Tuesday, October 19, 2010

CAPTAINS 10 Launched!

Whew!... It's been a busy month, but we made it! CAPTAINS 10 has been launched and several customers have already been updated. We've also set up our new website and some new methods for keeping in touch with the Captains Community.

If you've never seen our Industrial Pretreatment software program, or if you just want to take a look at the latest release, I highly recommend one of our free live demos!

Check out the cool new stuff and drop us a line, or feel free to comment here. Let us know what you think! Our product development staff takes your input very seriously. In the wastewater treatment and water quality fields, there are innumerable ideas and approaches to protecting our citizens and our treatment plants. Our consultants and developers are committed to keeping CAPTAINS on the cutting edge of industrial pretreatment management.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental Offices

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced it intends to propose a rule to reduce mercury waste from dental offices. Dental amalgams, or fillings containing mercury, account for 3.7 tons of mercury discharged from dental offices each year. The mercury waste results when old mercury fillings are replaced with new ones. The mercury in dental fillings is flushed into chair-side drains and enters the wastewater systems, making its way into the environment through discharges to rivers and lakes, incineration or land application of sewage sludge. Mercury released through amalgam discharges can be easily managed and prevented.

EPA expects to propose a rule next year and finalize it in 2012. Dental offices will be able to use existing technology to meet the proposed requirements. Amalgam separators can separate out 95 percent of the mercury normally discharged to the local waste treatment plant. The separator captures the mercury, which is then recycled and reused.

Until the rule is final, EPA encourages dental offices to voluntarily install amalgam separators. Twelve states and several municipalities already require the installation of amalgam separators in dental offices.

Approximately 50 percent of mercury entering local waste treatment plants comes from dental amalgam waste. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change elemental mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish.

Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born.

More information on mercury from dental offices: water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/dental/index.cfm
More information on mercury and the environment: www.epa.gov/mercury/index.html

(SOURCE: EPA Water Headlines Listserv)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Comment Period Extended for the Proposed Revised Total Coliform Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending by 30 days the public comment period for a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, the Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (RTCR), which was published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2010. The comment period for the proposed RTCR now ends October 13, 2010.
(SOURCE: EPA Water Headlines Listserv)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Infographic: Wastewater Treatment Costs in Major U.S. Cities | Circle of Blue | WaterNews

Infographic: Wastewater Treatment Costs in Major U.S. Cities | Circle of Blue | WaterNews
"We cannot ignore the arriving wave of rehabilitation and replacement we will face over the next several decades. To do so would put the achievements of the last 30-40 years and our nation’s waters and public health at risk."

In my region of the country, the cash-strapped municipalities don't want to "ignore" these improvements, but they need help just to find the funding to make the improvements. I'm fortunate to work with some folks who are great at writing grants for these kinds of things. Otherwise, ...I don't know what these small towns would do.

How are things in your region? Is the stimulus money still flowing? Are you writing your own grants or are you getting help? If you've never gotten a grant before, I recommend that you talk to someone who has--there's a real art to answering grant questions the right way.