Looking Toward the Future - 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