DRINKING WATER
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is Transforming Water Loss Management For Utilities
AI is reshaping water loss management by turning complex utility data into clearer priorities, faster insights, and more proactive decision-making—without replacing the people responsible for running the system.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![water-tower-in-connecticut]( "How Targeted Investments By Private Water Can Boost Public Support")
How Targeted Investments By Private Water Can Boost Public SupportA significant number of utilities operating in smaller regions where resources are strained, and where the daily business of water treatment can be exceedingly expensive, have turned to privately owned companies to manage their drinking water and wastewater operations. The downside is that this arrangement also tends to bring heavy scrutiny from a public that expects the provider to put service above the bottom line. Fortunately, targeted investments in solutions can address the issue.
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![American]( "AMERICAN Helps Quench Music City's Thirst In 24/7 Water Main Project")
AMERICAN Helps Quench Music City's Thirst In 24/7 Water Main ProjectCrews in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, at times have worked around the clock – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – to complete Metro Water Services’ Cumberland City Low Transmission Water Main project. There is good reason for this full-throttle approach. It minimizes traffic issues and allows for more scheduling flexibility.
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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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![GroundwaterFA.jpg]( "Playing The Hand That's Dealt: How To Make Challenging Groundwater Better")
Playing The Hand That's Dealt: How To Make Challenging Groundwater BetterThe city of Lemoore, CA, recruited a team of water treatment and construction specialists to address water quality and scarcity concerns.
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![Seeq_UseCases_Water-Treatment-Filter-Monitoring-1]( "Water Treatment Filter Monitoring")
Water Treatment Filter MonitoringA municipal water utility needed to improve sand filter consistency and boost performance of its overall fleet of filters in its water treatment plant. To do this, it needed to identify and monitor for poor filter performance while prioritizing filter maintenance.
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![SWRO-facility]( "RO Membranes' Protection At SWRO Facility, Asia")
RO Membranes' Protection At SWRO Facility, AsiaAtlantium HOD UV systems provide effective RO membrane protection by combining ultraviolet water disinfection technology with hydraulic and optic principles.
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![GettyImages-1451866244_450_300]( "Why Innovative Uses For Pile Cloth Media Filters Are Multiplying")
Why Innovative Uses For Pile Cloth Media Filters Are MultiplyingLearn about the unique ways wastewater and drinking water operations are employing pile cloth media (PCM) to tackle new and complex challenges.
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![getty-864708172-WWTP]( "Navigating Flow Measurement Choices In Water Treatment: A Guide To Optimal Decision-Making")
Navigating Flow Measurement Choices In Water Treatment: A Guide To Optimal Decision-MakingIn today’s economic climate, finding cost-saving opportunities has become crucial for the survival of companies across various sectors, including water and wastewater management. Inefficiencies in processes or measurement equipment can lead to significant resource and revenue losses.
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![insertion-valve]( "Insertion Valves Eliminate System Shutdown")
Insertion Valves Eliminate System ShutdownWinchester Municipal Utilities (WMU) faced challenges regarding two separate sections of town. The lines required maintenance due to old inoperable inline valves that needed to be replaced. The challenge - replacing these valves using a procedure that eliminated the shutdown of the water lines that service hundreds of homes and businesses.
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![GettyImages-1514165009_450_300]( "Beyond Meter Reads: Leveraging Temetra For Enhanced Customer Engagement And Conservation")
Beyond Meter Reads: Leveraging Temetra For Enhanced Customer Engagement And ConservationLas Vegas Valley Water District is modernizing conservation efforts with Temetra, using high-resolution meter data to detect leaks sooner, engage customers, and secure water resources amid extreme drought conditions.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples5/31/2011Total 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
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Application Note: Desalination Plants: YSI Instruments Monitor Flow & Water Quality At Multiple Stages2/3/2011Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water or brackish river or groundwater to make potable water. By YSI
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Optimizing Brine Flow In A Geothermal Power Plant1/27/2022
Different flow meter technologies were used in this geothermal power plant to monitor and measure brine. However, these traditional technologies failed. That’s where Panametrics PT900 Portable Ultrasonic Flowmeter was able to help.
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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 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.
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Municipal Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring9/24/2020
We arm municipalities with actionable data necessary to make informed decisions about water quality in their communities
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Pipe Repair On A Budget3/7/2014
A new pipe-repair solution promises to save time and money, while also being sustainable, long-lasting, fully scalable, and safe for workers.
