[LookOutSugarLake] Water Facts?

[handr at telus.net]

Hello and thanks to all who sent information. I am compiling a list  
of the major issues that are really scary about effluent discharges  
and would like to have them challenged if they are incorrect. Once we  
have a full list that we are convinced is correct, we will be in a  
position to propose solutions. Please look at the 5 items below and  
let me know if you think there is something to be corrected, deleted  
or added.

Huguette

WATER FACTS :

  1 	Water is scarce: The demand for water in the Okanagan is  
increasing while the supply is stable and predicted to decrease in  
the future (once glaciers melt and there is no second runoff)

2. Discharging treated sewage to water is a health risk: Studies have  
shown that *viruses and **pharmaceutical compounds enter water  
through elimination of urine and feces and

  2.1 	that pharmaceuticals (and viruses) are still present in  
treated effluents as well as in drinking water that has been treated

  2.2 	that some pharmaceuticals are disrupting reproductive  
abilities of amphibians and fish and causing the decline and in some  
cases disappearance of aquatic species

  2.3 	that the varieties of toxic compounds found in treated  
wastewater interact to produce wholly new toxic compounds (for  
example Acetaminophen, when exposed to the chlorination process,  
spawns two entirely new toxicants, 1,4-Benzoquinone and N-Acetyl-p- 
benzoquinone Imine.)

  2.4 	that even water that is treated to extremely high standards  
may contain traces of dangerous compounds that are not evident (the  
only studies being done in Canada are for “acidic drugs” such as  
ibuprofen because they are easiest to spot using pesticide analysis  
techniques).

  2.5 	that no such high-tech protection is available to the fish and  
other fauna who have to live in the water

  3 	The problem will get worse: With a growing and aging population  
and a medical system that relies increasingly on medication, water  
experts fear the problem will get worse.

  4 	Some grey water can be safely discharged: Unlike sewage, water  
used for cleaning purposes can be controlled at source so that no  
dangerous products are added and once treated, can be recycled safely.

  5 	Save Water, Save Power: Pumping water requires energy so  
reducing water usage reduces energy consumption. Reduced energy  
consumption lessens the need for electric power generation.  
Approximately 30-40% of the water used domestically is for flushing  
toilets.

*Detection of hepatitis E virus in raw and treated wastewater with  
the polymerase chain reaction = Applied and Environmental Biology -  
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=182320

** Pharmaceutical compounds in this document include drugs and  
personal care products such as antibiotics, chemotherapeutics,  
hormones, birth control drugs, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti- 
inflammatory drugs, veterinary drugs, as well Endocrine disrupting  
compounds (EDCs) (they are a class of potentially dangerous  
substances, which is not defined by chemical nature but by biological  
effect such as Surfactants and Phthalates which are dangerous  
endocrine disruptors that can feminize unborn males, male neonates  
and young boys by mutilating male genitals. They are strongly  
suspected to be an underlying etiology of the dramatic rise in breast  
cancer and in the worldwide phenomenon of falling sperm counts.  
Exposure to phthalates also trigger early menarche and breast  
enlargement in girls as young as 10 years old. Phthalate esters are  
additives used mainly as plasticizers to add flexibility to polyvinyl  
chloride (PVC), polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene, cellulose nitrate,  
polyamides, and polyesters.  Phthalates serve as intermolecular  
lubricants that impart flexibility. But these chemicals lack a  
covalent bond and are not chemically bound to the polymer and as a  
result, easily migrate into the environment in significant  
quantities. Phthalates are also found in soaps, shampoos, paints,  
pesticides, nail polish, caulk, and other common products)
All above facts are sourced from reliable web sites. Ask huguette  
@imagine-ere.ca for URLs.


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