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LATEST CH2M HILL ARTICLES

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Inside Zero Liquid Discharge Systems: The Technology Driving Industrial Water Reuse
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is evolving from a wastewater-compliance strategy into a high-recovery separation platform built around reverse osmosis (RO), high-pressure membranes, thermal concentration, membrane distillation (MD), crystallization, sensors, and process controls. Its objective is measurable: maximize water recovery while converting dissolved salts into solids rather than producing a final liquid reject.  Continue Reading..
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From Warning To Reality: Lessons From The Latest OT Attacks On Water Utilities
On July 10, I published an article warning that water and wastewater utilities had become prime targets for state-sponsored cyber actors, describing how attackers exploit internet-exposed PLCs, how the IT/OT divide leaves organizations vulnerable, and why the sector needed to act before an incident forced their hand. Today, that scenario is no longer hypothetical.  Continue Reading..
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Advanced Water Treatment Strategies Help Data Centers Manage Cooling Water At Industrial Scale
Data centers are evolving into industrial-scale thermal-management facilities as artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), cloud platforms, and accelerated computing increase rack power density. Modern AI racks can exceed 50–120 kW per rack, creating substantially higher heat-rejection requirements than conventional enterprise infrastructure. ASHRAE's (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and...  Continue Reading..
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From Diagnosis To Decision: Four Pillars Of Actionable Pipeline Intelligence
Aging underground networks require actionable intelligence to prioritize maintenance. Combining flexible screening, accurate spatial positioning, and rapid data access helps utilities pinpoint critical defects, reduce operational disruptions, and optimize long-term capital improvement planning.  Continue Reading..
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Putting Pipelines On The Map: How Location Data Strengthens Modern Asset Management Programs
Incomplete pipeline records jeopardize modern utility management. Precise spatial mapping and elevation data protect underground infrastructure, reduce utility strikes during excavation, and enhance digital models to enable targeted, cost-effective infrastructure maintenance.  Continue Reading..
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How To Manage Warm-Season Biological Upsets In Wastewater Lagoons
The rate of biological activity in a treatment lagoon is largely a function of water temperature. Once the water rises above roughly 59 °F (15 °C), metabolic rates increase across the entire microbial and invertebrate community.  Continue Reading..
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Colorado River Water Conservation Efforts Get Only Halfway To A Solution
In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their lowest levels since they first began to be filled in 1936 and 1963, respectively. The federal government and the seven Colorado River basin states have been unable to reach an agreement about who should reduce water usage by how much to avoid catastrophic declines in lake levels.  Continue Reading..
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Sample Collection And Storage: Protecting Water Quality Results From The Start
Flawless analytical procedures mean little if samples are compromised before testing. Discover how proper container selection, representative collection techniques, and rigorous preservation protocols prevent pre-analysis error to ensure defensible, accurate water quality results.  Continue Reading..
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Reverse Osmosis Gets Smarter: New Technologies Target Energy Use And Membrane Fouling
Nearly 45–60% of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant's operating cost is linked to energy consumption, while membrane fouling can reduce productivity by 15–40% and increase cleaning costs by thousands of dollars annually. The newest generation of RO systems is therefore focused on reducing energy demand, extending membrane life, and using intelligent monitoring to predict fouling before performance declines.  Continue Reading..
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How To Check Colorimetric Accuracy And Troubleshoot Unexpected Results
Achieve defensible testing results by mastering analytical controls. Learn how strategic blank corrections, scheduled primary and secondary standard verifications, and systematic troubleshooting eliminate measurement errors and simplify regulatory compliance across everyday laboratory operations.  Continue Reading..

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CH2M HILL NEWS

EPA Announces $11.75 Million To Help Protect Drinking Water From Cyberattacks And Extreme Weather Events

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $11.75 million in grant funding for midsize and large drinking water systems to help protect them from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency against extreme weather events. This funding, through the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program, will support ten projects and affirms EPA’s commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to clean and safe drinking water.

UNCCD COP17 Advances New Pathways For Land Restoration, Drought Resilience And Implementation

After two weeks of negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) concluded today in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

Water Mission Responds To Devastating Flash Floods In Nepal

Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit, is sending a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Nepal in response to catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides in the Nepal-China border region. Initial reports indicate that more than 500 people have been killed and more than 1,500 remain missing, though these figures are preliminary and the full scale of the disaster is not yet known. With communities cut off and widespread damage to roads, homes, and other critical infrastructure, the number of people killed, missing, displaced, and otherwise impacted could be significantly greater. The tragic scale of the need is expected to become more apparent in the coming days as access improves and assessments continue. 

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Request Independent Investigation Of The Biden Administration's Response To Train Derailment In East Palestine

Today, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin sent a joint letter to the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG), requesting a comprehensive, independent investigation into the Biden-Harris Administration's response to the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

U.S. Federal Water Funding "Cliff" Masks Four Distinct Timelines And Uneven State Exposure

Federal water infrastructure funding in the United States is set to fall roughly 63% between fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027, dropping from US$23.4 billion to an estimated US$8.6 billion. But according to new analysis from Bluefield Research, a leading provider of global water market data and insights, the story behind this anticipated decline is more nuanced than the headline suggests.

Emerging Contaminants Follow Distinct Rules When Partitioning Between Sediment And Water, Study Finds

For decades, environmental scientists have struggled to predict where emerging contaminants end up in rivers—whether they linger in sediments or remain mobile in the water. That uncertainty has made risk assessment difficult and management decisions unreliable.