The Basics for Backwashing Water Filters for Residential Applications

A backwashing filter is a water filter that cleans itself periodically by rinsing away impurities it has filtered from water. An equally important purpose of the backwash is to resettle the filter’s media bed.

Although a backwashing filter may look like a water softener and be the same size, it’s a different animal. Softeners are “ion exchangers,” not filters.

A backwashing filter is a simple device that consists of a large tank called a “mineral tank” that is filled with a filtering substance called a filter medium. (The plural is media.) Water enters the top of the tank through a special control valve and passes downward through the medium, which removes impurities and holds them. Some media do not hold impurities, but cause a change to occur. Calcite, for example, dissolves and in the process increases the pH of acidic water. The treated water then enters a tube at the bottom of the mineral tank, passes upward through the tube (called a riser), and exits the filter via the control valve.

When the filter medium is saturated with contaminants, the control valve initiates a backwash. The backwash is an operation in which water passes backward through the filter at a rapid rate. It enters the tank at the bottom via the riser tube, then passes upward through the filter medium, exiting at the top, via the control valve. The rapid upward flow, in addition to washing away stored impurities, fluffs and resettles the media bed, preparing it for another filtering cycle.

Media

Filter media are selected according to purpose. Some of the most common are Katalox (iron removal), Zeolite (sediment removal), Calcite (increase pH of acidic water),  and KDF55 (chlorine and lead removal), KDF85 (iron and hydrogen sulfide reduction). Older favorites that are still around but not as widely used as before are Manganese Greensand (iron and sulfide removal), Birm (iron removal), and Filter Ag (sediment reduction).

Some media have numerous applications, like the very useful and widely used GAC, or Granular Activated Carbon, which is used to remove chlorine, the by-products of chlorination, pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals in general. GAC, following proper pretreatment, also removes iron and hydrogen sulfide. It comes in various formulations made from a variety of materials (bituminous coal, coconut shells, wood, etc.), each with its own special properties. Catalytic carbon, a specially processed version of GAC, is aimed at special problems like chloramines in city tap water and iron and hydrogen sulfide in well water. GAC is proving to be an effective treatment for new contaminants like PFAS as well.

The Pure Water Products website includes a useful Filter Media Guide and a second guide that gives flow and backwash features of the various media.

City Water Problems

• Chlorine/Chloramines and Taste/Odor

  The standard medium for removal of chlorine, both free and combined, and for the enhancement of taste and odor in city tap water is granular activated carbon (GAC).  Catalytic carbon, sold under such brand names as Centaur® and Aquasorb,, is a specially processed carbon designed for effective removal of chloramine. KDF55, an excellent long-term remover of free chlorine, is not effective against chloramine or combined chlorine. It is often mixed in small quantities with GAC to enhance its performance.

• Fluoride Reduction

  Unfortunately, there isn’t a practical way to get significant, dependable fluoride reduction with a residential backwashing filter. Activated Alumina, the most commonly used medium for fluoride removal, requires very low flow rates and must be used in large quantities. These problems make it impractical for use in standard “whole house” filters.Although reduction of fluoride by standard GAC is not claimed by manufacturers, the reality is that carbon often reduces fluoride. Although fluoride reduction by carbon filtration may depend on many variables (pH, mineral content of the water, etc.) that make performance uncertain, a good carbon filter is probably your best bet for fluoride reduction in city water. We can’t promise it, but it often works. A specialty carbon called “bone char” (made from animal bones) is often sold as a fluoride treatment. We have not seen evidence that it removes fluoride better than standard GAC.

• Chemical Reduction

  For general chemical reduction — removal of pesticides, herbicides, etc.— carbon (GAC) is the standard. Filter carbon is made from a variety of substances, the most common being bituminous coal. Carbon made from coconut shells is generally regarded as the medium of choice for the removal of chlorinated solvents or Volatile Organics. Catalytic carbon is superior for treatment of chloramine. Catalytic carbon is made from either bituminous coal or coconut shells.

• Hard Water

  “Hardness” is an overabundance of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by a water softener, which is an ion exchanger, not a filter. Go here to see water softeners.

Well Water Problems

• Iron Removal

  You should not simply purchase a filter with “iron removal” media and expect it to solve your iron problems. Although a simple Katalox filter is sometimes all that’s needed, iron removal often requires pretreatment by chlorination or aeration or some other oxidization strategy. In many cases, a common water softener is a great iron removal tool. A free-standing Katalox filter will usually work quite well to remove a reasonably small amount of iron if your water has a pH of 7.0 or higher and there is sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water to be treated. If pH is low, an ordinary water softener may be your best choice for removal of small amounts of iron.

• pH Increase

  Backwashing filters with calcite can increase the pH of acidic water to neutral. They can also remove sediment and, if the water is properly oxidized, they can remove iron. Increasing pH is often necessary as a pretreatment for iron removal with a backwashing filter.

• Hydrogen Sulfide Removal

  Small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, the noxious gas that produces the “rotten egg” smell that wells are sometimes plagued with, can be removed by carbon filters and KDF/carbon combinations. If the problem is significant, you’ll get best results by treating with aeration or chlorination before filtering with carbon. This is a case where catalytic carbon works better than standard GAC.

• Sediment

  Most standard filter media will provide some filtration of larger particles, 20 microns and larger. Zeolite filters are superior for sediment removal and can effectively remove particles down to 5 microns or smaller.

