Senate Reviews Chemical Security

Chemical security was the focus of a Senate hearing one day after the release of an advocacy group's report supporting water utilities' switch from gaseous chlorine.

The report, which American Water Works Assn. (AWWA) Deputy Executive Director for Government Affairs Tom Curtis called "incomplete and misleading," was released by the Center for American Progress. It listed 235 drinking water facilities and 315 wastewater facilities in 47 states that switched from gaseous chlorine to liquid bleach and ultraviolet light for disinfection.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security met to consider issues for legislation that could require utilities to stop using gas chlorine and instead to use an “inherently safer technology,” such as bleach. Committee chair Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) favors such a provision.

AWWA said it believes that the choice of disinfectants must remain a local decision.

Reprinted from AWWA Streamlines, Vol. 2, No. 6 (March 16, 2010), by permission.
Copyright © 2010, American Water Works Association

To view the full text of this AWWA article, visit http://www.awwa.org/Publications/StreamlinesArticle.cfm?ItemNumber=54148.

Source: AWWA Streamlines Staff