The Take: Stop treating pretreatment like paperwork

This month the headlines did what they always do — reported the number and moved on. Asheboro hit 91× the safe level for 1,4-dioxane and everyone acted surprised. Nobody in wastewater should be surprised. We treat pretreatment like a file folder instead of a frontline defense, and this is what falls through. This issue skips the recap and gives you the take — plus, from the bench, a bug you should be seeing under your scope right now, and a 130-tonne reminder of why nobody trusts a so-called flushable wipe. — The crew