• Hard Water

  “Hardness” is an overabundance of calcium and magnesium. It is removed by a softener, not a filter. Go here to see water softeners. Hardness can also be “sequestered” by filtration through poly-phosphate, though this is not commonly done with backwashing filters.

• Bacteria

  Filters are not designed to make water contaminated with bacteria safe to drink. For that, you need a chlorination system or an ultraviolet system.

Fleck 5600 Backwashing Filter.  Our popular Fleck 5600 SXT series of backwashing filters.

How Backwashing Filters Work.

Practical Advise for Residential City Water Applications

Carbon filtration is a valuable resource for providing all around good tasting, aesthetically pleasing water for the whole home or for drinking. Be sure the product you select is adequately sized, then renew the carbon media is replaced before it is spent.

The article above is adapted, very freely, from a Calgon Corporation article. See original at Water Online.

Water News for September 2025

Raw Sewage Taints the Delaware River

Philadelphia discharges an incredible 12.7 billion gallons of raw, diluted sewage into the Delaware River’s watershed each year according to a new report. The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Amazing Recovery of the Klamath River after Hydroelectric Dam Removal

The final of four hydroelectric dams was removed last year from the Klamath River, in the largest project of its kind in US history. The following July, 28 teenage tribal representatives completed a 30-day journey that spanned roughly 310 miles (500km) from the headwaters in the Cascades to the Pacific. They were the very first to kayak the entirety of the mighty river in more than a century. The Guardian.

Water Projects Ordered Cancelled May Not Be Cancelled

A week after the White House signaled its intention to “immediately” pause or cancel $11 billion worth of water projects in 12 states that lean politically toward Democrats, it’s unclear what — if any — work might be affected.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which would oversee those projects, lacks the authority to cancel work authorized by Congress, multiple former corps officials said.

A former corps official, who is now senior adviser at Dawson and Associates, a Washington firm specializing in federal water regulation and environmental permitting, said he doesn’t know of any funds being paused or redirected away from blue-state projects. E&E News.

Severe Drought in Washington

Unprecedent drought conditions in Washington’s Yakima River Basin has made necessary a population-wide total ban on irrigation and lawn or garden watering. This is Washington’s third straight drought year in a row. Seattle Times. 

Congresswoman Seeks Release of PFAS Report

A drinking water report studying the toxicity of perfluorononanoic acid, or PFNA, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized in mid-April has yet to be released to the public, sparking concerns from Representative Chellie Pingree.

PNFA is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS. PFAS encompass thousands of man-made chemicals found in everyday items like non-stick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-resistant food wrappers, water-resistant clothing and other items. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because of the long time it takes the chemicals to break down, can cause harm in high exposure amounts.

During the breakdown process, PFAS can leach into the soil and water supply. These chemicals also threaten the water supply when products containing them are dumped onto the ground or into lakes and rivers. A 2023 study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that PFAS are present in the tap water of nearly half of U.S. homes.

On October 16, Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asking him why the report has yet to be released and who is responsible for its delay, among other questions. Newsweek 

After Decades, Camp LeJeune Water Scandal Still On Hold in Congress

Decades after Marines and families at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune bathed and drank in poisoned water, the law meant to bring them justice has stalled. The 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act — intended to finally allow victims their day in court — has instead become mired in legal backlogs and procedural fights.

As medical bills mount from lifetimes of chronic illness and loved ones pass away, families say Washington’s delays have turned a promise of justice into yet another bureaucratic waiting game.  Fox News for full article.

Another Chemical Industry Lobbyist Being Appointed to EPA

The US Senate is poised to approve Donald Trump’s nomination of an industry lobbyist to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office. If the nominee, Douglas Troutman, is confirmed, the top four toxics office positions at the EPA will be held by former chemical industry lobbyists, raising new fears about the health and safety of the American public, consumers and workers, campaigners say.

“The lunatics are running the asylum, and industry is firmly in charge of chemical safety,” said Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group non-profit, which lobbies on chemical safety issues. “They will stop at nothing to reverse the progress that we’ve made in recent years on toxic chemicals.” The Guardian

Politics and the Waters of the United States

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the definition of the Waters of the United States in the case Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. The result of that decision is estimated to have eliminated more than half of the nation’s wetland acres eligible for protections by the Clean Water Act. Iowa Public Radio.

Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025.Using techniques that they discovered, other scientists are applying their techniques to applications that include separating PFAS from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide or harvesting water from desert air. Water Online.

Lead Pipe Removal Lags As Federal Government Fails to Release Funds

The Trump administration is months behind schedule in distributing an estimated $3 billion to remove and replace lead water pipes, delaying infrastructure projects critical to protecting people from the toxic heavy metal. The 2021 infrastructure law included $15 billion to help fund the replacement of millions of lead-based drinking water pipes nationwide. The money has been divvied up and distributed in tranches to states each year, typically in the spring.

But nearly five months after EPA announced other funding this year for water projects through the State Revolving Funds, money for lead pipes remains held up. At least three states with a large number of lead pipes — Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts — said the delay could push back construction schedules for pipe replacement projects. Politico Pro

Heavy Rains Increase Microplastics in Water

Research conducted in India and South Africa demonstrates a sharp increase in microplastics in water after heavy rains. Yahoo News.

