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#wastewater — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wastewater, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Hi, these are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.

    A quick reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.

    Last week I highlighted really terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant's 7 day running average for 8/25, but said, maybe this is a crazy outlier, let's see next week's numbers. Well, they're in, and the updated numbers are quite, quite bad. These calculations of the 7DRA were done on 8/30 and 9/1, and they are by far the worst numbers we've seen in a year (which is as far back as the dataset goes). :( :( :(

    WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistica. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth

  2. Hi, these are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.

    A quick reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.

    Last week I highlighted really terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant's 7 day running average for 8/25, but said, maybe this is a crazy outlier, let's see next week's numbers. Well, they're in, and the updated numbers are quite, quite bad. These calculations of the 7DRA were done on 8/30 and 9/1, and they are by far the worst numbers we've seen in a year (which is as far back as the dataset goes). :( :( :(

    WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistica. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth

  3. Hi, these are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.

    A quick reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.

    Last week I highlighted really terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant's 7 day running average for 8/25, but said, maybe this is a crazy outlier, let's see next week's numbers. Well, they're in, and the updated numbers are quite, quite bad. These calculations of the 7DRA were done on 8/30 and 9/1, and they are by far the worst numbers we've seen in a year (which is as far back as the dataset goes). :( :( :(

    WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistica. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth

  4. Hi, these are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.

    A quick reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.

    Last week I highlighted really terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant's 7 day running average for 8/25, but said, maybe this is a crazy outlier, let's see next week's numbers. Well, they're in, and the updated numbers are quite, quite bad. These calculations of the 7DRA were done on 8/30 and 9/1, and they are by far the worst numbers we've seen in a year (which is as far back as the dataset goes). :( :( :(

    WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistica. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth

  5. Hi, these are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.

    A quick reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.

    Last week I highlighted really terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant's 7 day running average for 8/25, but said, maybe this is a crazy outlier, let's see next week's numbers. Well, they're in, and the updated numbers are quite, quite bad. These calculations of the 7DRA were done on 8/30 and 9/1, and they are by far the worst numbers we've seen in a year (which is as far back as the dataset goes). :( :( :(

    WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistica. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth

  6. #Ontario #wastewater graph updated with August 30 data
    - Kingston, Peel, Toronto updated: wwater.ca/Ontario
    - Also updated: AB, MB, NB, NL, PEI, QC, SK, YT

    wwater.ca

    Source: health-infobase.canada.ca/wast

  7. Unfortunately, both articles are behind paywalls -- but you get the gist...

    #GallupNM #datacenter water deal draws #Navajo concerns

    By Donovan Quintero | May 14, 2026

    "A proposed data center on Gallup’s eastern industrial edge has raised questions about water, jobs, public notice and whether the project could affect the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

    "The Gallup City Council is considering whether to extend a long-term reclaimed water option tied to #TeraplexDataCentersLLC, a Virginia limited liability company identified in city documents as seeking to develop industrial and commercial uses, including a data center, on roughly 330 acres in Gallup.

    "Public materials describe Teraplex as a modular data center and power infrastructure company focused on #AI computing, integrated power systems and factory-built infrastructure. Publicly available company materials do not clearly identify completed or operating data center campuses owned by Teraplex."

    navajotimes.com/reznews/gallup

    Gallup data center proposal raises water, jobs and notice concerns

    Marcus Williams, 5/17/2026

    "A 330-acre #GallupTradeport data center could send nearly 110 million gallons of #wastewater a year into a water-stressed region already waiting on #NavajoGallup deliveries.

    "Gallup City Council put off action April 29 on a wastewater deal tied to a proposed 330-acre data center in the Gallup Tradeport, and the scale alone sharpened the stakes: nearly 110 million gallons of wastewater a year could be routed to the project if the agreement advances.

    "That number is now colliding with a much larger question in McKinley County and across the Eastern Navajo Nation, who bears the risk if a private technology campus moves ahead in a region where water is already scarce. At a May 14 discussion, speakers raised concerns about water use, public notice and whether the project could affect the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, the long-delayed system meant to carry municipal and industrial water from the #SanJuanRiver to Gallup, the eastern #NavajoNation and the southwestern #JicarillaApache Nation."

    prismnews.com/local/mckinley-n

    #ClimateCrisis #ExtremeDrought
    #Dine #WaterIsLife #WaterShortage #NoWaterForDatacenters
    #NativeAmericanNews #AIDatacenters

  8. #Michigan - Oakland County #RainSmart program expected to keep millions of gallons of #water out of #sewer - here's how

    By Amber Eikenberry
    Published January 27, 2026 12:51pm

    OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - "Two years of helping Oakland County residents install green infrastructure is expected to keep 1.4 million gallons of stormwater out of the sewer system annually.

