The Wednesday Wetness

HuffPo, We Asked Experts Whether Drinking Days-Old Water Is Dangerous — And Their Answer Was Surprising

I regularly drink from stray glasses of water I see scattered around my house that were poured the day before. I think I'm being efficient and resourceful, but am I being safe?

Experts say there is actually a tipping point at which it is better for your health to dump that glass of water and start afresh.

Kristen Smith, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said that she personally follows a 12-hour rule for a glass of water. After 12 hours, Smith will pour it out and drink a new glass. However, she said you can drink a day-old glass of water "as long as it hasn't been exposed to contaminants or left uncovered."

Microbiologist Jason Tetro, a.k.a. "The Germ Guy," also said 12 hours was the limit for drinking leftover water in glasses. To him, the potential bacterial problems wouldn't come from air contaminants but from the tap. One study found that bacterial cell concentrations in drinking water increase overnight. Infrequently used drinking water taps can also harbor high levels of bacteria.

Sure, dump it out and get fresh, we'll be happy to sell you more.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Last of the Autumn Light up on time and under budget.

The Wednesday Wetness

Fox News,  Texas becomes testing ground for new defense against attacks on America’s water systems. "The six-month pilot pairs federal agencies, Texas Cyber Command, and firms like Microsoft and Dragos to defend utilities."

The Wednesday Wetness

Science Alert, 'Tremendously Grave': The First US City Is on Track to Run Out of Water

It seems inconceivable, even if you're aware of the perilous situation that the world's water supplies are in, but a developed coastal city in Texas that more than 300,000 people call home is now in serious danger of running out of water. 

The city is Corpus Christi, and difficulties with water scarcity are now coming to a head after years of concerns over shortages. There are multiple issues combining here, perhaps most importantly the arrival of major industrial developments, off the back of the unlocking of vast oil and gas reserves that came with the shale revolution.

One plastics chemical complex, built in 2022, uses as much water for cooling every day as all the Corpus Christi residents combined. 

A planned seawater desalination plant, which was supposed to ease some of the pressure brought on by rising industrial water usage, never materialized, further compounding the problem of supply.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Getting Strapped up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

The Baynet, Potomac River Reaches 94 Degrees As Fish Kill Reported In Maryland

Record-breaking water temperatures likely contributed to a fish kill in the Potomac River near Seneca, where Maryland environmental officials recorded an extraordinary 94-degree water temperature following days of extreme heat across the region.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) confirmed the fish kill in a social media post, saying, “We’re aware of reports of a fish kill in the Potomac River near Seneca. Our biologist recorded water temperatures at a record 94°F. This can trigger a summer turnover event, when layered warm and cold water suddenly mix and oxygen-poor water rises to the surface, stressing fish.”

Although the fish kill occurred in Montgomery County, the Potomac River flows south along the borders of Charles and St. Mary’s counties before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay, making the conditions noteworthy for residents, anglers and boaters throughout Southern Maryland.

The fish kill follows several days of dangerous heat across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. Air temperatures climbed into the upper 90s and low 100s across much of the state, with parts of Montgomery County reaching about 100 degrees and nearby Washington, D.C., reaching 102 degrees during the recent heat wave.
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State officials have not announced how many fish were affected or identified the species involved.

If I'm reading the map right, this fish kill occurred up in the riverine Potomac, above Great Falls. I'm not sure I understand their argument about the summer turnover event. However, it was really hot for a few days there.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Melon Season up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

Bay Journal, Sewer crunch eased, development ban lifted in Baltimore suburbs. Go ahead, make more shit!

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Rebel Yell up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

Potomac Conservancy, Sewage spill: The EPA declares the Potomac’s recovery goals are achieved. Why we disagree

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Everything Stops For Tea up and at'em at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

ToI, Iranian media says desalination plant on Gulf island non-functional after airstrikes. "Iran’s foreign minister had said a US strike took place on March 7 on Qeshm Island, a popular yet heavily militarized tourist destination for Iranians."

Aljazeera, Iranian attack damages Kuwait power and desalination plant, kills worker. "Kuwaiti authorities say Indian worker killed in attack that also caused ‘significant material damage’ to building."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

There are a bunch of articles on the Potomac River sewage spill in yesterday's Bay Newsfeed:

D.C. Government, Dept of Health Lifts Potomac River Recreational Advisory for Washington, DC

WaPoo, Is the Potomac River safe? What to know as D.C. lifts water advisory

WRC, Do you feel safe touching the Potomac River? People give mixed reactions after spill

WJLA, District leaders question DC Water over Potomac sewage spill

WTOP, 2 more sections of Potomac Interceptor rated at high risk after massive sewage spill

WUSA 9, Potomac River watermen seek relief as sewage spill stigma devastates oyster season

