DRINKING WATER
Success Is The Break That Never Happened: How Embedded Acoustic Intelligence In Ultrasonic Meters Prevents Failure
Embedded acoustic sensing in ultrasonic meters enables continuous leak monitoring, helping utilities detect problems earlier, reduce water loss, and shift from reactive repairs to proactive infrastructure management.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![GettyImages-1437987503 washington DC]( "Engineering Resilience In Water Supply: How Ozone-Based Oxidation Supports DC Water's Pure Water DC Vision")
Engineering Resilience In Water Supply: How Ozone-Based Oxidation Supports DC Water's Pure Water DC VisionSecuring urban water futures requires shifting toward resilient, multi-source supplies. Advanced oxidation provides a critical barrier against emerging contaminants, enhancing treatment efficiency and ensuring long-term reliability without chemical residuals. Explore the foundations of engineering a decentralized, drought-proof water supply.
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![searcy]( "Clean Water In Searcy, Arkansas")
Clean Water In Searcy, ArkansasDiscover Searcy Water Utilities' solution to naturally corrosive water that began to cause problems for certain mixers.
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![GettyImages-453255449_connecticut]( "Connecticut Water Utility Successfully Removes 45% Of Trihalomethanes (THMs)")
Connecticut Water Utility Successfully Removes 45% Of Trihalomethanes (THMs)While the addition of chlorine is one of the safest and most effective means for water disinfection, under certain circumstances chlorine in combination with naturally occurring organic compounds in water can lead to the formation of undesirable disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
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![Frozen outdoor water pipe-GettyImages-490504308]( "Preparing Your Valves For Winter With Proactive Maintenance")
Preparing Your Valves For Winter With Proactive MaintenanceAs the cold weather sets in, water distribution and wastewater systems face increased stress, making it important to ensure critical components like valves are in peak condition.
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![Issaquah-System]( "What Is PFAS?")
What Is PFAS?PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid) and PFOS (perflurooctane sulfonate) are organic synthetic chemicals that have been used in manufacturing a multitude of industrial and consumer-based products including coatings, carpeting, and fire-fighting foams. Over several decades, they have contaminated the environment, specifically our drinking water sources, causing significant health concerns that recently prompted the EPA to take action.
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![pumping-digital-twins]( "Pumping And Network Operations Optimized Through Collaborative Digital Twins")
Pumping And Network Operations Optimized Through Collaborative Digital TwinsCollaborative digital twins streamline utility operations by integrating real-time data into a shared, intuitive environment. This approach enables precise pump optimization, efficient maintenance scheduling, and proactive network simulations to improve water quality and system resilience.
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![GettyImages-1000639702_450_300]( "Connecting The Water Cycle: Bridging The Physical-Digital Gap")
Connecting The Water Cycle: Bridging The Physical-Digital GapThere are many reasons why an AMI system might fail, but more often than not it boils down to gaps in the physical-to-digital transition.
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![EMWD]( "Sensus Technology Helps California Utility Improve Efficiency Through The Pandemic And Beyond")
Sensus Technology Helps California Utility Improve Efficiency Through The Pandemic And BeyondThe Eastern Municipal Water District used a smart utility network from Sensus to advance service and sustainability.
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![HAZMAT Team Members Checks For LeaksiStock-177036592]( "Is Your Source Water In Danger? Invest In An Ounce Of Prevention")
Is Your Source Water In Danger? Invest In An Ounce Of PreventionDespite all of life’s adages about the value of preparation (an ounce of prevention…, a stich in time…, failing to plan…), it’s easy for long-range, source-water-security planning to be deferred because ‘there’s just not enough time or funding to do it right now.’ With the stakes of compromised water quality being so high, however, here are some helpful insights and incentives on why and how to start planning sooner rather than later.
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How To Calculate Chlorine Demand When Treating Iron & Manganese With Solid Manganese Dioxide
Most treatment systems for removing iron and manganese from groundwater sources use chlorine, oxygen or various other chemicals to oxidize the clear state of iron and manganese to an oxidized or solid form so the particles can then be filtered out. If complete oxidation occurs and if the oxidized floc is of suitable condition, a filtration system consisting of filter sand and anthracite is used.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Dosing Of Sodium Hypochlorite Solution For Drinking Water Disinfection9/22/2022
A water purveyor was in urgent need of a chemically resistant flow instrumentation with a long life of service that allowed reliable and long-term stable dosing of the sodium hypochlorite solution.
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Irrigation Technology In Agriculture: How New Technologies Overcome Challenges1/29/2019
As the world’s population continues to increase at a fast pace, more food and water will be needed to sustain humanity. In the past 50 years, we have tripled our need for water and food, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. As a result of these conditions, smart, innovative agricultural practices are needed now more than ever. Technology can, and already does, aid agriculture in innumerable ways. One prominent part of agriculture that can use technological innovation to increase efficiency and effectiveness is irrigation.