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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
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VFD Energy Savings For Pumping Applications4/6/2017
In the early days of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, the typical application was in process control for manufacturing synthetic fiber, steel bars, and aluminum foil.
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SensyMaster Thermal Mass Flowmeter8/3/2021
SensyMaster helps to improve the operating costs of the most cost intensive process in sewage plants: Aeration. High-measuring performance and state of the art technology helps customers increase plant efficiency.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Utilizing advanced ultrasonic flow measurement, the Sonata Ultrasonic Meter greatly improves low flow measurement compared to residential mechanical meters, making it an ideal solution for addressing Non-Revenue Water (NRW).
Recordall® Disc Series meters are an accurate, cost-effective solution for your metering needs. These positive displacement meters utilize the industry-leading nutating disc technology to drive accuracy and reliability.
The flowIQ 4200 is designed for commercial and industrial applications. This smart meter exceeds expectations, offering an extended range and superior durability. Geared for large-scale applications, the flowIQ 4200 can read the intricacies of your water system, lay the groundwork for reduced waste, increase revenue and allows for a greater peace of mind.
The DPI610E is a portable high-accuracy handheld pressure calibrator ideal for engine testing. With 0.025% FS accuracy and a total 1-year uncertainty, it provides stable pressure calibration from vacuum up to 1000 bar. The device is perfect for on-vehicle testing, ensuring accurate calibration and performance monitoring.
Where the most challenging of detection capabilities are required for quality assurance, critical process control or the protection of a precious process catalyst from poisonous impurities, no other laser analyzer can match the capability of this analyzer in performance.
The OPTIFLUX 1300 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) with lightweight wafer-style design. The meter is an economical solution for applications with conductive liquids (≥ 5 μS/cm) and higher solid content (up to 70%). Unlike the OPTIFLUX 1100, the OPTIFLUX 1300 offers a better accuracy. The flowmeter already meets the demands of many applications in various industries. It has established itself as the preferred solution for OEM machinery applications, dosing systems, compact skids, chemical handling systems or pump and firefighting systems.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Cutting Red Tape-GettyImages-502421630]( "How The NEPA Rollback Will Impact Water And Wastewater Industries")
The White House has finalized plans to roll back rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), narrowing its focus and limiting what the current administration claims are needless delays for federal approval of water, energy, and other infrastructure plans. For water and wastewater utilities, the changes could speed up permitting for critical projects, although experts warn the tradeoffs could do more harm than good. -
![Ultraviolet lamps for water disinfection-GettyImages-1271779123]( "Setting Global Standards: Inside North America's Only Full-Scale UV Disinfection Validation Facility")
Setting Global Standards: Inside North America's Only Full-Scale UV Disinfection Validation FacilityPortland's industry-leading facility reaches 100 reactor validations in 23 years.
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![Water analysis, purification, filtration, treatment, quality monitoring, contamination detection-GettyImages-2234293664]( "Why Haven't Field Tests For Lead In Water Gone Mainstream?")
Given the maturation of sensor technology, the scientific and operational hurdles to portable lead analysis are somewhat surprising — but surmountable.
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![peace-athabasca-delta-flood-mapping-265153]( "What Is Bathymetric Modeling? And How Can It Protect Ecosystems While Saving Resources?")
Bathymetric modeling maps underwater terrain. It also helps guide planning, prevent hazards, and build climate-resilient infrastructure.
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![Large datacenter-GettyImages-2196655358]( "Building Your Water-Positive Data Center Roadmap: A Step-By-Step Implementation Guide")
The data center industry stands at a critical juncture. As facilities scale to meet exponential computing demands, water consumption has emerged as a defining operational challenge. Traditional approaches focused on water efficiency are no longer sufficient. -
![pregnantwater_Getty-2241371016]( "PFAS In Pregnant Women's Drinking Water Puts Their Babies At Higher Risk, Study Finds")
When pregnant women drink water that comes from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” the risks to their babies’ health substantially increase, a new study found. These risks include the chance of low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
As utilities worldwide face mounting pressure from drought, water scarcity, and tightening regulations, this webinar explores how validated, chemical-free UV solutions are reshaping disinfection across surface water, wastewater, desalination, and potable reuse.
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.