Killing zebra mussels and controlling cyanobacteria key topics at Pacific Northwest water show
Earth Science Laboratories will discuss chemistry that kills zebra mussels and controls cyanobacteria at annual meeting of Pacific Northwest water experts.
TACOMA, Wash. – Water industry experts will discuss key water quality issues in Tacoma this month. Killing zebra mussels and controlling cyanobacteria top the agenda. Earth Science Laboratories (ESL) will present data on these topics at the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Water Works Association (PNWS-AWWA).
The meeting follows in the wake of letters sent to the Senate and the House by the Western Governors Association (WGA). The letters urge the federal government to organize and fund measures to control the spread of zebra mussels and quagga mussels in the western U.S. Such measures would help protect the vast water resources of the Pacific Northwest.
The Columbia River basin alone supplies 40% of the nation’s hydropower, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. A zebra mussel invasion here could send ripples throughout the national economy. Zebra mussels may also increase the size and severity of annual cyanobacteria blooms in the region’s reservoirs.
“The time is now to put rapid response programs in place,” said Dr. David Hammond, Senior Scientist at ESL. “We already have a powerful way to kill zebra mussels. The same advanced chemistry controls cyanobacteria without causing adverse effects on the ecosystem. Stakeholders such as hydropower facilities and water treatment plants cannot afford to wait.”
Hammond will lead a seminar at the PNWS-AWWA on killing zebra mussels and controlling cyanobacteria with EarthTec®, an advanced algaecide/bactericide*. EarthTec kills cyanobacteria and reduces chemicals that produce undesirable taste and odor in drinking water. EarthTec® QZ controls zebra mussels and quagga mussels. Hammond will also be available to discuss ESL’s Cyanobacteria Response Program and Zebra Mussel Emergency Response Program.
More information on the PNWS-AWWA Conference can be found at
http://www.pnws-awwa.org/conference/.
Earth Science Laboratories Inc. manufactures advanced water treatment products. EarthTec and EarthTec QZ are EPA registered and approved for use in open waters and in pipelines. Both products are NSF Certified to ANSI Standard 60 for use in drinking water. More information is available at earthtecwatertreatment.com and earthtecqz.com.
*Nonpublic health bacteria