DRINKING WATER
A New Approach To Infrastructure Resiliency
Extreme weather and seismic threats are driving a new collaborative approach to infrastructure. By aligning utility needs with academic research and manufacturing innovation, providers can validate resilient technologies and deploy data-backed solutions for long-term reliability.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![BEACON® Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer Service For Pittsylvania County Service Authority, VA]( "SaaS Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer Service")
SaaS Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer ServiceWhen Chris Adcock became the Executive Director at the Pittsylvania County Service Authority (PCSA) in 2013, he found an aging water system. With customer service concerns and rising costs, Chris started his search for the best water metering solution and found the BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS) managed solution from Badger Meter.
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The Story Of Your Data
Data gathering and analysis have become crucial across many, if not all, sectors of our economy, including the water sector. If you consider all the components of data analysis you can start to see its potential to positively impact decision making.
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How To Calculate Backwash Flow Rate Requirements For Iron Filter Systems
While there are various less common types of treatment systems used to remove iron and manganese from groundwater (such as ion exchange and ultra-filtration), most treatment systems use some form of oxidation and filtration to oxidize the clear state of iron to a solid form so the solid particles can then be filtered out.
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![GettyImages-167623357_450_300]( "Determining The Right Solution For Your Next Potable Water Project")
Determining The Right Solution For Your Next Potable Water ProjectInsertion valves are a go-to solution for public water systems for planned, routine, or emergency maintenance and repairs. This article discusses which features should be considered when choosing an insertion valve.
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![From Challenge Prize Competition to Test Prototype]( "From Challenge & Prize Competition To Test Prototype: The Nitrogen Sensor That Could Change Residential Onsite Wastewater Treatment")
From Challenge & Prize Competition To Test Prototype: The Nitrogen Sensor That Could Change Residential Onsite Wastewater TreatmentMore than one in five households in the United States depend on septic or onsite systems to treat their wastewater. These systems provide critical water quality infrastructure, but they usually are not designed to remove nitrogen to the point that sufficiently protects coastal marine ecosystems. As a result, septic systems are known to contribute to eutrophication (excess nutrients), hypoxia (low levels of oxygen), and harmful algal blooms in marine and estuarine waters.
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![GettyImages-165981489]( "From Invisible Losses To Data-Driven Gains: Why Smart Meters Are Essential For US Water Utilities")
From Invisible Losses To Data-Driven Gains: Why Smart Meters Are Essential For US Water UtilitiesBy integrating smart meter technology, utilities can ensure the sustainability of water resources, enhance operational efficiency, and make data-driven decisions.
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![process-water]( "Xylem Factory Recycles 100% Of Its Process Water")
Xylem Factory Recycles 100% Of Its Process WaterBy leveraging natural surroundings, Xylem’s manufacturing facility in Emmaboda, Sweden, can recycle 100% of the plant’s process wastewater with its new water treatment. The plant helps ensure a continuous supply of safe water, even in times of water scarcity, using Xylem’s water reuse technologies.
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![GettyImages-1364760615]( "Turbidity, What It Is And How It's Successfully Mitigated")
Turbidity, What It Is And How It's Successfully MitigatedThis article will clarify the essential aspects of turbidity, how it can affect human health, and how best to measure and mitigate it.
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![GettyImages-926506900]( "Integrating Multiple Strategies To Optimize Water Use And Minimize Losses")
Integrating Multiple Strategies To Optimize Water Use And Minimize LossesThis white paper will explore a three-pronged approach to handling non-revenue water, helping utilities to manage costs and maintain a healthy water delivery ecosystem.
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![GettyImages-845088016]( "Water Sustainability: Encouraging And Enabling Change With Measurement")
Water Sustainability: Encouraging And Enabling Change With MeasurementLearn how the water industry can encourage sustainable use of this precious resource.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Innovative Solutions To Drinking Water Decontamination In Small And Medium Treatment Plants9/21/2017
Air stripping technology effectively removes VOCs, THMs, and CO2 for improved adherence to water quality regulations.
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Flexible Expansion Joints Provide Protection For Pipelines Subject To Subtle Or Sudden Movement12/7/2020
Flex-Tend flexible expansion joints have a proven record of providing protection for pipelines subject to subtle or sudden movement. As with all products used in the water and wastewater industry, protection is optimized with the selection of the proper assembly incorporated into a sound design. This paper is intended to provide assistance in both of these areas.
