James Schlaman, Director of Water Resources at Black & Veatch, explains what community-based public-private partnerships (CBP3s) are (and what they aren't), how they work, and what makes them attractive — particularly for stormwater management improvements.  Continue Reading..

When it comes to infrastructure design or redesign, understanding hydraulic conditions — for all foreseeable scenarios — is paramount. You might call it "test driving" your facility.  Continue Reading..

Nick Burns, director of water treatment technology for (the Americas region of) Black & Veatch, discusses the health concerns, current regulatory status, and documented presence of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), also sometimes called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in drinking water supplies — as determined by sampling under the U.S. EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3 (UCMR3).  Continue Reading..

At AWWA’s ACE 2018 event, Maury Gaston, Manager of Marketing Services for AMERICAN’s Ductile Iron and AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe product lines, presented on reducing energy through pipe selection, evaluating the City of Huntsville and its 1,297-mile long network. Gaston presented his findings and explained the energy savings in terms of dollars but also kilowatt hours, carbon equivalents and bond values.  Continue Reading..

Jon Loveland, Global Practice Leader - Alternative Water Supply at Black & Veatch, shares insight on a major development for membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems and potable reuse.  Continue Reading..

Utilities are obsessed with taking contaminants out of water, but what about contaminants that are emitted into the atmosphere? While it's not their job to remove such pollutants, water utilities can help achieve cleaner air by not being part of the problem. It's an effort that may not be top of mind, but perhaps it should get more consideration; after all, water utilities are stewards of the environment — a badge of honor —...  Continue Reading..

From start to finish at ACE18, the Annual Conference & Exposition convened by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), there was extreme emphasis on innovation.  Continue Reading..

Traditionally (and unfortunately), contact between water providers and their customers has been mostly negative. Utilities might only share news on rate hikes, health advisories, service or traffic disruptions, etc., and typically only hear from customers who have a complaint. However, there are utilities with great reputations and relationships in the communities they serve; and the key to their success, besides providing excellent service, is...  Continue Reading..