Led by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a coalition of governors from seven states has formally petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin collecting data on microplastics in the nation's drinking water. By invoking a specific clause in the Safe Drinking Water Act, the group is demanding that these particles be added to the upcoming Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule.
Although the EPA missed its late-year deadline to propose the new monitoring rule, this petition effectively forces the agency to include microplastics unless it can prove that doing so would interfere with monitoring more urgent public health threats. The effort has been welcomed by advocacy groups, who argue that comprehensive data is necessary to understand the true extent of the contamination.
Study Reveals Orthophosphate Leaking Into Pittsburgh Waterways
A new study recently revealed unintended environmental consequences arising from Pittsburgh’s efforts to combat lead in its drinking water. After the local utility began adding orthophosphate in 2019 to prevent pipe corrosion, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh detected a surge in chemical leakage into urban streams.
The study indicates that phosphorus levels in the waterways jumped by over 600% following the treatment's implementation, alongside large spikes in corrosion byproducts such as manganese, iron and copper. The water authority acknowledged that historic underinvestment has resulted in a distribution system that experiences a high percentage of water loss.
Portland's 'Big Pipe' System Overflows
Heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest recently overwhelmed Portland's "Big Pipe" system, prompting city officials to issue a combined sewer overflow advisory for the Willamette River. Although the massive infrastructure is designed to hold up to 100 million gallons of stormwater and sewage, it reached 100% capacity Dec. 9.
Concurrently, the intense rainfall triggered a separate wastewater overflow upstream in Oregon City, reported by Clackamas Water Environment Services. That spill occurred at a manhole near McLoughlin Boulevard, leading officials to post warning signs and advise the public to stay out of the water in the area.
