DRINKING WATER
A New Approach To Infrastructure Resiliency
Extreme weather and seismic threats are driving a new collaborative approach to infrastructure. By aligning utility needs with academic research and manufacturing innovation, providers can validate resilient technologies and deploy data-backed solutions for long-term reliability.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Why Municipalities Can't Afford To Do What They've Always Done, Choose Closed Vessel UV
Ultraviolet disinfection is now a standard feature in most wastewater treatment systems. UV has also been embraced by the drinking water community as an effective barrier against chlorine tolerant organisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The technology is widely favored in wastewater treatment due to its non-chemical nature, the fact that no subsequent dechlorination process is required and its ability to be unselective in disinfection performance.
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![meter_pic]( "Moving Beyond Flow Measurement To Unlock Utility Efficiency")
Moving Beyond Flow Measurement To Unlock Utility EfficiencySmart meters offer the opportunity for utilities to do significantly more with the same number of devices, reducing operational costs, improving response times, and contributing to overall system sustainability.
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Case Study: High Chemical & Blowdown Rates
The client used soft water make up on their large boiler system and was interested in reducing their operational water costs.
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Ozone System Delivers For Miramar Water Treatment Plant Upgrade And Expansion Project
A combination of growing demand, aging infrastructure and regulatory requirements acted as drivers for a new ozone system at the Miramar Water Treatment Plant in San Diego, CA.
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What To Know About Water Quality Analysis For Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) has become a widely utilized treatment process for diverse applications such as medical and laboratory research, desalination, and treatment of industrial wastewater and municipal water/wastewater. Because of its widespread use and technically advanced nature, a variety of quality parameters should be monitored by those treatment operators who utilize it.
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![User-Friendly-Cartridge-Technology-Simplifies-Water-Treament-for-Small-Systems-2]( "User-Friendly Cartridge Technology Simplifies Water Treatment Operations For The Small System Market")
User-Friendly Cartridge Technology Simplifies Water Treatment Operations For The Small System MarketApplied Cartridge Systems were designed to be a simple to operate potable water treatment solution – emerging from the well-known ISOLUX Arsenic removal systems.
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![APEI_CASE-STUDY_USMC_Winter_Warfare_Training_Center_FINAL-4]( "Applied Cartridge Systems Supplies Arsenic Removal System To UMC Training Center In A Hurry")
Applied Cartridge Systems Supplies Arsenic Removal System To UMC Training Center In A HurryThe Department of Defense's USMC Winter Warfare Training Center needed a new CA Water Board-approved system in a very short time frame.
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![GettyImages-2171085003_natural_disaster]( "Water Management Tips For Natural Disasters")
Water Management Tips For Natural DisastersRemote water shut-off valves and preemptive planning enable municipalities to protect water infrastructure and respond effectively during natural disasters, ensuring public safety and service continuity.
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Making Municipal Water Supply Reliable, Economical, And Sustainable
A global scarcity of resources is a compelling reason for businesses and people to use raw materials more responsibly. Modern municipal water supply concepts must therefore not only consider such aspects as the structural development of the region and the population’s quality of life, but must also integrate the sustainable use of water in their policy planning.
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![Mag-Meters-and-Flow-Straighteners-blog-image-450x300]( "Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?")
Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Flow Straighteners, And Vanes: Compatible Or Not?Those familiar with propeller flow meters are usually familiar with their common counterparts, flow straighteners and vanes. Implemented to reduce swirl in shorter straight-run applications, straighteners are a complementary instrument for agriculture, irrigation, and municipal flow measurement applications.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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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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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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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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Application Note: Continuous Monitoring Of Drinking Water Provides Assurance Of Safety9/28/2005A water utility in Ohio wanted to learn more about the variability of water quality parameters such as pH, ORP, turbidity, and chlorine. Previously, most of these parameters had been measured by spot sampling protocols with only a few measurements during a daily period. In order to more accurately assess the water variability, the utility used a YSI 6920DW Drinking Water Multiprobe
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'TOTEX' Is Key When Purchasing Instrumentation4/29/2021
There’s a lot to be considered in the price tag of an ultrasonic instrument. Derek Moore from Siemens explains how the historical way of thinking only of capital costs needs to change to the more holistic approach of total expenditures.
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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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Bringing Efficiency And New Confidence To BOD₅ Analysis2/4/2013
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) analysis is the test everyone loves to hate—and for compelling reasons.
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The Basics: Testing RO Quality4/28/2014
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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Determination Of Pesticide Residue In Vegetables9/10/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Endress+Hauser offers continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids and bulk solids
Rapid-response ion exchange systems provide short-term treatment for PFAS and other contaminants immediately, keeping communities safe and operations uninterrupted.
The TIDALFLUX 2300 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) with a patented, capacitive level measurement for use in partially filled pipes (up to DN1600 / 64”). The meter is the ideal solution for flow measurement of municipal or industrial wastewater in pressureless transport lines. However, the EMF is also suitable for measurement of effluent brine from dredging, mining or sea/well water injection applications. Unlike open channel systems (Venturi, V-notches etc.) the inline flowmeter is a closed measuring solution without obstructions and with a much better accuracy at lower total costs of ownership.
If not adequately removed from drinking water, manganese can cause taste, odor and color problems, staining of clothes and plumbing fixtures, and incrustation of water mains that can result in black water at the customer's tap.
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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![businesswoman asking question in education event-GettyImages-2198836359]( "AMI Under The Microscope: Beaverton Water Division Answers Questions About Its AMI Transition")
Beaverton Water Division’s transition to Kamstrup AMI and acoustic leak detection is modernizing meter reading, reducing infrastructure costs, improving leak identification, and streamlining operations as deployment progresses.
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
NASA scientists used tree rings to understand past droughts and climate models incorporating soil moisture data to estimate future drought risk in the 21st century.
The Western Governors' Drought Forum webinar “Once Marginal, Now Crucial: The Growing Demand for Re-used, Produced, and Brackish Water” explores the technological and regulatory obstacles to utilizing re-used, produced, and brackish water.
In this episode of the Water Online Show, hosts Travis Kennedy and Kevin Westerling explore AI's transformative role in water utility operations with guest Dave Brown, Director of Maintenance at Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), which serves nearly a million customers across 682 square miles in Southern California.
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.