COMING SOON: WATER & WASTEWATER TRAINING
Aqua-Solutions is expanding to provide practical, operator-led training and technical assistance for rural and small water and wastewater utilities.
Planned topics include operations and maintenance, lagoons, lift stations, collection systems, pumps, asset management, regulatory compliance, emerging contaminants, utility management, and board education.
Virtual and in-person opportunities are being developed. Course schedules, locations, registration details, and continuing-education approval information will be announced soon.
Interested in hosting or attending training?
aquasolutionsh2o@gmail.com | 573-383-4693
Wastewater operator certification training
Source water protection
Emerging contaminants training
System maintenance and repair
Drinking water certification training
Technical, Managerial and Financial training
What Are Emerging Contaminants?
Emerging contaminants are substances that are being newly detected, studied, or recognized as potential concerns in our water and wastewater systems. Many are not new chemicals, but improvements in laboratory testing now allow them to be detected at extremely low concentrations.
These contaminants may come from everyday products, industrial activities, agriculture, medications, plastics, and other sources. Their potential effects, treatment requirements, and regulations continue to evolve as scientists learn more.
Common Examples
Emerging contaminants can include:
- PFAS, often called “forever chemicals”
- Pharmaceuticals and personal-care products
- Microplastics and plastic-related compounds
- Hormones and endocrine-disrupting compounds
- Industrial chemicals and manufacturing byproducts
- Pesticides and other agricultural contaminants
- Newly identified biological and chemical pollutants
The presence of a contaminant does not automatically mean that it presents an immediate health risk. Concentration, exposure, toxicity, and duration all matter. However, early identification allows utilities and communities to make informed decisions.
How They Affect Drinking Water Systems
Emerging contaminants can enter rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater used as drinking-water sources. Because many existing treatment plants were designed before these contaminants became recognized concerns, conventional treatment may not remove every compound effectively.
Water systems may face increased monitoring, public concern, changing regulations, expensive treatment decisions, and the need to protect clean water sources before contamination occurs.
How They Affect Wastewater Systems
Wastewater facilities receive contaminants from homes, businesses, hospitals, industries, and stormwater entering collection systems. Treatment plants can remove some compounds, but others may pass into treated effluent or become concentrated in wastewater solids and biosolids.
Most wastewater plants were built to remove solids, organic matter, nutrients, and pathogens—not necessarily to destroy complex emerging contaminants. This creates new challenges involving treatment, biosolids management, worker education, sampling, compliance, and long-term planning.
Practical Solutions Begin with Understanding
Aqua-Solutions helps water and wastewater professionals better understand emerging contaminants through operator education, technical assistance, source-water protection, sampling coordination, data review, and clear public communication.
We are also conducting early-stage testing of our patent-pending Thermo-Chemical Reactor technology, developed to help address PFAS, plastic waste, and municipal biosolids through one innovative platform.
New contaminants require new knowledge, practical planning, and innovative solutions.
aquasolutionsh2o@gmail.com
573-383-4693
About AQUA -SOLUTIONS LLC
