A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that nearly 7% of Americans, or about 23 million people, may be exposed to hazardous levels of PFAS through treated wastewater.
The research team monitored the presence of organofluorines in the wastewater of eight major municipal treatment systems. The team discovered that up to 75% of the extractable organofluorine in treated wastewater consisted of pharmaceuticals that are not currently regulated by the EPA. In contrast, the six PFAS compounds under regulation accounted for less than 10%.
Connecticut WWTP Worker Injured in Boiler Incident
A worker at a wastewater treatment plant in Norwich, Connecticut, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in an incident involving a boiler.
Investigations are underway to determine whether equipment failure caused the incident, and the affected boiler will be decommissioned as part of planned plant modernization.
Virginia Treatment Plant Has Setback During Restoration Efforts
The city of Richmond, Virginia's water treatment plant experienced an equipment failure during the water restoration process following a power outage earlier in the week that triggered a boil-water advisory.
Engineers resolved the issue, and the department stated that efforts to restore water service are ongoing, as of Jan. 7.
