Pennsylvania American Water Collaborates to Monitor River
Washington PA Observer Reporter
9
August 2011
By Christie Campbell, Staff writer
chriscam@observer-reporter.com
Compared to last year, reaching for a glass of ice water to quench your
thirst this summer has proven to be a bit tastier.
Last August, Pennsylvania American Water Co. fielded complaints from
customers noticing a musty odor and taste to their drinking water.
The problem, said Gary Lobaugh, external affairs manager for the
company, stemmed from elevated levels of geosmin and methylisoborneol,
which are found in algae.
Although the levels were high, it did not pose a health hazard and the
water remained safe to drink.
The elevated algae occurred during a period of hot weather and little
rain, but industrial discharges along the river also may have
contributed.
In response, PAW formed the Monongahela River Users Group last
September.
Its purpose is to provide a collaborative approach to address
environmental issues related to the river, including the need for
increased monitoring and analysis of water quality. The group meets
quarterly.
"We've organized this group to examine the effects of increased
activity that could play a role in compromising the health of the
Monongahela River watershed and the quality of this regional source of
supply," said Paul Zielinski, PAW's director of water quality and
environmental compliance.
The Monongahela River has historically supported a variety of
industries that discharge into it, including agriculture, mining and
more recently, natural gas drilling, said Lobaugh. But the water was
"incredibly warm," and temperatures did not dip overnight.
As a result, there were places where river temperatures reached 90
degrees.
The company began increasing its use of carbon filters to combat the
taste. Natural gas extraction companies also voluntarily agreed to no
longer dump untreated wastewater into the river.
"As we sit here today, we have not seen any uncharacteristic levels of
organic or inorganic substances that we saw last year," Lobaugh said.
"Source water quality has been typical."
Other members of the users group include the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the River Alert
Information Network, Allegheny County Health Dept., Marcellus Shale gas
drillers, power companies, other water utilities and industrial users.
"Each of these organizations bring a unique perspective to the
importance of this river," said Ron Schwartz, DEP's assistant southwest
regional director.
Lobaugh foresees the day when the group also will engage in
conversations with the West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection and additional stakeholders since that state is the source
of the Monongahela.
Real-time river monitoring information is available at http://www.3rain.org.