    "During the two-year RainSmart Rebates pilot program, residents located in the George W. Kuhn Drain Drainage District were able to receive money to install rain gardens, rain barrels, and native trees to their yards.

    Participants were able to install one garden, up to two trees, and two rain barrels after an evaluation of their property to determine which infrastructure would work best.

    By the numbers:

    According to Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, the second year of the program, which started in 2024 and just wrapped up, saw a 22% increase in participation from 2024.

    This past year, 379 rain barrels, 199 native trees, and 105 rain gardens were installed.

    In 2024, there were 159 rain barrels, 98 trees, and 49 rain gardens installed.

    Since the pilot began, nearly 300 residents have participated. A total of more than $176,000 rebates were distributed, with the average participant receiving $500 for their projects.

    Why it matters:

    Flooding is a major issue in many parts of #MetroDetroit, especially in cities that are part of the #GeorgeWKuhnDrain Drainage District, including all or part of Berkley, Beverly Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Township, Southfield, and Troy,

    This is because it is a combined sewer system. In a combined system, #wastewater and #stormwater both flow through the same pipes, known as gray infrastructure, and go to a wastewater treatment plant.

    This means that during periods of intense rain like Metro Detroit has been seeing more frequently, the system can get overwhelmed. The result? Flooded streets and backups into homes.

    Also, there is a greater likelihood of contaminants making it into the system. This is a concern even for homes not on a combined sewer system.

    Rain barrels, trees, and native plant gardens all help reduce the amount of rainwater that makes it to the sewer system."

    Read more:
    fox2detroit.com/news/oakland-c

    #SolarPunkSunday #WaterCollection #Rainbarrels #NativePlants #NativeTrees #RainGardens #TreePlanting

  9. High tide for #Holtec

    #Tritium dumped into #CapeCodBay will wash back onto community shores, says a new report

    "The permanently closed Pilgrim nuclear power plant is now owned by Holtec, which wants to dump #RadioactiveWastewater into Cape Cod Bay. While waiting for a permit, so far denied, the company is quietly venting #tritium into the air."

    by Linda Pentz Gunter, Posted on December 29, 2024

    "Holtec, the company that has purchased a number of permanently closed #nuclear reactors in order to decommission them, has encountered yet another obstacle to its '#dilution is the solution to pollution' plans.

    "One of the reactor sites Holtec has taken over is #PilgrimNuclearPlant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the Cape Cod Bay, which closed permanently in 2019. Holtec’s not-so-little problem there is what do with what started out as at least 1.1 million gallons of radioactively contaminated #wastewater stored at the site.

    "The company first suggested it would simply release the wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, assuring residents and the immediately alarmed fishing community not to worry because (a) the wastewater isn’t dangerous anyway (b) everyone does this all the time at reactor sites and no one has gotten sick so far and (c) it would quickly disperse into the wider ocean. Holtec chose this disposal method for one reason alone: it is the cheapest.

    "The proposal was vigorously fought by citizens, the state, and powerful Massachusetts Democrat, Senator Ed Markey. The state of Massachusetts effectively banned the discharge option, a decision Holtec is contesting.

    "That Final Determination to Deny Application to Modify a Massachusetts Permit to Discharge Pollutants to Surface Waters was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection [#MassDEP] Division of Watershed Management on July 18, 2024. A month later, Holtec launched its appeal to reverse the decision, something that could take months or longer to find its way to court.

    "In the meantime, help has come from a new quarter in the form of an in-depth study by the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [#WHOI], also, as it happens, based on the Massachusetts shoreline, near Falmouth.

    "The study — Model-Based Study of Near-Surface Transport in and around Cape Cod Bay, Its Seasonal Variability, and Response to Wind — found that contrary to Holtec’s claims, the wastewater would not immediately disperse into the ocean, but would linger potentially for months, and wash up on the shores of area communities.

    “'We found virtually no out-of-the-Bay transport in winter and fall and slightly larger, but still low, probability of some of the plume exiting the Bay in spring and summer,' said Woods Hole study leader and physical oceanographer, Irina Rypina.

