Looking Toward the Future - Water Quality Products

editor’s emphasis WQA Aquatech USA 2012 Wrap UpFinal BarrierLooking Toward the FutureBy Regu P. RegunathanFinal barrier technologyis poised to providetreatment solutionsaround the worldWhat exactly is final barrier?How does it work? Wheredoes it fit into my business?These are questions asked bymany dealers in the water treatmentindustry. The WQA Aquatech USA2012 tradeshow, held March 6 to 9,focused on these questions with amixture of presentations and a focusgroup discussion.Protection From DiseaseDr. Charles P. Gerba is a wellknownexpert in the field of microbiologyof water. He is a professor inthe department of soil, water and environmentalscience at the University ofArizona. He has authored more than11 books, written chapters in morethan 80 other books and publishedmore than 340 peer-reviewed journalarticles. He gave a presentation atWQA Aquatech USA 2012 titled,“Final Barrier – Global Perspective.”According to Gerba, based onstudies he has conducted or reviewed,from a microbiological point of view,there is a need for final barrier technologyin countries in both the developingand developed worlds. He pointsout that in many countries or regionsof the developing world, poor sourcewater, inadequate or non-existent treatmentand contaminated storage anddistribution system intrusions lead tohigh incidences of disease.Worldwide, there are 2.6 billionpeople without access to sanitationand 900 million people without accessto safe water. According to the WorldHealth Organization (WHO), duringthe last decade there were 132,000cases of cholera, 16 million cases oftyphoid and 4.6 billion cases of diarrheaper year worldwide. This lead to3 million deaths annually, mostly ofyoung children. According to Gerba,these facts emphasize the need for finalbarrier processes and devices for everyfamily in the developing world.When it comes to the developedworld, there are a variety of factors thatpoint to the need for final barrier technologyas well. According to Gerba’sresearch, waterborne pathogens cannotbe removed 100% of the time byconventional water treatment processesin a central water treatment plant, andwater-based pathogens often grow indistribution systems. Contaminationof distribution systems through intrusionor main breakage also is beingreported, and widespread occurrenceof enteric viruses is being recognized ingroundwater sources.In regard to waterborne diseases,it was discovered recently that somechronic diseases are caused by waterborneand water-based pathogens.Sensitive populations, such as infants,children, the elderly, mothers, womenof maternal age, immunocompromisedindividuals and the chronicallyill require water with more enhancedquality than the rest of the population.Such populations are increasing,comprising 25% to 30% of the currentpopulation. The estimated number ofendemic cases of waterborne illnessin the U.S. is about 25 million peryear. According to Gerba, all of thesefactors point to the need for finalbarrier devices in homes in developedcountries as well.Two microbiological guide standardshave been developed to evaluatemicrobial final barrier devices, one bythe U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) 25 years ago, andanother by WHO in 2011. Whilethere are some differences in the twoguides, both approach the need fortesting and evaluating these devices ina similar manner.Small Systems ApplicationsThomas Sorg, P.E., is another wellknownexpert in his field. He hasworked with federal environmentalprograms for 47 years; the last 37have been with EPA’s drinking waterresearch and development program.Sorg has been chief of the inorganicsand particulate control branch of thedrinking water research division for 25years. He gave a presentation at WQAAquatech USA 2012 titled, “FinalBarrier – Small System Compliance.”Sorg focuses on the use of pointof-use(POU) and point-of-entry(POE) devices as final barriers inhomes in small communities tocomply with EPA’s chemical contaminantregulations. According to Sorg,there are many issues associated withthese applications.EPA breaks small systems intothree categories based on population:25 to 500; 501 to 3,300; and 3,301to 10,000. The agency lists POU as asmall system compliance technologyspecifically in the radionuclide andarsenic rules because it is more affordablefor small systems and can helpthem comply with these rules.Approximately 40% of statesallow POU for compliance purposes.Another 20% allow POU for compliancewith varying levels of limitations.Application of POU is low, however:It is used in only eight states, and eventhen somewhat sparingly, in spite ofits affordability.According to Sorg, final barriertechnology has large growth potentialwhen it comes to arsenic in particular:11 states have more than 20 smallsystems that are not in compliancewith EPA’s arsenic rule. Most of thesesystems serve less than 500 people.POU for arsenic treatment also isapplicable to private water systems.8 WATER QUALITY PRODUCTS

An analysis of products currentlycertified for arsenic reduction by NSFIntl. and the Water Quality Assn.(WQA) indicates that the majority ofthem are reverse osmosis (RO) units.Due to cost considerations, there is aneed for more media filters tested andlisted under NSF/ANSI Standard 53for arsenic removal.A report on the use of POU, POE,packaged plants and modular unitsfor small systems currently is beingprepared by a task force formed byEPA as required by Congress. Thisreport, along with alternate affordabilitycriteria, will be used by EPA to create aplan to facilitate increased use of thesealternate approaches in small systems.advantage. Dealers need to educateconsumers on the importance of theirresponsibility for water quality in theirhomes, and what resources are available.A WQA consumer brochure was createdto guide them in this education process.Dealers also need to look to the future,when regulations hopefully will allowthe use of final barrier for municipalcompliance across the U.S., and theycan be a resource for municipalities.This is a high-profile WQA initiativethat will take many years to cometo full fruition, but final barrier can beutilized today for immediate success.This effort will require education atthe local, state and federal levels andaction by all WQA members. wqpRegu P. Regunathan, Ph.D., is presidentof ReguNathan Associates Inc. and is atechnical consultant to the Water QualityAssn. Regunathan can be reached atregu5@yahoo.com or 630.653.0387.For more information on this subjectwrite in 1002 on the reader serviceform on page 29.An Ongoing DialogueThe WQA Aquatech USA 2012final barrier presentation series includeda discussion panel titled “Launchingthe Final Barrier: Initial Focus GroupDiscussion,” moderated by PauliUndesser, director of technical and regulatoryaffairs for WQA. Gerba and Sorg,in addition to Regu P. Regunathan,technical consultant to WQA, andRichard Mest, member of the WQAboard of governors, made up the panel.The questions and discussions reiteratedthat there are several differentapplications for final barrier devicesthroughout the world. When POU orPOE are used in many regions of thedeveloping world for microbial protection,they are often the only barrier inplace because of nonexistent or inadequatecentral treatment.The same is true when they are usedin private homes for microbial or chemicalprotection in developing and developedcountries. When such units areused in homes or offices in cities andtowns in developed countries, however,they are used as an adjunct to centraltreatment to reduce microbial or chemicalcontamination risks to the lowestlevels feasible.One of the main points raised wasthat it may be possible to estimatethe costs and benefits of using POUor POE as final barriers in locationsin U.S. or elsewhere by estimatingthe costs of the devices and the costsand benefits associated with illnessesavoided by their use. This topic may beof interest as a research approach.Taking ActionAccording to Mest, who gave afollow-up presentation at the DealerSection meeting at WQA AquatechUSA 2012, dealers must focus on finalbarrier. The concept is not new tothem, and they use it every day, butthey are not using it to the best of theirWrite in 753