DRINKING WATER
Building Resilient Water Treatment: How Ozone Systems Help Utilities Prepare for Extreme Weather
Ozone systems build resilience into water treatment. They ensure utilities remain chemically self-sufficient, allow fast recovery from power outages, and handle rapid water quality shifts.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Utility Removes Burdensome Bulk Sodium Hypochlorite From Operations
Historically, Lyon County Utilities, Nevada, applied 12.5% bulk sodium hypochlorite for disinfection at each of their well sites. Always looking to improve system efficiency, Lyon County staff reexamined on‐site hypochlorite generation to determine if the use of the 0.8% sodium hypochlorite solution could mitigate the challenges associated with dosing high strength sodium hypochlorite.
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![29708_XYL_SustainabilityReport-WEB_ACKEY-1]( "Water For A Healthy World")
Water For A Healthy WorldWe are pleased to present Xylem’s ninth annual Sustainability Report, which describes our efforts in 2019 to solve global water challenges and support a healthy world. The How We Think About Sustainability section of this report explains the connection between current and emerging issues of water scarcity, water systems resilience to climate change and other water challenges and water affordability, and Xylem’s pivotal role in addressing these issues. We close out our goals set in 2014 and share our initial progress report against our 2025 goals, which we introduced in 2019, including Signature Goals designed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing water issues.
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![UltrasonicMetering]( "Ultrasonic Metering For Small Water Meter Applications")
Ultrasonic Metering For Small Water Meter ApplicationsFor many years, ultrasonic metering has been utilized for large scale liquid and gas measurement. However, it is a relatively new technology for small meter applications — particularly those designed for potable water.
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![Beach-GettyImages-522308458]( "How EPA Researchers Are Using Social Science To Study Water Quality")
How EPA Researchers Are Using Social Science To Study Water QualityCoasts and estuaries are highly valued and provide important resources for communities. These environments provide ecosystem services including food, recreational space, protection from storms, and more. In New England, coastal water quality is particularly important for local communities and economies, with beaches and aquatic environments drawing in millions of visitors each year.
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![What is the Digital Water Transformation]( "What Is The Digital Water Transformation?")
What Is The Digital Water Transformation?There’s a lot of buzz these days around the Digital Transformation of “this” and the Digital transformation of “that” – but what does it actually mean in practice, and specifically for the Water Sector?
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A Lesson In DMA Management
White House Utility District (WHUD) is one of the largest water and sewer utilities in the state of Tennessee. While developing a network of pipelines, pumping stations and storage units was challenging, the greater test came in finding access to a plentiful water supply.
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![GettyImages-452097895_450_300]( "Advantages Of Using Ozone And Biologically Active Filtration For Potable Reuse")
Advantages Of Using Ozone And Biologically Active Filtration For Potable ReuseUnderstanding how ozonation and biologically active filtration (O3-BAF) systems work and their benefits in reuse can help water authorities meet cost, treatment, and sustainability goals.
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![EZ_Valve_ensured_the_water_kept_flowing_at_a_hospital-5]( "AVT™ EZ VALVE® Ensured The Water Kept Flowing At A Hospital")
AVT™ EZ VALVE® Ensured The Water Kept Flowing At A HospitalWhen a 40-year-old booster pump servicing Ochsner Health Centre in Baton Rouge, La began to falter, officials knew that had to resolve the issue fast. COVID-19 had left the hospital at full capacity so turning off the facility’s water was not an option. The pump’s existing control point was inoperable, so a new valve needed to be installed.
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The Murky Future Of Global Water Quality
Population growth, economic development, and climate change are placing increasing pressure on our planet’s water resources. Many studies, including one conducted by IFPRI and Veolia in 2011, depict a future world with elevated tensions due to growing demand for a limited supply of water.
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Poison In The Water: How To Defeat Toxic Algae
Like many municipalities, Hamilton, Ontario, is wary of harmful algal blooms and toxic cyanobacteria. To mitigate the threat and protect drinking water, a proactive, risk-based plan was developed.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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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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Preliminary Assessment Of Water Quality In Riviera Grise Near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti10/17/2012
The Riviera Grise drains water from the Cul-de-Sac watershed, Haiti, which covers most of the rural areas along the flood plains and areas that extend into steep hillsides. It also covers urban areas of Port-Au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti.
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LC-MS Analysis Of PFAS Compounds In EPA Methods 537.1, 533 And 832711/4/2021
The Ascentis Express PFAS HPLC column is designed for the separation of novel and legacy PFAS as per recent EPA methods. A specific PFAS delay column prevents background PFAS contamination from interfering with sample results in quantitative LC-MS methods.
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Hemodialysis Patient Health10/29/2021
Controlling dialysate quality is critically important to hemodialysis patient health. Complications as minor as nausea and fatigue or as severe as metabolic acidosis and sepsis can result if dialysate composition is incorrect. All the factors that ultimately affect dialysate composition must therefore be carefully monitored and controlled: proper proportioning and mixing of concentrates with water; the quality of water mixed with concentrates to form dialysate; and the quality of water used in the reprocessing of hemodialyzers, system maintenance and disinfection.
