WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS
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![pfas-testing-kit]( "SRP-Funded Technology Provides Affordable PFAS Testing For Homeowners")
SRP-Funded Technology Provides Affordable PFAS Testing For HomeownersWidespread chemical contamination leaves many small water systems without viable testing options.Discover how an innovative, plant-based extraction method delivers affordable, highly accurate screening to identify complex contaminants and protect public health.
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![Nature, environmental-GettyImages-2172937599]( "The Enzyme Bottleneck: Why Conventional Lake Management Is Failing — And What The Science Says About Genuine Bio-Dredging")
The Enzyme Bottleneck: Why Conventional Lake Management Is Failing — And What The Science Says About Genuine Bio-Dredging For decades, the dominant framework for assessing and managing lake health has been built around surface water measurements: chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, water clarity, and the composite Trophic State Index derived from them. These metrics are familiar, standardized, and widely accepted. They are also, according to a growing body of peer-reviewed literature, measuring the wrong part of the lake. -
![ozone off gas]( "Ozone Off-Gas: What It Reveals About System Efficiency, Safety, and Design")
Ozone Off-Gas: What It Reveals About System Efficiency, Safety, and DesignLearn how ozone off-gas impacts system efficiency, safety, and performance, and why monitoring and management are critical for optimized water treatment operations.
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![A depleted reservoir in the Yorkshire countryside-GettyImages-2222868312]( "UK Reservoirs, Water Shortages, And Legionella Risks")
UK Reservoirs, Water Shortages, And Legionella Risks Is there a clear link between a less plentiful water supply and an increase in Legionella in our domestic water systems? -
![Green Algae-GettyImages-1929939980]( "The Devastating Legacy Of Algaecides: Why The Quick Fix Is Failing Our Lakes")
The Devastating Legacy Of Algaecides: Why The Quick Fix Is Failing Our Lakes As warmer months approach, water management professionals must confront the compounding consequences of biocidal algae treatments. -
![Cahaba River-GettyImages-2152826831]( "What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection?")
What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection? Water utility managers and municipal leaders have long struggled amid the convergence of several threats to public water supplies. During a recent Water Online Live event, I sat with a panel of industry experts to examine the transition from reactive crisis management to a proactive, adaptive resilience framework. -
![pregnant_water-Getty-2207189112]( "Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood Asthma")
Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood AsthmaWhile 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")
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.")
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. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
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 PRODUCTS
What is water reuse?
Water reuse is the process of treating and reclaiming water from various sources for practical purposes, including groundwater recharge, industrial applications, wetland restoration, agricultural irrigation, public access area uses, as well as drinking water applications. By reusing water, communities can reduce dependence on traditional water supplies, avoid costly imported water from 3rd party providers, and improve resilience in water systems. Thanks to progress in water treatment technology, along with economic and regulatory incentives, water recycling has become a cost-effective and sustainable solution to meet the growing demand for highly treated water and overcome supply shortages during droughts.
There are three primary types of water reuse: Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR), Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), and Non-Potable. In IPR reuse systems, advanced treated water is either injected into an environmental buffer (groundwater, river, or reservoir) before being extracted again for use, whereas DPR is directly blended into the drinking water treatment plant or distribution system. Non-potable water is not intended for human consumption and can be used for irrigation, industrial processes, laundry, or toilet flushing.
Advanced treatment technologies, such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation, and advanced oxidation processes (AOP), play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and safety of reclaimed water.
Why reuse water?
As water scarcity continues to rise, water reuse is an essential strategy for creating a more sustainable future. The use of recycled water reduces the demand for freshwater sources, which are becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and other factors.
Here are some key benefits of water reuse:
- Safeguard quality and resilience: Reused water is purified well beyond drinking water standards, improving resilience and ensuring quality for both potable and even non-potable purposes.
- Uphold safety: Treatment processes like ozone and ultraviolet light can be used to disinfect or break down complex contaminants, ensuring water is pathogen-free and concentrations are below maximum contaminant levels (MCL).
- Ensure cost savings and efficiency: After treating a waste stream to discharge level, it may require less treatment to bring it to reuse standards, making reuse not only environmentally responsible but also cost-effective in many scenarios and locations.
- Conserve traditional water supplies: By reusing water, we can lessen our reliance on conventional water resources like rivers, lakes, and aquifers, thereby conserving them for future generations.
- Reduce carbon footprint: Water reclamation is often more efficient than treating a raw water resource, which can lessen environmental impact.
