DRINKING WATER
Innovative Water Reuse Solutions With Xylem's Advanced Treatment Technology
Transitioning to advanced purification methods like UV-hypochlorite oxidation allows municipalities to secure reliable, local water supplies. These strategies mitigate drought risks and protect coastal environments by transforming wastewater into a high-quality resource for reuse.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![sitrans-LUT400]( "Ultrasonic Level System Helps Protect The Environment And Reduce Expenses")
Ultrasonic Level System Helps Protect The Environment And Reduce ExpensesWith millions of liters of water treated, accuracy and reliability are a necessity for a municipal water system. Learn about the instruments that they use to meet their needs.
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![got-water]( "Got Water? Regional Water Supply & The Economy")
Got Water? Regional Water Supply & The EconomyGot water? Sure, most of us in the United States do. But do we ever stop to smell the roses of odorless fresh potable water? Do we reflect on what reliable water means for the economic life of our community? Texas’s harsh deep freeze earlier this year reminded us Texans of our vulnerability, and after $200B in damages, it gave us a glimpse of how life looks without the core services that we take for granted daily.
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![rainwatertank_Getty-1263464379]( "Advancing The Potential For Stormwater Reuse: Investigation Of Water Quality And Treatment")
Advancing The Potential For Stormwater Reuse: Investigation Of Water Quality And TreatmentManaging stormwater runoff is a complex environmental challenge for communities across the country. As stormwater runoff flows into nearby waterways, it can collect various pollutants including trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt, which can lead to environmental and public health impacts.
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![cs_airelangor]( "Advanced Analytics Solutions Used To Implement State-Wide Monitoring Program To Improve Asset Reliability And Resiliency")
Advanced Analytics Solutions Used To Implement State-Wide Monitoring Program To Improve Asset Reliability And ResiliencyAir Selangor is a large water distribution company owned by the Malaysian state of Selangor. The public utility serves a population of 84 million residents and manages over 6200 kilometers of trunk mains, ranging from 300mm up to 2200mm, with much of the pipelines located in remote areas of the state.
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![iStock-158559513]( "Special Considerations For Extreme PFAS Sites")
Special Considerations For Extreme PFAS SitesThe best way to combat the extreme PFAS at highly contaminated environments as economically as possible is to develop a custom approach that takes every factor into account and isn’t beholden to any specific technology.
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![Lead-times-blog-image-2-1-1024x683]( "3 Contributing Factors To McCrometer's Low Lead Times")
3 Contributing Factors To McCrometer's Low Lead TimesThe key to McCrometer’s low lead times is no “secret sauce.” It’s ultimately a combination of 3 factors that contribute to the delivery of necessary flow measurement devices – despite the current supply chain predicament.
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![Ductile Iron Pipe.jpg]( "All-Terrain Ductile Iron Pipe Delivers For Washington County, Utah")
All-Terrain Ductile Iron Pipe Delivers For Washington County, UtahThe Washington County Water Conservancy District was faced with the possibility of a severe water shortage and knew something had to be done. Explore how the solution they chose increased system efficiency and security, while also decreasing treatment and pumping costs.
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![Project_Brief-CovingtonOH-2]( "Hydra-Stop Solutions Isolate Damaged Valve During Water Main Replacement")
Hydra-Stop Solutions Isolate Damaged Valve During Water Main ReplacementThe Village of Covington, Ohio had an ambitious 90-day project to replace the water main, taps, sewer main, laterals, and storm sewer through the center of town. Unfortunately, on day one, an unknown water service line was snagged and the top half of an 8” valve blew off, causing water to shoot 10”–12” out of the street.
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![sensor-450x300]( "9 Reasons Why Drinking Water Distribution System Monitoring Is Now Practical")
9 Reasons Why Drinking Water Distribution System Monitoring Is Now PracticalDrinking water professionals and engineers understand that maintaining safe and high-quality water throughout the distribution system is a critical responsibility. Chlorine, the backbone of disinfection, ensures safety, but its effectiveness can falter in the complex network of pipes, tanks, and dead ends.
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Gandia Becomes A Smart Water City And Saves 0.5hm3 Of Water/Year
In 2008, the utility providing this Spanish city’s water supply and the city council decided to phase in a gradual process of digital transformation.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Deployment Of NextStep In Reverse Osmosis Systems1/15/2026
Pulsafeeder has secured a significant order for its NextStep series of stepper motor-driven metering pumps, specifically for use in advanced Reverse Osmosis (RO) applications. This deployment underscores the growing demand for precision chemical dosing in high-performance water treatment systems. The order includes NextStep NS1 and NS9 models, each selected for their unique capabilities in high-pressure and low-pressure RO environments.
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A Comparative Study Of On-Line And Laboratory TOC Analyzers For Analysis Of Raw And Finished Drinking Water4/5/2013
Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis is an important indicator of water quality throughout the drinking water treatment process. Raw source water is progressively treated in chemical coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration steps to remove particulate matter and natural organic matter (NOM).
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Preliminary Assessment Of Water Quality In Riviera Grise Near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti10/17/2012
The Riviera Grise drains water from the Cul-de-Sac watershed, Haiti, which covers most of the rural areas along the flood plains and areas that extend into steep hillsides. It also covers urban areas of Port-Au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti.
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Reduced Bore Electromagnetic Flowmeter10/29/2021
Being able to accurately measure both the quantity and rate of water passing through a water distribution system is crucial to gain an informed understanding of overall efficiency. As such, achieving a measurement that is exact as possible can have a significant impact on key areas. This includes supply planning, maintenance, resource deployment, leakage detection and the overall environment.
