DRINKING WATER
Why Multi‑Commodity Utilities Need Smart Meter Data Management
Breaking down data silos allows multi-commodity utilities to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure visibility. By managing water and electric data on a shared platform, providers can detect leaks faster and support long-term conservation goals.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![phoenix-project]( "AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe Delivers For City Of Phoenix Drought Pipeline Project")
AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe Delivers For City Of Phoenix Drought Pipeline ProjectPhoenix’s Drought Pipeline Project, supported by AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe, secures clean water for North Phoenix, delivering up to 75 million gallons daily and earning top industry awards.
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![DrinkingFountain]( "Evaluating Bulk Hypochlorite Versus Hypochlorite Generated On Site")
Evaluating Bulk Hypochlorite Versus Hypochlorite Generated On SiteChlorine gas is the historical disinfection choice for municipal potable water and wastewater systems due to its low cost and ease of maintenance. However, the hazardous status of chlorine gas and its potential as a terrorist target are driving many facilities to consider alternative disinfection methods. The decision frequently comes down to a choice between commercial sodium hypochlorite delivered in bulk (hypo) and hypochlorite generated on site (OSG). The primary decision factors are safety, cost, ease of maintenance, and environmental impact.
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![kemio-monitoring]( "Why Is Kemio Technology Suitable For Monitoring Drinking Water Quality?")
Why Is Kemio Technology Suitable For Monitoring Drinking Water Quality?In this article, read about a platform that ensures safe drinking water and offers a user-friendly, four-step procedure for repeatable and reliable results without the need for interpretation.
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![yorkshire-water-feature]( "Yorkshire Water Reduces Leaks By 57%, Eliminating 30% Of Annual Distribution Main Repairs")
Yorkshire Water Reduces Leaks By 57%, Eliminating 30% Of Annual Distribution Main RepairsYorkshire Water Services (YWS) is a leading UK water utility that serves nearly 5.5 million people and has a well-deserved reputation as a progressive and proactive utility. Their belief that innovation is one of the key driving forces that allows utilities to deliver better services to their customers while keeping costs down has led them to always seek out new ways to improve their operations both now and in the future.
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![EPAassistant]( "Geospatial Patterns Of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In The EPA National Rivers and Streams Assessment Survey")
Geospatial Patterns Of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In The EPA National Rivers and Streams Assessment SurveyBoth antimicrobial products and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria find their way into the environment through the release of treated wastewater into rivers and streams, as well as through runoff from animal feeding operations. EPA researchers are engaged in a variety of efforts to understand what happens when antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (sometimes referred to as antibiotic-resistant bacteria) are released into the environment.
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![article-5-feature]( "Addressing Water Treatment Challenges: Technology Access Limitations By Small, Rural Water Utilities")
Addressing Water Treatment Challenges: Technology Access Limitations By Small, Rural Water UtilitiesWith aging infrastructures, lean and limited personnel, lower budgets, and less accessible, often remote locations, smaller and rural water treatment plants are challenged in maintaining operations while understanding new and important technologies in improving contaminant removal in water treatment.
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![Singapore_MEDP_20]( "ABB Technology Further Strengthens Singapore's Water Security")
ABB Technology Further Strengthens Singapore's Water SecuritySingapore is using desalination as part of the solution to their water supply issue in order to provide enough clean drinking water for its ever-growing population of 5.5 million.
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![LargeTransitionFittings]( "Finding A Perfect Fit For Mix-And-Match Piping")
Finding A Perfect Fit For Mix-And-Match PipingToday’s water/wastewater piping options offer numerous advantages in terms of cost, performance, and anticipated service life. Unfortunately, utilities must still deal with what’s already in the ground — steel, cast iron, ductile iron, asbestos cement, plastic, concrete, and even wood. Here are guidelines on making transitions between old and new pipes of varying sizes and materials as smooth as possible.
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![crisis-response]( "How Remote Water Quality Monitoring Improves Crisis Response")
How Remote Water Quality Monitoring Improves Crisis ResponseRemote water quality monitoring, a key component to effective crisis response, can mitigate the risk of contaminated source water or distributed water reaching consumers.
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![recycling sign.jpg]( "Reassessing The Value Of Water Reuse In Process Efficiency")
Reassessing The Value Of Water Reuse In Process EfficiencyIn many industrial applications, water is not part of the final product but an important process facilitator — for cooling, cleaning, etc. Like energy, it can quickly become a major expense and, therefore, an important target for cost control. As potable water supplies tighten or become increasingly expensive, reuse is becoming a more attractive alternative. Here is some of the information needed to evaluate the opportunities it offers.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Determination Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Seafood4/20/2015
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds found naturally in the environment. PAHs are monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency due to their carcinogenic characteristics.