    "The radioactively contaminated wastewater stored at Pilgrim is contaminated with what Holtec and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have described as 'four gamma emitters — #Manganese54, #Cobalt60, #Zinc65 and #Cesium137 along with #Tritium, a beta radiation emitter'.

    "While the Woods Hole Study did not look at the health outcomes of releasing the radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay — only at the plume pathway — there are plenty of data that demonstrate the harmful effects of these #radioisotopes on human health, especially women and children.

    "After acquiring the Pilgrim reactor, Holtec’s President and CEO, Kris Singh, assured surrounding communities that,
    'the decommissioning of Pilgrim will replicate the superb record of public health and safety and environmental protection that typified the plant’s 47 years of operations.'

    But since that acquisition, Markey observed, 'Holtec has fallen woefully short on this commitment.' He noted of the Woods Hole report that 'In light of these recent findings, I urge Holtec to develop a wastewater discharge plan that is informed and guided by scientific fact and community input.'

    "Long-time #PilgrimWatch activist, #MaryLampert, welcomed the report’s initial findings and said that 'Holtec dumping Pilgrim’s radiological and chemically #contaminated wastewater into semi-enclosed CapeCod Bay is harmful to human health, the environment, and our marine economy.'

    "In a handbook explaining Pilgrim’s decommissioning process on the Pilgrim Watch website, the authors note that 'Cape Cod Bay, #PlymouthBay, #DuxburyBay, and #KingstonBay are all protected #OceanSanctuaries. Cape Cod Bay is a critical habitat for right whales and other endangered or special species. Dumping this #radioactive and chemically contaminated wastewater into them would cause incalculable economic damage and would harm both the environment and public health.'

    "Absent a liquid discharge permit, Holtec’s preferred solution since has been to quietly evaporate the wastewater into the air. It has done this, as revealed during a Pilgrim Nuclear Decommissioning Citizen Advisory Panel meeting, by installing submerged electric heaters to increase the plant’s ambient temperature, ostensibly in order to improve worker comfort and expedite the drying of plant components.

    "But, as Markey noted in an April 30, 2024 letter to Singh, the consequence of installing the heaters in that location 'is an increased rate of wastewater evaporation above the pace at which it occurs naturally.' That 1.1 million gallons is now down to 880,000 gallons remain, according to Holtec’s own reports.

    "As Lampert points out, 'Meteorology studies show 60% of winds blow offshore,' which means at least some of that evaporated wastewater is going to fall into the bay anyway.

    "Under Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules, Holtec has four disposal options: liquid discharge, evaporation, storage onsite, and shipping to a licensed facility. None of them are good solutions.

    "In August, Holtec filed an appeal against the state’s ban on liquid radioactive discharges, in part claiming that the decision on whether or not to allow the discharge falls under federal not state jurisdiction.

    "This, argue some opponents of Holtec’s discharge plans, is a stall and a distraction while it quietly gets on with the gradual evaporation of all the wastewater.

    "'They’re using the appeal to buy themselves time,' Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, told radio station WBUR. 'And what they buy themselves, with time, is the ability to continue to induce evaporation of the wastewater, so that ultimately it’s gone, at minimal cost to them.'

    "Lampert agrees. 'Holtec can evaporate all the water to meet its schedule to dismantle the reactor building,' she said.

    "In October, Lampert, along with other citizens representing the fishing, environmental, real estate and medical communities traveled to Boston to meet with staff in Massachusetts Governor Mary Healy’s office to demand that Healy’s administration call a halt to the evaporation.

    "'There are laws on the books already that prohibit #AirbornePollution,' Diane Turco of #CapeDownwinders told the local NPR station after the Boston meeting. “And we’re asking our governor to immediately enforce those laws… She’s been very strong about no dumping in the bay. And we see this as a parallel assault on our communities,' Turco said.

    "So far the governor has not taken action."

    beyondnuclearinternational.org
    #HoltecLies #PilgrimNuclear #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoRadioactiveDumping #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #RadioactiveWaterDumping #NewEngland #BeyondNuclearInternational

  10. #Virome #Sequencing Identifies #H5N1 Avian #Influenza in #Wastewater from Nine #Cities. MedRxIV, medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/20

    19 of 23 monitored sites had at least one detection event, and H5N1 serotype became dominant over seasonal influenza over time. A variant analysis suggests avian or #bovine origin but other potential sources, especially humans, could not be excluded.

