DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS AND LEGISLATION
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Obama Administration Wants More Power Over WaterThe Obama administration officially unveiled a long-awaited proposal to expand its authority to regulate water.
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Massachusetts Considers Major Water Infrastructure BillThe Massachusetts Senate recently cleared a major water infrastructure bill.
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GOP Bill Takes On EPA Water AuthorityWater policy has become a rallying point for conservatives in Congress this year.
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Water Funding Slashed In Obama's Proposed BudgetPresident Obama's proposed budget for next year cuts government funding for water projects.
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Texas Wins Advantage In Groundwater Fight With New MexicoThe federal government is siding with Texas in a groundwater dispute with New Mexico.
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Lawsuit Lands Utility In Federal CourtEnvironmentalists are going after a top Maryland water utility with a lawsuit in federal court.
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Will Erin Brockovich Regs Cost Communities Dearly?Local officials in California are concerned that a potential statewide drinking water regulation may hit municipalities with challenging new costs.
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Settlement May End Bickering Over Los Angeles GroundwaterWater stakeholders in the Los Angeles area recently won court clearance to implement a major plan to share water storage space underground.
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California Drought Subject Of Controversial BillHouse lawmakers approved a controversial bill to take action against the California drought, passing GOP-backed legislation in a party-line vote last week.
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Leaked EPA Water Regs Draft Raises ConcernA leaked draft of a controversial EPA proposal has stirred up questions and concerns with water policy stakeholders.
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Can Arizona Lawmakers Nullify All EPA Regulations?Arizona is getting in the ring with the EPA. Conservative lawmakers from the Grand Canyon State have introduced a bill in their state legislature that would nullify all EPA regulations in Arizona.
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AARP Fights Water Utilities In ArizonaAARP, the advocacy group aimed at protecting the interests of people over 50, is diving into Arizona water policy.
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Did The Feds Trick States Into Regulating Tap Water?James Salzman, author of the book “Drinking Water: A History,” illuminated tap water's backstory in a recent interview with NPR.
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EPA's 5-Year Plan Gets Mixed Reactions From Water IndustryIndustry interests and advocacy groups are sounding off on the EPA's plans for the next five years.
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Bill Could Give Florida Ratepayers More Power Over UtilitiesNew legislation may now allow customers to petition the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) to revoke a utility's state operating certificate. Under the new provisions, the PSC could cancel a utility company’s certificate of authorization to operate a water or sewer system if 65 percent of its customers sign a petition.
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Over $600 Million Goes To Water In California Budget ProposalA new budget proposal for the state of California places a major emphasis on tackling the water crisis.
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Spending Bill Includes Over $2 Billion For State Water FundsThe water sector watched closely this week as Congress moved a massive spending bill. Among the more notable line items is a combined $2.35 billion for the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water state revolving funds, which provide low-interest loans to cash-strapped communities for upgrades to their waterworks.
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EPA, New Jersey Clashing Over Water Quality RulesThe EPA is lobbying New Jersey lawmakers to oppose a proposal it sees as potentially harmful to tap water.
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EPA Backs Off Restriction Of Lead In Fire HydrantsThe EPA has decided to reconsider a controversial requirement that would force cities to buy new fire hydrants to protect the water supply from lead.
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Disagreements Emerge As Water Bill Nears Finish LineWater utilities are at the center of a new fight in Congress. Senate and House negotiators are hammering out the final language in a major water infrastructure bill, and some even say it could pass by the end of the year. Both chambers already approved the legislation, but a deal must be struck on the final language in the measure before it can be sent to the president for his signature.
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Water Ranks High On EPA Agenda For 2014"Water quality protection programs face complex challenges, from nutrient loadings and stormwater runoff to invasive species and drinking water contaminants. These challenges demand both traditional and innovative strategies," the agency said in its statement of priorities.
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EPA Lead Regulations Stall Fire Hydrant InstallationCities across the county have stopped installing fire hydrants because federal regulators say they could contaminate water with lead.
