Nashik: After providing tap water connection to every household at 111 more villages as part of the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme, the Nashik Zilla Parishad (ZP) has achieved 71% of its target for the Jal Jeevan Mission aimed at providing water to every household.
The Nashik ZP authorities said that the tap water supply has been provided to the houses of every member of these 111 villages as per the 2011 census. They added that the work is being expedited to ensure they complete the process as soon as possible.
As per the 2011 census, there are 7,12,757 households in the district. Of them, 1,71,350 received tap water supply by August 2019. The target was to complete the process for 5,41,407 houses. Of that number, ZP has now covered 3,81,139 households in different villages.
Varsha Phadol, the deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of Nashik Zilla Parishad, said, “Nashik ZP CEO Leena Bansod has asked the authorities to expedite the works related to the Jal Jeevan Mission. We are on the fast track in achieving the target. In a step-by-step manner, we are declaring villages as Har Ghar Jal-certified through the special gram sabha that we are organising.”
The major challenge is to provide tap water in 145 villages in the hilly and tribal talukas of Trimbakeshwar, Surgana and Peth. These villages are scattered, people live at different locations and the areas are inaccessible by vehicles.
“It is a daunting task and the authorities are making efforts to ensure these villages get tap water supply at the earliest,” another senior officer of the department said.
So far, the water supply and sanitation department of Nashik ZP has successfully provided tap water to as many as 33 villages in four talukas in the hilly regions of Nashik district.
Rahibai Borse, one of the beneficiaries from Trimabkeshwar, said, “The villagers had to climb the mountains or trek long distances to fetch water, but the tap water has now made life easier for us.”

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People of Kabul city in Afghanistan and  some residents of Bala Koh of Bagrami district are currently facing a new trouble due to lack of drinking water availability.

According to reports, residents need to travel a long distance to obtain drinking water

Momena, a resident of Kabul, is one such woman who lacks drinking water close to her house and shared her story with Tolo News, ” It has been three years that we brought water from there, and water is so scarce there sometimes, my children are old and cannot bring water for us–that is not time for work, that is their time to study.”

There are 500 families living in the area and they say because of economic challenges they cannot buy water every time and cannot move to another place.

“Private companies don’t give us water so there is one water well … most people leave this region,” Ibrahim Alamdad, community leader, told Tolo News.

Officials of the Red Crescent Society acknowledge the lack of water in the region and say they have a plan to solve it.

“It comes from Panjshir or other areas where rivers come and we can put some purification machines there and transfer the water to Kabul, and we have a plan for that,” Mohammad Nasim Ahmadi, head of inspection for the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society, told Tolo News.

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TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation is partnering with Indian Health Service to bring more than $11.8 million in safe water infrastructure and sewage upgrades to 1,400 homes across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Rear Adm. Travis Watts, Area Director for the Oklahoma City IHS office, met Thursday to sign and celebrate the agreement.

The funds for the projects are paid from the bi-partisan Infrastructure, Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, for tribes to ensure all American Indians and Alaska Natives have safer drinking water and adequate sewage systems in their homes.

“Our Cherokee families deserve safe drinking water and quality water treatment and sewage systems and we are still working to provide just that in all of our Cherokee communities across the reservation,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “These funds through IHS will help so many of our tribal citizens live healthier lives and prevent health problems down the road from unsafe conditions.”

It is estimated by IHS that overall water and waste water projects funded save over $259 million in costs due to a reduction in health care facility visits. Indian Health Service estimates for every $1 spent on water and sewer infrastructure it will save $1.18 in avoided direct health care costs.

“IHS is proud to partner with the Cherokee Nation and be a small piece of their longstanding history to assure that clean water is provided to Cherokee Nation citizens. Understanding that history goes way back long before IHS and its fight to work to make sure water is a public health cornerstone to citizens,” Rear Adm. Watts said.” IHS understands that clean water, education, travel and types of transportation are all things needed for social determinants of health long before anyone walks into a health center to be served. We thank the Cherokee Nation for putting these projects together.”

