KLA SYSTEMS ARTICLES

• Wastewater Service Charges Continue To Rise

  Wastewater service charges vary considerably across EPA regions and States. That’s one of the key findings from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ (NACWA) Cost of Clean Water Index. If you live in Montana, Wyoming or the Dakotas (EPA Region 8), your average service charge of $261 a year is considerably less than the $884 your fellow Americans up in New England (EPA Region 1) are paying.  As you can imagine, much of the difference is to do with population size and geography.

• How The EPA Reacts To A Government Shutdown

  Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had a published Contingency Plan in anticipation of the current government shutdown? I guess in hindsight, you would have expected it for an agency with 134 facilities dotted across the country. And in fact, it’s required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Circular A-11, Section 124 that all government agencies have plans for an orderly shutdown “in the event of an absence of appropriations.”

• Climate Change Report Identifies Myriad Needs For Water Industry

  The federal government recently released its fourth National Climate Assessment which focuses on the impact climate change will have on the U.S. economy over the next century. As mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990, the U.S. Global Change Research Program takes a comprehensive look at climate change and its effects on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems and biological diversity.

• Groundwater Scarcer Than Previously Thought

  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, groundwater supplies half of all drinking water to the U.S. population, nearly all of it to our rural population and over 50 billion gallons per day for agricultural needs. But according to new research out of UC Santa Barbara, supplies may be more limited than previously thought.

• Ridding The Oceans Of Plastic By 2040

  Last month, The Ocean Cleanup launched its first plastics cleanup system (System 001) in an area of the Pacific between Hawaii and California named the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It constitutes the world’s largest accumulation zone, known as a gyre, of ocean plastics. Boyan Slat, CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, estimates that half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be removed from the Ocean within five years as additional systems are applied until it achieves full-scale deployment.

• Data Modeling Helps Detroit Avoid $500M CSO Infrastructure Investment

  Five years ago, the city of Detroit, MI, filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history at an estimated $18 to 20B. At the time, there was a lot of speculation in the water market as to how the city would continue to serve its citizens with viable water and sanitary sewer services. Ultimately Detroit reached a deal with neighboring Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties to create the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), a new regional water and sewer authority. Spring forward to today and despite Detroit’s population continuing to dwindle, it’s water and sewer provision under the GLWA has recovered significantly.

• Modern Invention Pulls Water Out Of Thin Air

  When you think about areas of the world where people have limited access to clean water, I’m guessing hot, sunny, arid climates come to mind. In an interesting twist, a couple of innovations are using those exact conditions to create potable water.

• Contact Lens Becomes Latest Pollutant In Wastewater

  The latest disposable causing a stir in the wastewater treatment world is the contact lens. Researchers from Arizona State University recently presented their findings at an American Chemical Society event showing that contact lenses flushed down the toilet or washed down the drain can pass through wastewater treatment plants and accumulate in sewage sludge. As sludge is often applied on land for disposal and fertilizing, macro- and microplastics from lenses enter terrestrial ecosystems.

• Tackling Nonpoint Source Nutrient Pollution

  Recently, Ohio Governor John Kasich issued an executive order allowing the Ohio Department of Agriculture to set requirements for storing, handling and applying manure as well as nutrient management plans in an effort to reduce nutrient pollution and algal bloom growth in Lake Erie. The order is set to affect 7,000 farms across 2 million acres.

• Red Tide Algal Bloom Hits Florida Beaches

  The annual Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast was recently released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicting that western Lake Erie will experience a harmful algal bloom (HAB) of cyanobacteria this summer. The bloom is expected to be smaller than in 2017 but larger than the bloom in 2016.

• Sniffer Dogs Now Being Used To Detect Water Main Leaks

  Sniffer dogs have been used for a while in the oil and gas industry to find leaks. But recently, dogs have begun to be used to find leaks in water mains.

• Billions Of Gallons Of Treated Water Irrigates U.S. Lawns

  For most of the United States, we’ve reached the time of year where Americans desire to maintain a perfectly green lawn starts to be tested by the warmer and dryer summer months. From the water industry’s perspective, it’s staggering just how many billions of gallons of treated water ends up being sprayed across our hallowed front and back yards in maintaining a full and aesthetically-pleasing lawn.

• Start-Up And Operating Tips For Jet Aeration Systems

  Jet aeration systems are extremely efficient due to their high alpha factor and clean water oxygen transfer performance. Proper start-up, operation, and maintenance will ensure reliable service and a long life.

• Energy Savings With Jet Aeration: The Devil Is In The Details

  Conserving energy and saving costs are always on the minds of wastewater professionals. Aeration accounts for more than 50 percent of electrical usage at most treatment plants. Improved aeration efficiency will always work toward the goals of saving energy and reducing operating costs.

