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Radionuclides in Drinking Water - Regulations,
Treatment and Residual Disposal
Raymond Ehrhard, P.E.
Overview
The revised Radionuclides Rule came into effect on
December 8, 2003. U.S. EPA’s revisions to the Rule provide standards that, if
met, ensure that all customers served by community water systems (CWSs) receive
water that meets the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for radionuclides in
drinking water.
In accordance with the Rule, all CWSs must
complete initial compliance monitoring by December 8, 2007. While most systems
will be in compliance with the revised Rule, systems in areas of the country
with elevated levels of naturally occurring radionuclides, and the few systems
located near facilities that could potentially contaminate source waters with
radioactive substances, might have to install new or upgrade existing treatment
to meet these revised standards. These treatment processes will produce
residuals containing regulated radionuclides.
This course is intended for state regulators,
technical assistance providers, and field staff. It outlines options available
to help systems address elevated radionuclide levels. It provides an overview of
the types of treatment listed as Best Available Technologies (BATs) and Small
System Compliance Technologies (SSCTs) by U.S. EPA, the wastes produced by these
technologies, waste disposal options and considerations, and the federal
statutes and regulations governing waste disposal.
It will also assist those professionals
that work in the upgrading and expansions of existing drinking water facilities
or the design of new facilities.
In
this course the student will learn how the EPA Radionuclide Rule affects
drinking water systems and how to respond to them. Information on how to comply
with the provisions of the Radionuclide Rule is presented. The course is
suitable for a student with basic water treatment knowledge or for an advanced
student that needs to brush up on water treatment basics. It is geared toward
treatment plant operators and those consulting engineers involved with water
plant designs and upgrades.
The student is expected to read and review the material contained in the A
Regulators’ Guide to the Management of Radioactive Residuals from Drinking Water
Treatment Technologies, USEPA, Office of Water (4606M), EPA 816-R-05-004, July
2005.
The student must take a
multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of
this course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and
skills:
- General Requirements of
the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Act
- Regulatory Requirements of
the Radionuclide Rules
- Water Treatment Technology
Practices
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Overview of the Removal of Radionuclides from
Drinking Water
-
Effects of Radionuclides on Water Plant
Residuals and Disposal Options
Course
Click on the following
PDF attachment and review the document prior to taking a quiz
for credit.
Radionuclides in Drinking Water (559 KB)
Having Trouble Downloading the PDF File?
Right click on the link. Select "Save Target As..."
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To obtain PDH credits for this course, you will need to take a quiz for
credit. Click on the link below.
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