The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $1,000,000 research grant awarded to Cornwell Research Group in Newport News, Virginia, to assess the effectiveness of various manganese treatment technologies.
This initiative aims to enhance the capacity of states, Tribes, and small utilities to adopt and implement these technologies in smaller drinking water systems.
“The funding revealed today will assist our small drinking water systems in meeting public health standards with limited resources,” remarked Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research will aid in identifying treatment solutions that tackle the unique challenges faced by small communities in providing safe drinking water.”
Manganese is a vital nutrient in human diets and is naturally found in the environment, particularly in groundwater and surface water across the United States. However, elevated levels can pose potential neurological health risks to vulnerable populations.
Small public water systems, which serve 10,000 or fewer customers, often lack the necessary resources and capacity to implement and sustain manganese treatment systems.
Promoting the development of cost-effective, efficient, and user-friendly manganese treatment technologies will empower small, rural, and Tribal systems to address these health issues.
The research team at Cornwell Research Group will analyze the costs and performance of manganese treatment in small water systems to identify the most suitable treatment solutions for various site scenarios.
Findings and recommendations will be shared with stakeholders through site visits, workshops, webinars, and a dedicated website. This effort is anticipated to assist small utilities in the implementation and maintenance of manganese treatment in their drinking water systems.
Source :EPA
