DRINKING WATER
Rural North Texas Community Cuts Non-Revenue Water By 42% With Pipeline Leak Detection Technology
Discover how a city solved its non-revenue water challenge by rapidly pinpointing three hard-to-find leaks in 13 miles of aging pipeline using a free-swimming acoustic tool.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![gac filters feature]( "How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) System")
How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) SystemThis article aims to help utilities and municipalities to better understand the startup process and offer solutions to reduce the amount of water needed to get GAC filters online.
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![iStock-1218875063.jpg]( "How Small Utilities Can Afford To Reap The Benefits Of Large District Metering Solutions")
How Small Utilities Can Afford To Reap The Benefits Of Large District Metering SolutionsWater scarcity issues and increased production costs are putting more pressure than ever on small water utilities, which tend to rely on relatively few personnel to deliver a quality, affordable product to consumers. The good news is that proper flow metering technology and resulting data can help ensure that water quality and service in smaller communities remain on par with larger systems.
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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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![1395075449-analytical-thinking]( "Water Quality: Why Analytical Thinking Has Never Been More Important")
Water Quality: Why Analytical Thinking Has Never Been More ImportantIn an era of increased scrutiny for delivering efficient and sustainable industrial practices, the maxim “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” is well known to anyone, particularly those whose daily role revolves around monitoring and improving water quality.
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![nassau_county_case_study___advanced_oxidation-2]( "Successful Piloting Of UV Advanced Oxidation On Long Island For 1,4-dioxane Treatment")
Successful Piloting Of UV Advanced Oxidation On Long Island For 1,4-dioxane TreatmentThe New York State Department of Health has recognized the ultraviolet advanced oxidation process (UV AOP) as a treatment solution for 1,4-dioxane. For water providers located in Nassau County on Long Island, it was necessary to pilot UV AOP technology at the various wells requiring treatment in order to confirm treatment efficacy and obtain state approval.
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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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![Harmful Algal Bloom]( "Harmful Algal Bloom Threats To Potable Water: Establishing Resilience")
Harmful Algal Bloom Threats To Potable Water: Establishing ResilienceChanging climate and other environmental conditions are intensifying the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Here are important guidelines to understanding HAB causes and impacts to potable water treatment plants.
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![001856-4_GettyImages-658284938]( "Hidden Costs: The Impact Of Non-Revenue Water On Utilities And Communities")
Hidden Costs: The Impact Of Non-Revenue Water On Utilities And CommunitiesWater utilities must grasp the complete scope, including social and environmental costs, to comprehend the consequences of ignoring or postponing measures to address NRW.
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Real-Time Heavy Metal Monitoring For Oil & Gas
Large, distributed water networks are not well-suited for conventional water monitoring processes which rely on manual sampling and lab testing. In particular, this midstream oil and gas company had a need to detect Iron, Selenium, and other heavy metals at a precise level comparable to a lab. In addition, it wasn’t feasible to manually test the entire water system at the requisite frequency. Finally, instrument reliability and unplanned downtime were an issue.
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![Ovarro_Enigma3m_Remote_Leak_Pinpointing-8]( "Meeting The Challenge For Remote Leak Pinpointing")
Meeting The Challenge For Remote Leak PinpointingRanhill SAJ Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Ranhill Holdings Berhad, is an integrated water supply company in Malaysia, involved in the process of water treatment and distribution of treated water to consumers right up to billing and collection. It serves around 3.1 million population and manages 22,175 km of pipes over an area of approximately 19,000k m².
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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Application Note: YSI Water Quality Monitoring Buoys Help Connecticut DOT Protect The Housatonic River12/27/2005When replacement of the Sikorski Bridge spanning the Housatonic River was authorized, Paul Corrente and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT) set about the design and development of a water quality monitoring program to monitor the contractor’s in-water activities to insure full protection of the river from perturbation
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LC-MS Analysis Of 33 PFAS Compounds In 5 Minutes11/4/2021
In response to environmental testing demands for faster LC-MS analyses, the new Ascentis® Express PFAS HPLC and delay columns allow the highly efficient separation of 33 PFAS compounds in 5 minutes with reduced background contamination.
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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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How To Read An Encoder9/13/2013
The HR-E LCD encoder has a 9-digit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to show consumption, flow and alarm information. The display automatically toggles between 9-digit and 6-digit consumption, rate of flow and meter model.
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Application Note: Desalination Plants: YSI Instruments Monitor Flow & Water Quality At Multiple Stages2/3/2011Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water or brackish river or groundwater to make potable water. By YSI
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Industry-Specific Applications For UV Technology6/17/2024
In Microelectronics, Aquafine UV systems provide a synergistic approach towards the reduction of trace organics and microbial contamination for ultrapure water.
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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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Veterinary Drug Residue Analysis Using The AutoMate-Q40: An Automated Solution To QuEChERS10/1/2014
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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Application Note: Low-Flow Sampling Of Water Quality Parameters Used In Determining Groundwater Stability1/20/2010In April 1996, the U.S. EPA developed and published a document entitled Low-Flow (Minimal Drawdown) Ground-Water Sampling Procedures. The document states that “the most common ground water purging and sampling methodology is to purge wells using bailers or high speed pumps to remove 3 to 5 casing volumes followed by sample collection.” Adverse impacts can occur through this method affecting sample quality by increasing levels of turbidity. These problems can often be mitigated by using low-flow purging and sampling to reduce sampling-induced turbidity. By YSI
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Endress+Hauser offers continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids and bulk solids
In water and wastewater treatment applications, a product that offers simple commissioning, reliable operation, fast delivery, and easy maintenance offers tremendous customer value.
The CHEM-FEED® Wall Mount Duplex Skid System is designed to be mounted on a wall freeing up valuable floor space. Available in a simplex and duplex chemical feed pump configurations. Pipe material options include PVC, CPVC, PVDF, and Chem Proline® (PE).
iPERL+ redefines water metering, offering an integrated solution that not only ensures seamless system compatibility but also maintains unmatched accuracy in water usage measurement for your utility. With enhanced data logging capabilities and a choice between polymer and metal flow tube casings, iPERL+ is tailored to meet the unique needs of your utility.
SITRANS LT500 is the next evolution of digital level, flow, and pump controllers for radar and ultrasonic transmitters – or any 2-wire 4-20 mA device. It is the first choice for radar sensor measurements at 80 GHz and features single and dual point measurements, 6 relays, and Modbus RTU, HART, PROFIBUS DP, PROFIBUS PA, PROFINET.
The Aztec 600 Aluminium Analyzer AW631 has been designed specifically for the measurement of aluminium in potable water applications. It offers reliable, and accurate, on-line analysis of aluminium up to 2 ppm.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![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.
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![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.
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![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.
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![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "AI, Data Centers, And Water")
Amid the AI-fueled gold rush, more leaders are beginning to pay attention to the short- and long-term natural resource concerns, especially around all the water needed to keep data centers running. -
![Money down drain-GettyImages-171578755]( "Is This The End Of Affordable Water?")
Water pricing often fails to reflect scarcity, quality, or long-term risk, forcing companies to act internally. But this action is not being done in a vacuum. The ripple effect of internal water pricing is bound to impact water utilities, and ultimately, ratepayers and consumers. -
![PFAS Label on hundred dollar bill-GettyImages-2193126716]( "PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities")
Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Stanford Earth’s Rosemary Knight recently spearheaded a project to map underground freshwater resources and forecast the intrusion of saltwater into aquifers beneath the California coastal town of Marina.
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.