It’s a foregone conclusion that operators are on their way out at utilities across the country, yet the workload remains and could even intensify. When it comes to preserving talent, institutional knowledge, and the future of the industry, the solution may be closer than you think.
In just eight years at DC Water, which provides drinking water, sewage collection, and sewage treatment in Washington, D.C., serving more than 600,000 residents, George Hawkins transformed the utility from insular and guarded to open and innovative.
Who wants cake? Certainly not treatment plant operators who employ microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes, and here’s what they’re doing about it.
With the digital age fully upon us, it’s time for treatment plants to evolve beyond preventative maintenance and embrace predictive maintenance.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is harnessing both natural resources and human drive to lead an energy surge in the water sector. WEF President Ed McCormick discusses where the industry is headed and how utilities can stay ahead of the curve.
Efficiently service and maintain intelligent field devices
Field devices are the eyes and ears of automation. The failure of a valve positioner, temperature, flow or pressure sensor can quickly lead to serious malfunction of the process. With SIMATIC PDM Maintenance Station V3.0, Siemens offers the right solution for efficiently monitoring the condition of smart field devices, irrespective of the automation and control systems used
From data to knowledge to transformation
Move from complexity to simplicity, from asset and process intelligence to operational intelligence with the PI System. Its highly scalable, open data infrastructure empowers enterprises in real time, transforming operational data into actionable knowledge and business transformation.
ABB uses digital solutions to drive outcomes. Engaging customers to demonstrate tangible results that scale.
The new generation of ABB’s total plant automation: DCS and SCADA for the power and water industries.
Reduced operational costs and downtime through seamless distributed control system integration.
Real-time control of a 360km water distribution system through an advanced distributed control system.
Improved water reliability and lifecycle costs through total control of a one hundred mile transfer system.
100% available water in the driest of deserts through highly efficient desalination.
When it comes to metering water flow — drinking water or wastewater — full-bore mag meters offer many advantages. While the underlying technology based on Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic induction is shared among all styles of full-bore mag meters, specific implementations have impacts on longevity and accuracy. Here is what to look for when the time to choose arrives.
Among utilities concerned about resilience and response in natural disasters or other emergencies, precise asset inventory and mapping are high priorities. In truth, there is value in having the same information for everyday purposes as well. For anyone who has ever had a problem locating or tracking key water or wastewater system assets, here are several good reasons and ways to avoid a last-minute scramble.
If a water utility is going to use digital communication to enhance the customer experience, it needs to ensure that it does so as seamlessly as possible.
When space is tight and straight-run piping is at a premium, V-Cone differential pressure (DP) meters are an excellent choice — especially where the potential for turbulence raises metering accuracy issues with other conventional meter styles. This article describes how to satisfy some challenging water infrastructure applications with V-Cone meter accuracy at a low permanent pressure loss.
Mapping the assets of a water treatment, water distribution, or wastewater collection and treatment system is just the means to an end. Maximizing value from that effort requires systematic planning and a healthy curiosity for looking into patterns of activity. Here are some considerations for turning raw asset data into more valuable benchmarks for better decision-making across multiple aspects of water operations.
Recent natural disasters and emergency events that impact utility operations run the gamut from windy, rainy, and frigid weather to wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Fortunately, an often-underutilized aspect of “smart water” technology extending far beyond automated meter reading and billing holds promise for community-wide resilience in the face of such disruptive events.
You’ve seen the headlines, read the case studies, taken stock of your resilience plan (or lack thereof), and posed the question “What now?” Here are a dozen ways battery-powered wireless recorders and transmitters can support a new Resiliency Master Plan for your utility and your community — one that can provide cost-saving and even life-saving insights under extreme conditions.
The main challenges of water utilities are the same as they have always been—struggling with aging and insufficient infrastructure, while trying to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective service. There are some things that are increasingly influencing the complexity and risks associated with these challenges, like population shifts and land-use changes from rapid urbanization, increases in extreme hydrometeorological events and natural disasters, and increased public expectations and government regulations.
Authorities are investigating a tragic incident that led to the death of two sewer workers in Aldan, Pennsylvania.
Wastewater treatment specialist WPL has made a rapid transition to the new health and safety standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells (KK&W) Water District was recently honored with an award for exceptional on-the-job safety performance during The MEMIC Group’s Annual Meeting of Policyholders.
Mayor Fischer and leaders from Louisville's water and sewer utilities, transit agency, and workforce development organizations, in partnership with the US Water Alliance, released An Equitable Water Future: Louisville.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water David Ross visited water utilities in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he recognized the important work of drinking water and wastewater operators who ensure that clean and safe water is consistently provided to the public.
An overhaul of British Water’s wastewater treatment technicians’ training means plant operatives will now undertake onsite assessment to complete the course.