The Cherokee Nation will use the $11.8 million in funds – $9.37 million from IHS and $2.42 million from Cherokee Nation – for the following:

• Adair County Rural Water District 2 waterline replacement, $326,000

• Chelsea Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation, $2.7M

• Multi-county individual sewer, $177,000

• Cherry Tree Rural Water District water system improvements, $1.58M

• Chewey Road water line, $988,000

• Marble City Lagoon rehabilitation, $575,000

• Scattered housing Cherokee Nation new, renovated homes, $5.5 million

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The province is warning Manitobans to avoid the water at Ninette Beach, on northern Pelican Lake, after high levels of toxic algae were discovered last week.

The concentrations of microcystin — an algal toxin that can be harmful to the liver or nervous system if large amounts of water are swallowed — at the southwestern Manitoba beach were “well above the recreational water quality objective,” according to Manitoba’s latest weekly beach conditions report, which was issued Friday.

The province issued a second-level algae advisory on Tuesday for Ninette Beach.

Those advisories are issued when microcystin concentrations exceed a certain point, and include a warning that people and pets should not swim, drink or have any other contact with the water.

Second-level algae signs like this are posted when concentrations of toxic algae exceed a certain point. (Province of Manitoba)

The province also issued first-level algae advisories for Patricia Beach on Lake Winnipeg and Plum Coulee Beach, near Winkler, after the number of blue-green algae cells for both were found to be “above Manitoba’s recreational water quality objective.”

First-level advisories caution against swimming or other contact with the water when blooms are present. If an algal bloom has been observed at a beach, a first-level advisory sign remains posted for the remainder of the beach season, the province says.

A sample of of algae blooms found the amount of blue-green algae at Plum Coulee and Patricia beaches was above Manitoba’s recreational water quality target, but microcystin toxin levels were below that target, this week’s beach condition report says.

Sampling is ongoing, the province says.

Levels of the bacteria E. coli are still above the recreational water quality objective at Plum Coulee Beach, according to the province. Beach advisory signs will remain posted for all affected areas.

A file photo shows a first-level algae advisory at Lake Winnipeg. The province has issued a first-level algae advisory at Patricia Beach, on Lake Winnipeg’s southeastern shore. (CBC )

The province reminds people to avoid swimming in water and keeping pets from drinking the water where severe algal blooms can be seen. Home and cottage owners who use lake water for drinking are also warned that most small treatment systems can’t remove algal toxins, the province says.

More information can be found on the province’s website.

Warm and calm weather, along with relatively high loads of nutrients like phosphorus, provide ideal conditions for blue-green algae to develop, it says.

The algae-causing phosphorus can come from a variety of sources, including household products, farm runoff and under-treated sewage.

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Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu visits the Churchill Dam to access the water crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Lulama Zenzile, Gallo Images, Die Burger

The Department of Water and Sanitation has become the latest government department to turn to the private sector for assistance in delivering what it should be doing. 

This is due to its severe service provision failings.

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Submitted photo
Emergency crews responded Friday afternoon to a chemical leak at the City of Buckhannon water treatment plant on Wood Street.

BUCKHANNON — Residents living near the City of Buckhannon water treatment plant were temporarily evacuated Friday afternoon due to a chemical leak at the plant city officials said.

The closing of the plant on Wood Street was first announced after 12 p.m. Friday, with officials saying there was “a chlorine leak at the water plant. Please avoid this area until further notice.”

The city then issued a mandatory evacuation order “for all residents within a one block radius of the plant until further notice.”

After 1 p.m. the mandatory evacuation order expired. “Residents who live in the area my return home,” a City of Buckhannon release stated. “Thank you!”

After 2 p.m., the city posted a release titled “Water Plant Emergency Wrap-up.” The release stated:

“Earlier today there was a chemical leak at our water treatment plant located on Wood Street in South Buckhannon. Buckhannon Fire & Police Departments, the Upshur County EMS, and the Upshur County DHSEM (Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management) were all quickly on scene.

“As a precaution, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for all residents within a one block radius of the plant, which has since been lifted

“For our customers: our drinking water is safe to drink, there are no anticipated interruptions to service , and you do not need to conserve water. Most importantly, no injuries were reported. Thank you to our experienced employees, the many first responders involved, and to all those who were affected for your patience.”

