Everything Old Is New Again

By Jim Lauria

As water treatment plant managers face relentless challenges — aging infrastructure, stricter watershed protection regulations, higher energy costs, growing water scarcity, and tighter budgets — solutions are emerging that blend computer-age technology with the tried-and-true practice of granular media filtration.

As Peter Allen sang in All That Jazz, “everything old is new again.”

The key is the technology supporting the technology — the underdrains.  High-tech underdrains do more than just hold media in place.  Their design can have a huge impact on performance — whether in tertiary wastewater, drinking water, or desalination applications — opening doors to high-efficiency new installations, or to refurbishments that boost productivity and reduce operating expenses without requiring costly redesigns and expensive new technologies.