Latest news, insights, and discussion on US and global drinking water regulations.

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context
Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations.
Opinion: Why PFAS Policymakers Should Read Past The Abstract When it comes to drinking water, sound public policy requires sound scientific research. Publication in a prestigious, peer-reviewed journal helps establish legitimacy for scientific claims in public discourse. But science is a social process, scientific standards of evidence vary across disciplines, and peer review does not guarantee validity. For readers who stop at the abstract, these distinctions can be easy to miss.
Planting The Seeds Of Inspiration: Eelgrass Restoration
Restoring eelgrass beds is critical because they provide habitat for many kinds of marine life, improve water quality by filtering out pollution, and the plant’s root system stabilizes the sediment on the seafloor, protecting shorelines from erosion.
PFAS Are Turning Up In The Great Lakes, Putting Water Supplies At Risk — Here's How They Get There No matter where you live in the U.S., you have likely seen headlines about PFAS being detected in everything from drinking water to fish to milk to human bodies. Now, PFAS are posing a threat to the Great Lakes, one of America’s most vital water resources.
Why Too Much Phosphorus In America's Farmland Is Polluting The Country's Water When people think about agricultural pollution, they often picture what is easy to see: fertilizer spreaders crossing fields or muddy runoff after a heavy storm. However, a much more significant threat is quietly and invisibly building in the ground.
Water In 2026: The Nexus Of Policy, Technology, And Resilience As water systems become more circular and complex, understanding and managing the subsurface — the hidden half of the water cycle — is becoming a critical enabler of resilience. This article explores the key trends shaping this new reality, from tackling “forever chemicals” to the water strategies redefining heavy industry.
PFAS In Pregnant Women's Drinking Water Puts Their Babies At Higher Risk, Study Finds
When pregnant women drink water that comes from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” the risks to their babies’ health substantially increase, a new study found. These risks include the chance of low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality.
PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
When Chemistry Meets Water Innovation
Nobel-winning molecular materials are poised to reinvent purification, desalination, and reuse.
Solving The World's Microplastics Problem: 4 Solutions Cities And States Are Trying After Global Treaty Talks Collapsed
Microplastics seem to be everywhere — in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. Countries have tried for the past few years to write a global plastics treaty that might reduce human exposure, but the latest negotiations collapsed in August 2025. While U.S. and global solutions seem far off, policies to limit harm from microplastics are gaining traction at the state and local levels.

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

SuperDisc™ Disc Filter

WesTech’s SuperDisc™ Disc Filter from Nordic Water is a Title 22 approved inside-out disc filter.The SuperDisc provides easy access for maintenance and has an efficient high pressure cleaning system. The small footprint and low head required for the filter provides an excellent option for tertiary retrofits, such as travelling bridge sand filters. The SuperDisc can produce reuse-quality effluent and total effluent phosphorus concentrations of less than 0.1 mg/L. Other applications include primary and secondary treatment, as well as a wide range of industrial applications. The SuperDisc filter is available as a freestanding unit with filter discs contained in a stainless steel tank and a version for installation in a concrete basin.

Filtration: Sea Water Filtration - Electromedia® VIII

Electromedia VIII filters suspended solids from sea water for a variety of applications including brine water injection, pre-treatment to desalinization, research facilities, and aquariums

Water Reuse: Solutions For Sustainability, Efficiency, And Resilient Water Systems

What is water reuse?

Water reuse is the process of treating and reclaiming water from various sources for practical purposes, including groundwater recharge, industrial applications, wetland restoration, agricultural irrigation, public access area uses, as well as drinking water applications. By reusing water, communities can reduce dependence on traditional water supplies, avoid costly imported water from 3rd party providers, and improve resilience in water systems. Thanks to progress in water treatment technology, along with economic and regulatory incentives, water recycling has become a cost-effective and sustainable solution to meet the growing demand for highly treated water and overcome supply shortages during droughts.

There are three primary types of water reuse: Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR), Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), and Non-Potable. In IPR reuse systems, advanced treated water is either injected into an environmental buffer (groundwater, river, or reservoir) before being extracted again for use, whereas DPR is directly blended into the drinking water treatment plant or distribution system. Non-potable water is not intended for human consumption and can be used for irrigation, industrial processes, laundry, or toilet flushing.

Advanced treatment technologies, such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation, and advanced oxidation processes (AOP), play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and safety of reclaimed water.

Why reuse water?

