More Wastewater Industry Features

61. Are Good Manufacturing Practices No Longer Good Enough? 10/28/2019

    Janet Woodcock’s recent comment on the state of pharmaceutical development,“It’s not working…,” should not surprise anyone. Her continuation, “and, it won’t work in the future," is the more surprising, and particularly troubling statement. What must we change?

62. The Difficulty With Accurate Testing For BOD In Industrial Stormwater Runoff 3/18/2020

    Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen used by microorganisms to break down organic material in a sample of water. As they do so, these microorganisms deplete the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which can be deadly for aquatic species like fish that rely on dissolved oxygen to live. Because of this hazard to aquatic life, BOD is considered an adverse pollutant in natural waterways where healthy ecosystems are protected. Several states have identified BOD as a pollutant-of-concern related to runoff of stormwater from areas that are associated with industrial activities, and, as a result, have specified water quality limits or objectives for BOD in stormwater discharges from industrial facilities.

63. Spectroscopic Materials Analysis In The Palm Of Your Hand 9/9/2020

    Handheld optical spectroscopy’s newest tool features an expanded wavelength detection range, tougher packaging, and the power to streamline countless recycling, food, and industrial applications.

64. Gas Utility Reduces Inspection Times By 50% Using Mobile App 8/19/2020

    Challenged to meet regulatory requirements, a natural gas distribution utility was able to replace slow and unreliable paper data collection processes with a mobile data collection app. The new digital workflow included data capture via bar code saved significant time in getting accurate data into the utility’s digital network as-builting process.

65. Why Remote System Management Is The Key To Resiliency 9/6/2020

    It is increasingly difficult for municipal water utilities to provide seamless operations. Community growth, changing regulations, aging infrastructure, and extreme events are just a few of the challenges that need to be met. Remotely managing the key functions of water, wastewater, and stormwater operations in this rapidly evolving landscape — with the ability to act based on deep insights — underpins resiliency and creates a smart utility network.

66. Preparing For Increased Sampling Frequency Mandated By LCR Revisions 1/27/2020

    The proposed Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) announced by the U.S. EPA offer new hope for identifying and reducing sources of lead contamination in drinking water, albeit with new levels of testing required to pinpoint problem areas. Preparing for the new rules means taking active steps toward identifying both the technicalities and logistics of meeting them, as outlined in the links and bullet points below.

67. The Skyrocketing Importance Of The Digital Twin 10/8/2019

    An increase in extreme weather events combined with stricter regulatory requirements is making it more difficult than ever for municipalities to keep pace at their wastewater operations. As a result, asset management has been thrust into the spotlight.

68. Ready Or Not? A Checklist For Building Natural Disaster Resilience 6/28/2019

    You’ve seen the headlines, read the case studies, taken stock of your resilience plan (or lack thereof), and posed the question “What now?” Here are a dozen ways battery-powered wireless recorders and transmitters can support a new Resiliency Master Plan for your utility and your community — one that can provide cost-saving and even life-saving insights under extreme conditions.

69. 'Smart' Distribution Strategies Save More Than Just Water 4/14/2020

    Water distribution system managers and administrators — whether they are dealing with water scarcity, mandated regulatory compliance, or non-revenue water (NRW) losses — have to be concerned about financial as well as physical solutions. Fortunately, more comprehensive solutions are being developed to afford success in both of those areas. Here are several examples of what is being achieved.

70. How To Boost Wastewater Treatment Capacity Within An Existing Footprint 7/9/2019

    Municipalities can find themselves in a real bind when wastewater treatment operations are strained by population growth. That’s because facilities are either landlocked and can’t expand at their current location, or the prospect of building an addition isn’t in the budget. When the bottleneck is at the digesters — the tanks where microorganisms break down waste — there are some common-sense strategies treatment plants can employ to address those growing pains.