WIP Editorial

51. PFAS As Hazardous Waste: Should Water And Wastewater Utilities Be Worried? 2/13/2024

    After years of discussion, the EPA recently announced a proposal that would classify nine PFAS as hazardous waste. The decision comes less than a year after the agency's proposed individual maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS as well as a hazard index (HI) of 1.0 for a combination of them and four other substances. The announcement has undoubtedly triggered concerns among water industry professionals about the impact it will have on their operations.

52. Unlocking Success In Government Contracting — A Beginner's Guide 1/22/2024
    After working for the past 25+ years to help companies be successful in selling to government, I get questions daily about what it takes to be successful in the public sector marketplace. This column's objective is to provide some 'Best Practices for Success' because I firmly believe it is in the best interest of all parties, including taxpayers, to make collaborations and public and private sector interactions as successful as possible.
53. Study Evaluates The Cost Benefits Of Recharge Net Metering For Groundwater Sustainability 1/22/2024

    In drought-plagued states, scientists and water authorities have been searching for ways to stretch out or replenish water sources. One such method is through managed aquifer recharge (MAR), which involves injecting water directly into aquifer wells, typically from stormwater runoff. MAR projects are a cost-effective way to avoid groundwater overdraws, but often require the participation of private landowners. To solve this, researchers have developed a program called recharge net metering (ReNeM).

54. PepsiCo's Vision: Improving Water Wherever It Operates 1/19/2024
    As Senior Director of Global Climate and Water Solutions for PepsiCo, Grant oversees a program that actually improves water conditions, rather than simply mitigating PepsiCo's own impact or embracing sustainability merely for efficiency/business benefits. In this Q&A, Grant details PepsiCo's philosophy on water stewardship, the elements of their ambitious water strategy, and the outcomes they hope to achieve.
55. Innovative Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Sustainable Solution For Manufacturers 1/10/2024
    Stricter effluent regulatory standards and a continued focus on sustainability by industrial companies demands innovative treatment solutions. These solutions include innovative modular industrial wastewater treatment plants that assist manufacturers in meeting these treatment standards in the most environmentally friendly way.
56. The Evolving Landscape Of Smart Water Meters 1/10/2024

    Although advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology has been around for some time, it is still on the upswing in terms of adoption and performance.

57. Soaring Above Challenges: Drone-Based Inspection And Maintenance Take Off 1/10/2024

    While 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.

58. Water Trends, Now And Then 1/10/2024

    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.

59. Early, Often, And Honest: A Guide To Communicating About Lead 12/28/2023

    The Biden Administration’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) won’t be finalized until late 2024, yet it is already causing a stir among water utilities. Among the many changes and additions, the LCRI as it stood at the start of the comment period will lower the action level to 10 ppb for lead and will mandate that all lead service lines (LSLs) be located and replaced within 10 years. The expectation is that many thousands of water utilities are going to find themselves pressured to take action or step up existing actions.

60. Water Infrastructure Upgrades And Expansion Projects Will Likely Reach Historic Numbers In 2024 12/20/2023
    In 2024, there will likely be more water projects throughout the country than history has ever recorded. That's a very good thing because water security is critical for the nation's stability.