The importance and utility of sensors for delivering precious drinking water — and beer — is of topic in this conversation with MJ Peters of Sensorex. The company provides UVT-LED sensors for monitoring UV transmittance, offering quality control for advanced treatment applications such as potable water reuse. One such application was the AZ Pure Water Brew Challenge, where recycled water was used to make beer.  Continue Reading..

Mixing activated sludge to a velocity of 0.03 meters/second is important because it keeps bacteria in motion, avoids sedimentation and optimizes the biological wastewater treatment process.  Water Talk recently caught up with Michael Lebkuecher, Director of Product Management for Solids Handling Pumps and Rainer Kutzko, Senior Project Engineer, both with KSB to learn more about mixing considerations.  Continue Reading..

The operating ranges for chemical injection need to be large because of the variability of flow in many treatment operations. As Bill McDowell, Vice President of Operations with Blue White Industries explains in this Water Talk interview, “You might be down to as low as 5 or 10 milliliters a minute and then one hour later; you might need to pump 15 gallons a minute out of the same pump and through the same sensor.”  Continue Reading..

Municipal wastewater treatment has traditionally taken place as far away from the populace as possible. But as people flock to cities and encroach ever closer on these facilities, the practice of extending ever further out becomes impractical and expensive. And as water becomes scarcer, cities the world over are looking at recycling wastewater from their citizenry closer to home.  Continue Reading..

MilliporeSigma is well known by many, but perhaps not within the water industry. That is changing, thanks to the company's work on total nitrogen (TN) testing, having recently developed a new method. Learn how and why MilliporeSigma branched out from life sciences and specialty chemicals into water, and what it means going forward.  Continue Reading..

Machines get smarter and more capable, but so do the hackers, so how do we advance in automation and leverage its benefits without introducing new security threats? Kelvin J. Hurdle, North America Industry Manager for Rockwell Automation, addresses cybersecurity among other automation topics including workforce issues, understanding analytics, and addressing equipment downtime.  Continue Reading..

Hampton Roads Sanitation District is well known for innovation, so it is no surprise that the utility is taking bold steps to enhance the sustainability of the region's water supply by protecting and restoring its groundwater through the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT). Tyler Nading of CH2M consulted on the project and discusses the initiative, as well as the importance and progression of water reuse, in this Water Talk...  Continue Reading..

Andrew Smith is the Watershed, Stormwater, and Flood Management Practice Lead at Black & Veatch, and was therefore a timely interview subject in the wake of hurricanes and storm damage still fresh in the minds of attendees at WEFTEC 2017.  Continue Reading..