DRINKING WATER
Why Planning Is The Hero Of AMI Deployment
Thorough planning, accurate data, and strong communication are the keys to successful AMI deployments, preventing costly disruptions and ensuring technology delivers long-term operational and customer service value.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Cooling Tower Blowdown Wastewater Treatment For Reuse
Megalim Solar Power Ltd’s Power Station, located in Israel’s northern Negev desert, will be the first utility-scale solar thermal or concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in operation in Israel when completed. To minimize fresh water usage in the cooling cycle and boiler makeup of the power plant, Fluence designed and supplied a containerized system for treatment of cooling tower blowdown wastewater for reuse and the production of ultrapure water (UPW).
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![the wave talk]( "Why Smart Meters Without Turbidity Monitoring Will Soon Be Obsolete: A Call To Action For The Water Industry")
Why Smart Meters Without Turbidity Monitoring Will Soon Be Obsolete: A Call To Action For The Water IndustryTurbidity monitoring is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern water quality management, crucial for detecting contaminants and ensuring safe drinking water.
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![InventoryReplacement]( "Preparing For Lead-Service-Line Inventory And Replacement Requirements")
Preparing For Lead-Service-Line Inventory And Replacement RequirementsWith all the new facets of the revised Lead and Copper Rule revisions (LCRR) — increased sampling requirements, lead service line (LSL) inventory and replacement, new communications requirements, and school/childcare-facility monitoring — any water utility that has not yet started making preparations is at risk of non-compliance now that the new rule has become law. Here are some factors to consider when reviewing LCRR requirements and conducting LSL inventories and replacements.
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![GettyImages-925440650 (1)]( "Chlorine Sensors Waste An Estimated 6.1 Billion Gallons Of Non-Revenue Water Every Year")
Chlorine Sensors Waste An Estimated 6.1 Billion Gallons Of Non-Revenue Water Every YearChlorine sensor waste streams cause massive water loss and costs. The Halogen MP-5 sensor eliminates waste, reduces maintenance, and improves efficiency—offering a breakthrough in sustainable water monitoring.
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![Are You Experiencing Deviation Alarms In Your High Pressure Process Vessels?]( "Are You Experiencing Deviation Alarms In Your High Pressure Process Vessels?")
Are You Experiencing Deviation Alarms In Your High Pressure Process Vessels?In this white paper, learn how to decrease alarms due to redundant level devices not matching, especially in applications with high pressure and/or high temperature. The importance of Gas Phase Compensation (GPC) and how it affects level readings of guided wave radar (GWR) devices is critical. The presence of polar gas also can have an effect on the accuracy of any GWR that does not have GPC when installed in applications where high temperature or pressure is present. This paper will discuss these issues and address how to overcome them.
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![GettyImages-1282243405_450_300]( "Future-Proof Your Water Meter Technology With AMI")
Future-Proof Your Water Meter Technology With AMIBecause you can’t track what you can’t measure, modern water solutions bridge the gap between the vision of secure water and the reality of existing infrastructure.
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![Master Meter]( "Smart Antenna Technology For AMI")
Smart Antenna Technology For AMIWhen several years of drought subsided and water restrictions were lifted this spring for the city of Round Rock, Texas, residents quickly returned to their pre-drought usage patterns—and as they watered their lawns, filled their pools and used water the way they had before the drought, their monthly bills began to rise. The utility billing office started getting calls from a number of the 33,000 homes and businesses throughout Round Rock.
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![remote_disconnect_iStock-505996964]( "Smart Meters With Integrated Valves Promote Long-Term Savings")
Smart Meters With Integrated Valves Promote Long-Term SavingsPicture this common scenario for a water utility: A past due account triggers multiple notices to a home, but with no response from the customer, a crew is sent to shut off service. Throughout the process, the municipality racks up other labor costs, including personnel needed to create the work order and a return visit by a crew to restore service once the account is current.