Microplastics Are Concentrated in Brain Tissue

A new study at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences, which examined the bodies of 47 cadavers, found microplastics in the brain are much higher in concentration than other parts of the body.The worst part is that this concentration has increased by 50% in only eight years. Researchers found 4,800 micrograms of microplastics per gram of brain tissue, the equivalent of a plastic spoon in total. Though the exact impact is unknown with these microplastics, One of the researchers said, “We start thinking that maybe these plastics obstruct blood flow in capillaries. There’s the potential that these nanomaterials interfere with the connections between axons in the brain. They could also be a seed for aggregation of proteins involved in dementia. We just don’t know.” Yahoo News.

Residential Removal of Microplastics from Water

Avoiding microplastics in the environment is becoming increasingly difficult. Removing them from drinking water is relatively easy.

Standard treatments for drinking water like reverse osmosis and carbon filtration do an excellent job on microplastics, so no special equipment is needed.

Reverse osmosis, which filters out particles down to 0.001 microns, is the best treatment, but standard carbon filtration also works very well. Highest removal percentages with carbon filtration are obtained with carbon block filters. The tighter the filter, the better the result, but even small end-of-faucet filters and pitcher filters are reasonably effective. Changing cartridges frequently is important.

Bottled Water may not be the cleaner choice

New study links microplastics to chronic health issues as industry spokespeople cite limitations

By Angelica Stabile

“Individuals who drink bottled water regularly ingest up to 90,000 more particles each year than those who drink mainly tap water.”

Microplastics are a known threat to overall health — and eating and drinking from plastic containers, like water bottles, could be a great offender, researchers suggest. A new study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials analyzed 141 existing scientific papers on microplastics and nanoplastics from single-use plastic water bottles to gauge how much plastic people may be ingesting. Researchers at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, discovered that the average person consumes 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles per year, according to a university press release.

Individuals who drink bottled water regularly ingest up to 90,000 more particles each year than those who drink mainly tap water, the study found.

The researchers noted that nanoplastics are especially concerning, as they’re invisible to the naked eye and smaller than 1 micron. They can also enter human cells, cross biological barriers and have the potential to reach organs and tissues, they cautioned.

“People need to understand that the issue is not acute toxicity – it is chronic toxicity,” said the lead researcher of the study.

Nanoplastics and microplastics have both been linked to serious and long-term health complications, including respiratory and reproductive issues, brain and nerve toxicity, and cancer risks.

These particles entering the bloodstream and vital organs can also cause chronic inflammation, oxidative stress on cells and hormonal disruption, according to the release.

These tiny plastic pieces emerge as bottles are made, stored, transported and broken down, and shed particles when they’re manipulated and exposed to sunlight or temperature changes, experts cautioned.

Exposure to sunlight and temperature changes can cause plastic particles to shed, experts warn.

“The long-term effects remain poorly understood due to a lack of widespread testing and standardized methods of measurement and detection,” the release stated.

Lead study author Sarah Sajedi, an environmental management expert and Ph.D. candidate at Concordia University, said in the press release that the health risks of plastic water bottles are “seriously understudied.”

“Education is the most important action we can take,” she said. “Drinking water from plastic bottles is fine in an emergency, but it is not something that should be used in daily life. People need to understand that the issue is not acute toxicity — it is chronic toxicity.”

Individuals who drink bottled water regularly ingest up to 90,000 more particles each year than those who drink mainly tap water.

The analysis did have some limitations, the researchers noted. The numerous studies used various testing methods, which means results are not always comparable. Some were also lacking in data on the size and composition of these particles.

The researchers called for further standardized testing and stronger policies to control the contamination of plastics in bottled water.

The analysis was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Concordia University.

Industry reps speak out

In January 2025, the International Bottled Water Association issued a statement related to the risk associated with microplastics and nanoplastics, pointing out that bottled water is among thousands of food and beverage products that are packaged in plastic containers.

“The bottled water industry is committed to providing consumers with the safest and highest quality healthy hydration products,” says the statement on IBWA’s website. “Micro- and nanoplastics are found everywhere in the environment — in the air, soil and water.”

“Because there are no certified testing methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics, the industry supports conducting additional research on this important issue.”

The FDA issued a statement on the topic in 2024, stating that “current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.”

In 2024, the FDA issued a statement on the topic, stating that “current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.”

The agency noted that it will continue to monitor research on microplastics and nanoplastics in foods and that it is “taking steps to advance the science and ensure our food remains safe.”

In a 2022 report from the World Health Organization, the agency stated that “no adverse health effects could be drawn from dietary exposure to micro- and nanoplastic particles less than 10 microns due to minimal scientific research.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Concordia University researchers and to multiple bottled water companies for comment.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

This article is truncated. See full article, with graphics, at Fox News.

Pure Water Gazette Fair Use Statement

Water News for September of 2025

EPA Chickens Out on Much Needed Regulation of Meat and Poultry Slaughter Facilities

In a move celebrated by US meat and poultry producers but mourned by environment and health advocates, federal regulators are walking back a proposed rule that would have strengthened water pollution standards for slaughterhouse operators.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that “it is not appropriate to impose additional regulation on the [Meat and Poultry Products] industry, given Administration priorities and policy concerns, including protecting food supply and mitigating inflationary prices for American consumers.” Additional regulations on the industry’s wastewater would also result in increased air pollution and solid waste, the EPA wrote. [This interesting argument seems to say that we can keep contaminants out of our landfills by putting them instead into our bodies.] Source:  New Lead. Full article can be found in the Pure Water Gazette.