FWIW, I would be willing to touch the River water; I've done far worse; and I had the Hep A shot. I might even eat Striped Bass or Blue Catfish from below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I might still be a little leary about eating oysters from anywhere north of the 301 bridge.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Because I Can up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

From the Balmer Sun, Baltimore-led work group to study regional water management model serving 1.8 million residents

A 13-member work group will convene in January to start discussing a potential new oversight structure for the Baltimore region’s water and sewer systems. Chaired by Baltimore Comptroller Bill Henry, the work group will look at creating a regional water management model to give jurisdictions that use the systems a say in how the water and wastewater systems are managed and financed, and to bolster the region’s ability to maintain the infrastructure in the future. “The future of Baltimore’s water system affects so much of the metropolitan area; it’s important that we employ a regional approach when tackling this issue,” Henry said in a statement Monday. The work group will meet Jan. 7 in the Baltimore City Council chambers.

Owned and operated by Baltimore City, the region’s water and wastewater systems serve 1.8 million residents in the city, as well as Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. The city is responsible for managing, maintaining and upgrading the systems, though nearby jurisdictions chip in through cost-sharing agreements. “This work group gives us the chance to modernize a system that has served the region for decades, but no longer reflects the needs of our communities,” Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said in a statement.

You have to be pretty desperate to let the City of Baltimore handle your water and sewage needs.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Old Trucks & Young Girls up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

WTOP, New report shows vulnerability of DC area water supply: Shortages could lead to restrictions, taps running dry "The report by ICPRB shows the region will have enough water in most years, but there is an increasing chance — up to about 1% in 2030 and up to about 5% in 2050 — that there will be water shortages."

Real Clear Science, Iran's Water Woes: A Textbook Case of How Civilizations End "To put it bluntly, Tehran's fresh water is running out, a fact that even the country's authoritarian government cannot hide. A month ago, President Masoud Pezeshkian even floated the notion of evacuating the capital itself if rain does not arrive soon in needed quantities. Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city with a population of four million, is in a similar predicament. Its water reserves register below three percent."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: More Like Sparking Ramp, Amirite? online and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

TSMC Arizona: What About the Water?

WAMU, Proposed Montgomery County data center would use Potomac River water for cooling, and lots of people aren't happy about it.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow. Ugh. up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

USA Today, Beaches across US close during Labor Day weekend due to fecal contamination. As I once learned from a plumber, "shit don't flow up hill." Too bad cities across the country haven't taken care of their plumbing.

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: The End of Summer up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

Arkeonews, Ancient Water Pipeline Unearthed on 65-Meter Hill in Tajikistan Reveals Engineering Marvel of the Past.

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: Laundry Day up and at 'm at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

Fox 45, Hopkins researching danger level of foul ‘pistachio tides’ on Magothy River

Greenish, cloudy, and with a smell like rotten eggs, “pistachio tides” are causing concern among residents who live along the Magothy River.

Magothy River Association member Bob Moyer said he went out to photograph a particularly large pistachio tide on Cattail Creek in October, and was so overwhelmed by the sulfur smell that he collapsed to his hands and knees and had to crawl off the pier.

Pistachio tides occur when bacteria in the river produce hydrogen sulfide, which depletes the oxygen in the water and creates a rotten smell. The bacteria produce a bright green color, which is where the name comes from.

Working with the river association, Johns Hopkins University is researching the bacterial booms in Cattail and Old Man creeks this summer to identify where and when they occur. Pistachio tides usually develop between August and October, and Hopkins started collecting water samples in early July to get ahead of the blooms.

That classic rotten egg smell is an ancient evolutionary mechanism to help us avoid hydrogen sulfide, which is a deadly poison, on the order of hydrogen cyanide. Interestingly, people rapidly get habituated to the smell, and so poisonings from hydrogen sulfide do occur occasionally.

Sulfate reducing bacteria, which produce sulfide from sulfate (a major salt in salt water) are obligate anaerobes and are totally inhibited by even low concentrations of oxygen. The process is quite common in sediments, but rare in the water column, and usually only in the bottom water.  Something is seriously wrong if the surface water in the Magothy are going anoxic even occasionally. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Gother Than Thou up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

Eos, River Alkalinization and Ocean Acidification Face Off in Coastal Waters

Li et al. ran a simulation to analyze pH trends in the Chesapeake Bay between 1951 and 2010, revealing a complex web of factors that altered the bay’s pH over that 60-year period.

Nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay increased between 1950 and 1980 before dropping in the 1990s, thanks primarily to decreased atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and to upgrades in wastewater treatment systems. Agricultural lime application and intensified chemical weathering, which also decrease acidity, became more common over the study period. In contrast, coal mining, drainage from which can increase water acidity, declined over the study period. Weather played a role as well: Typical spring rainfall, as well as particularly wet decades such as the 1970s, pushed the upper bay freshwater plume farther into the middle of the bay and increased the area’s pH.

