If you are an avid visitor of www.watertechonline.com, you may have noticed that we recently published online, exclusive content on harmful trace contaminants. This content and coverage was based off of a recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). According to a press release, "About 20 percent of untreated water samples from public, private and monitoring wells across the nation contain concentrations of at least one trace element, such as arsenic, manganese and uranium, at levels of potential health concern."

"In public wells, these contaminants are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and contaminants are removed from the water before people drink it," said Joe Ayotte, USGS hydrologist and the study's lead author. "However, trace elements could be present in water from private wells at levels that are considered to pose a risk to human health because they aren't subject to regulations. In many cases people might not even know that they have an issue."

Unregulated wells and unaware owners present a risky situation, but nonetheless an opportunity for water treatment dealers. Are your customers who may be affected by this aware of its prevalence and associated dangers? The study's findings of 5,000 water samples can be found on our website or usgs.gov.

Some of you might be asking, "What is online, exclusive content?" Frequently, because of space constraints of the print edition, the editors of this publication frequently add new content to our site. Thanks to our newly redesigned website, we now have the capability to release this information, instead of leaving it on the cutting room floor.

In addition to reading our print publication each month, we encourage you to visit our website frequently and maximize your visit by searching through our archives and special sections. We also encourage you to submit stories from the field, lessons you've learned in the water treatment business or technical information for our site.

Rich DiPaolo, Editorial Director