Mobile technology is so fast-moving that new apps are created each day, with more and more people turning to them for on-the-job solutions. Here are 10 apps geared toward the water/wastewater professional that are worthy of consideration.
While utilities use sophisticated systems to supply clean water as well as collect and treat wastewater, the effort to manage incidents and outages leaves room for improvement. Water utilities often rely on manual processes to handle customer reports of leaks, loss-of-service or quality issues.
Energy efficiency, as defined in wastewater treatment, is using less energy to provide the same service. It can be expressed as energy dollar savings by replacing older, inefficient motors.
Two tools leverage computing power for engineering design, opening up a digital world of possibility for wastewater plants.
Water Online’s “Math Solutions,” presented by wastewater consultant and trainer Dan Theobald (“Wastewater Dan”), instructs operators on load calculations.
Continuing the tradition of ground breaking products that add exciting new capabilities for smart, remote monitoring in water and wastewater networks.
Now available for use on all current Mueller Systems positive displacement meters in 5/8” through 2” sizes, the ME-8 utilizes heat treated tempered, glass lens and corrosion resistant copper can to house the register light tubes, electronics, self-lubricating gearing, and drive magnet. The register delivers extraordinary functionality and value when paired with the latest metrology and AMR/AMI solutions available from Mueller Systems.
From basic site designs to complex drainage studies, you can effectively model rainfall and runoff from urban and rural watersheds to design detention and retention facilities, outlet structures, and channels. The intuitive and easy-to-use interface simplifies detention pond design while the robust calculation engine handles the complexity of interconnected pond modeling.
StormCAD provides stormwater professionals with advanced tools to effectively deliver high-quality storm sewer design with lower capital investment. In challenging times, budgets for infrastructure projects are tight. StormCAD helps you be as effective as possible on storm sewer development projects. The software provides roadway and site designers, stormwater master planners, and land developers like you with advanced tools to effectively deliver high quality design with minimized capital investments.
How big and deep should this pipe be? Do we have enough capacity to serve these customers? These are the typical problems that SewerCAD can help you solve.
WaterGEMS provides you with a comprehensive yet easy-to-use decision-support tool for water distribution networks. The software helps improve your knowledge of how infrastructure behaves as a system, how it reacts to operational strategies, and how it should grow as population and demands increase.
Utilities and engineering firms around the world trust WaterCAD as a reliable decision-support tool for their infrastructure. Design new water systems and manage existing water networks effectively to reduce disruption risks and energy use.
Stormwater systems can be very complex to model, with flow backups and reversals, surcharged pipes, and more.
New technology helps utilities meet the challenges of maintaining a safe and adequate public water supply.
Operational savings realized through high-tech leak detection techniques could pay for your utility’s advanced leak detection equipment.
Data analysis around pipe condition, inflow & infiltration (I&I), and overflows can build a case for the approval of infrastructure funding in budget planning.
Big Data is more than a marketing buzzword. It’s become be an essential tool for helping utility operators prioritize capital investments, manage network assets, and provide a higher level of service to customers.
Q&A With Opworks™ User And Developers
When federal and state environmental agency mandates required the City of Havre, Montana to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility, utility leaders decided to implement a more efficient record keeping process at the same time. Havre is located in the north central portion of the state and is home to about 10,000 residents. The newly upgraded wastewater treatment facility officially started up in September 2016 with the capacity to treat 1.8 million gallons of sewage per day. Since the upgrade, the facility is now able to address ammonia reduction and comply with total nitrogen/phosphorus limits. Since day one, all of the Havre Wastewater Treatment Facility’s operational data has been tracked in OpWorks, a web-based application.
Any water utility that has to impose restrictions due to water scarcity appreciates the value of conservation. On the other hand, there are utilities that — knowingly or unknowingly — permit as much as 20 to 40 percent of their treated water to trickle away without collecting a cent for it. If you have experienced either extreme, but are not already using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), what’s holding you back? Before dismissing AMI as being too costly, too technical, or too difficult to implement, consider the following cost-benefit opportunities.
According to the EPA, the volume of treated water lost annually through distribution systems is 1.7 trillion gallons at a national cost of $2.6 billion. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is one way to uncover the “hidden” details behind that assault on water distribution efficiency. In addition, innovative use of AMI smart water solutions also creates cost-efficient ways to optimize performance beyond recouping losses due to leaks, theft, or incomplete billing.
U.S. Water’s Cambridge, Minnesota and Plymouth, Minnesota facilities were recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the 2017 Governor’s Safety Awards luncheon in Minneapolis. U.S. Water is one of 279 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.
Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC), Hunters Point Family in San Francisco, and the City of Pittsburg, Calif., will receive grants to operate environmental job training programs.
Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) employees brought home several awards from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals' (GAWP) recent Spring Conference.
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority’s Board of Directors recently named David L. Gadis as the new permanent Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of DC Water. Mr. Gadis was selected after a nationwide search that attracted more than 100 candidates.
A natural gas leak injured a water utility worker and two firefights in Arlington, TX, last week.
New developments came to light this week in the ongoing story of racism and sexism within the Chicago water department.
