DRINKING WATER
4 Essential Truths About Carbon Reactivation
Long-standing myths about GAC reactivation are being increasingly challenged, revealing performance, cost, and sustainability benefits many utilities may have overlooked.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![GettyImages-1330924011_450_300]( "Addressing Fouling Challenges In Desalination With Prefiltration")
Addressing Fouling Challenges In Desalination With PrefiltrationPre-filtration is the first line of defense against fouling and is a critical part of the overall desalination process. These systems remove solids that can compromise delicate RO membranes.
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![Tennyson-installation-11]( "Meeting A Challenging Deadline For Denver Water And Its 1.5 Million Customers")
Meeting A Challenging Deadline For Denver Water And Its 1.5 Million CustomersDenver Water had four months to replace 2,200 feet of water pipe in an urban setting, in the middle of a colorado winter, and AMERICAN was there to help.
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![EZ Valve Installation Project]( "Senior Living Community Water Supply Protected By An AVT EZ Valve")
Senior Living Community Water Supply Protected By An AVT EZ ValveMaintaining water service during infrastructure upgrades is critical for community safety. Innovative insertion technology allows for the creation of permanent isolation points on live pressurized lines, ensuring uninterrupted supply while enhancing long-term grid reliability.
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![seeq]( "Control Loop Performance Monitoring")
Control Loop Performance MonitoringManufacturing sites can have hundreds, or even thousands, of automatic controllers, but most sites don’t have insight into how these controllers are actually performing.
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Treatment Of Cyanotoxins In Drinking Water With Activated Carbon
Recently, cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins have become a high profile drinking water quality concern in both the United States and abroad. The combination of weather conditions, agricultural phosphate runoff, and other factors has produced water conditions that have favored the formation of cyanobacteria in surface water supplies.
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![EZ_Valve_ensured_the_water_kept_flowing_at_a_hospital-5]( "AVT™ EZ VALVE® Ensured The Water Kept Flowing At A Hospital")
AVT™ EZ VALVE® Ensured The Water Kept Flowing At A HospitalWhen a 40-year-old booster pump servicing Ochsner Health Centre in Baton Rouge, La began to falter, officials knew that had to resolve the issue fast. COVID-19 had left the hospital at full capacity so turning off the facility’s water was not an option. The pump’s existing control point was inoperable, so a new valve needed to be installed.
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![SaintPaul]( "Saint Paul Regional Water Services Upgrades To Corrosion-Resistant Zinc-Coated Ductile Iron Water Main")
Saint Paul Regional Water Services Upgrades To Corrosion-Resistant Zinc-Coated Ductile Iron Water MainIt is no secret that a large portion of the drinking water infrastructure in the U.S. is near or past its intended design life. Our nation’s water infrastructure needs an overhaul, and the cost of doing so is climbing rapidly. ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card graded the nation’s drinking water infrastructure a D. According to AWWA, an estimated $1 trillion is necessary to maintain and expand drinking water service to meet demands over the next 25 years.
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Water Distribution System Challenges And Solutions
Limited new natural water sources, especially in the southwest region of the USA, and rapidly increasing population has led to the need for innovative methods to manage a water supply system.
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![iStock-950365224]( "How To Gain An Affordable Grasp Of Water's Digital Transformation")
How To Gain An Affordable Grasp Of Water's Digital TransformationWater industry press naturally covers the broadest and brightest promises of the digital revolution. Unfortunately, that big-picture view can often intimidate or mislead small to -midsize utilities that interpret it as demanding a large investment in order to reap the benefits. Here are some insights into how utilities of any size can affordably harness the value of timely digital data from their distribution systems.
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![University_System_Remains_Operations_Thanks_to_AVT_EZ_Valve-1]( "University System Remains Operational Thanks To EZ VALVE")
University System Remains Operational Thanks To EZ VALVEThe installation of an AVT EZ Valve has helped to future-proof the water system of a university utility system in a Northeastern U.S city.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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Determination Of Pesticide Residues In Honey, By An Automated QuEChERS Solution9/17/2014
The QuEChERS (Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe) sample extraction method was developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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Determination Of Pesticide Residues In Tea4/10/2015
In 2012, Americans consumed well over 79 billion servings of tea, which is just over 3.60 billion gallons.
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Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples5/31/2011Total bound nitrogen (TNb) consists of dissolved ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, amines, and other organic nitrogen-containing compounds. TNb measurements represent an alternative to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) analysis for rapid screening of industrial wastewater, drinking water,agricultural run-off, and surface waters. By OI Analytical
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FLEX-TEND® Flexible Expansion Joints, Features And Specifications12/3/2020
FLEX-TEND® flexible expansion joints are designed to protect structures and pipelines from differential movement whether this movement is earthquake induced or the gradual motion of soil subsidence. This bulletin offers a concise listing and discussion of the important features and materials of the double and single ball assemblies.
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SensyMaster Thermal Mass Flowmeter8/3/2021
SensyMaster helps to improve the operating costs of the most cost intensive process in sewage plants: Aeration. High-measuring performance and state of the art technology helps customers increase plant efficiency.
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Biofouling Control In Cooling Towers With A Halogen Stabilizer10/22/2020
Biofouling in cooling towers is undesirable because it can reduce heat transfer efficiency, restrict water flow, and accelerate corrosion rates. Of even greater concern is the fact that pathogen growth in cooling towers can lead to disease transmission. Given the favorable growth environment of a cooling tower, these microorganisms can reproduce, proliferate and form complex biofilm communities. Legionella bacteria, which cause Legionnaires’ disease, are one of the greatest concerns from a public health standpoint because infections are often lethal and cooling towers are the most frequently reported non-potable water source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks (Llewellyn 2017).
