MARK LECHEVALLIER ARTICLES

• Dr. Water – It’s Time To Be Flowing Along!

  10/11/2017

  After a fantastic career and 32 years with American Water, October 6 will be my last day at work.  So, this blog will serve as my last (regular) Dr. Water entry. I couldn’t be retiring on a better note! Through the years this company, the water industry, and the communities we serve have afforded me tremendous opportunities to advance my own career pursuits in the science of water as well as to apply my skills to help impact the future of water and the environment.  

• Utilities United Against Scams: Collaboration Vs. Criminals

  9/12/2017

  Just about a year ago I posted a blog that addressed a disturbing trend — thieves impersonating water and other utility workers to gain access to individuals’ homes and credit card information. Discouragingly, this type of criminal activity seems to be growing and “scammers” are getting more sophisticated in their methods for victimizing unsuspecting utility customers. However, there has also been a very encouraging development over the past year as well, that being the formation and growth of Utilities United against Scams (UUAS).

• Water Heroes Come To The Rescue In Times Of Need

  8/22/2017

  I think we could all speak of a time when we viewed utility workers as one of these “everyday” heroes. Most of us can share a story of a time when a storm knocked out power but, thanks to linemen working around the clock, power was restored to every home within 24 hours. Or of a water main break that was fixed before area residents were placed in a dire situation.

• The U.S. Conference Of Mayors: Moving Infrastructure Progress Forward

  6/23/2017

  It happens with every new presidential administration in modern times, the promise to “do more about the nation’s infrastructure problems.” But what happens after these words are spoken? Who becomes the voice of the people and makes sure that these promises are kept? The U.S. Conference of Mayors plays a major role in not just ensuring that administrations “make good” on the promises, but in helping to shape infrastructure plans and make the most efficient, effective use of federal funding.

• And We’re Off! Smart Water Tips To Help Make Sure You Don’t Lag Behind

  5/23/2017

  The Farmers’ Almanac expects summer temperatures in the eastern U.S. to “arrive right out of the gate with unseasonably hot and dry weather.” The Almanac is also predicting the northeast’s first official week of summer to “bring a spell of hot weather with many 90-degree temperatures and even one or two spots breaking 100 degrees.” Even as I write this — one week before the unofficial start of summer — temperatures in the northeast have topped 90 degrees for three consecutive days and rain has been sparse.

• Survey Says: How Good Is Your Drinking Water?

  4/28/2017

  Family Feud, first launched in 1976, has been a top game show in syndication, new iterations, as well as a pop-culture icon. Of course the trademark line from the show is “survey says….” Sometimes the responses to the surveys are predicable, but other times you wonder “who in the world was answering those questions?” Gallup just released their annual environmental poll, conducted in March, and maybe it’s not surprising, but 63 percent of respondents said they “worry a great deal about pollution of their drinking water.”

• Water For Life

  8/23/2016

  Look back with me a full decade (and a year) to 2005.

• How Prevalent Is Legionella In Recycled Water?

  5/23/2016

  Recently, Dr. Mark LeChevallier, vice president and chief environmental officer for American Water, participated in a webinar hosted by the WateReuse Pacific Northwest and the WateReuse Research Foundation.  He presented findings on the prevalence of Legionella in recycled water.

• Flush With Confidence This Super Bowl Sunday, Any Time You Feel Like It

  2/4/2016

  The closer the NFL gets to its biggest game of the season, the more likely you are to hear about the infamous “Super Bowl Flush Rush.”

• Surfing Our Way Through 'The Internet Of Things'

  1/29/2016

  By nature, I’m a curious person and always looking at innovations outside of the water industry for inspiration in my daily work. I recently came across an article talking about how AT&T was embracing the idea of the Internet of Things, and it was a real eye-opener on how technology is evolving in our unseen daily interactions aside from iPhones and tablets.

• Israel: Cutting-Edge Technology From An Ancient World

  11/13/2015

  As I recently traveled to Israel for the 2015 Water Technology and Environmental Control Exhibition (WATEC), I couldn’t help but feel the ancient history that defines so much of this country. How ironic that my travels were focused on visiting Israel to be enriched not by the past, but to map out our future… to be enriched by a world leader in cutting-edge water technology! 

• No Room For Excuses; It’s Time To Put Down The Plastic Bottles For Good

  8/13/2015

  Did you know that more than 70% of plastic water bottles consumed by Americans end up in landfills?

• How To Recognize, Strategize, And Monetize Water Risk

  2/26/2015

  There’s no denying that conversations are readily available on all types of “costs” of addressing the global water crisis: the cost to the environment; the cost to be paid by future generations; the costs of not keeping on top of water infrastructure maintenance and reinforcement; the cost to private households, etc.

• EPA’s Upcoming Regulation On Strontium — What You Need To Know

  12/18/2014

  In October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a preliminary determination to regulate strontium in the nation's drinking water.