• How To Boost Industrial Plant Capacity By Retrofitting Aeration Tanks

  As industries expand, they typically need to increase the capacity of their wastewater treatment facilities. Increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, such as lower nitrogen limits, may also signal the need to boost treatment capacity. Installing additional tanks and larger equipment not only adds capital costs but increases operating costs as well.

• PFAS Contamination Continues To Be An Issue Of Concern

  A couple of weeks ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt called PFAS groundwater contamination “a national priority” and pledged action at an EPA national PFAS leadership summit.

• New York City Sludge Stalls In Alabama

  Writing for Mental Floss in 2015, Emily Becker finished her article on the twenty-year export of New York City’s wastewater sludge to Colorado with the words “there are no plans for the New York City poop train to leave the station again.” Fast forward to 2018 and the wheels are once again rolling.

• Say No To The Straw

  It is almost too heart-breaking to watch. In the YouTube video, marine biologists from Texas A&M University extract a plastic straw from a sea turtles’ nose as the creature winces in pain. Today that video has been viewed more than 22 million times, drawing attention to the hazard that plastic straws present to animals and our environment.

• Treatment Facilities Celebrate World Water Day

  Saturday, March 24th was a busy day at the Brightwater Clean-Water Treatment Facility in Woodinville, WA, just outside Seattle. The Utility’s Education and Community Center was full of family-oriented science experiments and art projects with organized tours of the wastewater treatment plant taking place throughout the day. All in recognition of International World Water Day which had occurred two days before.

• Naegleria Fowleri And The Hot Spring

  For many people, hot springs conjure up thoughts of cleansing and purity. For centuries, humans have visited hot springs to relax and recover. But as with any natural water body, hot springs can also exhibit biota that can infect and in severe cases kill.

• Acing The Alpha Factor In Aeration

  Aeration is the heart of every activated sludge system, as well as the most energy-intensive process. When designing or modifying a wastewater treatment facility, the aeration system design will have lasting impacts on effectiveness, capital and operating costs.

• Gulf Of Mexico’s Hypoxic Zone Larger Than Ever

  Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded the largest hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico since monitoring began 32 years ago. Hypoxic waters, often referred to as dead zones, have dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 2-3 ppm. They are caused by eutrophication or excess nutrients that promote algal growth in water bodies. As algae decompose, they consume oxygen creating dead zones.

• Water Industry World Records

  You may have read recently that Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) set a Guinness World Record for the most wastewater recycled to drinking water in 24 hours. The record attempt kicked off on February 15^th 2018 to mark the 10^th anniversary since the districts’ Groundwater Replenishment System was launched and culminated with more than 100 million gallons per day (MGD) being produced.

• Jet Aeration Systems: A Tool For Improved SBR Operation

  Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs) are a variation of the activated sludge process that combine treatment steps into a single basin. Based on a fill-and-draw method, major phases of the SBR process include a cycle of fill (with or without aeration), react, settle, decant, and idle. Today, successful flow control strategies have made SBRs state-of-the-art technology. SBRs are commonly used today and are especially beneficial for many industrial applications.

• DC Water’s Unconventional Approach To Utility Management

  Over the past 10 years, DC Water has become the harbinger of the modern water utility. It’s often unconventional approach to tackling age-old problems usually elicits one of two responses from other utility professionals. The first response is one of resignation — if only I had the budget that size permits, I’d be able to do similar things. And the second is one of awe — there’s no way I have the amount of gumption to convince regulators or customers that I have a better way.

• What Happens To The Chesapeake Bay Now?

  One of the great turnaround stories in the history of our nation’s water bodies is that of the Chesapeake Bay. Since 1976 when the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) first undertook a comprehensive study of the Bay, efforts to address excessive nitrogen and phosphorous degradation of water quality have steadily improved the Bay’s complex ecosystem.

• Does Public Outreach Help Or Hinder Acceptance Of Recycled Wastewater As A Drinking Water Source?

  When California’s AB2022 went into effect earlier this year, allowing the bottling of advanced purified reused water for educational purposes, Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District began the #GetOverIt! campaign to continue to push for consumer acceptance of recycled water systems.

• Water Is One Of The Few Issues To Unite Voters

  Unless you spent the last election cycle hiding under a rock (and no blame if you did), you are no doubt aware of the growing rift between the two major political parties of the United States. As reported in The Atlantic citing polling from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, those who identify as Democrats are becoming more liberal and those identifying as Republicans swing ever more conservative.

• Americans’ Attitude To Their Water Changes With The Weather

  Weather plays an important role in how Americans think about water. And I don’t mean when it’s raining, we decide to grab a raincoat.