Campbell Soup Excels in Clean Water Act Violations

Campbell Soup Supply Co. admitted to violating the Clean Water Act at least 5,400 times between April 2018 through Dec.2024 by dumping waste from its canning factory in Napoleon, Ohio, into the Maumee River, according to a court document filed recently.

The lawsuits claim the Napolean plant has been violating the Clean Water Act by discharging millions of gallons of wastewater into Lake Erie and the Maumee River since 2018. Court documents state the wastewater included high levels of phosphorous, which can contribute to the toxic algal blooms in the lake each year.

Other substances alleged to have contaminated the water include ammonia, E. coli, oil, grease and more. Spectrum News 

Towns Are Sinking Because of Groundwater Depletion

A town in Arizona is literally sinking, and local officials say they are in a race against time, megafarms, climate change and state politicians to stop it.

The desert community of Wenden resides roughly 100 miles west of Phoenix, in La Paz County.  NBC News reports it has sunken into a subsidence bowl, dropping 3.5 feet over 15 years and continuing at more than 2 inches annually.

The culprit? The depletion of groundwater via wells that supply the town with its drinking water. Yahoo News.

Water Monitor Lizard is on the Rise

The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is the world’s second-largest species of lizard, reaching lengths of about two metres (7ft). It can be found in rivers, lakes and swamps across south-east Asia and into India and China. Increasingly, however, the dark brown lizard can be spotted in urban areas, joining an exclusive league of animals that have carved out a stronghold in cities. The Guardian for the full story.

PFAS Contamination is more widespread than previously thought

Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” are in everything from Band-Aids and clothing to water and floss. However, new research reveals they are potentially even more widespread in the U.S. than previously thought.

The research done by Northeastern University’s PFAS Project Lab reveals that while there are about 2,200 known sites of PFAS contamination in the U.S., there are close to another 80,000 likely contaminated sites. It presents what the researchers say is a much more complete — and stark — picture of PFAS contamination while also presenting legislators, communities and environmental activists with a roadmap of where to focus their efforts. Water Online. See full article. 

Iowa Is Losing Most of its water quality sensors

At a critical time when nitrate contamination is growing at an alarming rate, time has run out on a short-term plan to continue funding a network of sensors that monitors the water quality in Iowa’s rivers and streams. Unless new funding can be secured, dozens of sensors will be taken offline next year, eliminating the ability to measure nitrate and phosphorus to see if conservation practices are working. TheGazette.com 

The Hidden Cruelty of the Tropical Fish Trade

In a world of problems, you probably haven’t given a lot of thought to what’s going on inside the attractive aquarium in the bank lobby. What seems like a peaceful hobby often hides a trail of harm. The tropical fish trade is massive: the global ornamental fish market was estimated at $5.9 billion in 2022 and is projected to surpass $11 billion by 2030. About 55 million marine animals—including fish, corals, and invertebrates—are sold annually, worth more than 2.1 billion. In this trade, up to 30 million marine fish may be removed from coral reefs each year. Full story, if you would like to pursue it, in Wiki Observatory.

EPA will no longer publish ongoing research

Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, which ensures drinking water is safe, have been instructed by Trump officials to halt publishing ongoing research in an “unprecedented” move.

Staffers at the agency’s research office told the Washington Post they were summoned to a town hall this week and told that their studies would be subject to a new review process, a change they said was ordered by political appointees. The Independent. Full report. 

Chicago River makes a comeback

Chicago River that was too polluted for human contact for decades was just opened for swimming because of gains resulting from the Clean Water Act. Full story in The Guardian.

The Planet’s Waters are Failing the critical pH test

The world’s oceans have failed a key planetary health check for the first time, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, a report has shown. In its latest annual assessment, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said ocean acidity had crossed a critical threshold for marine life.

This makes it the seventh of nine planetary boundaries to be transgressed, prompting scientists to call for a renewed global effort to curb fossil fuels, deforestation and other human-driven pressures that are tilting the Earth out of a habitable equilibrium. Oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and play an essential role as a climate stabilizer. Read more.

EPA walks back proposal to limit water pollution from meat and poultry plants

Pure Water Gazette Introductory Note:  Two things.  First, the article below underlines what is one of our most harmful sources of water contamination and the one that is most neglected: animal farming. Pay attention to the outrageous amounts of pollutants that go into our water continually from the factory farming of animals. Second, the “walk back” of regulation is the standard operating mode of our time. EPA bulletins for the current year (2025) continually celebrate reversal of standards previously established by the EPA. Cancellation and reversal of regulatory standards are touted as accomplishment when they are actually good news for agribusiness and other polluting industries but very bad news for the rest of us.  

In a move celebrated by US meat and poultry producers but mourned by environment and health advocates, federal regulators are walking back a proposed rule that would have strengthened water pollution standards for slaughterhouse operators.

The move to withdraw the proposed rule was published September 3 in the Federal Register.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that “it is not appropriate to impose additional regulation on the [Meat and Poultry Products] industry, given Administration priorities and policy concerns, including protecting food supply and mitigating inflationary prices for American consumers.”  Additional regulations on the industry’s wastewater would also result in increased air pollution and solid waste, the EPA wrote.

Slaughterhouses and rendering facilities have long come under fire from health and environmental advocates for polluting US rivers and streams with nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients which can contaminate drinking water and cause harmful algal blooms that are harmful to humans and animals.

In 2019, slaughterhouses released over 28 million pounds of the nutrients directly into waterways.