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Performance Test Services For UV Advanced Oxidation Systems12/1/2025
UV AOP performance verification requires a robust test matrix covering design, operating, and control conditions. This process includes on-site execution, sample analysis, and troubleshooting to achieve successful regulatory approval.
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Determination Of EN15662:2008 - Determination Of Pesticide Residue In Food Of Plant Origin, By An Automated QuEChERS Solution9/24/2014
Pesticide residue laboratories are required to undertake analyses of an ever increasing number of samples. The analyses typically involve use of multi-residue methods (both GC-MS and LC-MS) to test for over 500 pesticide residues.
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The 'First Line Of Defense' In Protecting Membrane Filters8/9/2019
Multi-element, self-cleaning pretreatment filters optimize membrane filter life and production while minimizing maintenance and downtime.
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Circuit Board Cleanliness Testing10/29/2021
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.
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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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Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit9/8/2015
Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.
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Water Treatment In Boilers And Cooling Towers10/29/2021
Most people recognize problems associated with corrosion. Effects from scale deposits, however, are equally important. For example, as little as 1/8" of scale can reduce the efficiency of a boiler by 18% or a cooling tower heat exchanger by 40%!
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Determining Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) With Lovibond® OxiDirect3/12/2026
The Biochemical Oxygen Demand over a testing period of n days (BODn) is precisely defined and associated with experimental standards. It represents the quantity of oxygen aspirated in the course of aerobic breakdown of organic substances by microorganisms.
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Water Determination In Liquefied Petroleum Gas Using GC BID And Ionic Liquid Column Watercol™6/28/2018
Water in petrochemical feedstocks can cause problems for processors. Freezing of pipe lines and valves and poisoning of expensive catalysts are just a few examples.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
FLEX-TEND Force Balanced Flexible Expansion Joints are designed to protect water pipeline systems from the stresses produced by ground motion either from seismic activity or gradual soil subsidence. The Force Balanced FLEX-TEND unlike conventional flexible/expansion joints does not generate an axial thrust that must be compensated for.
WRT's Z-92® process is the most effective and environmentally responsible choice you can make for removing uranium from drinking water and the community. That's because after removing the uranium, we dispose of it at a licensed facility
The OPTIFLUX 7300 is a an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) for measuring very low conductivity liquids (≥0.05 μS/cm). The high-end meter is particularly suitable for applications with extremely adhesive and greasy media that tend to form an insulating film. It is also the first choice for applications involving high vibration and noise as well as oxidizing, abrasive or toxic chemicals. The leak-tight, vacuum and temperature resistant ceramic tube construction also complies with regulations of the food industry (FDA, EC1934/2004). Therefore, hygienic flow measurement with advanced requirements is another field of application.
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.
The 60" and 66” Mueller® Resilient Wedge Gate Valve offers reduced operating torque and superior resistance to wear and tear that can reduce the performance. With extra-long, bronze wedge guides, the gate slides easily within body channels, supporting and maintaining alignment of the wedge for smooth operation.
The Automatic Switchover system Series 1041 provides safe, reliable switching between two gas (pressure or vacuum) or two liquid (pressure or level) sources assuring an uninterrupted supply of chemical to the application. Automation of all functions (switchover, system initialization, configuration, lamp test, and safety functions) is done with an internal programmable logic controller for operational flexibility, enhanced reliability, and ease of use. If needed, local manual override is conveniently available for operator control to maintain continuous operation.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![pregnant_water-Getty-2207189112]( "Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood Asthma")
While most of us are routinely exposed to low levels of PFAS, some communities are exposed to far higher levels from nearby pollution sources. A new study shows that in one of these at-risk communities, children were more likely to develop asthma if their mothers were exposed to very high PFAS levels during pregnancy.
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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?
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.
V-Bio Polyethylene Encasement is the latest scientific advancement in corrosion control for ductile iron pipe. In this interview with Water Online, Maury Gaston of American Ductile Iron Pipe and American SpiralWeld Pipe talks about the many benefits of iron pipe and the company’s improved polyethylene encasement, including how its revolutionary formulation allows for complete confidence on the part of the owner, engineer and municipality that no matter how aggressive the soils, the rugged iron pipe installed will last for generations.
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.