DRINKING WATER
GeoTree - First Aqueduct Water Pipeline Rehabilitated With GeoSpray Geopolymer For SDCWA
Critical water tunnels require efficient structural renewal to meet strict shutdown schedules. Certified geopolymer mortar provides a cost-effective, high-strength solution that eliminates groundwater infiltration and improves water quality while ensuring a 70-year service life for essential aqueduct systems.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![TapTheCal.jpg]( "Proper Care And Calibration Of pH Sensors")
Proper Care And Calibration Of pH SensorsHere are some guidelines for everyday care, regular maintenance, and periodic calibration or replacement to assure optimum performance of pH instrumentation.
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![jacksonville-JEA]( "Florida's Largest Public Utility Recovers One Billion Gallons Of Unaccounted-For Water")
Florida's Largest Public Utility Recovers One Billion Gallons Of Unaccounted-For WaterLearn how Sensus Omni Meters, a rigorous testing program, and infrastructure upgrades saved a utility time and money.
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![120WA_PWSA_CS-V3]( "PWSA Reduces Customer Request Fulfillment From 4 Months To 14 Days")
PWSA Reduces Customer Request Fulfillment From 4 Months To 14 DaysDue to recent LCR exceedances, PWSA faced skyrocketing customer requests on top of the order to replace 7% of their roughly 18,000-33,000 lead service lines every year. In addition, their Lead and Copper Compliance (LCR) and Lead Service Line Replacement testing program (LSLR) required immense amounts of manpower. These two events combined to require thousands of point-of-use kits to be collected and tested every year. They looked to 120WA to solve the challenges of siloed data sources, kit delivery and pickup, lab coordination, and distribution of results.
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![GettyImages-157282207_450_300]( "How Severn Trent Uses Smart Solutions To Combat Water Scarcity")
How Severn Trent Uses Smart Solutions To Combat Water ScarcitySevern Trent is reducing water loss and improving customer engagement with smart meters and advanced data analytics, achieving measurable results in leak detection, conservation, and operational efficiency.
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![uv-disinfection]( "Advances In UV Disinfection For Wastewater Tertiary Treatment In Open Channels")
Advances In UV Disinfection For Wastewater Tertiary Treatment In Open ChannelsMeeting modern water reuse goals requires moving past legacy disinfection. Advances in UV technology now provide chemical-free, reliable pathogen inactivation for even high-flow, open-channel tertiary treatment.
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![GettyImages-1333819991_450_300]( "The Hidden Cost: Uncovering The Truth About Non-Revenue Water")
The Hidden Cost: Uncovering The Truth About Non-Revenue WaterNon-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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![iStock-614996748]( "Shifting To Cellular Solutions Underpins Long-Term Resiliency And Stability")
Shifting To Cellular Solutions Underpins Long-Term Resiliency And StabilitySystem longevity is a growing concern for water utilities of all sizes and locations. One of the biggest obstacles in achieving this goal is the use of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) that leverages fixed network communications. Not only do fixed networks require significant expertise to build and manage, but a shrinking workforce is also making it difficult to replace institutional knowledge when those experts retire. Additionally, emerging cybersecurity threats are making fixed networks a heavy load for utilities to bear.
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Sensor Technology For Control Of Activated Sludge Aeration
Design routines and operation strategies for activated sludge aeration systems have traditionally been based on manual control. By Robert Smith, P.E., BCEE, Ph.D., YSI
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![CaseStudies_ValleyCenter-1.jpg]( "Cost-Effective Sludge Thickening Processor Using MBR Membrane Bioreactor")
Cost-Effective Sludge Thickening Processor Using MBR Membrane BioreactorThe Toray MBR modules helped a local utility achieve their goals of conserving water and meeting the Regional Water Quality Control Board's effluent standards (Title 22), so the reclaimed water can be used for irrigation and other reuse applications.
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![Data Analysis-iStock-1147835252.jpg]( "Data Science Aids Lead-Service-Line Inventory And Replacement Programs")
Data Science Aids Lead-Service-Line Inventory And Replacement ProgramsA white paper recently released by the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) provides insights on how water utilities can better use data to manage uncertainty around remaining lead-service-line (LSL) customer connections. The document represents the organization’s commitment to making information accessible to assist state program administrators in protecting public health.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Application Note: Ozone Measurement In Potable Water3/1/2010
Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can be used to destroy the organic compounds that affect the taste and odor of potable water. Environmental concerns have led to increased use of ozone because, unlike chlorine, it does not form hazardous by-products.
