Boiler feedwater is comprised of two very important, and increasingly expensive resources: steam condensate return and city (or well) makeup water. The condensate is valuable due to low electrical conductance, purity, and high temperature. The makeup water is valuable because it is being overused and under conserved in many parts of the country, making the cost of water rise in almost all parts of the U.S.
Just when we thought the jurisdictional and regulatory issues concerning the federal Clean Water Act and the resulting implications could not get more complicated, recent developments have put that possibility to rest.
Every year, World Water Week, a conference organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute(SIWI), brings together experts from around the world to discuss global water issues. This year’s event focused on Water, Ecosystems and Human Development, with discussions concentrating on how business, NGOs and government agencies are collaborating to address water-related challenges.
Three thousand litres of water — that is the amount needed to produce the food each British person eats every day. This is according to a new study into the “water footprint” of diets in Western Europe, conducted by the European Commission and published in Nature Sustainability.
Regulators from across the country met in Vermont this week at the Environmental Council of the State’s (ECOS) fall meeting to discuss some of the nation’s most pressing environmental challenges. I joined members of ECOS’ Shale Gas Caucus to discuss an emerging threat imminently impacting oil and gas-producing states: the question of what to do with the massive amount of wastewater produced by the oil and gas industry each year.
Most industries are required to remove contaminants from wastewater systems before discharge to a receiving stream or municipal facility. Depending on the industry, contaminants may be numerous or difficult to treat. Finding the most effective, cost-efficient treatment method is critical for both business and the environment.
Industrial companies need reliable water treatment technology, since failure of a water system may result in downtime for production, with significant financial impacts. Ultraviolet (UV) technology is used for water treatment in various industries such as microelectronics, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and many other industry segments.
Maintaining a golf course has a lot of challenges. Often, one of those challenges is how to clean your golf course care equipment. The equipment you use to clean and maintain your golf course very quickly finds grass clippings, soil, and other debris enmeshed in it, and you need to remove these materials regularly. The type of washing you need to do to clean that equipment, however, creates wastewater — and improper wastewater disposal procedures could see you running afoul of U.S. EPA regulations and receiving unwanted fines.
There are thousands of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in use for countless consumer products. PFAS can make products non-stick or waterproof. They are also used in industrial processes and make up fire-fighting foams used by first responders. With so many types of PFAS in use, EPA researchers have had to use new and innovative tools to gather more information about these chemicals.
EPA scientists are developing and evaluating new methods to evaluate chemicals for potential health effects. These methods are fast, cost effective, and reduce our reliance on traditional methods which use laboratory animals.
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