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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![iStock-483284074]( "Village Blue Lake Pontchartrain Offers New Orleanians Insights Into Local Water Quality")
Village Blue Lake Pontchartrain Offers New Orleanians Insights Into Local Water QualityWater quality monitoring can be a powerful tool to help inform policies and environmental restoration efforts, and to keep local water bodies healthy. EPA recently launched a water quality monitoring project in New Orleans that’s helping the community learn more about Lake Pontchartrain’s water quality and its greater connection to the Mississippi River.
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![Water_Distribution_Best_Practices_iStock-1033949556.jpg]( "Assessing Best Practices For Water Distribution Systems")
Assessing Best Practices For Water Distribution SystemsWhat are the best practices to help water utilities maintain delivery of safe, high-quality drinking water?
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Do We Have To Sacrifice Performance To Be Green?
The global use of membranes is widespread in municipal, industrial, and wastewater applications with reverse osmosis (RO) proving to be a highly effective and reliable method of advanced water treatment. Reuse applications have been particularly challenging for water treatment chemical companies as these highly variable feedwaters can contain any imaginable constituent, resulting in a wide array of site specific foulants. By Karen Lindsey, V.P. Operations, Avista Technologies, Inc.
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Continuous Phosphate Monitoring Improves Reliability
When municipalities choose to manually feed phosphates into their potable water, this often creates an over-feed of chemicals. Learn how employing an automatic-dosing phosphate analyzer can reduce operating costs and improve reliability.
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![gettyimages-505176828-170667a (1)]( "Sustainable Water Management Solutions")
Sustainable Water Management SolutionsExplore how utilities can deal with non-revenue water, or water that has been produced and is lost before it reaches the customer.
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![iStock-481364757]( "Geospatial Artificial Intelligence And The New Italian Renaissance")
Geospatial Artificial Intelligence And The New Italian RenaissanceUnder pressure to radically improve leak detection and prevention, Italian water utility Acquedotto del Fiora is the latest European water company to adopt geospatial artificial intelligence (AI) techniques as part of its plans to boost performance.
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![smart-water-solutions]( "Building A Sustainable Future With Smart Water Solutions")
Building A Sustainable Future With Smart Water SolutionsIn a world facing mounting water stress and increasing demands on utilities, ensuring consistent water quality and minimizing pipeline losses have never been more important.
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![Software Analytics]( "AMI Data = Insights For Water Utilities")
AMI Data = Insights For Water UtilitiesDiscover how analytics can amplify the benefits of AMI in identifying non-revenue water losses and enhancing customer service.
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Case Study: Improving RO Performance
The client's reverse osmosis system utilized coagulants, antiscalants and cleaners to produce high quality water. With the current chemicals, the reverse osmosis system was cleaned every 90 days due to scaling or deposits.
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Why We Should Use Naturally Occurring Microbes To Save Our Waterways
The most common technologies utilized in the treatment of natural bodies of water that become polluted, or begin to undergo eutrophication, involve primarily some form of physical or chemical treatment such as chemical oxidizers, flocculants, activated carbon and zeolites, and/or mechanical treatments such as dredging. The primary drawback to chemical treatments is that the treatments are based on stoichiometry or molecule to molecule interactions. As a result, they get very expensive when treating large volumes of water.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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
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Take Control Of Your Water Distribution Network With Digitalization And Remote Monitoring5/19/2022
Any process plant constantly generates a high volume of status data. Today, this data can be extracted from the plant, stored, analyzed, and prepared to meet operator needs and lower marginal costs.
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Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit9/8/2015
Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.
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Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Spinach Using The AutoMate-Q40 An Automated QuEChERS Solution10/16/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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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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Secret To Disinfection Monitoring For High Chlorine Residual Wastewater Applications8/2/2015
Some wastewater applications require chlorine residuals greater than can be effectively monitored using DPD due to the oxidation of the Wurster dye to a colorless Imine. Such applications include industrial wastewater processes that inherently have a high chlorine demand thereby requiring a more robust monitoring method.
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Circuit Board Cleanliness Testing10/29/2021
Contamination of circuit boards can bring about severe degradation of insulation resistance and dielectric strength. Cleanliness of completed circuit boards is, therefore, of vital interest. For those companies who have established circuit board cleaning procedures, the MIL Spec P-28809 has been used as a guideline for control. Now a simple "on line" test for the relative measurement of ionic contamination has been developed.
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The 'First Line Of Defense' In Protecting Membrane Filters8/9/2019
Multi-element, self-cleaning pretreatment filters optimize membrane filter life and production while minimizing maintenance and downtime.
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Application Note: YSI 600 Optical Monitoring System Used To Protect Lake Oconee, Georgia Water Quality12/27/2005Northern Georgia is experiencing unprecedented development; consequently, water quality in many of its watersheds is in jeopardy of severe degradation. The State of Georgia, Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has implemented an NPDES monitoring and enforcement program designed to prevent construction activities from impacting water quality
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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
The Proline Promag W 400 electromagnetic flowmeter is a versatile standard flowmeter for the water and wastewater industry.
The AVT 2" (50mm) EZ Valve was specifically designed to handle the small diameter water pipelines that are found in high-rise buildings, hospitals, factories, HVAC applications and most commercial buildings as well as refining and petrochemical plants.
At De Nora, we are strongly committed to providing aftersales and service support for our entire equipmen portfolio and similar competitive equipment.
The Series 2100 MEGAFLANGE Restrained Flange Adapter is a field-adaptable wedge style restrained flanging system. It has a restraint ring and a gasket ring to give the maximum amount of flexibility during and after installation.
Capital Controls Series WM4000 gas feeders are wall cabinet mounted vacuum operated and designed to conveniently house a combination of gas feed equipment. The fibreglass cabinets enclose the gas flow control components.
With all the environmental challenges facing us today, doing everything we can to conserve and preserve our water is imperative. As you know, tens of thousands of leaks go undetected, equating to a staggering 6 billion gallons of water loss daily in the United States. To help combat this water loss, we have developed a program that provides you with the tools and knowledge to help find those undetected leaks. Our program is Leak Detection Pilot Program, and we want to partner with you.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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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.
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![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]( "5 Common AMI Implementation Mistakes And How To Navigate 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. -
![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.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Get a closer look at how SIWA MDM Analytics Foundation transforms utility data into actionable insight.
In Raleigh, N.C., there's a house... or what looks like a house. What's hidden inside is more important than most people realize.
See how SIWA MDM user experience is easy with various billing tiles and screens to help optimize the billing processes. Quickly see billing readiness, request activity in a highly configurable dashboard.
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.
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.