quality so that we can keep enjoying the river as an outdoor playground while staying safe and healthy.

My journey with whitewater recreation and water quality are deeply connected, and I look forward to continuing to promote Bay stewardship and river safety in my circles and beyond.

Sophie Stern is the water quality monitoring projects coordinator for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

The views expressed by opinion columnists are not necessarily those of the Bay Journal.

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Originally Appeared Here

The U.S. Water Alliance announced Gov. Tony Evers as the recipient of this year’s U.S. Water Prize in the Outstanding Public Official category, according to a press release. 

The recognition took place during the U.S. Water Prize 2022 Ceremony in Milwaukee on Sept. 13. The U.S. Water Prize is awarded annually to celebrate achievements in integrated, sustainable and inclusive solutions to water challenges faced by the United States, according to the U.S. Water Alliance website.

This year’s winners were selected from more than 160 total nominations, according to Evers’ press release. U.S. Water Alliance Director of Policy and Government Affairs Scott Berry said the 2022 selection process was very competitive.

Berry said individuals and organizations can receive nominations in eight different categories, which include outstanding journalism, cross-sector partnership and public and private organization.

The selection process differs between organizations and individuals, according to Berry.

“Organizational awards tend to be for a particular program or project,” Berry said. “The individual awards are intended to award an individual’s either career’s worth of achievements or specific achievements in a particular area or place.” 

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Gov. Evers is the only governor to receive an award in the Outstanding Public Official category, Berry said.

“We at the Alliance, as well as the independent review panel, were really impressed with Gov. Evers commitment to making water serve as a central issue not just in his campaign for governor, but also in his first term as governor,” Berry said.

Throughout his first year in office, Gov. Evers created the Wisconsin PFAS Action Council as a collaborative effort across the state to address contamination. He also made 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water in Wisconsin, according to the press release. 

This past July, Gov. Evers and Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit against three manufacturers in Wisconsin, along with 15 other defendants, for conduct that led to PFAS contamination, according to the press release.

A $10 million grant announced by Gov. Evers and the Wisconsin Department of National Resources in August will address contamination of private wells and increase access to clean drinking water, according to the press release.

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Berry said Gov. Evers is in some great company. Past award recipients include senators, agricultural commissioners, members of congress and state representatives.

In terms of Wisconsin water quality, Berry sees the award as an indication of the past rather than the future. It demonstrates potential in the state and among state leaders, but long standing issues, such as PFAs contamination, require a lot more work, Berry said.

“This award is not intended to be like, ‘job’s done, time to go home,’” Berry said. “We’re lifting up an example of how water is not just a winning issue with people, but can be a central theme to a campaign and an administration can bear some tremendous fruit as a result.”

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Communities across New York state are no stranger to PFAS water contamination. Advocates have for years been calling for more drinking water standards to protect people from “forever chemicals.”

PFAS chemicals are man-made and they’ve been used to make cleaning products, paints and other goods for decades. But the chemicals have seeped into sources of drinking water around the country, including in multiple upstate communities.

“New York’s current and proposed PFAS standards are not adequate to protect public health,” said Rob Hayes, clean water director with Environmental Advocates.

Three months after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued health advisories concerning drinking water standards, advocates called on state leaders to ensure New York’s standards fall in line.

“This will ensure when utilities test for PFAS, that the public is notified about what’s in their water, and that dangerous contamination is cleaned up,” Hayes said.

Data from the EPA suggests the tiniest amounts of PFAS chemicals in drinking water can pose a risk to human health, and that acceptable levels should be close to zero, much less than the state’s current standard of 10 parts per trillion.

“We’ve heard time and time again we need the best available science,” said Loreen Hackett, a resident of Hoosick Falls Resident and founder of PFOA ProjectNY. “EPA just gave us some.”

For Hackett, safe drinking water is a personal issue.

“It’s a hazardous substance,” she said.

Hoosick Falls is where in 2016 perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, was detected in the village’s public drinking water supply, and private wells in the town of Hoosick.

“We shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near it,” Hackett said.

The contaminated water is believed to be a contributing factor to a number of health issues Hackett and her neighbors have faced for decades. She is now hoping the state modifies its standards.

“The more we learn, the worse it gets,” Hackett said. “And everybody should have the right to which of these chemicals are in their water.”

The group claims that according to a selection of statewide testing data, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have PFAS chemicals in their drinking water, but the level of contamination falls below the state’s current standard.

“There is no safe level of exposure in our drinking water. That is why it’s imperative that we get these dangerous levels as close to zero as possible.”

The coalition of clean water advocates applauded the state for applying its current standard for PFOA and PFOS on 23 additional PFAS chemicals, but are insistent that the acceptable threshold of 10 parts per trillion is far too high.

We reached out to the state’s Department of Health. A spokesperson provided a written statement.

“The draft regulations recommended by New York’s Drinking Water Quality Council are nearing the final stages of the regulatory approval process,” the spokesperson said.

That’s expected to come down in the coming weeks. A 60-day public comment period and an agency review will follow.

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