The researchers examined all these factors and found that overall, the upper bay generally became more alkaline over time but that deeper waters in the middle and lower bay became more acidic. No long-term trend in the pH of the surface waters of the middle and lower bay was observed, as the effects of river alkalinization and ocean acidification mixed and essentially canceled each other out.

They found that river alkalinization had twice the effect on the Chesapeake Bay’s long-term pH trends compared with ocean acidification. Both processes played a greater role than coastal eutrophication did.

I guess the science isn't settled.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Surf’s Up up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

WRIC, Richmond hit with more alleged water violations after 3rd water crisis event in 2025

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has again hit Richmond with a Notice of Alleged Violation after the city’s third water-related crisis event this year.

On Monday, June 16, Richmond officials announced that it had received a Notice of Alleged Violation from the VDH’s Office of Drinking Water (ODW) in connection with May’s boil water advisory. This means the ODW has accused the city of violating at least one of Virginia’s Waterworks Regulations, as laid out within its Public Water Supplies Law.

Many Richmond residents were under a boil water advisory for two days after filters at the city’s water treatment became clogged, causing a decrease in water pressure. City officials later explained this was because the filters had not been properly cleaned for some time.

Yep, ya gotta keep up with the maintenance. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: In The Sun up on time and under budget at the Other McCain.

The Wednesday Wetness

At the Bay Journal, Clean water advocates weigh data center growth in Chesapeake region

Data centers are not just a Northern Virginia problem. The vast and growing presence of these warehouse-like buildings housing the world’s computing power has implications for quality of life, land, energy and water across the Chesapeake Bay region.

This was the main message of a half-day workshop on May 19 hosted by the Choose Clean Water Coalition at the start of its annual conference held this year in Harrisonburg, VA. The “kickoff” event featured experts mostly from Virginia speaking about the environmental impacts of data centers, which they have seen firsthand — and which they say are imminent for every state in the region.

Northern Virginia is the global epicenter of data center infrastructure and home to about half of all data centers in the U.S. This distinction is not new but has garnered increasing attention as the global race to power artificial intelligence begins to strain regional power supplies. Researchers at the workshop warned that continued unrestrained growth of data centers in the Potomac River basin in the coming years could strain the region’s water supply as well.

Data centers use water primarily for cooling the computers. It seems to me that cooling is rather clean use of water. Certainly the water could be reused in some other  way, either agriculture if not human consumption. Or they could recycle it on site with cooling towers, resulting in much lower water consumption, but requiring the disposal of mineral rich blow-down water. 

Thursday Tanlines

Newsweek whines Republicans Wants to Make Tanning Salons Cheaper. That's pretty fair. Republicans want almost everything cheaper.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girl in Carhartts up on time and under budget.

The Wednesday Wetness

WTOP News, DC region’s water reserves may be tapped this summer if drought persists

Despite all the recent rain, the D.C. region remains under a drought watch. Now, that begs the question, will water restrictions come into play this summer?  The area’s been under a drought watch since July 2024, when officials advised the public to use water wisely. The alert marked the first time it was implemented since 2010, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

“We estimate that there’s a 22 to 36% probability that we will be drawing down those reservoirs in the summer and the fall,” he said. Historically, Nardolilli said, the region’s maintained an 8 to 15% probability of having to draw down reserves.

After nearly a week’s worth of continuous rain spells, the D.C. area will continue to experience the downpour through Friday evening.

No worries here; our community draws from deep wells that are not affected by to weather, at least not in this millennium.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Head On ready and willing to accept your clicks.

The Wednesday Wetness

Fox 5 DC,  DC, Arlington water pipes get annual cleaning; officials say chlorine taste possible

Beginning on Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Washington Aqueduct, which serves both Washington D.C. and parts of Northern Virginia, will start cleaning some 13-hundred miles of water pipe. To do this, they switch from a chloramine disinfectant to chlorine. Both DC Water and Arlington Water say it's not harmful and routine for every major water utility nationwide.

If you notice a chlorine-like smell or taste in your tap water, suggestions given are to run your tap water for 2 minutes and then use a filter. Or customers can put a pitcher of water in the refrigerator for a few hours for the taste and smell to subside.

For Arlington residents in particular, in addition to the disinfection process, the county also opens fire hydrants to conduct a system-wide flush. Arlington Water says this is to enhance water quality, but this does also come with a warning.

Flushing of the system also has the potential to cause discolored water which may stain your clothing if doing laundry during the county's "flush periods."

Beats getting cholera, coccidiosis or Giardia.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Sunday Night Loungewear up and at 'em at The Other McCain.