DRINKING WATER

getty-2093684567-water-flow Unlocking The Flow: The Transformative Value Of Meter Data Management For Water Utilities

MDM systems transform raw meter data into actionable intelligence, enhancing operational efficiency, driving proactive leak detection, improving billing accuracy, and supporting vital water conservation initiatives.

DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS

  • American SpiralWeld Supports The Road To Local And Regional Progress In South Carolina

    When the Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. Terminal opens in North Charleston in 2021, container traffic traveling to and from it will use the new Port Access Road, a direct route from I-26 that will reduce the need for commercial trucks to use local roads. Supporting the mainline road’s foundation piers will be South Carolina made spiral-welded structural steel pipe installed as vertical piles driven 60 to 90 feet into the ground. Spiral-welded steel will also be used in the subfoundations of associated new bridges and roads.

  • Precision Accuracy Flow Measurement Through Ultra Mag Implementation

    Explore why he Hach Ultra Mag is a fan favorite in numerous industries such as municipal water and wastewater, amongst others.

  • Digital Transformation In Water: The 9 Key Success Factors

    Climate change, urban population growth, aging infrastructure, budgetary constraints and increasing regulatory pressure are some of the many challenges facing US water utilities.

  • Americans' Attitude To Their Water Changes With The Weather

    Weather plays an important role in how Americans think about water. And I don’t mean when it’s raining, we decide to grab a raincoat.

  • Automation Of Wastewater Treatment Plants For Cape Whale Coast

    Hermanus on South Africa’s Cape Whale Coast is a tourist hotspot. Just two hours outside of Cape Town, the number of holiday complexes being built along this idyllic coast is increasing. The problem is that the city is in a water scarce area. The answer lies in an upgrade of the Preekstoel water treatment plant.

  • From Zero To 2 Million

    Since 1977, Endress+Hauser has produced over two million electromagnetic flowmeters. That is more than any other manufacturer. “This magic number stands for high-quality measuring technology and, above all, satisfied customers in all kinds of industries,” says Bernd-Josef Schäfer, Managing Director of Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG, the center of competence for flow measuring technology.

  • Minnetonka, MN Pilots Acoustic Pipe Assessment Prior To Road Resurfacing

    A Minnesota suburb used non-invasive acoustic technology to assess an aging water main before a 20-year road construction moratorium. This critical data allowed them to confidently prioritize pipe renewals and better manage their infrastructure budget.

  • Real-Time Digital Analytics Identifies More Than 180 Million Gallons Of Annual CSO Reduction

    The City of Richmond turns to Xylem Wastewater Network Optimization to identify critical CSO-reducing projects, putting them on a path to regulatory compliance while avoiding costly and unnecessary infrastructure.

  • TotalCare Condition Audit Results In Energy Savings Of 80% And Improved Controls

    Xylem TotalCare Condition Audit, an inspection and recommendation program that helps plant operators find ways to lower maintenance costs by identifying inefficiencies in the operation of water and wastewater equipment, was elected to audit the American Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in California.

  • Simple And Smart: How Radio-Read Meters Are Improving Meter Reading

    When Hank Zwart took over as director of public works in 2014, the city was in the initial phases of installing a walkby system that was eight-year-old technology. Knowing this older metering technology is not the best way forward, Zwart and the City of Prescott decided to implement the latest AMR technology that supports future migration to AMI. To meet this goal, City of Prescott chose Kamstrup’s READy AMR system.

DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES

  • Circuit Board Cleanliness Testing
    10/29/2021

    Contamination of circuit boards can bring about severe degradation of insulation resistance and dielectric strength. Cleanliness of completed circuit boards is, therefore, of vital interest. For those companies who have established circuit board cleaning procedures, the MIL Spec P-28809 has been used as a guideline for control. Now a simple "on line" test for the relative measurement of ionic contamination has been developed.

  • How To Install A Submersible Pump In Discharge Tubes
    11/28/2012

    In the fields of water and waste water technology, submersible pumps represent a viable economic and technical alternative to conventional, dry-installed pumps. In particular, they offer a number of handling advantages during maintenance and installation work.

  • Real-Time Water Quality Data For Agriculture
    9/23/2020

    We arm farmers with mission-critical water data to help enhance crop yield and taste. KETOS delivers valuable insights for fluctuations in deficiency and toxicity.

