DRINKING WATER
7 Challenges Municipal Water Treatment Professionals Are Facing And How To Solve Them
Solutions that offer instant, chemical-free disinfection, manage costs, handle high organic loads, and control emerging contaminants are defining the path forward for water facilities.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![PSI-RCS-PP-1056-Abington-Township-PA-04-12-2019-450_300 (002)]( "Automated Disinfectant Generation And Control Systems Produce Consistent Residual Levels In Aqua Pennsylvania's Distribution System")
Automated Disinfectant Generation And Control Systems Produce Consistent Residual Levels In Aqua Pennsylvania's Distribution SystemAqua Pennsylvania (Aqua PA), an Aqua America subsidiary, serves more than 1.4 million people in 32 counties across Pennsylvania. Aqua PA has significant experience using chloramine chemistry to mitigate trihalomethane (THM) disinfection byproduct formation in its many distribution systems.
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Durable Screen Line Expanded To Meet Vertical And High-Flow Applications
Water and wastewater plant operators often encounter challenging screening situations that aren’t well served by conventional products. This includes deep channel applications, where space is very limited, as well as high-flow applications. To address these growing demands, Parkson recently expanded its Aqua Caiman® line to include the Aqua Caiman® Vertical and Aqua Caiman® HD.
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![OREGON WATER SYSTEM]( "Setting A Precedent: American And Others Work To Ensure Oregon Water System Meets Rigorous Seismic Safety Standards")
Setting A Precedent: American And Others Work To Ensure Oregon Water System Meets Rigorous Seismic Safety StandardsMost agree that Oregon, with its breathtaking mountains and rugged coastline, is a scenic wonder. Yet the geologic forces that make it so spectacular also make it one of the most earthquake-prone spots in the country.
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![GettyImages-1349199123 water treatment]( "Preparing Water Infrastructure For The Future")
Preparing Water Infrastructure For The FutureThe current state of the water infrastructure in the U.S. is in need of critical attention. Aging and underfunded systems, increasing demand, and the impacts of climate change are putting immense pressure on the nation’s ability to deliver this essential resource.
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![Success_Story-MDC-2022-4]( "Insta-Valve 250 Helps Prevent Service Disruption To Critical Care Facility")
Insta-Valve 250 Helps Prevent Service Disruption To Critical Care FacilityHydra-Stop’s insertion valve solution provides targeted control to maintain service to a critical care facility. The Metropolitan District (MDC) provides quality drinking water to eight member municipalities in and around Hartford, Connecticut. One of their member towns is working through a planned road reconstruction and repaving project. A critical care facility and an 80-year-old existing water main are within the project’s construction zone.
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![gettyimages-1214284146-170667a]( "Managing Drought And Reducing Water Loss During System Maintenance And Repair")
Managing Drought And Reducing Water Loss During System Maintenance And RepairDiscover how public water systems can avoid both the cost and the terrible optics associated with repairs during drought conditions by using insertion valves.
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![getty-1008861200-money]( "Partners Can Help With Funding Requirements To Fix Aging Infrastructure")
Partners Can Help With Funding Requirements To Fix Aging InfrastructureRead more about why prioritizing budgets for addressing aging infrastructure is critical.
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![Figure2bucket]( "How To Install pH Sensors")
How To Install pH SensorsThis article is for those of you who need to install a new or redo an existing pH loop. These tips can help ensure accurate and consistent readings.
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Denver Water Protects Customers With Data-Driven Lead Reduction Program
Denver Water is committed to delivering a safe, reliable water supply to its customers. The water provided to homes and businesses is lead-free, but lead can get into the water as it moves through customer-owned, lead-containing household fixtures, plumbing, and water service lines—the pipe that brings water into the home from the main in the street.
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![GettyImages-800420796]( "Water Security In Africa Starts With Educating Our Youth")
Water Security In Africa Starts With Educating Our YouthA general estimate by environmental agencies is that we waste 136 litres or 30 gallons per day per person, particularly in developed and urban economies
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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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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Why Should We Care About NSF/ANSI 61 Certification?3/17/2021
According to National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), it's a set of standards relating to water treatment and establishes criteria for the control of equipment that comes in contact with either potable water or products that support the production of water.
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Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Spinach Using The AutoMate-Q40 An Automated QuEChERS Solution10/16/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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Application Note: Ozone Measurement In Potable Water3/1/2010
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.
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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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Removal Of Chloramines With Activated Carbon12/30/2013
In order to reduce the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts in drinking water, alternative disinfectant use has become increasingly widespread. Monochloramine is a leading alternative disinfectant that offers advantages for municipal water. This tech brief details the removal of monochloramine using activated carbon.
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Application Note: Troubleshooting A pH Electrode1/26/2011
Many factors affect performance of a pH electrode. When performance degrades, it is always a challenge for the analyst to identify the cause. Common troubleshooting procedures, which include evaluation of slope, electrode drift, time response, and accuracy, take considerable time. By Thermo Fisher Scientific
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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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Best Practices In Moist And Wet Gas Flow12/20/2021
The Wet Gas MASSter sensor is for use in applications that have a high level of moisture or condensation present in the gas flow stream that cannot otherwise be removed.
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Optimization Of Water Treatment Using Zeta Potential5/27/2020
Drinking water in the US and developed nations of the world is treated to remove contamination of foreign materials, both mineral and organic.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Whenever possible, Mueller tailors product certification to match specific job requirements, including part numbers, job identification, and funding agency requirements. We have developed this process working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who was very early in clarifying definitions and requirements for Iron & Steel Products, Construction Materials, and other Manufactured 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 Dura Mag is an ideal solution for nearly any water manager. With a five-year battery life (and three-year battery warranty), the Dura Mag eliminates the need for AC power connection, and provides the easiest installation available on the market for a flanged mag flow meter. In addition, the Dura Mag comes equipped with an internal datalogger with five years of data storage to ensure you always have access to your historical data. The Dura Mag also has several telemetry-ready output options, and the converter settings are USB port accessible which eliminates accidental setting changes.
AqueoUS Vets is a multidisciplinary firm that focuses on standard and customized water treatment systems. We offer a superior line of products for pumping, conveyance, filtration, and storage for dewatering projects.
The HYMAX VERSA is a coupling that can wrap around damaged pipe usually repaired with the cut-and-replace technique while providing dynamic deflection to reduce the risk of damage caused by ground shifts.
The CHEM-FEED® Wall Mount Duplex Skid System is designed to be mounted on a wall freeing up valuable floor space. Available in a simplex and duplex chemical feed pump configurations. Pipe material options include PVC, CPVC, PVDF, and Chem Proline® (PE).
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![PFAS Label on hundred dollar bill-GettyImages-2193126716]( "PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities")
Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
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![0421_Honduras_Barrio El Rosario-0030]( "Safe Sanitation For Students: 2025 World Toilet Day")
Every year on November 19, Water Mission observes World Toilet Day — a day designated by the United Nations to focus on the importance of safe sanitation for all.
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![energy flow, data transmission, technological connectivity-GettyImages-2240709017]( "2026 Water Utility Outlook: Regulation, AI, And Resilience In The Face Of Scarcity")
Global Water Outcomes expert notes that “water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities,” citing the role of digital solutions moving forward. -
![running faucet-GettyImages-175426122]( "HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive")
In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.” -
![clean, safe water with AI-GettyImages-1314144773]( "Collaborating To Execute The AI-Water Nexus")
Amazon and Xylem partner to tackle Mexico’s leaking water systems as the country balances water scarcity and a growing tech sector.
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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.
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.