DRINKING WATER
Success Is The Break That Never Happened: How Embedded Acoustic Intelligence In Ultrasonic Meters Prevents Failure
Embedded acoustic sensing in ultrasonic meters enables continuous leak monitoring, helping utilities detect problems earlier, reduce water loss, and shift from reactive repairs to proactive infrastructure management.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Fuel And Fuel Additives
The fuels that propel modern society have been found in water supplies all over the world. Some fuel-related contaminants can be found at a majority of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) National Priority List Sites, where they pose a potential threat to human and environmental health.
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The Importance And Impact Of Accurate pH Measurement
Across many water-quality measurements — from free chlorine residual to disinfection byproducts, etc. — pH is an underlying factor affecting many water treatments and compliance testing results. Here are some guidelines for maintaining accurate pH readings to assure cost-effective treatment and final water quality despite changes in source water composition, treatment protocols, or other factors.
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The Hidden Cost: Uncovering The Truth About Non-Revenue Water
Non-revenue water drains utility budgets, resources, and public trust. Audits, ultrasonic metering with acoustic leak detection, and community engagement provide practical, cost-effective steps to curb losses and improve efficiency.
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Aqueous Vets® Quick Response Keeps Critical Stoneridge Well In Service In Northern California
Zone 7 Water Agency is a water wholesaler in Northern California that serves more than a quarter million residents. Blending water from both surface and groundwater sources has enabled Zone 7 to address many emerging contaminant concerns over the past several years.
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Evolution Of Pipeline Leak Detection
As the sheer number of pipelines crisscrossing the country continues to increase, there is an urgent need to ensure pipeline infrastructure safety. The age of many of the pipelines and the number of different products flowing makes this a challenging prospect. Now, new technology has been developed that meets the need for reliable protection that complies with regulatory requirements while eliminating false alarms.
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Yorkshire Water Reduces Leaks By 57%, Eliminating 30% Of Annual Distribution Main Repairs
Yorkshire Water Services (YWS) is a leading UK water utility that serves nearly 5.5 million people and has a well-deserved reputation as a progressive and proactive utility. Their belief that innovation is one of the key driving forces that allows utilities to deliver better services to their customers while keeping costs down has led them to always seek out new ways to improve their operations both now and in the future.
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Managing Water Loss In Four Easy Steps
A practical approach to detecting leaks and reducing non-revenue water.
Water utilities are charged with an incredibly important task – providing safe and affordable water to communities in the face of aging infrastructure, funding gaps, and changing regulatory requirements. Specifically, when considering water loss control, leakage, and operational inefficiencies, costs may appear to be unaffordable.
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Know Your Options For Mag Meter Installation Cost, Care, And Calibration
Electromagnetic meters (mag meters) are well established in terms of highly accurate performance for a variety of municipal and industrial water applications. Differences in their construction formats, however, dictate how easy they can be to install, maintain, and calibrate. Compare these three options to see the value of full-profile-insertion (FPI) mag meters and their associated advantages in real-world use.
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How A Combo Utility Benefits From AMI
With both water and power customers to serve, the City of Dothan, Alabama needed an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution that could work as well with 35,000 water meters located in pits as it did with 31,000 electric meters wired to homes.
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UV Treatment Upgrade For Water Reuse - EWA Beach, Hawaii
The Honouliuli Water Recycling Facility (WRF) includes filtration and UV treatment to treat to Class R-1 reuse standards for various uses, including irrigation.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Ultrapure Water For Determination of Toxic Elements In Environmental Analyses4/10/2018
In this paper the importance of reagent water quality for toxic element environmental analyses is discussed, and the suitability of fresh ultrapure water produced using MilliporeSigma water purification systems for ICP-OES and ICP-MS trace element analyses in environmental laboratories is demonstrated.
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Reduce Or Eliminate Water Hammer With Valve Positioners5/19/2022
Water hammer, which can occur in just about any pumping system and even steam systems, can lead to pipe breakage, equipment damage or even total system failure. Addressing water hammer at the source is the savviest and most cost-effective way to handle the issue.
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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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VFD Energy Savings For Pumping Applications4/6/2017
In the early days of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, the typical application was in process control for manufacturing synthetic fiber, steel bars, and aluminum foil.
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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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Optimization Of Water Treatment Using Zeta Potential5/27/2020
Drinking water in the US and developed nations of the world is treated to remove contamination of foreign materials, both mineral and organic.
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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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What Is Genclean Advanced Oxidation Disinfection Solution And What Is It Used For?2/18/2021
A non-toxic, advanced oxidation (AOP) formula of minerals chelated with oxygen and stabilized in an aqueous water solution. It is a viable option in industries and applications requiring a solution to challenging situations where high level effective sanitization and oxidation is required. Read more to learn how the Genclean advanced oxidation treatment solutions can be used in different applications.
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Phosphate In Groundwater And Surface Water: A Rapid And Reliable Determination Method Using The Photometric Spectroquant® Test1/31/2019
Phosphorus is an essential element for organisms and plants. In natural, uncontaminated waters, it occurs as organically bound phosphate, condensed phosphates or as orthophosphate — often referred to by its chemical formula PO4-P. The small quantity of phosphorus present in natural waters does not promote the growth of plants. However, a rise in the concentration of phosphorus results in the proliferation of algae, which leads to the eutrophication of the water body.
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(E)-2-Nonenal In Beer4/5/2015
Numerous compounds contribute to changes in beer flavor as it becomes stale. One of these compounds, (E)-2-nonenal, has been investigated as a major source of the papery/cardboard flavor that develops in aged beer.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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Currently, water infrastructure is outdated and fragile, prone to breakages and leaks. Reactive approaches to water infrastructure are only implemented after an incident and are more expensive than simple maintenance fixes. Geotechnical Internet of Things (IoT) devices enable water and wastewater industry professionals to identify and address issues before they escalate into catastrophic events.
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A new study linking certain groundwater sources to higher Parkinson’s risk underscores a broader question for the water sector: how environmental exposures in drinking water may influence long-term health.
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The growing demand for water across a variety of sectors combined with the increasingly understood complexity of emerging contaminants is creating a dynamic marketplace for filtration media. The goal of selecting the right filtration media is not to meet minimum standards but to achieve the right balance of performance, durability, and operational simplicity to ensure long-term compliance and cost-effective operation.
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Emerging state water reuse regulations are driving adoption of ozone and advanced oxidation, requiring flexible, high-performance systems to meet pathogen, trace organic, and DBP control objectives.
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EPA’s proposed perchlorate regulation challenges utilities to integrate advanced oxidation and separation technologies, enabling reliable removal, regulatory compliance, and flexible treatment for emerging contaminants.
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Ozone system performance hinges on reactor design, not generator size. Efficient mass transfer, hydraulic integrity, and contact time ensure consistent oxidation, reduced energy use, and reliable treatment results.
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.