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Optimizing Brine Flow In A Geothermal Power Plant1/27/2022
Different flow meter technologies were used in this geothermal power plant to monitor and measure brine. However, these traditional technologies failed. That’s where Panametrics PT900 Portable Ultrasonic Flowmeter was able to help.
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Oxidation Reduction Potential10/29/2021
What is ORP? Oxidation Reduction Potential or Redox is the activity or strength of oxidizers and reducers in relation to their concentration. Oxidizers accept electrons, reducers lose electrons. Examples of oxidizers are: chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, ozone, and chlorine dioxide. Examples of reducers are sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Like acidity and alkalinity, the increase of one is at the expense of the other.
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Bottled Water Industry: Liquid Analytical Solutions11/10/2013
Americans consume more than 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water annually - an average of twenty nine gallons per person every year.
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Municipal Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring9/24/2020
We arm municipalities with actionable data necessary to make informed decisions about water quality in their communities
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Groundwater Remediation12/1/2020
Good quality groundwater is an important natural resource. It provides drinking water for the public as well as process water for industrial applications. Groundwater can become contaminated through a number of ways including improper handling of process chemicals or disposal of wastes.
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Alcoholic Beverage Fusel Alcohol Testing With Static Headspace9/2/2014
A static headspace method was developed using Teledyne Tekmar automated headspace vial samplers to meet the method requirements of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the US Department of the Treasury (TTB) method SSD: TM:2001 for testing fusel alcohols in alcoholic beverages.
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Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Seafood4/20/2015
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds found naturally in the environment. PAHs are monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency due to their carcinogenic characteristics.
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Immediate pH Correction For Fluctuating Flow2/19/2014
In a number of water, wastewater and industrial process applications, pH is one of the most critical and highly sensitive analytical measurements. Examples of critical pH applications include: Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems in which a controlled feed of caustic solution is typically added to the feed stream in order to convert a portion of dissolved carbon dioxide into bicarbonate precipitate allowing for removal by the RO membrane. By Rafik H. Bishara, Steve Jacobs, and Dan Bell
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Xylem’s offering of granular activated carbons includes a versatile group of adsorbents designed to meet your needs for air and water compliance, wastewater treatment, remediation, and water purification. As an exclusive supplier of AquaCarb® and VoCarb® carbons, among many others, we provide premium virgin, activated, and reactivated carbons sourced from high-quality bituminous coal, coconut shell, and anthracite coal, suitable for both liquid and vapor phase applications.
Our activated carbons undergo rigorous quality testing at a state-certified environmental and carbon testing laboratory. Our application experts can help you select the right carbon, enabling you to improve performance, extend time between exchanges, and minimize operating costs.
We maintain a large inventory of high-quality carbons for quick selection and delivery. We can deliver carbon to you in:
- Supersacks
- Paper bags
- Fiber drums
DXmic Pro is the latest generation ground microphone from FCS. Building on the excellent reputation of the Xmic, the DXmic features touchscreen operation and a wealth of new innovative features. The DXmic has the highest sound quality and supports audio recordings, so playback of any leak noise can easily be accessed via USB. The device comes with a robust carry case that can also be used as a charging station.
This instrument is designed to be extremely accurate, fast, and simple to use in diverse water quality applications.
The tried-and-trusted SITRANS FST020 transmitter has been upgraded to deliver enhanced performance, user friendliness and options for customization.
The HYMAX VERSA is a coupling that can wrap around damaged pipe usually repaired with the cut-and-replace technique while providing dynamic deflection to reduce the risk of damage caused by ground shifts.
Recordall® Compound Series meters combine two metering technologies in one innovative package. A positive displacement chamber measures low flow, while a turbine chamber records high flow. These meters are an ideal choice for facilities that experience rapid and wide fluctuations in water demand, such as hospitals, universities, residential complexes and manufacturing or processing facilities.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![businesswoman asking question in education event-GettyImages-2198836359]( "AMI Under The Microscope: Beaverton Water Division Answers Questions About Its AMI Transition")
Beaverton Water Division’s transition to Kamstrup AMI and acoustic leak detection is modernizing meter reading, reducing infrastructure costs, improving leak identification, and streamlining operations as deployment progresses.
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
IPR'S CIPP liner system for gravity-flow sewers and culverts is the most proven, cost-effective trenchless pipeline rehabilitation system in the industry. It is also the most widely specified form of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.