In a 2023 environmental assessment, the EPA determined that over 60 million people in the US live within one mile of a stream or river potentially impacted by wastewater discharge from the meat or poultry facilities.

“We appreciate the EPA’s acknowledgement of our industry’s dedication to properly treat wastewater coming from our plants to a very high standard,” Nath Morris, president of the US Poultry & Egg Association, said in a statement.

The EPA’s decision “ends a regulatory disaster that would have forced meat processing facilities to close, causing food prices to go up and hardship for livestock and poultry producers,” Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the  Meat Institute, added in a statement.

The US EPA in 1974 implemented a regulation for pollutants in wastewater directly discharged by facilities that make meat and poultry products, which the agency amended in 2004. The regulation still only applies to about 150 of the industry’s more than 5,000 facilities and fails to cover phosphorus and pollutants in wastewater that plants indirectly discharge.

Environmental advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in 2019, challenging the EPA’s lack of action to update water pollution standards for slaughterhouses and rendering facilities. The agency announced in 2021 that it would update standards, but failed to commit to a timeline by which it would issue a new rulemaking, leading the groups to sue again.

In what Earthjustice called “a victory for clean water,” the EPA in 2023 announced it would publish updated water pollution standards for slaughterhouses and rendering facilities by August 2025.

The EPA’s proposed rulemaking in 2024 under the Biden administration could have resulted in 16 facilities closing, with any supply chain disruptions being “minimal, temporary and localized,” according to the agency’s evaluation at the time.

The proposed regulations would have reduced pollutant discharges by almost 100 million pounds per year, including nine million pounds of nitrogen discharges and eight million pounds of phosphorus.

The agency’s preferred option would have cost about $232 million annually and would “allow the Agency to achieve significant reductions in nutrients and conventional pollutants in a way that avoids potential supply chain disruptions in the nation’s food supply,” according to the EPA’s proposal.

The decision to step back from new rules is a blow to years of efforts to limit pollution of important waterways, critics said.

“This decision by the Trump Administration will mean that slaughterhouses will continue to dump huge amounts of pollution into America’s waterways, making them unhealthy for swimming, fishing, and drinking,” Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said in a statement. “This gross neglect degrades the quality of life of Americans across the country.”

New Lede

Pure Water Gazette Fair Use Statement

Water News for August 2025

Dead Fish in Unicorn Lake, Denton, TX.

Officials determined the most likely cause of the large number of fish deaths was a temporary drop in dissolved oxygen, either due to recent weather conditions or algae activity within the pond.  Skeptics said that a more likely cause was overflow from an upstream pond known to be polluted with raw sewage.  Full Story: Denton Record Chronicle.

PFAS and Your Community

A map prepared by EWG using EPA data shows highest levels of PFAS contamination in the Eastern US.  Here’s the map, if you want to check on your community.

Uncle Putin, Give Us Water

Children in occupied Ukraine have adopted the plea “Uncle Putin, give us water” in imitation of past generations’ pleas for mercy addressed to oppressive Russian rulers.
Residents of Donetsk and other parts of the Donbas region occupied by Russia since 2014 are suffering from a water shortage that threatens to escalate into a humanitarian catastrophe. In many households in this war-torn region, water currently flows only every three days for a few hours. When it finally runs from the tap, the water is often blackish, foul-smelling, and unfit for consumption. The water pressure in the pipes is so low that the upper floors of apartment buildings are not supplied. Full story in Le Monde.

World Resources Institute Paints Bleak Picture Regarding Water Security

A total of 25 countries – home to a quarter of the global population – face extremely high water stress each year, regularly using up almost their entire available renewable supply.
That is according to a new report by the World Resources Institute (WRI), which defines a country facing ‘extreme water stress’ as one that uses 80% of its available renewable water supply annually.

The six most water-stressed countries are Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar, leaving them vulnerable to shortages.

The research also found that half of the world’s population — around four billion people — live in countries under ‘highly water-stressed conditions’ for at least one month of the year, using 40% of their supply. ISEP.

Heavy Flooding Worldwide

Sudden floods triggered by heavy rains have killed more than 400 people across parts of Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir and Nepal with scores of people still missing.

In northwestern Pakistan, at least 321 people were killed in the space of 48 hours with more than ten villages in the Buner region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province devastated by flash flooding.
It comes after India’s Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that the rainfall was due to a “cloudburst,” which is a sudden and heavy downpour of more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain in just one hour.

Analysts warned the human-made climate crisis has exacerbated the intensity and frequency of seasonal floods in the Himalayas this year.  MSN

Non-Revenue Water Resulting from Chlorine Sensors

Non-revenue water (NRW) losses are a significant concern for drinking water utilities worldwide because they represent water that is produced but does not generate revenue, impacting both financial sustainability and resource management. Water is lost through leaks, pipe bursts, or overflows in the distribution system. Aging infrastructure, poor maintenance, and high system pressures often contribute to these losses.