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Bardac® LF 18 — A Novel Cooling Water Algaecide10/23/2020
The active ingredient in Bardac® LF 18 is dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. This product comes in two concentrations: -10WT (10% w/w) and -50WT (50% w/w). Several chemical properties of this product yield key benefits that set it apart from other industrial cooling water products. It is a quaternary ammonium compound (quat). Quats are typically low cost and highly effective biocides for a broad spectrum of organisms.
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Free Chlorine Measurement In Drinking Water Treatment12/21/2005
Before water can be used as a safe and reliable source for drinking water, it must be properly treated. Since water is a universal solvent, it comes in contact with several different pathogens, some of which are potentially lethal, and inactivation is accomplished through chemical disinfection and mechanical filtration treatment. This treatment consists of coarse filtration to remove large objects and pre-treatment which includes disinfection using chlorine or ozone
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Pipe Repair On A Budget3/7/2014
A new pipe-repair solution promises to save time and money, while also being sustainable, long-lasting, fully scalable, and safe for workers.
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Harmonics Reduction Methods4/17/2017
There are several basic methods for reducing harmonic voltage and current distortion from nonlinear distribution loads such as adjustable frequency drives (AFDs). Following is a description of each method, along with each method’s advantages and disadvantages.
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LC-MS/MS Analysis Of PFAS Extractables In Polyethersulfone Syringe Filters Using EPA 537.15/18/2022
A key consideration for any PFAS method is to avoid contamination that can impact the accuracy of data, including those coming from sample preparation techniques such as filtration.
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Application Note: YSI Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring And The IPSWATCH-EMPACT Program12/28/2005The Ipswich and Parker Rivers watersheds lie only a short distance north of Boston, MA. The first settlements in these watersheds began in the early 1600s. Since that time, residents have relied heavily on the natural resources of the Parker and Ipswich Rivers, their coastal estuaries and Plum Island Sound, which is known as the Great Marsh. This ecosystem has been designated and protected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
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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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Application Note: Troubleshooting A pH Electrode1/26/2011
Many factors affect performance of a pH electrode. When performance degrades, it is always a challenge for the analyst to identify the cause. Common troubleshooting procedures, which include evaluation of slope, electrode drift, time response, and accuracy, take considerable time. By Thermo Fisher Scientific
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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.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The PHOSPHAX sc Phosphate Analyzer is environmentally controlled for rugged, outdoor installations, provides a wide measurement range for a variety of wastewater and drinking water applications (e.g. in the activated sludge basin, for phosphate elimination and my more), and comes with the fully featured "Plug & Play" digital controller.
The 14”– 16” Insta-Valve Plus 250 from Hydra-Stop is the next generation of permanent, insertable gate valves offering increased strength, improved performance, and simplified installation and operation.
The latest generation of brine electrochlorination technology, the ClorTec DN range, offers simple operation and maintenance as well as unrivalled safety advantages.
AquaControl™ provides leak and burst protection, full submetered billing support, and remote water actuation through its smart connected valve. Aquana captures unit-level consumption, uses flow analysis and contact sensors to detect anomalies, and provides automated shutoff before serious damage occurs.
TrojanUV systems are installed for water providers who are adopting wastewater reuse to conserve natural drinking water supplies.
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.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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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? -
![Oil spill clean up-GettyImages-1369921282]( "The Future Of In Situ Chemical Oxidation For Targeted Solvent Destruction")
The U.S. EPA’s 2026 trichloroethylene (TCE) compliance deadlines are now forcing a concrete shift toward source-zone destruction. In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), sequenced with enhanced bioremediation, is proving to be the most credible path to groundwater contaminant rebound mitigation.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
In this episode of The Water Online Show: On Location, our guest is Mike Blackburn from Hach. Mike dives into the benefits of panel-mounted solutions for water quality monitoring.
See how SIWA MDM Event and Data Action Management (EDAM) helps utilities detect anomalies and identify service points with potential issues. With EDAM, utilities can define a set of conditions or rules that SIWA MDM meter data management uses to analyze data and events such as water leaks and missing reads.
IPR'S CIPP liner system for gravity-flow sewers and culverts is the most proven, cost-effective trenchless pipeline rehabilitation system in the industry. It is also the most widely specified form of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation.
More than 100 beers were on tap during the Xylem beer tasting event in New Orleans. While each beer had it’s own flavor, every beer was brewed with one special ingredient… reuse water. Watch the video to learn more.
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.