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Lithium In Drinking Water Linked To Suicide PreventionSome studies show that lithium in drinking water correlates with lower suicide rates. Last week, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna offered a theory as to why that is.
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Water Quality On Planes Improves Little Since Previous EPA StudyIt might be wise to buy bottled water at the gate. The drinking water on aircraft is often contaminated.
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Federal Bill Pitched To Water UtilitiesWater utilities would benefit from legislation under review in the Senate, according to groups working in support of those measures.
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Shutdown Takes Growing Toll On Water SectorAs the U.S. government shutdown drags into another week, its impact on the water sector is spreading.
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Filtration Exec Faces Charges For Misleading Customers About Tap WaterA water-filtration company has gained criticism and the attention of the courts over the years for making bogus claims about tap water, including that it causes bone cancer, miscarriages, and comes directly from sewage treatment plants.
WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES, INSIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS
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Thermal Dispersion Technology Helps Utility Meet Federal Environmental And Health RegulationsMany water quality plants are using flow controls to help achieve critical operational goals.
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Coagulation and FlocculationWater is clarified using the processes of coagulation and flocculation, which remove suspended solids (turbidity) from water by causing the suspended particles to aggregate into a slime, that settles out of the water.
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One Of A Kind UV Disinfection System Treats Stormwater For Park UseWayne Lem, Global Market Manager for Municipal Wastewater at TrojanUV, explains the growing trend toward UV disinfection including the advantages for large-scale treatment plants and stormwater treatment.
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Activated Carbons As A Solution To Emerging Pollutants
The presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients, radio-opaque substances, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in raw water sources has caused concern with regards to their concentration level in drinking water. A study for the removal of these micro-pollutants was recently conducted at a full-scale water production plant in southern Germany. This technical bulletin presents the study results and explores the role of activated carbons in the efficient removal of these substances from water.
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Cloth Media Filtration, Ultrafiltration And SCADA-Controlled FiltrationDave Holland, Senior Application Engineer at Aqua-Aerobic Systems, discusses how various filtration technologies in the company’s product portfolio address important current and future needs for end users.
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Make Your SCADA Feel Young AgainWhen the Village of Romeoville underwent a major upgrade to their SCADA system, they also decided to move to the latest version of the monitoring & control software that they had used successfully for many years. This version included features designed specifically for the water/wastewater industry. In this article, a former Head of the Water Department (*) explains why the utility continues to push for the latest HMI version and how this helps them overcome many of the issues related to maintaining a long-running SCADA system. By Christopher Little
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R900® System Sets Walk-by Meter Readers on Easy Migration PathLocated in the picturesque southwest corner of the state, Westmoreland County was the Pennsylvania colony’s first county west of the Allegheny Mountains.
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Krüger’s Clarification System Offers Flexible Water Treatment SolutionsLucas Magrini, Regional Product Manager for Krüger, Inc., discusses the benefits of using the ACTIFLO® clarification process for drinking water treatment.
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Recordall® Turbo Series Meter Datasheet
Badger Meter’s Model 450 fire hydrant meter is designed for use in measuring potable cold water from a fire hydrant or other non-permanent installation where flow is in one direction.
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KLa Slot Injector™ Aeration System Assists Cheese And Whey Production Plant Solve Its Nitrogen Discharge ChallengeA gourmet cheese, whey protein, and lactose production facility located in the Midwest had been utilizing a land application system for effluent discharge for over 40 years. Using a combination of ridge and furrow and spray irrigation, the plant had many years of success applying their wastewater to the land.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
BEACON Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA)
BEACON Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) uses a managed solution approach and two-way communications—plus fixed and cellular networks—to deliver a simple yet powerful end-to-end solution.
AMERICAN - The SMaRT Choice
Ductile iron pipe is now recognized as a SMaRT choice for infrastructure development. SMaRT Certified products are rated on product sustainability by the Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability.