One often overlooked source is water losses generated from chlorine sensor waste streams. Most chlorine sensors require 70,000 gallons (265,000 liters) or more per year per sensor of treated water to be disposed of. This is true for online DPD instruments but also amperometric sensors. With an estimated 88,268 analyzers in operation across 29,423 chlorine-using community water systems, the total wasted water is 6,178,771,200 gallons (23,390,000,000 liters) per year. — Water Online

PFAS and Changes In Gene Activity

New research suggests exposure to some common PFAS or “forever chemical” compounds causes changes to gene activity, and those changes are linked to health problems including multiple cancers, neurological disorders and autoimmune disease. The Guardian 

Five Dead in NYC from Legionnaires’ Disease

Four people in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood have died from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, an aggressive and potentially deadly form of pneumonia. The city has seen 99 confirmed cases with 17 people in hospital with the infection, according to the New York City Department of Health.  Officials have traced the outbreak back to 12 cooling towers on 10 buildings where bacteria were growing, including at a hospital and a health clinic.  Eleven of the 12 cooling towers have undergone remediation efforts, and the final one is expected to be fixed with the week, according to New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Since the outbreak began on July 25, the New York City Health Department has reported 108 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem — a historically Black neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. The latest death was reported on Aug. 18 after health officials concluded that a person with the disease who died before mid-August was associated with the Central Harlem cluster.

Legionnaires’ disease is relatively rare, with less than 18,000 people hospitalized in the US every year, according to medical research center Cleveland Clinic.

Transmission does not happen from person-to-person contact, but rather by mist in the air. The Legionella bacteria grows in stagnant, warm water, like the water that collects at the bottom of building cooling towers. The risk of serious complications from the disease, including lung failure and death, is highest for people aged 50 over as well as for smokers.  MSNBC 

Effort to End the World Plastics Pollution Crisis Fails

Negotiators in Geneva have rejected the draft treaties for an agreement to end the plastics pollution crisis. The main sticking point has been whether the treaty should impose plastic production limits or focus instead on waste management, recycling and reuse, with oil- and gas-producing countries and the plastics industry opposing production limits. Countries in the latter camp include Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran, reportedly with the support of the US.  The Guardian 

Is Natural Mineral Water Still Natural if it has been filtered?

This is a debate that has been going on in France since the 18th century. The debate has heated up.  See the full story in The Conversation. 

Water levels at Lake Powell, the giant reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border, have dropped to their lowest point in three years, prompting boat ramp closures and raising fears about downstream water supplies and hydroelectric power generation that could affect millions of people across the West.

Of greater concern in the long term is how dropping water levels will impact both power generation and water supply: There’s a chance that Lake Powell’s water level could fall to an elevation that would force the stoppage of power generation at the Glen Canyon Dam, which would affect electricity supply to millions of people in many states.  USA Today.

The U.S. National Park Service announced that one of the primary boat launches within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah – the Wahweap Main Launch Ramp – will be closed starting Aug 18. And the Park Service is relocating the Rainbow Bridge floating dock into deeper water.

The sea is swallowing up coastal villages in the Philippines 

Residents of Hagonoy, a municipality on Luzon, the Philippines’ largest and most populous island, are seeing their homes and streets flooded more often as global heating causes sea levels to rise. A powerful series, with excellent photos:   The Guardian.  

Near Deaths from Hot Tub 

Health issues prevented two women, who were in their 80s, from climbing out of a hot tub after they became unresponsive after overheating and developing hyperthermia.   A third woman got in the hot tub to keep the women’s heads above water while a fourth woman called 911.They recovered after treatment consisting of immersion in cold water. New York Times.  

Water Sommeliers

When you go to a restaurant, how often do you think about what the water tastes like?  Now more than a dozen restaurants in the US offer a water menu. A restaurant in England now has a water sommelier at hand to explain the distinct taste notes offered by each choice – with one bottle costing as much as £19 ($25).  For a full explanation of what may be a growing trend to offer diners expensive water served in wine glasses in restaurants, see The Guardian.

Water Main Breaks: Summer Epidemic

Summer is always the most stressful time for aging water infrastructure. With many cities nursing along piping that has been in place for decades, water main breaks and water infrastructure failure abound in the summer months.  Here are a few notable cases from this month’s news involving water main breaks and contamination that can be blamed on aging infrastructure.

• Manhattan Pipe Break Creates River On Broadway, Massive Subway Delays

  Unfortunately, water main breaks might be the most high-profile way in which the public interacts with drinking water or wastewater infrastructure. And of all such incidents, none are more…

• Pittsburgh Issues Boil Water Advisory Following Bird Poop Contamination

  Pittsburgh has had its fair share of water quality concerns these days, but the latest may be one of the worst yet.

• Philadelphia Struggles With Water Main Breaks

  The need for Philadelphia to update its water infrastructure is never more apparent than in the winter.

• Preserving Pressure, Protecting Service: Upgrading Hydrant Infrastructure In Kent County

  When Kent County Water Authority faced the urgent replacement of a 94-year-old hydrant tied to a 1931 cast iron main, they were determined to maintain fire protection and avoid customer disruption.

• Cincinnati On Brink Of Infrastructure Disaster

  Cincinnati is undergoing a water infrastructure crisis, and it is unclear where it will find the funding it needs to make upgrades.

• Massive Water Main Break Strikes Atlanta

• Boil-Water Notice Hits 100,000 Pittsburgh Residents

• Costly Mistake Affects Drinking Water In Fort Lauderdale

• NBC News: ‘I’m Scared To Give It To My Kids’: Baltimore’s Water Issues Are Symptoms Of A Growing National Problem

• Amid Waterline Repairs, Tennessee Residents Told To Boil Their Water

• Rupture In Detroit Illustrates Breadth Of Main Break Issues

Action at the EPA

We decided to skip reporting EPA actions for August. They were numerous and very much the same. Most EPA activity for August consisted of rolling back regulatory policies of previous administrations in an effort to “make America great” by freeing businesses from onerous environmental protection standards.

