[미국] 아메리칸워터, 수질 속 ‘PFAS’ 검출 총력 대응
마크 맥도우너(Mark McDonough) 뉴저지아메리칸워터 사장은 “최첨단 연구와 기술을 결합해 인체에 잠재적 문제를 일으킬 수 있는 수질오염을 사전 예방하고 PFAS로부터 고객 보호에 힘쓰고 있다”고 발표했다. 그러면서 “올해 1월 발효된 뉴저지 환경보호부의 새로운 규제에 따라 발생할 수 있는 혼란을 최소화하기 위해 회사 운영 정책을 사전에 변경했으며 이를 통해 우리가 제공하는 물이 안전하다는 확신을 가질 수 있었다”고 밝혔다.
과불화합물이라 불리는 ‘PFAS(Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances)’는 달라붙지 않는 특성 때문에 소방산업 등 다양한 분야에 사용되는 화학물질이다. 현재 미국 내 수도시설에서 PFAS검출로 인한 수질오염 및 인체유해성 문제가 심각한 사안으로 떠오르고 있다.
뉴저지아메리칸워터는 기업 자본을 바탕으로 수질 속 PFAS의 검출 가능성이 있는 다양한 위치에서 PFAS를 비롯한 기타 화학물질을 효과적으로 제거하기 위한 실험을 진행 중이다. 실제로 회사의 PFAS 제거 프로젝트는 지난 해 주지사환경우수상 수상 및 지속가능한 행동을 위한 동맹 ‘얼라이언스 포 액션(Alliance for Action)’으로부터 선도적 사회기반 시설 프로젝트 상을 수상한 바 있다.
뉴저지아메리칸워터는 수처리장 내 펌프, 수도관 등의 기반시설에 매년 약 3억5천만 달러 이상 적극적인 투자를 통해 고품질의 안정적인 물 서비스를 공급하고 있다. 또한 주 전역의 800명 이상의 전문가를 통해 수처리 시설 프로그램 향상 등에 힘쓰고 있다.
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New Jersey American Water Assures Customers its Systems are In Compliance with PFAS Regulations
Compliance issues experienced by another water provider has no impact on New Jersey American Water customers
CAMDEN, NJ (Nov. 2, 2021) – New Jersey American Water, the state’s largest water and wastewater utility company, is assuring its customers that the company’s drinking water meets state and federal regulations for quality, including those for PFAS, a group of compounds that were recently regulated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP).
Recently Middlesex Water Company issued a notice to customers served by its South Plainfield treatment facility that its water quality exceeded the NJ DEP’s limits for PFOA. Residents in Clark, Edison and South Plainfield who are New Jersey American Water customers are not impacted by Middlesex Water Company’s notification.
“New Jersey American Water combines the dedication of water quality experts, cutting-edge research, and advanced technology to help recognize potential issues, such as PFAS, before they impact water quality, optimize treatment to help reduce the impact, and engineer sustainable solutions to help protect customers,” said Mark McDonough, President of New Jersey American Water. “We began making operational changes to achieve compliance with these new regulations before they became effective in January 2021, so our customers can feel confident that the water we provide is safe.”
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of manufactured organic chemicals that are used in a variety of products for their nonstick properties, as well as in industrial applications such as firefighting. While many drinking water utilities are challenged by PFAS contamination, New Jersey American Water leverages its size, diverse locations, and economy of scale to identify and mitigate the risks from PFAS and other chemicals that are not yet widely understood.
The company successfully piloted cutting-edge treatment strategies to effectively remove PFAS from several groundwater stations in its service territory. In fact, the company’s PFAS removal projects were recognized with three awards in the past year, including a Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, an Alliance for Action’s Leading Infrastructure Award, and a Commerce and Industry Association of NJ (CIANJ) 2021 Environmental Award.
New Jersey American Water’s water treatment technology, combined with its aggressive infrastructure investment program and the expertise of more than 800 professionals across the state work together to support the continued provision of high quality and reliable water service to customers. The company invests approximately $350 million annually to upgrade treatment plants, pumps and pipes throughout its service areas.
To help customers learn more about New Jersey American Water’s treatment of PFAS, the company has created a dedicated PFAS webpage at www.newjerseyamwater.com, under Water Quality.
About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states.
American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing.
[출처 = American Water(https://www.amwater.com/press-room/press-releases/new-jersey/new-jersey-american-water-assures-customers-its-systems-are-in-compliance-with-pfas-regulations) / 2021년 11월 2일자 보도자료]