DRINKING WATER
Why Multi‑Commodity Utilities Need Smart Meter Data Management
Breaking down data silos allows multi-commodity utilities to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure visibility. By managing water and electric data on a shared platform, providers can detect leaks faster and support long-term conservation goals.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![1286939960]( "Big Sky, Montana Water District Enhances Operations With Xylem")
Big Sky, Montana Water District Enhances Operations With XylemDiscover how smart technology helped a Montana utility advance leak detection and customer service goals.
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Long-Term Performance And Boron Rejection Of LG SWRO Membranes In Malta Desalination Plants
Malta is an archipelago of three islands situated in the Mediterranean Sea, around fifty miles south of Sicily. There are no rivers of any significance on the islands, and the sparse annual rainfall is only about 500 mm. In order to bridge the gap between supply and demand, Malta has long ago started desalination of seawater. The technologies were initially based on evaporation. In 1981 the Government decided to invest in RO desalination capacity.
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![12-Hacks-of-Communications-2020-1]( "Top 12 Communication Hacks")
Top 12 Communication HacksAs a meter technology company, we understand the importance of approaching challenges with smart solutions and proactive communication. Ultimately, our technology is all about helping customers and utilities to feel empowered, connected, and capable of taking on problems. Master Meter, Inc. created a list of the top 12 communication hacks found to be most successful in 2020. Implement these tactics and watch your utility connect with your customers and build trust with your community.
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![vcone]( "When Inches Count: Flow Metering In Constrained Spaces")
When Inches Count: Flow Metering In Constrained SpacesFrom offshore oil platforms that come with a hefty cost for every square foot to college campuses that rely on steam plants in cramped basements, flow metering is critical to many operations where space comes at a premium. The problem is that most flow metering technologies conflict with space limitations because of their substantial straight pipe run requirements. The good news is there is an alternative.
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Trenton, Missouri Delivers Safety And Efficiency With On‐Site Sodium Hypochlorite Production From The Process Solutions, Inc. Microclor® System
Located in Northern Missouri, the city of Trenton and its more than 6,000 residents pride themselves on self‐sufficiency and pragmatic decision making. During the spring of 2012, the utility embarked on the design and construction of chemical feed system upgrades at the existing water plant that would help the city manage the need for new capacity, better control of trihalomethanes (THM’s) and improve operator safety by removing gaseous chlorine as a disinfectant.
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![1454069982_Brazil]( "Companhia Águas de Joinville Keeps Clean Water Flowing For 600,000 Residents In South Brazil")
Companhia Águas de Joinville Keeps Clean Water Flowing For 600,000 Residents In South BrazilLearn how OpenFlow WaterGEMS reduced water protection during severe droughts with a water contingency plan.
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White Paper: Water Reuse Strategies: Steel Industry Case Studies
The steel industry has historically presented challenges for effective water treatment because it is a high water user and the applications may involve high heat, critical noncontact cooling, direct contact cooling, high suspended solids waters, oil and grease contamination, and complicated cascading. By Dave Christophersen, Veolia Water Technologies
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![Master-Meters-Top-10-Field-Hacks-1]( "Top 10 Field Hacks")
Top 10 Field HacksOur industry’s experienced veterans have decades of knowledge that isn’t learned in the classroom but in the field. Master Meter, Inc. interviewed members of field operation crews across several water utilities in Texas. They gave us these Top 10 Hacks from the Field you can share with your own staff. See which ones your crews have heard before.
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![Master Meter]( "City of San Juan Bautista")
City of San Juan BautistaThe City of San Juan Bautista, California, also known as the City of History, is a mission town nestled in the San Juan Valley. Some of the city’s infrastructure is over 100 years old. The city’s water meters were an aging mix of units from various manufacturers. The meters were losing accuracy and becoming unreliable, leading to a loss of billing revenue. In addition, manually reading the meters was a very inefficient way for the city’s small staff to spend their time. Also, like most California cities, water conservation in San Juan Bautista is a top priority. Helping customers find leaks and understand how much water they really use is an important step towards conservation.
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Ozone Disinfection System Provides Second Stage Treatment For Water Treatment Plant
Tampa Bay Water’s state-of-the-art surface water treatment plant has provided high-quality drinking water to the Tampa Bay region.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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How Activated Carbon Works To Purify Air And Water10/31/2019
The first step is to define the performance limiting factors in the application. For this application, most of the adsorber is used for MTBE adsorption in the ppb concentration range. Adsorption of BTEX, TBA, or humic acids or other total organic carbon (TOC) components are removed by the front end of the column.
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Determination Of Polar Pesticide Residues In Food Of Plant Origin, By And Automate QuPPe Solution9/29/2014
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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Drinking Water Testing By Ion Chromatography Using Ultrapure Water9/29/2022
This application note demonstrates the suitability of ultrapure water produced by a Milli-Q IQ 7000 water purification system for the IC analyses of inorganic ions and DBPs in drinking water.
