WATER INNOVATIONS CURRENT ISSUE
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Every drop of water counts, but when we talk about our collective conservation efforts for the greater good, it's natural to think about high-volume users. Those users are generally on the industrial side of things — agriculture, of course; the energy industry, with its intractable relationship to water; and also the food and beverage industry. Thankfully, there are leaders in these spaces who not only understand the need for sustainable water management — they pioneer it.
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An overview of funding opportunities for water utilities to meet new and upcoming compliance objectives, as well as technology considerations to reduce further contamination.
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Plans for land development should include a plan for stormwater as well, incorporating both natural and engineered solutions.
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From “Revisions” to “Improvements,” the EPA is making further changes to the Lead and Copper Rule to keep drinking water systems working toward the ultimate goal.
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Climate change, consumer confidence, and emerging contaminants add to the challenges of water treatment. Rising costs of improved treatment, including both equipment and chemicals, make it even more important for plants to operate efficiently.
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Modern problems for water utilities, including limited workforce and aging infrastructure, require modern tools for overcoming them.
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The answer to water scarcity could be right in front of us — and above and all around — if the technology of drawing water from the atmosphere can be made practical.
WASTEWATER
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Mixing Zones: Balancing Compliance, Environmental Protection, And Cost Efficiency3/7/2024
Wastewater dischargers can be both environmentally and fiscally responsible by mastering the mix of objectives.
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AOPs And Industry: Guidelines For Effective Contaminant Removal3/7/2024
Using ozone and UV advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can help industrial facilities achieve compliance, but what's the right process for your application?
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The Future Of Decentralized Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems1/10/2024Numerous factors coalesce to create a rising demand for decentralized solutions.
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Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions Implements zeeDENSE To Achieve Super-Intensification Of Wastewater Treatment At Facility In Illinois10/2/2023
Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions unveiled zeeDENSE in 2022, coupling ZeeLung MABR with continuous flow densification technology to upgrade and super-intensify activated sludge plants.
UTILITY MANAGEMENT
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Flowing Forward: How Technology Is A Necessity For Solving The Water Sector’s Growing Challenges5/2/2024
Modern problems for water utilities, including limited workforce and aging infrastructure, require modern tools for overcoming them.
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A Career In GIS: How To Create More Opportunities For The Next Generation1/10/2024Whether for water quality, conservation, governance, stormwater management, resiliency, or a host of other needs, geographic information systems (GIS) are in demand, presenting an excellent opportunity to grow — and diversify — your workforce.
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What To Expect In Smart Water For 20241/10/2024North American utilities are getting wise to smart technology, with over $530 million in new projects calling out a data-driven focus kicking off in 2024.
INFRASTRUCTURE
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Awaiting The Final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements: What Happens Next?5/2/2024
From “Revisions” to “Improvements,” the EPA is making further changes to the Lead and Copper Rule to keep drinking water systems working toward the ultimate goal.
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How Much Energy Can Hydro Turbines In Water Pipes Generate?3/7/2024
As interest grows, real-world examples of energy generated within water pipes is confirming the viability of this innovative practice.
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Building Trust In The Age Of Plastic Plumbing1/10/2024There is momentum for the use of plastic pipe in water distribution systems, but also some uncertainty. Standards have been put in place, however, to alleviate concerns.
SOURCE WATER
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The Zen Of Stormwater Management And Land Development5/2/2024
Plans for land development should include a plan for stormwater as well, incorporating both natural and engineered solutions.
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Reducing Flood Risk In A Highly Urbanized Area3/7/2024How the city of Aurora, CO, via the Fitzsimmons-Peoria Stormwater Outfall Project, modernized outdated infrastructure in response to current needs and future threats.
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Destroying PFAS In Wastewater To Help Safeguard Waterways1/10/2024Technologies for the destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) hold promise, but also face challenges.
DRINKING WATER
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Aqua From The Air: The Promise Of Fog Harvesting For Clean Water Access5/2/2024
The answer to water scarcity could be right in front of us — and above and all around — if the technology of drawing water from the atmosphere can be made practical.