- Enable versatility and customization: Advanced treatment systems are tailored to meet specific needs for a variety of sectors, including industrial, urban, agricultural, and public access area uses.
How to reuse water
The major aim of every reuse project is to minimize human health risk associated with the use or consumption of reclaimed water. While the exact treatment requirements depend upon the source water quality and the reuse purpose, to be cost-effective, the treatment must be energy efficient and have a high-water yield.
An adequate treatment design plan depends on the application the water will be used in. In non-potable applications, normally filtration and disinfection will suffice, while potable reuse generally requires a combination of advanced treatment processes such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, disinfection, and/or advanced oxidation.
Xylem has brands and solutions to fit every stage of the water reuse process:
- beginning with the transport of raw sewage and wastewater with Xylem brands like Flygt
- to secondary treatment to remove most dissolved and suspended organic matter and nutrients with brands like Sanitaire and Envirex
- to tertiary stages that remove residual particulate matter, nutrients, TDS, and nematode eggs with brands like Leopold and Davco
- along with disinfection and advanced oxidation that inactivates pathogens, and breaks down trace constituents and emerging contaminants of concern with brands like Wedeco, ETS-UV, ATG UV Systems, Pacific Ozone, and Wallace & Tiernan
- and finally, digital solutions like YSI, OI Analytical, Xylem Vue that leverage remote monitoring, alerts, and data analytics for proactive and predictive maintenance
Based on practical knowledge from decades of combined brand experience, thousands of installations worldwide, and strengths in powerful R&D innovation, our team looks at the entire wastewater process at your plant. We will work with your consulting engineer and State regulators to integrate the right technologies to meet your intended targets. Modular design makes it easy to fit your requirements now and easily expand to meet your future needs.
Water reuse partnership
Though Xylem has teams of specialists, years of expertise, deep understanding of water regulations, and a broad solutions portfolio, we understand the complexities of water systems and the potential to partner with various water treatment experts. Xylem has partnered with hundreds of different firms around the globe to ensure the most efficient and viable water systems for communities and municipalities.
Our goal is to thoroughly understand each project, determine the best methods, and customize optimal solutions that meet local regulations and requirements while delivering resiliency, quality, and cost savings.
Let us be your partner in making every drop count. Contact us today to discuss your project needs.
For large camps with populations expected to exceed 2,000 people, newterra’s modular PWT-500 Potable Water Treatment Large Train System employs 40' containers dedicated to a specific, complimentary treatment process (e.g. greensand filtration, nanofiltration, etc.)
In municipal drinking water applications or pre-treatment for desalination plants using gravity filters, the filter underdrain is one of the most important components contributing to overall system performance and operation — whether a new filter design or retrofitting an existing filter.
The highly scalable newterra WWT-50 Sewage Treatment Mini Train System is designed for rapid mobilization to serve camps of 200 to 800 people. These efficient plants are configured in trains that allow modular expansion and easy redeployment of assets. Each base configuration consists of two 40' containers that provide 50 m3 (13,200 US gal) of treatment capacity – enough for 200 people. Supplementing the base system with one 40' Adder container doubles capacity to 100 m3 for up to 400 people.
VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS
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![Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA molecules-GettyImages-2179084012]( "Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context")
Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations. -
![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.” -
![questionmarks_Getty-1908249816]( "PFAS Unpacked: Experts Answer Questions On EPA Rules, Funding, Treatment, And More")
With the U.S. EPA's PFAS rules now in place, utilities are finding themselves with a growing number of questions regarding how to treat these chemicals, the potential costs, and much more. For answers, Water Online's chief editor, Kevin Westerling, hosted an Ask Me Anything session featuring Ken Sansone, Senior Partner at SL Environmental Law Group; Kyle Thompson, National PFAS Lead at Carollo Engineers; and Lauren Weinrich, Principal Scientist at American Water. -
![1124-Microbac_Technologies]( "Monitoring Know-How For PFAS Regulations")
A Q&A to explain and resolve issues confronting water suppliers as they endeavor to comply with the monitoring requirements of federal PFAS regulations.
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![Rusty-pipe-GettyImages-186881378]( "Clearing LCRI Hurdles")
Assessing what lies ahead in the 10-year race to go lead-free, otherwise known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).
MORE WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES
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![pilot-scale-unit]( "Designing And Evaluating A Water Treatment Media Pilot")
Evaluating the use of activated carbon and other media for water treatment is a crucial step to ensure project goals are achieved.