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Dissolved Oxygen Measurement11/11/2013
One of the most important measurements in the determination of the health of a body of water is its dissolved oxygen content. The quantity of dissolved oxygen in water is normally expressed in parts per million (ppm) by weight and is due to the solubility of oxygen from the atmosphere around us.
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Background And Summary Of Tests For The 2000PV Restraint4/13/2021
The 2000PV is a restraint for PVC pipe and the standardized mechanical joint. This product is the result of years of testing and evaluation and its performance has been proven by thousands of hours of proof tests, as well as third-party evaluations. This report describes the 2000PV through the 12" size.
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Performance Test Services For UV Advanced Oxidation Systems12/1/2025
UV AOP performance verification requires a robust test matrix covering design, operating, and control conditions. This process includes on-site execution, sample analysis, and troubleshooting to achieve successful regulatory approval.
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Ion Exchange Resins Reduce Pollution From Refineries12/23/2013
A single operational oil and gas refinery produces millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater a year, leading to environmental pollution concerns. Ion exchange resins are a metal- and ion-removal solution to help clean this wastewater for plant reuse or safe disposal. This application guide explains how resins can be used to demineralize refinery water in process, boiler, and cooling water applications.
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Pile Cloth Media Filtration Removes 97% Of Microplastics From Wastewater12/6/2023
Learn about filtering microplastics from industrial wastewater prior to discharge, and how this is one way to effectively reduce the volume of this waste material from entering our surface water.
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Ultrasonic Level Measurement In Water And Wastewater Plants5/19/2016
Radar technology is often viewed as the “best” method of level measurement, but this isn’t necessarily true in the water industry.
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The Active Control Program For Advanced UV Oxidation12/1/2025
This application note will explore how active control programs lower operational costs of compliant contaminant removal.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
De Nora Water Technologies (DNWT) is the world leader in the supply of electrochlorination of biocide solutions to the power, marine, offshore industrial water disinfection and desalination markets. Over the past thirty years, DNWT has supplied 65% of the world wide installed base of on-site generated sodium hypochlorite.
HYMAX GRIP joins and restrains a wide selection of pipes of different types and diameters, easily and reliably. Due to its patented design, it allows the joining of pipes of the same or different materials and diameters and preventing axial pipe movement.
The Series 3800 MEGA-COUPLING is a restrained coupling for similar and dissimilar pipe materials.
The DE NORA TETRA™ Modular DeepBed Filter Plant from De Nora Water Technologies is designed as a competitive filtration plant for tertiary effluent from small to medium size sewage works. The Modular DeepBed Filter utilizes the technology of DeepBed filtration that has made the TETRA filter such a successful tertiary treatment process over many years in Europe and the United States.
The OPTIFLUX 5300 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) with a high-tech ceramic measuring tube for very aggressive and abrasive fluids, even with high solid content (up to 70%). The high-end EMF is particularly suited for process applications in the chemical processing industry and the minerals and mining sector. Due to its FDA and EC1935/2004 compliant sensor material, the OPTIFLUX 5300 can also be used for hygienic applications. With a measuring uncertainty of just ±0.15% of measured value (±1 mm/s) it is one of the most accurate electromagnetic flowmeters available in the market. That is why leading metrological institutes use the OPTIFLUX 5300 as their master meter.
ULTRAPEN™ PT4 is Myron L Company’s ground-breaking new pocket tester for measuring free chlorine disinfecting power, free chlorine equivalent (FCE), and temperature. It is waterproof and designed for accuracy and simplicity for use in diverse water quality applications.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![pregnant_water-Getty-2207189112]( "Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood Asthma")
While most of us are routinely exposed to low levels of PFAS, some communities are exposed to far higher levels from nearby pollution sources. A new study shows that in one of these at-risk communities, children were more likely to develop asthma if their mothers were exposed to very high PFAS levels during pregnancy.
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![wastewater ecological damage-GettyImages-2231956262]( "The Pragmatic Shift In Source Water Protection: Moving From Symptom Management To Root-Cause Accountability")
A shift in how we approach source water protection is long overdue. Currently, we are trapped in a cycle of escalating costs, forced to treat symptoms like algae and invasive weeds expediently with chemicals while the underlying risk in the reservoir compounds. True risk management requires breaking this cycle. -
![River water pollution, Ecological-GettyImages-1215336784]( "The AWWA Said $2.4 Trillion. It Missed The Compound Interest.")
Einstein once said of compound interest, "He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." The same logic of compounding applies to the organic sediment accumulating on the floor of your drinking water reservoir. The longer you wait to address it, the more exponentially expensive it becomes to fix. -
![snowystream-Getty-521971897]( "Winter's Alarmingly Low Snowpack Offers A Glimpse Of The Changing Rhythm Of Water In The Western U.S.")
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve. But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient. -
![ColoradoRiverDam_Getty-1280300802]( "Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement")
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of AgreementThe five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system?
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.