  11. #Fukushima #Nuclear Power Plant starts 3rd round of #wastewater release, potentially impacting #seafood quality in U.S.

    By Belle Lewis - November 14, 2023

    "The #FukushimaDachii nuclear plant started its third release of nuclear wastewater on Nov. 2 as scientists warn that seafood products from the #PacificOcean could be #contaminated

    "Although the International Atomic Energy Agency approved the 30-year water release plan, scientists and civilians in nations bordering the Pacific Ocean have questioned the safety of the plan, especially as it relates to seafood.

    "In a press release approving of the plan, the IAEA stated, 'the discharges of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.'

    "#PaulDorfman, member of the Irish Government Environmental Protection Agency Radiation Protection Advisory Committee and chair of Nuclear Consulting Group, explained that some scientists have questioned IAEA’s approval of the water release.

    "'I and others are concerned by IAEA’s attitude,' Dorfman said. 'Normally even low levels of radioactive pollution will find its way into local seafood, one way or another.'

    "In 2020, #Japan exported 332,926 kilograms of frozen scallops to the U.S. Japan exports many fish products to the U.S.

    "Samantha Valeriano, a psychology student from Hawaii, said she eats seafood about once a week. She does not often think about where her food comes from but wants to be more cautious following the nuclear water release.

    "'I think I would be a little more cautious of what I ate, checking labels a little bit more,' Valeriano said. 'I would be conscious of what I ate and where it came from.'

    "As the People’s Republic of #China has imposed bans of Japanese fish exports, the #USA has supported the Japanese market by increasing fish purchases.

    "In a press release, the #UnitedStates Embassy and Consulate in Japan explained that military bases in Japan will carry Japanese seafood as a way to buoy up seafood markets and undermine the PRC’s ban.

    "'United States elected representatives and senior government officials have stood in solidarity with Japan during this baseless ban,' the statement said. 'Another step to help provide additional sales to counter the ban was to start selling Japanese seafood at the U.S. military facilities in Japan, both through the commissaries and mess halls.'

    "According to the statement, government officials like former speaker #KevinMcCarthy ate seafood from Japan as a testament to Japan’s safety standards.
    However, other U.S. agencies, like the National Association of #MarineLaboratories question whether accurate research was conducted by the IAEA and Japanese Government to determine safety of seafood products.

    "They explain that the lack of data on potential health impacts is a cause for serious concern.

    "'Many of the #radionuclides contained in the #accumulated waste cooling water have half-lives ranging from #decades to #centuries, and their deleterious effects range from #DNADamage and #cellular stress to elevated #cancer risks in people who eat affected marine organisms, such as #clams, #oysters, #crabs, #lobster, #shrimp and fish,' the statement reads. [Not to mention all the critters that feed off them! Bioaccumulation works up the food chain!]

    "Eve Nagareda, medical laboratory science major from Hawaii, shared she wants to avoid seafood from dumping grounds even if levels are considered safe.

    "'I think I would try to go as far as possible from it,' Nagareda said.

    "Kylee Wasano, pre-communications disorders student from Oahu, agreed. She explained she feels that she might already be consuming contaminated seafood.

    "'I feel like I already am eating that, and I just don’t know,' Wasano said. 'Anything that could expose you to (radiation) you should be considerate about.'

    "As organizations weigh safety concerns, scientists turn to the water release process to determine potential effects."

    universe.byu.edu/2023/11/14/fu

    #WaterIsLife #NoDumping #Hormesis #TEPCOLies #Corruption #Bioaccumulation #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NoNewNukes

  12. I am thrilled and honoured to announce that I have been appointed as the next Director of the Water: Effective Technologies and Tools (WETT) Research Centre at #RMITUniversity (starting from the end of January, 2023).

    I look forward to building on the excellent prior leadership of Prof. Jega Jegatheesan and previously, Prof. Felicity Roddick and to working with current and future members of the #WETTResearchCentre to expand and further strengthen our research, innovation and translation in water science, engineering and technologies at #RMIT.

    I look forward also to working collaboratively with water industry partners and stakeholders (including Aboriginal Traditional Owners) to provide sustainable solutions for water management and usage and to protect our natural waterways, bays and seas.

    You can find out more about the WETT Research Centre on:
    rmit.edu.au/research/centres-c

    #water #WaterResearch #WaterTechnologies #WaterTreatment #DrinkingWater #wastewater #stormwater #UrbanWater #biosolids #WaterSustainability