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![GettyImages-1493586956-assay-bottles-laboratory-scientist]( "Back To Basics: Understanding Testing For Process-Related Impurities")
Master the fundamentals of identifying and monitoring process-related impurities. Ensure biologic safety and regulatory success by optimizing your analytical strategy.
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![GettyImages-1690936576-inspection-in-factory]( "Maximum Quality Control")
Precision inspection and compliance-driven processes are essential for manufacturing to help safeguard product quality, support regulatory requirements, and protect patient safety at scale.
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![GettyImages-1695276785 lab, vial, research]( "Smarter Cell Washing And Pre-Formulation For Allogeneic Therapies")
Discover common pitfalls in cell washing and pre-formulation, including incomplete contaminant removal, manual handling, and throughput issues that compromise product quality and efficiency.
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![Cartridge-Filters-GettyImages-530438965]( "PPC Filters Positively Charged, Double Layered PES Membrane")
Boost sterile filtration performance with dual-layer membranes and charge-based capture for more effective contaminant removal and reliable results.
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![GettyImages-925440650 (1)]( "Chlorine Sensors Waste An Estimated 6.1 Billion Gallons Of Non-Revenue Water Every Year")
Chlorine sensor waste streams cause massive water loss and costs. The Halogen MP-5 sensor eliminates waste, reduces maintenance, and improves efficiency—offering a breakthrough in sustainable water monitoring.
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![GettyImages-1390096829 water analysis]( "Identifying Contaminants Of Concern")
In this article, we outline the sources, occurrence, known health issues, and mitigation options for specific contaminants.
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![Technical_support_in_the_field]( "Clean Water Even During Disaster: Why U.S. Pipe Ductile Iron Pipe Is The Smart Choice For Public Health And Safety")
Infrastructure must endure disasters to protect public health. Learn why ductile iron pipe offers fire resistance, seismic stability, and ensures clean, chemical-free water delivery when it is needed most.
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![ozone data center]( "Data Centers, Water Reuse, And Ozone: Engineering Treatment Systems For The AI Infrastructure Boom")
Explore how ozone-based treatment supports data center water reuse by controlling biofilm, organics, metals, and microbial risks while reducing freshwater demand.
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![GettyImages-1074493878 (1) burst pipe]( "Hot Springs Combats Aging Infrastructure Challenges With Xylem Digital Solutions")
The City of Hot Springs, Arkansas knows the challenges of dealing with aging infrastructure well. The city’s 143-year-old system covers 923 miles of water mains in rocky terrain, making it difficult to detect leaks. That is why the utility’s water department decided to act.
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![GettyImages-1218745370 cleanroom, disinfecting, lab]( "Contamination In The Shadows: Risks Lurking From Environmental Issues")
Discover how science-based bio-decontamination strategies effectively eliminate invisible pathogens and rapidly restore facilities to operational safety following major infrastructure disruptions.
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![optimizing ozone systems]( "Optimizing Ozone Systems For Bromate Control And Water Quality Enhancement In High-Bromide Groundwater Treatment")
Learn how utilities can control bromate formation, optimize ozone treatment performance, and achieve regulatory compliance through improved monitoring, hydraulics, and system design.
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![GettyImages-1502896527-business-professionals-office-document-review]( "Recent Updates To The Declaration Of Helsinki Affecting Clinical Trials")
The World Medical Association (WMA) has announced a significant, rare update to its cornerstone ethical document, the Declaration of Helsinki, which guides medical research involving human participants.
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![GettyImages-1497639284 water spout]( "The Evolution And Impact Of PFAS Regulations")
In this article, Transcend will break down the evolution and impact of PFAS regulations over the years while suggesting innovative technology to assist the affected industries.
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![GettyImages-1807380795-analytics-cell-analysis-laboratory]( "Oligonucleotide Purification And Synthesis")
Examine how a 21‑mer oligo was synthesized and purified through systematic resin screening, method optimization, and successful scale‑up to build reliable, high‑purity chromatography workflows.
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![Flask Laboratory Equipment-GettyImages-1048897552]( "Performance Test Services For UV Advanced Oxidation Systems")
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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![Roll-Pitch-Yaw]( "Measuring Scanning Motion Flatness With AFM")
Learn how scanners used for high resolution metrology measurements should be designed and tested for flatness of motion, particularly for atomic force microscopy (AFM).
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![resintech-lab]( "When It Comes To PFAS Removal, Not All Media Are Created Equal")
As regulatory standards for PFAS become more stringent, specialized ion exchange resins provide a more efficient, high-capacity alternative to traditional carbon media, ultimately lowering long-term operational costs and improving overall system throughput and performance.