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The Future Of Water Supply In Florida
A majority of water utilities in Florida have historically relied on groundwater for their drinking water supply. In 2010, Florida water utilities used 2.2 billion gallons per day (BGD) of freshwater for public water supply compared to a total of 6.3 BGD used. Groundwater represented 89% of the 2.2 BGD freshwater used for public water supply (USGS, 2013). Fresh groundwater sources at shallow depths have historically been available in abundance By Gerardus Schers, Philip Waller, and Michael Condran, MWH Global
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![Flow Control Gate Valve]( "On The Job In 72 Hours Following Utility's Massive Water Main Break")
On The Job In 72 Hours Following Utility's Massive Water Main BreakOn the morning of December 12, 2017, about 30 homes in the Shelby Park neighborhood of Lousiville, KY, were without water, and others were experiencing low water pressure after a massive water main break at the intersection of Clay and Oak streets. More than 20 million gallons of water flooded the neighborhood, covering a three-block area.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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Lab Gas Sub-Metering Accuracy Improves With Thermal Flow Meters To Save Money12/1/2017
Facility administrators will find the advanced ST100 Series Thermal Mass Air/Gas Flow Meter from Fluid Components International (FCI) helps them improve the accuracy of specialty gas point of use and sub-metering operations to achieve accurate billing in their labs for better cost tracking and control.
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Reducing And Reusing Water In Steel Manufacturing2/28/2022
The art of manufacturing steel for industries is well over 100 years old. Within this time, the steel business has fulfilled consumer needs, including construction, transportation, and manufacturing. The steel manufacturing process is quite intensive as it requires a lot of water to cool down the application. Steel plants constantly look for strategies that can help sustain the steel for a longer time by efficiently improving water and energy consumption.
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Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products11/1/2020
Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.
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What Is Genclean Advanced Oxidation Disinfection Solution And What Is It Used For?2/18/2021
A non-toxic, advanced oxidation (AOP) formula of minerals chelated with oxygen and stabilized in an aqueous water solution. It is a viable option in industries and applications requiring a solution to challenging situations where high level effective sanitization and oxidation is required. Read more to learn how the Genclean advanced oxidation treatment solutions can be used in different applications.
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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.
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Bottled Water Industry: Liquid Analytical Solutions11/10/2013
Americans consume more than 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water annually - an average of twenty nine gallons per person every year.
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UV Technology Offers Solution For Emerging Water Crisis2/19/2014
Many are turning to UV as an effective barrier to enable the reuse of wastewater, for indirect reuse, and aquifer recharge.
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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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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.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The Ms6 is a plug-and-play flow meter that works right out of the box, and accurately measures liquid chemical feed from ranges of 10-5,000 mL/min and 100-10,000 mL/min.
The OPTIFLUX 4300 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) for advanced process applications with aggressive liquids or abrasive media. The high-end flowmeter is particularly suitable for critical applications requiring high accuracy and many diagnostic functions. It enables reliable measurement even under very harsh process conditions with temperatures up to +180°C / +356°F, low conductivities (≥1 µS/cm), high solid contents (up to 70%) and high pressures (up to 1500 bar / 21751 psi). For custody transfer applications, the OPTIFLUX 4300 has a wide range of certifications including OIML R49 and R117 or MI-001 and MI-005. It can also be used for flow measurement in district heating networks requiring MI-004 approval.
The SORBIX™ M Series systems are housed in single shipping containers, designed to meet the demands of rapid installation and start-up. Systems include pre-treatment, as required, are configured for SORBIX PURE or SORBIX RePURE resins, and come in 50, 100, 200, and 200+ GPM (3, 6, 12 and 12+ L/sec) models.
The OPTISONIC 7300 is a universal 2-path ultrasonic gas flowmeter for process and utility gas measurements in oil and gas refineries or the chemical or petrochemical industries. It is also suitable for non-custody transfer natural gas applications or applications with (compressed) air, mixed or flue gases (up to +180°C / +356°F).
The TrojanUVSwift®ECT provides year-round drinking water treatment as well as seasonal advanced oxidation for the removal of algal toxins and taste and odor-causing molecules.
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.
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.