Outrage in Iowa–Residents demand action to clean up dangerously polluted water

by Carey Gillam

Pure Water Gazette Note: The article below reflects the public demand for regulation of water polluters. It shows how out of touch the current Washington administration is. The new administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, has made clear that under the new administration the regulation of water contamination will be significantly narrowed, as such regulatory principles as the strict enforcement of “water of the United States” laws  “placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business.”  Zeldin has made clear that the EPA’s focus will now turn to freeing business from the onerous concerns of water protection. Is that what people want? The Iowans described below seem more concerned about shutting down the cancer epidemic than helping agribusiness avoid those inconvenient water protection  rules. 

DES MOINES, Iowa — Several hundred Iowa residents gathered in the state capital this week, calling on public officials – and each other – to take swift action against dangerously polluted water supplies that are closely linked to the state’s powerful agricultural industry.

Some attendees drove for hours from rural farmsteads for the Aug. 4 event, squeezing into a packed auditorium on the campus of Drake University to listen to a team of scientists detail new research showing how multiple harmful pollutants flowing through Iowa watersheds are jeopardizing public and environmental health.

The crowd cheered and applauded loudly as speakers outlined a need for new regulations on farm pollution, while discussion of a decision by public officials to slash funding for water quality monitoring devices drew a chorus of boos. Organizers said roughly 800 attended in person and another 400 participated online.

The forum focused on data in the research report, which was commissioned by Polk County officials in Des Moines and released by county commissioners last month. It adds to years of mounting evidence that pesticides, fertilizers, manure and other contaminants from Iowa farms and livestock operations are contaminating waterways used for drinking water, fishing and swimming, and likely contributing to the rising cancer rates that are impacting families across the state.

“Where do we want the state to be in 25 or 50 years?” Larry Weber, a University of Iowa scientist who helped author the water report, asked the audience. “When are we going to start to make the choices that put us in a position that move us in the right direction?”

Seeking a ‘course correction’

Iowa has the second-highest rate of cancer in the nation, and has become one of only two US states where cancer overall is increasing. Leukemia, as well as cancers of the pancreas, breast, stomach, kidney, thyroid and uterus, are among the different cancer types on the rise across Iowa, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Many of the chemicals and other pollutants contaminating water sources are scientifically linked to these cancers as well as other health problems.

Nitrates, generated by fertilizer and manure, are a particular concern, routinely found in Iowa waters at levels above the 10 milligrams per liter federal regulators set as a safe standard. Babies are at risk for severe health problems when consuming nitrates in drinking water, and exposure to elevated levels of nitrates in drinking water has been linked by researchers to cancers of the blood, brain, breast, bladder and ovaries.

Nitrate levels this summer in Iowa have been so far above federal standards that the utility serving 600,000 people in and around Des Moines restricted water use because the utility could not safely clear the high levels.

Though the restrictions recently eased, on Aug. 5, the day after the forum, laboratory testing by the Central Iowa Water Works in Des Moines still showed unsafe levels of nitrates in water samples from the Raccoon River, one of the two main rivers that supplies the area’s drinking water.

A spokeswoman said the utility was currently drawing from other water sources due to the nitrate levels in the river.

State officials generally point the finger at smoking, alcohol use and other factors as driving the cancer rates, and have been reluctant to look too hard at agriculture, according to Adam Shriver, director of wellness and nutrition policy at the Harkin Institute at Drake who helped lead the drinking water forum this week.

“That part of the conversation [agriculture] oftentimes gets pushed down and pushed away,” he said. “Iowa has a long history of basically putting the thumb on the scale when it comes to looking at issues related to agriculture and public health.”

But public support for new regulations on agriculture appears to be growing, Shriver said.

“People want a course correction. They are not satisfied with what is being done now,” he said. “They’re tired of being told ‘oh yeah everything is fine, don’t worry about it.’”

‘Something in the water‘

Angela Connolly, a Polk County supervisor who has served in office since 1998 and who attended the Monday evening meeting, is among those whose patience has run out when it comes to Iowa’s water pollution problems.

“This was the largest crowd I’ve ever seen on a single subject,” she said. “We have to show the political will. We have to go to the state house and demand change for water quality.”

Connolly said her 47-year-old daughter-in-law has suffered from breast and colon cancer, and she knows of several other people in their 40s also suffering from cancer.

“I truly believe that there is something in the water and I want something done about it,” she said.

With nearly 87,000 farms, Iowa is a key producer of many agricultural products, ranking first in the production of corn, pork and eggs, and within the top five states for growing soybeans and raising cattle. Of Iowa’s 35.7 million acres of total land, roughly 31 million is devoted to farming. Agriculture contributes close to $160 billion to the state’s economy – roughly one-third of the state’s total economic output, according to the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Many farmers are among the voices calling for changes to help mitigate the pollution fouling the waterways. Those relying on private well water say they feel at particular risk from pollutants that are so prevalent in rural areas.

Seth Watkins, who traveled 120 miles from his farm west of Des Moines to attend the drinking water forum, said he has altered his farming practices to reduce contributing contaminants to the watershed, but still worries about the water – not just for his family, but also for his livestock.

He questions whether the chemicals contaminating the area contributed to the fact that both his children were born with health challenges.