  • Application Note: Ozone Measurement In Potable Water
    3/1/2010

    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.

  • Dosing Of Sodium Hypochlorite Solution For Drinking Water Disinfection
    9/22/2022

    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.

  • Harmonics Reduction Methods
    4/17/2017

    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.

  • Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples
    5/31/2011
    Total bound nitrogen (TNb) consists of dissolved ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, amines, and other organic nitrogen-containing compounds. TNb measurements represent an alternative to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) analysis for rapid screening of industrial wastewater, drinking water,agricultural run-off, and surface waters. By OI Analytical
  • Phosphate In Groundwater And Surface Water: A Rapid And Reliable Determination Method Using The Photometric Spectroquant® Test
    1/31/2019

    Phosphorus is an essential element for organisms and plants. In natural, uncontaminated waters, it occurs as organically bound phosphate, condensed phosphates or as orthophosphate — often referred to by its chemical formula PO4-P. The small quantity of phosphorus present in natural waters does not promote the growth of plants. However, a rise in the concentration of phosphorus results in the proliferation of algae, which leads to the eutrophication of the water body.

  • Activated Carbon And Adsorption Of Trichloroethylene (TCE) And Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
    12/30/2013

    Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are two of the most common solvents that contaminate groundwater supplies in the United States. Both solvents see frequent use in the extraction of fat, in the textile industry, in the production of various pharmaceutical and chemical products. TCE is also used as a degreaser from fabricated metal parts, and PCE serves as a component of aerosol dry-cleaning solvents.

  • Cloth Media Filtration Removes Coal Ash And Coal Fines At Power Plants
    1/15/2019

    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.

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

This sealed “junction box” receives the special “vented” type sensor cable from a Druck sensor and connects to a less expensive, non-vented, proprietary sourced instrument cable. It allows barometric reference pressure to enter the enclosure while providing a block to water/humidity entering and condensing in the assembly.

Discover how you can utilize the full value of your meter data

There are over 4,500 compounds currently classified as PFAS compounds. BioLargo's PFAS treatment is customized to the water to reduce energy, breakthrough, waste products, and operation and maintenance costs.

LC (Low Concentrations) Model Designed to treat low concentrations (<20 µg/l) of PFAS contaminated water from construction dewatering activities, and other short to medium-term treatment requirements. These systems manage a range of flow rates up to 100 GPM (6 L/sec) and include pre-treatment.

RR (Rapid Response) Model The RR Models can be shipped and assembled quickly; ideal for rapid response situations. Models come in several sizes and can be configured in series or parallel to accommodate higher flow rates or additional treatment options. The small footprint and simple design allows for rapid deployment of PFAS treatment.

With 90 years of water treatment experience, Loprest has the expertise to design an effective treatment process for your water treatment challenges.  From basic filtration and ion exchange to multiple contaminant applications, challenge Loprest for an economic, effective solution of your water quality compliance issue.

The DE NORA TETRA DeepBed tertiary filtration system is an economical solution for the removal of total suspended solids and total phosphorus.

LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER

DRINKING WATER VIDEOS

Water utilities need reliable data to meet regulatory demands, manage operations, and deliver excellent customer service. Master Meter’s Allegro AMI and Allegro Mobile technologies offer smart, scalable solutions to support these needs. Allegro AMI provides hourly data on consumption, tampering, and leaks, automatically sent to the utility office.

In the water-scarce desert Southwest, the agricultural, urban and environmental sectors are constantly competing for limited water. So how do you handle the fact that each stakeholder within those sectors wants something different in a water management strategy, for now and for the future?

The Western Governors' Drought Forum webinar “Once Marginal, Now Crucial: The Growing Demand for Re-used, Produced, and Brackish Water” explores the technological and regulatory obstacles to utilizing re-used, produced, and brackish water.

Discover how integrated membrane system designs can maximize the operating stability of EDI systems and reduce mixed bed regeneration frequency.

Scientists are developing robots that might someday be able to creep through the pitch-black mines to help prevent spills. A 2015 spill from Colorado’s Gold King Mine unleashed 3 million gallons of water that fouled rivers in three states with toxins.

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:

  1. Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
  2. Drinking water treatment of source water
  3. 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.