As water scarcity continues to rise, water reuse is an essential strategy for creating a more sustainable future. The use of recycled water reduces the demand for freshwater sources, which are becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and other factors.

Here are some key benefits of water reuse:

Safeguard quality and resilience: Reused water is purified well beyond drinking water standards, improving resilience and ensuring quality for both potable and even non-potable purposes.
Uphold safety: Treatment processes like ozone and ultraviolet light can be used to disinfect or break down complex contaminants, ensuring water is pathogen-free and concentrations are below maximum contaminant levels (MCL).
Ensure cost savings and efficiency: After treating a waste stream to discharge level, it may require less treatment to bring it to reuse standards, making reuse not only environmentally responsible but also cost-effective in many scenarios and locations.
Conserve traditional water supplies: By reusing water, we can lessen our reliance on conventional water resources like rivers, lakes, and aquifers, thereby conserving them for future generations.
Reduce carbon footprint: Water reclamation is often more efficient than treating a raw water resource, which can lessen environmental impact.
Enable versatility and customization: Advanced treatment systems are tailored to meet specific needs for a variety of sectors, including industrial, urban, agricultural, and public access area uses.

How to reuse water

The major aim of every reuse project is to minimize human health risk associated with the use or consumption of reclaimed water. While the exact treatment requirements depend upon the source water quality and the reuse purpose, to be cost-effective, the treatment must be energy efficient and have a high-water yield.

An adequate treatment design plan depends on the application the water will be used in. In non-potable applications, normally filtration and disinfection will suffice, while potable reuse generally requires a combination of advanced treatment processes such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, disinfection, and/or advanced oxidation.

Xylem has brands and solutions to fit every stage of the water reuse process:

beginning with the transport of raw sewage and wastewater with Xylem brands like Flygt
to secondary treatment to remove most dissolved and suspended organic matter and nutrients with brands like Sanitaire and Envirex
to tertiary stages that remove residual particulate matter, nutrients, TDS, and nematode eggs with brands like Leopold and Davco
along with disinfection and advanced oxidation that inactivates pathogens, and breaks down trace constituents and emerging contaminants of concern with brands like Wedeco, ETS-UV, ATG UV Systems, Pacific Ozone, and Wallace & Tiernan
and finally, digital solutions like YSI, OI Analytical, Xylem Vue that leverage remote monitoring, alerts, and data analytics for proactive and predictive maintenance

Based on practical knowledge from decades of combined brand experience, thousands of installations worldwide, and strengths in powerful R&D innovation, our team looks at the entire wastewater process at your plant. We will work with your consulting engineer and State regulators to integrate the right technologies to meet your intended targets. Modular design makes it easy to fit your requirements now and easily expand to meet your future needs.

Water reuse partnership

Though Xylem has teams of specialists, years of expertise, deep understanding of water regulations, and a broad solutions portfolio, we understand the complexities of water systems and the potential to partner with various water treatment experts. Xylem has partnered with hundreds of different firms around the globe to ensure the most efficient and viable water systems for communities and municipalities.

Our goal is to thoroughly understand each project, determine the best methods, and customize optimal solutions that meet local regulations and requirements while delivering resiliency, quality, and cost savings.

Let us be your partner in making every drop count. Contact us today to discuss your project needs.

High Capacity BABA Compliant Filter Housing

Harmsco has developed a higher capacity filter housing that is BABA compliant, and it is available in a 3X, as well as a 5X model.

Desalination Of Sea Water

Desalination is the name given to processes that remove salt from water

MoTreat: Mobile Water Pre-Treatment System

MoTreat provides a mobile solution to treat flowback and produced water on-site at the well pad area to yield water with minimal total suspended solids (TSS) which enables recycle and reuse without the need for costly trucking to off-site treatment facilities.

VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS

Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA molecules-GettyImages-2179084012

Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context

HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive

In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.”
PFAS Unpacked: Experts Answer Questions On EPA Rules, Funding, Treatment, And More

With the U.S. EPA's PFAS rules now in place, utilities are finding themselves with a growing number of questions regarding how to treat these chemicals, the potential costs, and much more. For answers, Water Online's chief editor, Kevin Westerling, hosted an Ask Me Anything session featuring Ken Sansone, Senior Partner at SL Environmental Law Group; Kyle Thompson, National PFAS Lead at Carollo Engineers; and Lauren Weinrich, Principal Scientist at American Water.
Monitoring Know-How For PFAS Regulations

A Q&A to explain and resolve issues confronting water suppliers as they endeavor to comply with the monitoring requirements of federal PFAS regulations.
Clearing LCRI Hurdles

Assessing what lies ahead in the 10-year race to go lead-free, otherwise known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).
Making Sense Of GRR For LCRR: How Galvanized Service Lines Factor Into Inventory Requirements

Many water systems are still tackling the challenge of identifying and compliantly managing galvanized and galvanized-requiring-replacement (GRR) service lines.