• In River Pools Offer City Residents Swimming Alternatives

  It wasn’t so long ago that city rivers were some of the more polluted bodies of water on the planet. In 1969 for example, the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire after years of unabated pollution, spurring an environmental movement to clean up the nation’s waterways.

• Water Intense Meat Production Processes Will Have To Change

  A few years back, the Secretary of the International Farm Management Association (IFMA) announced that if the world’s population consumed food in the same manner as the citizens of the U.S., we would need 6 planet earths to keep up with demand. Now we know that the traditional diet of hamburgers, steaks and all-you-can-eat buffets across America’s heartland is slowly being diversified by a growing number of eating options, many far greener, i.e. Salad Works. 

• How To Optimize Aeration At MBR Plants

  Membrane bioreactor (MBR) plants are found all around the world, serving as a go-to method for treating wastewater through a combination of processes. But as this technology gains popularity, operations must contend with the inherent aeration problems it presents.

• Tackling Combined Sewage Overflows (CSOs) In New York

  New York City treats 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater a day across its 14 wastewater treatment plants. The city has seen a precipitous drop in fecal coliforms, with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reporting that fecal coliforms per 100 mL of water has fallen from 1,000 in 1972 when the Clean Water Act was passed to closer to 10 as of 2009.

• Do You Pay 300 Times What You Could For Water?

  On January 1^st 2017, Philadelphia’s controversial “soda tax” went into effect, adding a 1.5-cents-per-ounce on sugary beverages sold in the city. Several cities across the U.S. have enacted similar taxes in a bid to battle diet-related diseases such as obesity and fund more healthy activities within their communities.

• Green City, Clean Waters Plan Puts Quality First In Philly

  Cities all over the country have been prioritizing clean water through a variety of different programs and the City of Brotherly Love is among the ranks.

• As Waters Warm, Questions Swirl Around Health Of The Great Barrier Reef

  The Great Barrier Reef — a chain of 2,900 individual, underwater corals comprising the world’s biggest structure made by living organisms — is one of the most visible victims of climate change.

• Over Decades, Merrimack River Transforms

  The Merrimack River is considered one of the major beneficiaries of the Clean Water Act of 1972.

• Beach Cleanups Energize People Around The Globe

  With sandal-and-swimsuit season right around the corner, policymakers are raising awareness about the problem of beach pollution.

• Water Concerns Unite Polarized Voters

  In a nation of red states and blue states, water policy is an issue that often dissolves party lines.

• Boston Harbor Overhaul: A Water Cleanup Success Story

  Boston Harbor used to be an icon of water pollution in the U.S. But a massive cleanup effort — one of the biggest restoration feats in the nation’s history — has revived the harbor in the last three decades.

• Rhode Island Wastewater Plants Key To Water Quality Reversal

  Despite evidence that often points to the contrary, many bodies of water around the country stand as prime examples of how environmental quality can be improved with the proper will and effort.

• Wastewater Sustainability Brings Opportunity And Challenge

  As more wastewater treatment facilities focus on ways to cut costs and improve environmental stewardship through energy reuse and sustainable practices, the industry is becoming a leader in the world of tomorrow.

• Getting The Most Out Of Biosolids

  Although they may appear crude on the surface, biosolids represent the future of wastewater treatment. This organic substance contains energy and nutrients, and thus the potential for resource recovery and increased energy efficiency by wastewater treatment operations.

• Thinking Of Donating? Consider These Charitable Organizations

  Those who are philanthropically-minded need look no further for a cause than that of water. After all, this is a fundamental aspect of human existence and one that is shockingly scarce in some parts of the world.

• Navajo Water Project Provides Clean Water To Native Americans

  It may seem farfetched, but the reality is that many Americans don’t have regular access to clean drinking water.

• Weighing The Value Of Biosolids As Fertilizer

  Wastewater treatment plants process tons and tons of sludge every year and they have to contend with the question of what to do with it. Increasingly, biosolids are looked at as an opportunity to help the planet.

• Where To Find Money In Biogas

  On the surface, wastewater treatment operations don’t appear to be handling precious material. But these facilities are actually processing a great deal of value every day.

• WOTUS Appears Vulnerable To Trump Repeal

  On his way out of office, Barack Obama made a final effort to bolster the Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS), which has drawn controversy since it was issued in 2015.

• From Drought To Flooding: California Struggles With Turnaround

  In a drastic about-face, California has gone from historically desperate drought conditions to an inundation of water that has brought its own set of problems.

• Rescuing Failed Aeration Systems

  In wastewater treatment, aeration systems are more than just critical. They can be seen as the central nerve of the whole operation, the part of the process that usually costs the most to run and can cause the most havoc when it malfunctions.