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Deployment Of NextStep In Reverse Osmosis Systems1/15/2026
Pulsafeeder has secured a significant order for its NextStep series of stepper motor-driven metering pumps, specifically for use in advanced Reverse Osmosis (RO) applications. This deployment underscores the growing demand for precision chemical dosing in high-performance water treatment systems. The order includes NextStep NS1 and NS9 models, each selected for their unique capabilities in high-pressure and low-pressure RO environments.
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Organics Aren't Invisible: A Guide for Simple Online Monitoring5/13/2019
Control of dissolved organics has been one of the highest priority concerns for most water treatment plants for over 20 years. Organics monitoring is an even more critical issue today in the face of more stringent regulations and concerns around trace organics, emerging contaminants, and even counter-terrorism or water security. Despite the critical need, many plants still rely primarily on turbidity for monitoring and process control.
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Improved Efficiencies In TOC Wastewater Analysis For Standard Method 5310B And EPA Method 41510/16/2014Total organic carbon (TOC) measurement is of vital importance to the operation of water treatment due to organic compounds comprising a large group of water pollutants. TOC has been around for many years, and although it is a relatively simple analysis in theory, operational efficiency is paramount.
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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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Ultrapure Water For Determination of Toxic Elements In Environmental Analyses4/10/2018
In this paper the importance of reagent water quality for toxic element environmental analyses is discussed, and the suitability of fresh ultrapure water produced using MilliporeSigma water purification systems for ICP-OES and ICP-MS trace element analyses in environmental laboratories is demonstrated.
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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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Cloth Media Filtration Removes Coal Ash And Coal Fines At Power Plants1/15/2019
Coal-fired power plants generate coal fines and coal ash from a number of sources, including coal combustion residuals (CCR), particularly fly and bottom ash from coal furnaces, and coal pile runoff during rain events. In support of an industry-wide effort to reduce, improve, and remove coal ash ponds, a variety of technologies have been tested and employed. Read the full application note to learn more.
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Network Monitors Water Quality In Shale Gas Drilling Region9/2/2011High-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals that fracture shale deposits deep underground to free trapped natural gas is employed by drillers tapping the Marcellus shale beds, a geologic deposit that stretches from central New York to Virginia and contains gas believed to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. By YSI
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The PTBT2 is a lab-accurate water quality pocket tester that allows you to use your mobile device and the X2 app to measure, store and export data.
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.
This instrument is designed to be extremely accurate, fast, and simple to use in diverse water quality applications.
The flowIQ 2200 water meter has a state-of-the-art built-in leak detection that delivers uncompromising accuracy. Great for households, multi-unit buildings and industry.
Ozone treatment for water and wastewater has been utilized successfully for several decades and continues to be a viable disinfection solution for both municipal and industrial plants, worldwide.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Smart industry, worker safety technology-GettyImages-2218674119]( "Geotechnical IoT Shifts Water Infrastructure From Reactive To Predictive")
Currently, water infrastructure is outdated and fragile, prone to breakages and leaks. Reactive approaches to water infrastructure are only implemented after an incident and are more expensive than simple maintenance fixes. Geotechnical Internet of Things (IoT) devices enable water and wastewater industry professionals to identify and address issues before they escalate into catastrophic events.
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![Water Drop with brain-GettyImages-481129858]( "When Drinking Water Raises Bigger Questions About Brain Health And Environmental Risk")
A new study linking certain groundwater sources to higher Parkinson’s risk underscores a broader question for the water sector: how environmental exposures in drinking water may influence long-term health. -
![Water Treatment system for boiler station-GettyImages-914817776]( "Filtration Media For Municipal, Industrial, And Landscape Water Treatment: Legacy And Novel Technologies")
The growing demand for water across a variety of sectors combined with the increasingly understood complexity of emerging contaminants is creating a dynamic marketplace for filtration media. The goal of selecting the right filtration media is not to meet minimum standards but to achieve the right balance of performance, durability, and operational simplicity to ensure long-term compliance and cost-effective operation.
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![getty-1314144854-AI-water-robot-hand]( "Scaling Water Reuse: New State Regulatory Guides And What They Mean For Treatment Design")
Emerging state water reuse regulations are driving adoption of ozone and advanced oxidation, requiring flexible, high-performance systems to meet pathogen, trace organic, and DBP control objectives.
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![GettyImages-2153059351-gloved-hand-with-test-tube-testing-water]( "EPA's Proposed Perchlorate Regulation: What It Means For Treatment Engineers And Oxidation Strategies")
EPA’s proposed perchlorate regulation challenges utilities to integrate advanced oxidation and separation technologies, enabling reliable removal, regulatory compliance, and flexible treatment for emerging contaminants.
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![Ozone Contactors]( "Ozone Contactors: The Engineering Variable That Determines Oxidation Success")
Ozone system performance hinges on reactor design, not generator size. Efficient mass transfer, hydraulic integrity, and contact time ensure consistent oxidation, reduced energy use, and reliable treatment results.
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.