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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![iStock-993738504]( "Promising Solar Technology Would Expand Drinking Water Access")
Promising Solar Technology Would Expand Drinking Water AccessSeveral advancements in solar technology may provide the answer to drinking water production in distressed regions of the world.
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![GettyImages-1411591681_450_300]( "Standardizing Data To Enhance Water Distribution Efficiency – Global Omnium's Digital Transformation")
Standardizing Data To Enhance Water Distribution Efficiency – Global Omnium's Digital TransformationGlobal Omnium transformed its water network, implementing extensive smart meters to improve visibility, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance leak detection across over 400 cities, benefiting millions in Spain.
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Encore® 700 Chemical Metering Pumps Provide SNWA With A Decade Of Flawless Service At River Mountains
Built in 2002, Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) River Mountains Water Treatment Facility is a state-of-the art water treatment facility that delivers 300 million gallons per day and was designed to be expanded to deliver up to 600 million gallons per day of treated water in the future.
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Case Study: Monitoring And Protecting Water Quality In Lake Mead, Nevada Lake Mead is one of several reservoirs along the Colorado River; however, due to increases in population and agricultural operations in recent decades, this once-expansive lake in the desert is becoming more compromised. While inflow into Lake Mead primarily is from the Colorado River, a small percent is also from rivers on the northern side of the Lake and from Las Vegas Wash on the northwest side. Las Vegas Wash transports treated municipal wastewater effluent, stormwater and urban runoff, and shallow groundwater seepage from the Las Vegas urban area to Boulder Basin in Lake Mead. Effluent flow rates have more than doubled in recent years, prompting concern over potential effects to reservoir water quality, especially since some of the water is pumped for the municipal water treatment plant at Saddle Island
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4 Trends For Water Infrastructure Longevity And Conservation In 2016
Looking back on 2015, severe droughts, flat budgets, and insights on decreased reading system life have affected the way utility managers make decisions about water metering systems. As utilities plan for 2016, managers should consider four key water metering technology trends predicted to help utilities meet their water management initiatives in 2016 and beyond
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![Municipal_iStock-1044762282.jpg]( "Updating Consumer Perceptions On The Value Of Water")
Updating Consumer Perceptions On The Value Of WaterHere are some links and guidelines designed to help utilities change their perspective on water as a low-cost resource of virtually unlimited supply.
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How To Filter Iron & Manganese From Well Water With Manganese Dioxide Filter Media
There are various treatment processes that are used to remove iron and manganese from ground water for potable water supplies. Iron and manganese are typically found in groundwater in a dissolved state and the water may appear clear. While there are various less common treatment methods used (such as ion exchange), most treatment systems for iron and manganese oxidize the ferrous state (clear iron) to a ferric state so the solid particles can then be filtered out.
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![Leak_Detection_iStock-1140422726.jpg]( "How Much Can Leak Detection Reduce Non-Revenue Water Losses?")
How Much Can Leak Detection Reduce Non-Revenue Water Losses?Utilities that choose not to install proactive leak detection know exactly how much they are ‘saving’ by avoiding that investment. Unfortunately, they often have no idea of how much they are actually ’paying’ to forego it, since 65 to 75 percent of water leaks never surface to prove their hidden expense. Now, with challenges related to water scarcity, regulatory reporting demands, AMI implementation, and an increase in aging infrastructure, it’s a better time than ever to reevaluate those costs.
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Iron And Manganese Removal Without Chlorine
Iron or manganese removal commonly involves injecting chlorine or potassium permanganate, followed by filtration with sand or coated greensand media. Chlorine can affect the taste and odor of the water as well as involve high levels of maintenance and costs.
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![image-(3)]( "How Pinnacle's QuadBlock® Technology Sets A New Standard")
How Pinnacle's QuadBlock® Technology Sets A New StandardIn this blog, we will delve into the unique features of QuadBlock® technology and how it sets a new standard in the ozone industry.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Oxidation Reduction Potential10/29/2021
What is ORP? Oxidation Reduction Potential or Redox is the activity or strength of oxidizers and reducers in relation to their concentration. Oxidizers accept electrons, reducers lose electrons. Examples of oxidizers are: chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, ozone, and chlorine dioxide. Examples of reducers are sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Like acidity and alkalinity, the increase of one is at the expense of the other.
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A New Way Of Designing With Reverse Osmosis Membranes7/23/2015
Process design in water treatment is historically confined to proprietary or user-defined spreadsheets on a unit operation basis, with users manually adding results from each unit process upstream into the next operation.
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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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Temperature Monitoring For Water Treatment4/29/2024
Learn how to ensure compliance, monitor water temperature diligently, and implement robust measures to mitigate regulatory penalties.
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Solution For Algae Blooms12/17/2015
Harmsco® Filtration Products is pleased to offer a solution to the ever increasing blue-algae blooms in water sources. A multi-barrier approach is necessary to physically remove intact (algae and cyanobacteria) before they rupture in the treatment process and then remove extracellular cyanobacteria through adsorption.
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The Process Of Deionizing Water10/29/2021
Years ago, high purity water was used only in limited applications. Today, deionized (Dl) water has become an essential ingredient in hundreds of applications including: medical, laboratory, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, electronics manufacturing, food processing, plating, countless industrial processes, and even the final rinse at the local car wash.
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Scrubber Application1/27/2022
This customer supplies district heating and electricity for the region of Sønderborg. For one of their waste applications a MAG meter failed within 6 months, and was successfully replaced with a Panametrics Aquatrans AT600.
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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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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.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
ResinTech SIR-110-MP-HP is a WQA Gold Seal certified macroporous resin engineered for short-chain PFAS removal and optimized for highertemperature drinking water applications.
The Series 1900 is designed for restraining push-on bell and spigot AWWA C909 PVC Pipe. The harness consists of two split serrated restraints one on the spigot end and another behind the bell harnessed together by an array of thrust rods. The Restraint harness is rated to the full pressure of the pipe.
Endress+Hauser launched E-direct, an online store that allows customers to easily and securely order high quality measurement products at competitive prices.
Is your data working for you? For many modern utilities, it can be difficult to get a complete understanding of their true level of operational efficiency. Not because they don’t have enough data, but because it is often split between various systems that can’t easily communicate with one another.
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 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.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Avoid pitfall Planning, obstacle avoidance-GettyImages-2167644498]( "5 Common AMI Implementation Mistakes And How To Navigate Them")
The journey from manual water-meter reads to a fully integrated digital ecosystem is long and complex. To help utilities along, the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) released the global Smart Metering Playbook, which includes both implementation best practices and common pitfalls. Here are five common advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout mistakes from the Playbook, along with examples of how to overcome them. -
![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.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Appearing on The Weather Channel's "Wake Up With Al" morning show, water expert Dan Theobald puts drinking water to the test by measuring total dissolved solids (TDS) in tap water samples from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey, as well as bottled water samples.
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.
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.