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As a result, the plant was unstable, creating issues with costs and reliability. 

Recalling the early days of the project, he said his team would often end up working through the night, racing to get the plant up and running.

“In those days, the plant was like my first home, I would only go home for dinner and then run back to the plant,” he said.

Problems continued to plague the plants even after it officially opened in May 2000.

“It was three months of hell because it seemed like everything we did was wrong, and everyone was just working day and night, like there was no tomorrow, to fix the problems.”

For Mr Peck, whose son had just been born, it also meant having to juggle being a new parent and operating a plant at the same time.

But despite the challenges, the team never gave up and instead, drew strength from one another.

“I didn’t have to justify or persuade people that it was an important project, it just came naturally,” said Mr Seah.

Noting the amount of personal sacrifices involved, he expressed great appreciation for those who gave it their all.

“They had to sacrifice time with their children, their family, and even their social life, because sometimes they had to work until 2 or 3am. These were all the sacrifices they made,” he said.

“They could have easily not done this and treated the project like routine work but they knew that the work they were doing was not routine.

“That was the beauty about this project – everyone including industry consultants and suppliers from the private sector were on the same page.”

Then, in August 2000 – three months after the plant opened – the team made a major breakthrough.

“We realised the key issue … The membranes at the plant were only being disinfected intermittently out of fear that regular cleaning might end up damaging them,” said Mr Seah.

In the end, all it took to solve the problem was to go back to the basics.

“We did simple lab tests – no different from the ones you do in school – where you do a simple titration to see what is the point where, based on dosage, (the membrane would be damaged),” said Mr Seah.

“We realised that there was no way that we could get to that (point) because our dosing was too low,” he said.

“So we assessed that those fears were unwarranted and started regularly disinfecting the membranes.”

Their assessment proved to be correct as the plant started to stabilize.

“Water was coming in and going out (in a continuous flow), and when we looked at our screens to see the performance of the plant, it was a very nice straight line,” said Mr Seah.

“That was when we knew that we had more or less got it.”

FIRST DROP OF SUCCESS

Although tests showed that the reclaimed water was well within global drinking standards and safe, there were still some – including Mr Peck – who were sceptical about whether the technology really worked.

But the moment they saw, tasted and touched the water – all doubts were thrown out of the window. 

Recalling that moment, Mr Peck said everyone, including Mr Seah and contractors of the project, had gathered at the plant for the testing.

As the factory hummed, they held their breath in excitement as the water started flowing through the pipes.

“We would move with the water as it passed through different stages, and when we finally came to the last stage, someone opened the tap and said this is the water,” said Mr Peck.

What came out was crystal-clear water, much to the delight – and relief – of everyone at the plant. 

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The City of Cambridge will temporarily begin sourcing its water from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) starting Tuesday, August 30, 2022. The Cambridge Water Department anticipates that the MWRA will exclusively supply all of Cambridge’s public water through the end of the year. Even though Cambridge owns and maintains its watershed, it is also a member of the MWRA. 

The two contributing factors to Cambridge’s decision to temporally switch to MWRA water are increasing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) levels in our finished water and supply chain delays for the upcoming replacement of the filter media used to treat the drinking water at the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility, located at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway in Cambridge, with new Granular Activated Carbon filter media. The filter media replacement, expected to be completed in November 2022, will strengthen the Cambridge Water Department’s ability to remove PFAS from the water supply.  

“Initial results for August showed PFAS levels trending upwards and September results are generally highest and so out of an abundance of caution, the Cambridge Water Department will be temporarily switching to MWRA water to eliminate  potential health effects from PFAS levels above the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulatory standard,” said Sam Corda, Managing Director of the Cambridge Water Department. “Cambridge’s temporary use of MWRA water will continue until we replace filters with new Granular Activated Carbon filter media in our treatment plant. Replacing the filter media will ensure that our PFAS levels will be reliably and consistently below the MassDEP regulatory standard in the short and long term.” 