“It would be great if we could do this voluntarily, but I don’t know any society in the history of mankind that has actually protected our natural capital without some level of enforceable regulation,” Watkins said.

‘Going backwards‘

A particular point of concern when it comes to water contamination is the abundance of large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) across the state that regularly generate large quantities of manure, and related agricultural businesses such as slaughterhouses.

Despite pleas from environmental groups, state officials have shown continued support for the animal operations.

In one contamination case angering Iowans, Agri Star Meat and Poultry, which operates a beef and poultry slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, was found to have exceeded wastewater limits roughly 60 times, leading to “acutely toxic concentrations” of ammonia in area waterways. The operation also failed to comply with monitoring and reporting requirements, according to a July 30 announcement from the Iowa Attorney General’s office.

The state has ordered the company to pay a $50,000 penalty and given it until the end of 2026 to come into compliance.The action by the state came after a local nonprofit sued Agri Star for allegedly violating water quality laws.

In another agricultural contamination case, NEW Co-op is paying a $50,000 fine for an ammonia nitrogen release last year that caused a “significant” fish kill along 48 miles of the Nishnabotna River that flows as a tributary of the Missouri River in southwestern Iowa.

As part of the settlement with the state, the company agreed not to violate Iowa’s water quality laws for three years.

The fertilizer spill and fish kill sparked farmer Denise O’Brien, who lives with her husband on the farm he grew up on in Atlantic, Iowa, to join with others in her area to start the Nishnabotna Water Defenders. The nonprofit focuses on monitoring and protecting the water quality in their region and is training people to test water and push for polluter accountability.

O’Brien said her mother and sister died of cancer and several neighbors suffer from ovarian, breast and pancreatic cancers as well as Parkinson’s disease. She and her husband drove with neighbors an hour and a half to attend the forum.

“Our public officials don’t have a political will,” she said in an interview following the forum. “There’s a lot of groundwork to do, not only testing water, but encouraging people to be involved politically, because people are just giving up … we’re going backwards now.”

In concluding the water meeting, organizers asked attendees to sign up for training to help with both water quality monitoring and with public advocacy efforts, and an environmental group offered free water testing kits for people to collect nitrate readings in their communities.

The audience responded with a standing ovation. The song “Bridge over troubled waters” played as they trailed out of the auditorium.

Source: The New Lede

Gazette Fair Use Statement

By Christian Bonawandt

For a planet that is 71% water, Earth is in a shockingly short supply of drinking water sources. Freshwater comprises only about 3% of all water, and less than half of that is accessible to humans. New research published in the journal Science Advances reveals that this meager quantity has been rapidly dwindling for more than 20 years due to a combination of factors related to both climate and direct human activity. Using NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data, the research shows that areas experiencing drying have been expanding at a dangerous rate since 2002, depleting available drinking water for 75% of the world’s population and contributing to rising sea levels.

According to the report, the single largest threat to terrestrial water storage (TWS) in non-glacial regions is groundwater depletion. Over-pumping of groundwater accounts for 68% of TWS losses, which exacerbates the impacts of rising temperatures, aridification, and extreme drought events. This is especially noticeable in California’s Central Valley, the southern Ogallala Aquifer, the Northwestern Sahara Aquifer System, the Arabian Aquifer System, and the Tarim, Indus, Ganges-Brahmaputra, and North China Aquifer Systems. In many areas, groundwater is being depleted at unsustainable or even increasing rates. “It’s like this sort of creeping disaster that has taken over the continents in ways that no one was really anticipating,” Jay Famiglietti, one of the study’s co-authors, told ProPublica.

Even worse, much of the extracted groundwater is discharged back into the ocean. Not only does this make it harder to use for drinking water, but it is also contributing to rising sea levels. Since 2015, freshwater discharges have become the primary source (44%) of rising sea levels, surpassing the melting ice sheets in Greenland (37%) and the Antarctic (19%).

But irresponsible handling of groundwater is far from the only factor impacting existing and potential drinking water supplies. High-latitude water losses, particularly in Canada and Russia, are happening due to rising temperatures and declining precipitation. The study shows that these areas are warming at approximately four times the global average rate, leading to drying of subarctic lakes and persistent drought in regions like the Canadian prairies. Extreme drought events in Central America and Europe over the past several years have been another significant driver. These include catastrophic droughts in Europe — some of the worst in 2000 years — that are influenced by climate change, as well as widespread drying across North Africa. The same factors causing extreme drought are also causing declines in surface water, such as rivers and lakes, which account for 18% of TWS losses. The result is what the authors call “mega-drying regions”, which have been spreading across Earth’s mid-latitudes. These are areas where drying hot spots have overlapped, accelerating the problem for all those who live in and around them. The study has identified one or more mega-drying regions on nearly every continent.

Looking ahead, the authors foresee concerning conditions. The report predicts the rates of continental drying will increase in the coming decades, leading to an accelerated decline in freshwater availability. Moreover, there is little indication that these trends will reverse, and there are currently no natural or man-made mechanisms that can replenish water resources before they run out.

That doesn’t mean humanity is doomed, however. Instead, the authors suggest that local, national, and global communities prioritize groundwater sustainability. This includes both slowing rates of groundwater extraction and facilitating large-scale groundwater recharge programs. In addition, the authors call for major coordinated transdisciplinary efforts. The goal is raise awareness and motivate action around continental drying and decreasing freshwater availability, bringing them to the same level of global attention and policy focus as the carbon cycle.

Source: Water Online.