Horizontal Non-Clog Wastewater Pumps: NSY Model 100 & 150
Single stage – enclosed non-clog type impeller for pumping wastewater and other non-corrosive liquids with soft solids.
5000b pH Control and Monitoring System
A self-contained pH control and monitoring system that uses CO2 gas to neutralize high-pH process water and lower total suspended solids in process water.
Little John Digester
DO2E’s patented “Little John Digester” system was designed for the oxidation and removal of F.O.G. (Fats, Oils, & Grease), matting, and odor in commercial and residential lift stations, grease traps, and wet wells all by utilizing the latest “Green” technology.
Intakes
A wide variety of bar screens and screening machine integration for high-grade power units such as condensers and pumps that require reliable protection against foreign objects.
VIEWS ON THE LATEST REGS
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Treatment Plant Discovers Fountain Of Youth, Long-Range Regulatory ComplianceAn old (but important) drinking water facility finds new life through treatment upgrades, enabling compliance with strict water-quality regulations well into the future.
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The Little-Known Cure For Disinfection ByproductsA timeless drinking water facility needed a timely solution to disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The treatment process selected was (and is) unique to the region, but the results suggest that it deserves more consideration.
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Lead-Free 2014: Guidelines For ComplianceIt was a long buildup to the federal lead-free rule, characterized by some last-minute changes, but the moment has finally arrived.
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Expert Analysis: Do Our Water Systems Make The Grade?Water Online Radio sits down with water expert G. Tracy Mehan, a principal with the Cadmus Group and former Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. EPA, to get an overview of the progress and challenges facing the water and wastewater industry.
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The Year In Water Regulations: What You Need To KnowThe steady march of water-related mandates was afoot in 2013, though a bit slow and meandering. The following is an overview of the EPA’s rulemaking progress over the past year.
MORE WATER INDUSTRY FEATURES
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Impulse Detection Leads To Mitigation Of Pressure EventsWater hammer events can result in service issues for utilities, as the sudden increase in pressure can contribute to pipe fatigue, eventually causing pipe failure—a costly situation for municipalities. By Barry Ceci, founder, president and CEO, Telog Instruments
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Bioaugmentation Improves WWTP OperationsJim Elliot, Vice President of Sales for In-Pipe Technology, explains how bioaugmentation uses good bacteria to protect the environment and lower operating costs for wastewater treatment plants.
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Shed The Lead
When is a water meter truly “green”? In addition to meeting lead free regulations, it should also provide utility users with recyclability, field-proven durability – and just as important – superior scrap value at end of life. This video examines how traditional lead-free bronze-body meters offer all of the above – something that cannot be said for non-recyclable plastic or composite water meters.
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New Treatment Technologies For Water CustomersElena Bailey, Director of Business Development at Ovivo, introduces new treatment technologies, including the Duet screen for grit removal and the AEROSTRIP® Diffusor for aeration. In this video, learn how the latest products in the company’s portfolio connect with customers’ needs in the drinking water and wastewater industries.
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Myths And Realities: Ammonium Based Aeration Control In WastewaterThe introduction of simple, reliable, and affordable in situ sensors based on ion selective electrode (ISE) technology provides the opportunity for more advanced activated sludge control strategies. For example, aeration control using ammonium as a response variable in addition to or in place of dissolved oxygen (DO) using continuous monitoring and control instruments.
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Send In The Bugs: Biological Filtration Solves Contaminant, Capacity ConcernsEvery drinking water system is part of the community it serves, but not quite like Waterford Township, MI, where treatment plants sit side-by-side with homes. The unique, decentralized system utilizes 13 separate treatment plants to clean the local, iron-rich well water. Due to “explosive growth,” the municipality needed to bolster the water supply with more wells, but had zero room for plant expansion. How do you treat more water in the same space?