Cambridge water comes from the Stony Brook Watershed, nested in the Charles River Basin, in the towns of Lincoln, Lexington, Weston, and the City of Waltham. The water makes its way by gravity through tributaries, reservoirs, and pipes to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, where it is pumped into the Walter J. Sullivan Purification Facility for treatment. Finally, the finished water is pumped to and stored in the underground Payson Park Reservoir in Belmont, where it is fed by gravity to the residents and businesses of Cambridge. 

“Massachusetts has some of the strictest PFAS standards in the country, and the Cambridge Water Department is committed to maintaining and supplying high-quality water to our community,” said Owen O’Riordan, Acting City Manager. “We have decided to temporarily switch to MWRA water until the Cambridge Water Department replaces the existing filter media with new Granulated Activated Carbon filter media in our Water Treatment Plant. Unfortunately, the replacement process is taking longer due to supply chain issues, and our temporary switch to MWRA water reflects our commitment to providing all residents with a safe drinking water supply, especially those sensitive subgroups such as pregnant or nursing women, infants, and people with a compromised immune system who are most impacted by increased PFAS levels.” 

The temporary switch to MWRA water is expected to cost approximately $2 million per month. 

Like many public water supply operators, the City has been aware of the emergence of PFAS as contaminants of concern in recent years. The MassDEP standard for the level of PFAS in public drinking water is 20 nanograms per liter (ng/l), or 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for six specific compounds called “PFAS6”. The Water Department has complied with the MassDEP regulations at all times since it started monitoring for PFAS in August 2019 and has also been proactively monitoring for PFAS in its water supply reservoirs since that time (Hobbs Brook, Stony Brook, and Fresh Pond) to stay on top of this emerging issue.  

The MassDEP promulgated a new regulation on October 2, 2020, for the six PFAS compounds designated as PFAS6. Within about a year from when this new regulation was adopted, the City tested and obtained approval from the MassDEP to replace the Granular Activated Carbon filter media in its Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility to strengthen our ability to remove PFAS from the water supply. The purchase and replacement of the Granular Activated Carbon filter media was bid out and subsequently awarded in May. The Cambridge Water Department is awaiting the formal implementation schedule from the vendor, with the anticipated start date of this work being Fall 2022. When the filter media are replaced, it is anticipated that our PFAS levels will be lower and reliably and consistently below state regulations. 

For additional information about PFAS and the Cambridge Water Department, visit www.cambridgema.gov/water. 

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI — As officials work to restore the Grand River’s rapids, a move designed to boost tourism, recreation and activity along the waterway, a new partnership is aiming to provide a clearer picture of the river’s water quality.

The city of Grand Rapids and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have teamed up to install an interactive water quality station at the Sixth Street Bridge.

Using a mobile phone, residents can scan a QR code on the monitoring station to view real-time data on indicators such as temperature, clarity of the water, and dissolved oxygen levels.

“We’re really trying to engage the public with the data,” said Michael Staal, a project manager with the city who works on river restoration. “We’re trying to provide them with that actionable data in an easy-to-understand way.”

In addition to the Sixth Street Bridge, users can see water quality data for North Park Street Bridge and Fulton Street Bridge.

Officials say they’re hopeful the water quality station, a three-year pilot with the city and USGS, will provide greater transparency and reassurance about the health of Michigan’s longest river.

While the city has made infrastructure upgrades to improve the water quality, the Grand’s legacy of industry and pollution have left some residents unsure about its safety at a time when officials want to create more parks, recreational opportunities and development along the waterway.

Staal said he’s heard concerns about the river’s water firsthand.

“Can I touch the water? Can I be in the water?” he said, recalling questions residents asked during events to gather input about efforts to add more parks and features along the river in Grand Rapids.

“Our environmental services department has been testing the water for 40 years, and really what we’ve seen is water quality is fine most of the year. But after large rain events, we do see those spikes in E. coli.”

E. coli is a bacteria that can be dangerous in elevated levels, and its presence can be indicative of fecal contamination and disease-causing bacteria in the water.

The Sixth Street Bridge water quality station does not measure E. Coli levels. However, officials hope to use data gathered by the device to create a model to generate predictive estimates about E. coli concentrations in the river.

