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..

Earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, rolling blackouts — they can all cripple a water utility and put the public at risk. In emergency situations, clean water is abundantly important, though it may not be abundantly available. When it comes to serving the public in times of greatest need, will your utility be prepared?   Continue Reading..

The future of water looks daunting with the ever-looming challenges of population growth, climate change, and failing infrastructure, but the future also includes technological advances that can help overcome these hard-to-solve issues. The key, explains Water Talk guest and digital technology consultant Gigi Karmous-Edwards, is to embrace our digital capabilities as they continue to develop. We are already in the age of smart water, but the...  Continue Reading..

In addition to the bewildering alphabet soup of acronyms associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), together known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), there is confusion as to how dangerous and prevalent these chemicals are, and thus how they should be treated or regulated. To help bring clarity to the issue, Pete D’Adamo, Director of Water Treatment for...  Continue Reading..

Wastewater treatment plants need chemicals for various reasons, but they also need equipment and expertise to apply the chemicals appropriately and cost-effectively. As Water Talk guest John Walton explains, USP Technologies offers a complete range of chemical services to wastewater utilities, from soup to nuts, including packaged solutions that can be up and running within weeks.  Continue Reading..

Of all the process considerations facing wastewater treatment operators, disinfection is one of the most important. In this exclusive Water Talk interview, Gary Lohse, Technical Sales Manager, Disinfection with De Nora Water Technologies, discusses how disinfection has become increasingly complex over time. Lohse reviews a host of selection criteria including target microorganisms, control strategies, disinfection by-products, capex and safety....  Continue Reading..

Duperon Corporation is the inventor of the FlexRake barscreen, which has enjoyed widespread use at wastewater treatment plants for many years, coveted for its ability to remove solids in a robust, reliable package. And while copycat barscreens have recently come along, Duperon's classic design and service experience are proving hard to match, according to company president Mark Turpin. In this Water Talk interview, Turpin describes product...  Continue Reading..

Toray Membrane USA introduced an aptly-named product at WEFTEC 2017, the NHP (New High Performance) module for membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Toray's Peter Waldron sat down with Water Online to discuss how the NHP, which features thin membrane flat sheets densely packed into easily interchangeable cassettes, differs from current industry offerings and how these features benefit MBR operation.  Continue Reading..