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Active Energy Control – Energy Reductions Of Up To 10% Above Standard Drives4/1/2017
Energy costs continue to increase. At the same time, there is increased pressure to reduce utility bills without sacrificing operations or comfort.
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Fountain Testing Solutions10/29/2021
Accurate fountain (dampening) solution concentration control is essential for consistent, high-quality results in lithography. Low concentration can cause drying on the non-image area of the plate resulting in tinting, scumming, blanket piling, etc. High concentrations, on the other hand, bring about over-emulsification of the ink. This results in weakening of color strength and changes in ink rheology (body and flow properties). Correct concentration will allow the non-image areas of the plate to be appropriately wetted.
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Temperature Monitoring For Water Treatment4/29/2024
Learn how to ensure compliance, monitor water temperature diligently, and implement robust measures to mitigate regulatory penalties.
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Flow Meter Enhances Chlorination System Performance For Municipal Water Department12/12/2017
The water municipality at a mid-size city in the Western region of the U.S. serving a population of about 180,000 people needed to address a chlorine disinfection system problem at one of its water treatment plants.
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Application Note: Low-Flow Sampling Of Water Quality Parameters Used In Determining Groundwater Stability1/20/2010In April 1996, the U.S. EPA developed and published a document entitled Low-Flow (Minimal Drawdown) Ground-Water Sampling Procedures. The document states that “the most common ground water purging and sampling methodology is to purge wells using bailers or high speed pumps to remove 3 to 5 casing volumes followed by sample collection.” Adverse impacts can occur through this method affecting sample quality by increasing levels of turbidity. These problems can often be mitigated by using low-flow purging and sampling to reduce sampling-induced turbidity. By YSI
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Application Bulletin: Reverse Osmosis3/19/2008
Osmosis is the phenomenon of lower dissolved solids in water passing through a semi-permeable membrane into higher dissolved solids water until a near equilibrium is reached
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The PTBT1 is a lab-accurate water quality pocket tester that allows you to use your mobile device and the X2 app to measure, store and export data.
Learn about KROHNE's ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeter for temporary flow measurement of liquids.
Harmsco® MUNI HP filters provide unsurpassed performance. Our patented Hurricane® design separates dense solids prior to cartridge filtration for extended filter life, increased dirt holding capacity and reduced maintenance costs.
At Master Meter, we believe that a combination of different underlying communication technologies, which share a common endpoint design is a highly efficient and cost-effective approach. That’s why we’ve developed a a flexible smart water technology solution for advanced water utility management.
Allegro Technology addresses issues that utilities often face when implementing AMI, regardless of a particular utility’s nuances and deployment needs. Allegro’s end-to-end solid-state technology optimizes project outcomes and business deliverables to help utilities solve their toughest water management challenges.
Endress+Hauser is committed to your business, for improved plant performance.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![oil refinery, chemical storage tanks-GettyImages-2255062009]( "Produced Water Treatment Market: The Next Big Wave In Industrial Sustainability")
With the rise of water scarcity, environmental regulations, and corporate sustainability mandates, produced water treatment has become a strategic imperative for industries far beyond oil and gas. It is one of the fastest-growing segments in the water treatment industry, which has emerged as an amalgamation of environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and technological innovation.
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![Water Pipe Leaks-GettyImages-511073228]( "Tackling The Trillion-Gallon Problem: Water Loss Reduction Initiatives Benefit Utilities And Consumers Alike")
In the U.S. alone, 2.7 trillion gallons of water are lost to non-revenue water (NRW) every year, costing water utilities more than $6.4 billion annually in unrealized revenue. Given the scale of the issue — volumes and dollars — NRW presents an opportunity for upscaling utility management.
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![Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA molecules-GettyImages-2179084012]( "Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context")
Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations.
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![regulation, compliance, risk management, guidelines-GettyImages-2253669656]( "Opinion: Why PFAS Policymakers Should Read Past The Abstract")
When it comes to drinking water, sound public policy requires sound scientific research. Publication in a prestigious, peer-reviewed journal helps establish legitimacy for scientific claims in public discourse. But science is a social process, scientific standards of evidence vary across disciplines, and peer review does not guarantee validity. For readers who stop at the abstract, these distinctions can be easy to miss. -
![brinewater_Getty-2234054563]( "Reclaiming Water From Contaminated Brine Can Increase Water Supply And Reduce Environmental Harm")
People around the globe are trying to figure out how to save, conserve, and reuse water in a variety of ways, including reusing treated sewage wastewater and removing valuable salts from seawater. But for all the clean water they may produce, those processes leave behind a type of liquid called brine. I’m working on getting the water out of that potential source, too. -
![Eelgrass Bed in Notojima island, Japan-GettyImages-651462262]( "Planting The Seeds Of Inspiration: Eelgrass Restoration")
Restoring eelgrass beds is critical because they provide habitat for many kinds of marine life, improve water quality by filtering out pollution, and the plant’s root system stabilizes the sediment on the seafloor, protecting shorelines from erosion.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Discover how integrated membrane system designs can maximize the operating stability of EDI systems and reduce mixed bed regeneration frequency.
Take a quick tour of the Blue-White factory in Huntington Beach, California, where skilled employees are busy building chemical dosing pumps, complete metering systems and flow measurement equipment.
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.