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What Is Aseptic Processing?

Aseptic processing sterilizes products and packaging separately, then combines them in a sterile environment. See how this method ensures safety, extends shelf life, and protects medicines from contamination.
5 Best Practices To Keep Your Incubator Shaker Contamination-Free

Learn five essential best practices to maintain a sterile incubator shaker environment, from routine cleaning and humidity control to advanced HEPA filtration for reliable results.
Photovoltaics

SWIR photoluminescence imaging enables fast, contactless inspection of photovoltaic materials, detecting defects and performance indicators with high efficiency, minimal preparation, and real-time imaging capability.
UPLC-MS/MS Determination Of GLP-1 Analogue

Discover a robust, evaporation-free method for analyzing liraglutide in human plasma using LC-MS/MS to ensure high sensitivity, reproducibility, and improved analyte recovery.
Limitations Of Spectral Measurements

Standard spectrometers struggle with steep edges and high OD. IDEX’s Peregrine and KolaDeep™ systems offer superior spectral resolution and sensitivity for precise optical filter measurement.
Enhanced Flow Kit Performance With Leak And PUPSIT Testing

Sterile drug filtration demands rigorous integrity testing to prevent contamination. Learn how PUPSIT and in situ leak testing strengthen compliance with EU GMP Annex 1 and ensure reliable manufacturing.
How Digital Twins And Hybrid Modelling Optimize Cell Culture Process For Better Production

Discover how digital twins are enabling the optimization of cell culture processes for improved, more predictable outcomes in the creation of therapeutic proteins and antibodies.
Repairing A Suspended Pipe Within 30 Minutes With HYMAX Permanent Repair Sleeve

In the picturesque village of Arzacq-Arraziguet in southwestern France, a critical water pipeline repair showcased the efficiency of modern tools and techniques.
Bioequivalence In Topical Generics: Regulatory Considerations

Regulators are increasingly favoring in vitro methods to prove bioequivalence, though differing guidelines and a new focus on matching reference product structures pose challenges.
How To Capture Growth In The Expanding Metabolic Drug Market

Driven by GLP-1 success and rising obesity rates, R&D investment in metabolic disease therapies now rivals oncology, demanding rapid development to overcome market challenges.
Identifying Contaminants Of Concern

In this article, we outline the sources, occurrence, known health issues, and mitigation options for specific contaminants.
Achieving Best Outcomes With TMF Document Processing

TMF document processing requires a delicate balancing act. Sponsors strive for accuracy and completeness, but timeliness is crucial. How can teams achieve all three? Here are some practical strategies.
Accelerating The Seed Train: Enabling N-1 Intensification

Discover how N-1 intensification shortens production timelines and improves cell viability by replacing traditional filtration with automated, low-shear separation techniques to achieve higher seeding densities.
Lentiviral Vector Upstream Process

Scalable lentiviral vector production is moving beyond adherent systems. Learn how streamlined workflows enable linear scale-up in stirred-tank bioreactors for cost-effective gene therapy manufacturing.

Contamination In The Shadows: Risks Lurking From Environmental Issues

Discover how science-based bio-decontamination strategies effectively eliminate invisible pathogens and rapidly restore facilities to operational safety following major infrastructure disruptions.
EU Annex 1: Building Modern CDMO Sterile Fill/Finish Facilities

A CDMO guide to implementing EU Annex 1 for modern sterile fill/finish facilities, covering cleanroom design, contamination control, utilities, personnel, monitoring, and audit essentials.
Elevating Downstream Process Development With Real-Time Data Monitoring

Learn how real-time monitoring with PAT enhances process control, shortens development timelines, and supports the shift toward continuous manufacturing in biopharmaceutical production.
A Risk-Based Approach To Plasmid DNA And mRNA Process Development

Balancing robust analytics and clinical readiness is key for early-phase pDNA and mRNA therapeutics amid structural complexity and regulatory challenges.

WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS

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