Introduction
The collection, treatment and distribution of water is one of the largest and most expensive tasks of local government. Water supply systems vary from community to community depending on various factors such as the source of water, age and infrastructure integrity, size and population of community, and the needs of the population. For example, water conservation may be a very high priority in some locales, while other areas may enjoy an abundance of surface source water; both have a need to protect their water sources. Moreover, while the various water supply, treatment, and distribution methods and their related operations have their clear health and economic benefits, these processes also bring the potential to pollute. Some municipal water supply facilities have an opportunity to act as pollution prevention role models for other private water facilities and for their residential, commercial, and industrial customers. As with other local government activities incorporating pollution prevention criteria into their decision making process, public policy makers and water supply operations managers can help prevent and reduce waste and pollution. Preventing and reducing potentially harmful chemical exposures to employees and neighbors will reduce risks of accidents and releases, prevent or reduce potential liabilities and regulatory compliance burdens.
Typical Wastes Associated with Water Supply
Solvent cleaners and paints, mercury switches and lamps, lubricants and other wastes from operations and facility maintenance activities.
Disinfection by-products, i.e. trihalomethanes.
Corrosion by-products.
Leaking or broken lead from service lines, goose neck or service connections.
Radon in wells.
Pesticides and herbicides rinse waters and containers.
Industrial, commercial and household chemical discharges.
Top Pollution Prevention Opportunities
Investigate alternatives or reductions (i.e. GAC, ozone treatment, ultraviolet) to chlorine water disinfection.
Investigate reduced risk storage and handling of chlorine and other chemicals.
Install plant dehumidification systems to reduce rusting/corrosion of plant equipment.
Use lead-free solder, retrofitting the service lines with PVC instead of metal.
Know your waste stream in order to identify high priority (or "low hanging fruit") for source reduction, reuse or recycling opportunities.
Strategically plan for Safe Drinking Water Act compliance through source protection and source selection strategies, operational strategies, collaborative arrangements, purchased-water transactions or institutional restructuring.
Perform self-evaluations regularly.
Install water conservation devices (i.e. low-flow showerheads, low-flush toilets, motion sensing faucets).
Implement water conservation strategies for water usage (i.e. use grey water for irrigation, consider xeriscape (native, low water requirement) landscaping, consider pervious material for walkways and driveways).
Look for energy efficiency improvements in designing or re-designing water pumping and treatment systems.
Use national and local events to promote the pollution prevention ethic to employees and the public.
Connect with local, state, national or international organizations to share information, techniques and approaches to continuous improvement through pollution prevention.
Perform consistent and proper monitoring.
Success Story
The Cincinnati Water Works, a municipally owned and operated utility, was purchased by the City of Cincinnati from a private owner in 1839. The service area of the Cincinnati Water Works has grown and now includes the entire City of Cincinnati, approximately 90% of the rest of Hamilton County and three additional service areas in the adjacent counties of Butler and Warren. The City of Cincinnati and the great majority of Hamilton County are served on a retail or metered basis. The City of Cincinnati is responsible for the complete administration, operation, maintenance, and capital planning for the entire service area. The Cincinnati Water Works now supplies approximately 46 billion gallons of water a year through 2742.0 miles of water main to more than 221,028 residential and commercial accounts representing more than 900,000 consumers in the Greater Cincinnati area.
The City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Water Works have taken steps to prevent and reduce pollution. The City has recently implemented a Pollution Prevention Program which seeks to identify pollution before it occurs and substitute a non-polluting process or material for that which would pollute. In other words, prevent or eliminate the source or cause of pollution so that we do not have to clean up the environment later. Cincinnati has the only Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration plant of its kind in the nation and one of largest such plants in the world. Ninety percent of the water supplied by the Cincinnati Water Works is filtered
through carbon filters. The other 10 percent is provided from the Water Works' well-water treatment plant in Butler County. The GAC removes organic substances from Ohio River water, which is Cincinnati's primary water source. The state-of-the-art GAC treatment process was installed in 1992 and ensures that customers will receive high quality water and is considered a pollution prevention technology because the facility uses only one third of the amount of chlorine as would otherwise be used in the treatment of water. The process enables Cincinnati Water Works to be in compliance not only with present Ohio and Federal safe drinking water
regulations, but allows Cincinnati to be prepared for future regulations.
The Natural Resource Defense Council called the Cincinnati Water Works GAC facility the "crown jewel" of the utility's treatment process. The Milwaukee Journal describes the Cincinnati Water Works as a "model" water utility because of its treatment processes and aggressive research to find additional ways to improve its water quality.
In another area of pollution prevention, as a "covered" facility that will need to meet the Clean Air Act 112r (Risk Management Planning) requirements by June 21, 1999, the construction of the California chlorination facility may be considered pollution prevention. This is because risk of release and exposure has been reduced significantly by the creation of a containment building and the modification from four 55 ton chlorine storage tanks to forty-eight 1-ton tanks.
Additionally, Cincinnati Water Works recently identified three pilot projects that may help prevent pollution. They include use of electric power mowers to maintain grounds, use of biodegradable antifreeze for facility vehicles and use of environmentally friendly ice and snow removal techniques such as sand and nontoxic chemicals.
References:
"For Your Information - Message from the Cincinnati Water Works," Issue 1, 1996.
"Preventing Pollution in Our Cities and Counties: A Compendium of Case Studies," NPPR, NACo, NACCHO and U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1995.
U.S. EPA Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460 (http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/p2home).
Smart Growth Network: 202/260-2750; http://www.smartgrowth.org.
U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE): 202/260-1678; http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/.
"Safe Water from Every Tap - Improving Water Service to Small Communities" National
Academy Press, 1998.
DRAFT "Pollution Prevention in Enforcement - Village of South Charleston, Ohio" Office of Pollution Prevention, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, 1998
"Conservation Improvement Projects through Soil and Water Conservation Districts," Cooperative Extension Service The Ohio State University.
Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) through the International County and City Managers Association; Contact: David George at 202/962-3531; email: dgeorge@icma.org.
"Setting Standards: Risk Assessment Issues," edited by, Frederick W. Pontius, Denver CO., AWWA Journal, July 1995, pp10-16, 114.
"Safe Drinking Water From Small System: Treatment Options," edited by, James A. Goodrich, Cincinnati, OH. , AWWA Journal, May 1992, pp.49-55.
"Chemicals Versus Microbial in Drinking Water: A Decision Sciences Perspective," edited by, Susan W. Putman, Boston MA, AWWA Journal, March 1993 pp 57-61.
"Drinking water, Pollution Prevention and Public Health" (8pp) - EPA/742/F-97/004
"Incentives and Disincentives for Adoption of P2 Measures Under EPA's Water Program" (94pp) - EPA/742/R-94/006
American Water Works Association Small System Hotline
U.S. EPA Drinking Water Hotline/National Drinking Water Clearinghouse
National Rural Water Association
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
State Drinking Water Primacy Agency
For more information, contact:
J. Bruce Suits, City of Cincinnati, Office of Environmental Management Phone: 513/352-6270; Fax: 513/352-4970; E-mail: bruce.suits@cinems.rcc.org