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Leak Detection On Water Distribution Network Using Clamp-On Flowmeters5/22/2023
A global engineering company realized that their leak identification methods were time consuming and expensive, and so began to explore alternative solutions, such as ultrasonic flow meters.
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Aries Arsenic Reduction1/7/2026
Arsenic has no smell, taste, or color when dissolved in water even in high concentrations. It is a potential concern to those who live in areas with high natural deposits of arsenic, receive runoff from orchards, or from glass and electronic production waste. Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause a number of harmful effects on the human body including cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among others.
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TOC Analysis: The Best Tool In A Drinking Water Facility's Toolbox5/3/2019
SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions designs and manufactures Sievers Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analyzers that enable near real-time reporting of organic carbon levels for treatment optimization, quality control & regulatory compliance. TOC has a wide range of applicability at a drinking water plant, and therefore any drinking water utility — large or small — can measure TOC in their laboratory or online in their treatment process.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
While dosing challenging chemicals can be tricky for operators, there are a range of technologies that will help mitigate problems and ensure smooth, accurate, and dependable chemical dosing.
U.S. Pipe’s TR-XTREME® pipe is engineered for seismic resilience, providing the first domestic ductile iron pipeline capable of expansion, contraction, and deflection within a single restrained bell joint.
Gray iron pipe preceded Ductile Iron pipe by well over 100 years. Its intended use was to convey water as well as wastewater. Continuous tests and field experience have brought the production and use of Ductile Iron pipe to maturity. It has replaced gray iron pipe in practically all applications. Ductile Iron is a high-strength, tough material used in water and sewer systems in all states within the U.S. and in many other areas of the world.
The DR3900 is a benchtop visible spectrum (320 - 1100 nm), split beam spectrophotometer with over 220 pre-programmed methods optimized for laboratory water analysis. With your daily routine of water analysis in mind, the DR3900 spectrophotometer is optimized for safe processes and accurate results.
For 80 years, positive displacement, reciprocating metering pumps such as Pulsafeeder’s Pulsa Series have led the industry. These hydraulic diaphragm pumps have been the benchmark for safety, reliability and accuracy. Today, with automatic degassing features like the HypoValve, API-675 compliance, and certified by WQA to “NSF/ANSI/CAN 61” and “NSF/ANSI 372”, the PulsaPro Series is a perfect fit for Water & Wastewater Treatment, Oil & Gas and Industrial applications.
The OPTIMASS 7400 is a high-end Coriolis mass flowmeter for demanding process and custody transfer (CT) applications. It is the ideal solution when it comes to high accuracy measurement of gases and shear-sensitive or viscous liquids, slurries, very aggressive media or media with a low flow velocity.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Reservoir spillway dumping overflow-GettyImages-2152233125]( "Applying Two Flood Models To Cross-Check And Improve Each Other — And Maybe Saving A Downstream Village In The Process")
Getting a second opinion is a time-tested piece of wisdom. During a recent project for a municipal water supply utility, we found that this advice also applies to modeling the effects storms have on the municipality’s reservoirs and dams, and the potential flooding impacts downstream of the dams.
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![Research, probing, monitoring atmosphere-GettyImages-987881424]( "How Satellite IoT Can Enhance Remote Water System Monitoring")
There is a noticeable shift in how monitoring data is being treated across the water sector. It is no longer something that sits quietly in the background of operations, collected for compliance, and reviewed periodically. It is being examined more closely, and more often, by a wider set of stakeholders.
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![ozone production]( "Mass Transfer Efficiency: The Most Important Metric In Ozone System Design")
Ozone output doesn’t guarantee performance. Learn how mass transfer efficiency determines how much ozone dissolves, drives treatment results, and impacts energy use and system design.
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![Cahaba River-GettyImages-2152826831]( "What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection?")
Water utility managers and municipal leaders have long struggled amid the convergence of several threats to public water supplies. During a recent Water Online Live event, I sat with a panel of industry experts to examine the transition from reactive crisis management to a proactive, adaptive resilience framework. -
![Bacteria, Medical research, healthcare-GettyImages-2161239007]( "The Hidden Legionella Risk In Closed-Loop Systems")
For a long time, it’s been assumed that closed-loop water systems — those commonly found in building heating systems, air-conditioning units, and cooling systems — are at a low risk for Legionella. However, there are many reasons why closed-loop systems can actually inadvertently promote the risk of Legionella. -
![Avoid pitfall Planning, obstacle avoidance-GettyImages-2167644498]( "Common AMI Implementation Mistakes And How To Avoid Them")
The journey from manual water-meter reads to a fully integrated digital ecosystem is long and complex. To help utilities along, the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) released the global Smart Metering Playbook, which includes both implementation best practices and common pitfalls. Here are five common advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout mistakes from the Playbook, along with examples of how to overcome them.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
The recoating of a potable water tank in Lancaster, PA, included an already tight timeframe and several challenges that cause delays.
This 45-minute webinar will explore the latest technology and methodologies that are transforming water management. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how real-time data analytics can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of water-loss detection and proactive management.
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.
How researchers at UC Merced are developing a better understanding of the three sources of water upon which California depends in order to adapt to the effects of environmental changes and make better use of this most precious of our natural resources.
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.