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A Comparative Study Of On-Line And Laboratory TOC Analyzers For Analysis Of Raw And Finished Drinking Water4/5/2013
Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis is an important indicator of water quality throughout the drinking water treatment process. Raw source water is progressively treated in chemical coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration steps to remove particulate matter and natural organic matter (NOM).
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Process Optimization For Flow Measurement4/29/2021
The Saalfeld-Rudolfstadt Association in Germany must rely on cutting-edge technologies that optimize flow measurement in order to allow for smooth processes and supply 82,000 inhabitants with clean drinking water.
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Application Note: Using Real-Time Telemetry For Ecological Monitoring Of Coastal Wetlands2/3/2011The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)in Mississippi is one of 27 protected estuarine reserves across the United States. By YSI
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Ion Exchange Resins And Activated Carbons For Better-Tasting Water12/18/2013
For many, access to good-tasting tap water is limited, and buying bottled water can be expensive. Simple pour-through jug filters offer a low-cost and effective alternative. Activated carbons, in conjunction with ion exchange products, produce drinking water that is absent of all industrial pesticides and contaminants.
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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
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Technology pilot demonstrations can be beneficial by providing a snapshot of essential process operating conditions and allowing the customer to actively interact with the technology and factory personnel.
The OPTIMASS 1400 is a cost-effective twin straight tube Coriolis mass flowmeter for a wide range of standard applications with gases and liquids (up to 170,000 kg/h or 6,235 lb/min). The meter features Entrained Gas Management (EGMTM) for liquid applications, providing reliable readings even in the event of gas entrainment of up to 100%. In this way, the Coriolis meter enables continuous and uninterrupted measurement of volume flow and mass, density and temperature – even at difficult process conditions with 2-phase flow.
The OPTISONIC 6300 P is a portable, battery-powered ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeter for temporary flow measurement of (non-)conductive liquids. It can be used at virtually any location and without process interruption or need to cut pipes. Due to its flexibility, the meter is equally suited for comparative measurements on stationary measuring equipment (e.g. pumps, flowmeters etc.) or for use as a short-term replacement of faulty devices. As standard the clamp-on flowmeter is also provided with a measurement option for thermal energy applications.
Endress+Hauser offers continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids and bulk solids
The Smith & Loveless Duplex Gravity Filter (DGF) removes suspended solids and particles, improving effluent quality. The standard system is available in sizes to fit any application, providing up to 200 square feet (18.6 square meters) of effective filtration area per unit. Dual media filtration increases filtration depth and limits the head loss problems associated with single-media designs.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![hands holding water drop-GettyImages-1412243977]( "Reshaping Resilience: How Tech Giants And Utilities Are Confronting The Global Water Crisis")
Water scarcity is increasingly impacting sectors from agriculture and energy to urban planning and high-tech manufacturing. Recently, industry leaders gathered to explore how new technologies and complex industrial demands are forcing a fundamental rethinking of water infrastructure.
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![GettyImages-2218879973]( "When Chemistry Meets Water Innovation")
Nobel-winning molecular materials are poised to reinvent purification, desalination, and reuse.
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![Water purification-GettyImages-1142887870]( "Breakthrough Recyclable Polyimide Membranes Transform Wastewater And High-Salinity Water Treatment")
Researchers have developed polyimide-based membranes for membrane distillation (MD) that overcome three persistent issues in membranes for water treatment and gas separations: the need for pore-forming chemicals that prevent recycling, performance degradation due to pore wetting and fouling, and the inherent trade-off between high water flux and selectivity.
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![Macro drop falling-GettyImages-2154270541]( "Cut Costs, Cut Timelines: Rethink Your Next Water Project")
Small municipalities and industrial sites face constant pressure: deliver safe, stable water with limited resources and tight deadlines. Traditional on-site construction can stretch project schedules by months and introduce quality and cost risks. By shifting much of the fabrication off-site, these risks are dramatically reduced.
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![GettyImages-2213749043]( "How Digital Payments Infrastructure Increases Hurricane Preparedness")
The 2024 hurricane season was one of the most severe on record, creating unprecedented destruction to the tune of $182.7 billion worth of damage. Scientists predict that this year's storm season, which officially began June 1, will likely be highly active and volatile as well. As hurricanes become more difficult to accurately predict and prepare for, the damage caused by burst pipes, flooding, downed trees and debris, and disrupted utilities is also increasing. -
![Fresh-Idea-GettyImages-174289801]( "From The War Of Currents To The Water Grid: Lessons In Infrastructure, Innovation, And Integration")
How Edison vs. Tesla shapes today's approach to sustainable water systems.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Fresh off TrojanUV being named manufacturer of the year by the WateReuse Association, Water Online caught up with Jennifer Muller, Vice President of Global Municipal Sales for TrojanUV at this year’s WEFTEC, to understand how ultra violet systems are being applied in the growing movement towards direct and indirect potable water reuse.
RIP Kitty Hach-Darrow (October 20, 1922 - June 4, 2020), co-founder of Hach Company
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.