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Primary Wastewater Treatment: Influent MonitoringThe raw sewage entering a wastewater treatment plant comes from a variety of sources. In addition to effluent from domestic users, effluent from industrial users and storm water run off can be present.
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Choosing the Best Blower Technology for Energy NeedsWhile energy-efficiency is an important factor when choosing aeration and blower systems, every wastewater treatment plant has its own unique set of energy requirements. Aerzen offers a wide range of different technologies tailored to customers’ needs: Positive Displacement Blowers, Hybrid Blowers, and Turbo Blowers. In this video, Regional Sales Manager Tom McCurdy explains how Aerzen’s Performance Cubed program offers a targeted aeration technology plan for any facility.
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Flood Improvement And LID Modeling Using XP‐SWMMOver the years, a number of severe storms have impacted the Harris Gully watershed, including Tropical Storm Allison, which resulted in $5 billion in damages in 2001. Inundation was especially severe at the downstream portions of Harris Gully, where Rice University and the Texas Medical Center are located. A1D/2D hydraulic model (XPSWMM) was instrumental in simulating and evaluating the effects of a proposed drainage alternative.
By Andrew Juan, Dr. Nick Fang, and Dr. Philip Bedient, Rice University
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SCADA Systems Provide Insight To Increase EfficiencyGlenn Wadden, President of Trihedral, explains how today’s SCADA systems are intuitive to learn for remote plant operators and capable of providing feedback that can reduce cost and increase efficiency.
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A New Breakthrough In Flow MeteringMunicipalities that are looking to accurately measure their water flow rates often fall into one of three categories. By Mark Gimson
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How To Control Activated Sludge With Online SensorsThe goal for domestic wastewater treatment in the 21st century should be to have a minimal carbon footprint and to be 100% self-sustainable with regards to energy, carbon, and nutrients – while achieving a discharge or reuse quality that preserves the quality of receiving waters (Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), 2009). Sustainability with respect to energy requires both conservation and production. By Dr. Robert Smith, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, YSI, a Xylem brand
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A Comparative Study Of On-Line And Laboratory TOC Analyzers For Analysis Of Municipal WastewaterThis application note presents comparative data obtained on influent and effluent wastewater samples using laboratory and on-line TOC analyzers employing the heated sodium persulfate oxidation technique in USEPA-approved methods 415.3 and SM 5310C.
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Reducing The Footprint And Costs Of Effluent ReaerationEngineers for Leprino Foods were recently charged with designing and building a new wastewater treatment facility in support of additional expansion in Greeley, Colorado.
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Advanced Pump Design Enhances Performance, Thrills Customers
With lift stations set among households and a pristine lake, failure is not an option for the Valley Rural Utility Company in Lawrenceburg, IN. The old lift stations were costing up to $30,000/year to maintain, due to poor design and persistent clogging. A new Flygt N-Pump has changed the utility’s course, however, proving with one (easy) installation the cost savings that can be gained through advanced impeller technology and remote SCADA operability.
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WWEMA Window: Challenges For Technology/Innovation Approval In The Municipal MarketThe United States continues to advance as a society, embracing innovation in everything from genetics and medicine, to energy and materials. The drinking water and wastewater industry, however, is not evolving at nearly the same pace. We still sell technologies that are 80 years old. That is not to say these technologies do not work; in fact, many still work extremely well. But our reluctance to adopt new solutions and technologies, as an industry, often means less cost-effective solutions for customers. By John D. Dyson, Director of Business Development, Severn Trent Services
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Bottled Water Industry: Liquid Analytical SolutionsAmericans consume more than 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water annually - an average of twentynine gallons per person every year.
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Finding Extra Time – And Money, And Water – With Neptune’s R450™ SystemThe county seat of Shelby County, Sidney, Ohio straddles the Miami River Valley 40 miles north of Dayton and 85 miles west of Columbus. Named after Sir Philip Sidney, poet and member of British Parliament, the City is home to a population of a little over 21,000.