products from reclaimed water, or a t least reduces them to a lower level, demonstrates a process that can be used for drinking water supplies with assurance that such undesirable products will be removed or reduced to an acceptable level. Water of a quality that meets our drinking water standards should be questionable to Dr. Okun and to all of us because the current drinking water standards are based on using the best available or desirable sources. Most sources presently available are contaminated to some degree, and larger rivers can be greatly contaminated as they contain greater amounts of sewage. Hence these best available or desirable sources do not provide the protection claimed by the current drinking water standards. Why should we accept water quality standards based upon the source of the supply since the sources are the biggest unknown from a quality standpoint? Why should we not improve the water quality standards by developing such criteria as are necessary to ensure protection of the public health? The goal should be to develop one set of comprehensive water quality standards for drinking water regardless of source
of the water. This would do more to improve “the quality of waters now being consumed” than any other thing. The development of such standards can be done by continuing and encouraging additional research on wastewater reclamation for potable reuse. When it is demonstrated that reclaimed water is suitable for potable reuse, then we will have adequate water quality standards suitable for use with any source. Lloyd C. Fowler Santa Clara Valley Water District San Jose, Calif. 951 18
Precipitator update Dear Sir: The McGill Precipitator represents a new generation of electrostatic precipitators. It is fundamentally different from conventional EP’s described in the report ( E S &T , June 1978, p 657) in that there are no hanging discharge wires that require periodic maintenance. Also, because of the method used to create an electrical discharge corona, power consumption is considerably lower. This has been verified by more than fifty precipitators we have currently in operation throughout the U S .
For special applications, we encourage pilot testing, using one of our Mobile Electrostatic Precipitators to determine the proper precipitator size and design considerations. William R. Heifner United McGill Corp. Columbus. Ohio Precipitator report Dear Sir: To my knowledge no vendor of precipitator equipment other than Research-Cottrell subscribes to (1) the alkali/Na20 ratio as a criterion for electrode fouling in hot side precipitators, or ( 2 ) that phosphorus pentoxide is responsible for corona quenching. Yet the article (ES&T, June 1978, p 657), “Keeping Fly Ash Out of the Stack”, authored by Research-Cottrell employees presents these concepts as accepted facts. Is there any independent published corroboration of these concepts or are you merely adding to the disheartening array of precipitator mythology that persistently afflicts customers and vendors alike? David H. Spielberg
UOP, Inc., Air Correction Division Darien, Conn. 06820
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Volume 12, Number 9, September 1978
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