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Quick Solutions To PFAS In Drinking Water, Especially For Smaller Systems3/7/2024
With funds falling short of costs for pending PFAS rules compliance, utilities require an economical treatment solution.
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Soaring Above Challenges: Drone-Based Inspection And Maintenance Take Off1/10/2024While drones first gained popularity among tech-forward hobbyists and video producers, they have since found use across various industries — including water and wastewater — to simplify asset management and O&M.
FUNDING AND REVENUE
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Funding The Fight Against PFAS And Lead In Drinking Water5/2/2024
An overview of funding opportunities for water utilities to meet new and upcoming compliance objectives, as well as technology considerations to reduce further contamination.
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The Evolving Landscape Of Smart Water Meters1/10/2024Although advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology has been around for some time, it is still on the upswing in terms of adoption and performance.
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The Key To Restoring Customer Trust After A Data Breach1/10/2024Public confidence can be hard to win back, emphasizing the need for secure systems as utilities grow more reliant on digital technologies.
MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL
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How Monitoring Treatment Processes Drives Efficiency And Confidence5/2/2024
Climate change, consumer confidence, and emerging contaminants add to the challenges of water treatment. Rising costs of improved treatment, including both equipment and chemicals, make it even more important for plants to operate efficiently.
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The Vital Role Of Measurement In Effective Wastewater Recovery3/7/2024How digitalization technologies, including data analytics and asset management, can offer smart, sustainable solutions to our planet's wastewater treatment challenges — and help combat the problems of global water scarcity.
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Safe Water For All: New Advancements In Monitoring Technology1/10/2024As water management issues proliferate due to scarcity, contamination, and stricter regulations, monitoring solutions are rising to meet the challenge.
REUSE
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Wastewater To Biogas: From Trash To Treasure1/10/2024
How U.S. wastewater treatment plants can learn from the example of others to transition into wastewater resource recovery facilities and create more sustainable, livable communities.
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Managed Aquifer Recharge Key To Water Reclamation7/7/2023With the great need to get water back into circulation to satisfy high demand, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) via decentralized wastewater treatment is proving to be an effective solution.
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Navigating Contaminants Of Emerging Concern3/9/2023Two recent research projects — one to improve potable reuse, the other to stop the proliferation of PFAS — look to source control as the key leverage point.
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Adopting A 'One Water' Approach Through Integrated Master Planning1/11/2023A One Water master plan under development for the city of Winter Haven, Florida, serves as an example to other communities looking at the future through a One Water lens.
FROM THE EDITOR
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From Scarcity To Stewardship To Sustainability5/2/2024Every drop of water counts, but when we talk about our collective conservation efforts for the greater good, it's natural to think about high-volume users. Those users are generally on the industrial side of things — agriculture, of course; the energy industry, with its intractable relationship to water; and also the food and beverage industry. Thankfully, there are leaders in these spaces who not only understand the need for sustainable water management — they pioneer it.
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Testing The (Storm)Waters3/7/2024Heavy rains in California prove the worthiness of the "sponge city" concept.
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Water Trends, Now And Then1/10/2024
Even though this edition of Water Innovations looks forward into 2024, I’d like to use this space to look back on trends within the water and wastewater industry in 2023. We’ve just begun 2024 — and we’re still in the thick of 2023’s issues, since they didn’t get resolved with the turning of the calendar. Furthermore, recent challenges inform future trends, as policy and technologies are devised and improved to confront the most pressing needs of the day.
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Free Will And Cybersecurity11/3/2023Even with federal regulations mandating action for municipal water and wastewater systems unfinished, the commitment to protect the public should compel utilities to improve cybersecurity.
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Racing Towards Sustainability9/8/2023
As water and wastewater utilities come to grips with decarbonization, many have set ambitious targets to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. To evaluate progress across the industry, global water technology company Xylem commissioned a survey of 100 utilities. I spoke with Austin Alexander, Xylem's VP of Sustainability and Social Impact, to break down the results and key trends driving a greener water industry.