“The city is going to be able to ingest that information, and then they will be able to then use that information to determine the risk of being in the river,” said Todd Stuntebeck, a physical scientist at the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center.

A predictive E. coli model is needed because conventional E. coli testing can take four to 18 hours, officials say. By that time, the water in question has continued to flow downstream and is long gone.

Eventually, once the E. coli detection model is developed, the city would use it to inform residents about the safety of being in the river, Staal said. That could include the installation of electronic beacons at major access points on the Grand, modeled after the green, yellow and red flag systems used at Lake Michigan beaches.

“People could make an informed decision on whether they want to use the river,” he said.

Elevated E. coli levels in the Grand can occur when rain washes contaminants such as untreated human and livestock sewage into the river.

The city of Grand Rapids has worked to reduce elevated E. coli levels by adding green infrastructure and separating combined sanitary and storm water sewers that would occasionally overflow during heavy rainfall and spill raw sewage into the river.

Despite that, the bacteria still occasionally spikes to levels the state considers unsafe, Staal said.

He pointed to a city report showing such spikes occurred at least a dozen times between 2000 and 2008. He said the figure is likely an undercount because the data was gathered on a monthly or quarterly basis, not after every large rainfall when E. coli levels can spike.

I’m not saying “it has happened only 12 times overs the last 20 years,” Staal said. “I’m just saying for our monthly and quarterly testing we have done that these are the test results that we have found.”

Despite the occasional E. coli spike, Staal said the river’s water quality is improving. He highlighted a city report showing the water quality index for the Grand River in Johnson Park in Walker, downstream from Grand Rapids, had improved from a score of 71 in 1985 to a score of 74 in 2020.

The index takes into account E. coli and other pollutants, he said.

“You can see the quality of the Grand River is improving because of the intentional investments that we’ve made,” Staal said.

The interactive water quality monitoring system at Sixth Street Bridge cost $462,000, Stuntebeck said. The city paid $182,500, and the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center and Urban Waters Federal Partnership covered the rest.

Peter Wampler, a geology professor at the Frederik Meijer Honors College at Grand Valley State University, has studied the Grand River He said the health of the waterway has improved over the past few decades, and that it’s safe for recreational activities such as kayaking or wading.

“Swimming — maybe not yet,” he said, pointing out that residents would want to avoid getting the water in their mouth.

Read more:

Mental health a priority for Grand Rapids Public Schools as students return

Re(turn) To The River festival happening Saturday in Grand Rapids

Here’s what the first morning of second grade looked like for a Grand Rapids classroom

Muskegon County Latino Festival returns downtown to celebrate culture, heritage

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Shillong, Aug 26 (PTI) The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aimed at providing functional household tap connection to nearly 6 lakh rural homes in Meghalaya has hit roadblocks as several water sources have dried up, state Public Health Engineering Minister Renikton Tongkhar said on Friday.

The situation has compelled the department to find alternative water sources requiring additional investment, the minister said.

Though there has been enough rainfall in Meghalaya this year, the PHE minister said groundwater is depleting resulting in the drying up of water sources.

“We have had good rainfall this year. I wonder if the rainwater flowed straight to Bangladesh or if there are other issues resulting in the phenomenon here,” Tongkhar told PTI at the sideline of a programme here.

According to the PHE minister, the department has covered about 40 per cent of the total projected beneficiaries of about 5.9 lakh rural households.

The Centre has allotted Rs 678.39 crore in the 2021-22 fiscal, nearly four times the allocation for 2020-21, aimed at providing tap water connections to 3.39 rural households, and only about 1.88 lakh households (31.94 per cent ) have a tap water connection.

Asked if the JJM would be completed by the March 2024 deadline, the PHE minister said “There is no doubt about it”.

“We had initially targeted to complete the JJM by December this year but it will not be possible to finish the remaining 60 per cent work within four months,” he said.

The PHE department and the contractors have faced a lot of challenges in implementing the scheme, the minister said.

” Apart from the terrain, heavy rainfall this year have created havoc in the state,” Tongkhar said. PTI JOP MM MM

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