Though the current U.S. EPA administration is boasting about its action to clean up the nation’s Superfund sites, it appears that it has not done as much as implied.
With cuts being made to the budget of the federal EPA, individual states are having to step up and take matters of protecting drinking and source water into their own hands. Last year, none were more forceful with this change than Ohio.
As the U.S. EPA is reshaped under President Trump, some are concerned over what has been reported as an “exodus” of employees from the agency.
One of the nation’s most high-profile water contamination cases has drawn federal interest, as the U.S. EPA joined an investigation into perfluorinated compound (PFC) pollution in Michigan.
Wastewater pros are using diet soda to track down pollution.
As perflourinated compound (PFC) contamination continues to raise concerns all over the nation, one Michigan community has decided to take action to combat it.
Guided wave radar technology provides accurate and reliable level and interface measurement in effluent treatment areas, ensuring regulatory compliance and reducing costs in wastewater applications.
Everything may be bigger in Texas, but there is more of everything in New York City — including biosolids, which require smart, sustainable management.
No utility wants to enact an emergency plan, but every utility should have one in place.
Many wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are facing stricter limits on nutrient discharges, yet each plant and situation is different and solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Bryce Figdore, Wastewater Process Engineer with HDR and Water Talk podcast guest, talks about another tool at utilities' disposal — nitrification bioaugmentation using granular sludge.
Partnering with the Water Research Foundation, Brown and Caldwell has developed the Blueprint for One Water — a user-friendly document for the practical application of 'One Water' planning. According to Lisa Skutecki, Brown and Caldwell's Southern California Water Resources Group Manager, 'One Water' is the concept of breaking down barriers across the water sector.
Retrofitting your existing S&L Pump Station with new components can give it new life. In fact, you just might retire before it does.
Delivering the best MBR experience, Smith & Loveless announces the new TITAN MBR™.
Among water treatment industry professionals, consensus is growing that small- to medium-scale decentralized desalination and wastewater treatment plants are the way forward in a water-stressed future. But governments continue to announce new water mega-infrastructure projects at an alarming rate. Because the public policy debate appears to have simply not caught up with current technology, many companies and NGOs with a focus on small- to medium-scale water treatment or renewable energy have begun to see the Caribbean as something of a new frontier.
As water reuse becomes increasingly common, more utilities will get to know ozone. To explain its role in water treatment schemes, Water Talk welcomed Jim Lauria, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Mazzei Injector Company, and Ben Kuhnel, Senior Project Manager for Arcadis. Learn how ozone works in concert with other processes to safely recycle water and treat contaminants of emerging concern — even in mobile/on-site applications.
Steve Katz, Market Development Manager at SUEZ, explains how water reuse is being looked at differently today than it was even five years ago. Meanwhile, the stresses on water supply — increasing demand from industry and population growth, often in the face of drought — become more pressing with each passing year. Fortunately, water reuse is on the rise as public perception shifts and treatment technology advances.
The ROMAG RSW CSO Screen, fitted between the discharge culvert and the relief sewer, reliably retains all visible solids during peak events.
JWC Environmental’s Monster Wash Press (MWP) cleans and compacts the discharge from headworks screens, separating water and organics from the solids. It features a Muffin Monster® grinder to pre-condition screenings before entering the Monster Wash Press. The grinder breaks open rags, plastics and trash to promote washing and removal of soft organics. The patent-pending paddle rotor in the active wash zone agitates the material to enhance water penetration throughout the debris for even better removal of the organics from the solids. Organics are washed back into the wastewater treatment process and the solids are compacted into a dry, less odorous solid plug. The Monster Wash Press is designed for easy maintenance. The rotor and field replaceable screen can be removed via the top of the unit, minimizing the clearance space needed around the unit during maintenance. A grinderless version of the Monster Wash Press is also available.
The disc diffuser ROEFLEX® stands out for its simple and robust design. It consists of a unique, convex shaped support disc. The disc is covered by a flexible, slotted membrane of elastomer, a ring secures the membrane in place. Due to the disc’s unique convex shape the membrane is slightly lifted off the disc when air is supplied, therefore allowing an even distribution of the generated fine bubbles. The membrane can be delivered in different rubber (EPDM) qualities and slot patterns (HL, SL) according to the application.
Containerized seawater desalination solutions ensure water availability in a wide range of applications.
100% available water in the driest of deserts through highly efficient desalination.
The Phosphate Analyzer is environmentally controlled for rugged, outdoor installations, provides a wide measurement range for a variety of wastewater applications, and comes with the fully featured Plug & Play digital controller.
Sanitaire fine bubble ceramic disc aeration systems incorporate superior and advanced engineering features in the ceramic element, the diffuser sealing method and the piping system joints and supports. The premier line of SANITAIRE fine bubble ceramic disc diffusers is considered the most efficient technology available for oxygen transfer in wastewater treatment applications.
PFC contamination is the number one drinking water issue today. So how are local and federal leaders working to put an end to it?
Last year was full of twists and turns for the drinking water and wastewater treatment industries. What can 2017’s biggest stories tell us about what’s to come this year?
Though some preliminary regulations have taken place to curb the presence of microplastics in the environment, more research is needed to determine what role wastewater treatment plants can and will play in solving the problem for good.
With water treatment plant operators around the country relying on paper and pen to record critical quality data, there is an opportunity to make life easier online.
As excess nutrients continue to pollute source water, bringing dead zones and toxic chemicals, it’s time for the disparate agencies that can make a difference to band together.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has compiled a report on the world’s leading stormwater management solutions and challenges. Reviewing its contents can be an opportunity for communities to build stormwater strength together.
Cities all over the country have been prioritizing clean water through a variety of different programs and the City of Brotherly Love is among the ranks.
Over the past 10 years, DC Water has become the harbinger of the modern water utility. It’s often unconventional approach to tackling age-old problems usually elicits one of two responses from other utility professionals. The first response is one of resignation — if only I had the budget that size permits, I’d be able to do similar things. And the second is one of awe — there’s no way I have the amount of gumption to convince regulators or customers that I have a better way.
It may seem farfetched, but the reality is that many Americans don’t have regular access to clean drinking water.
It’s no secret that municipalities across the country are facing budget constraints.
A couple of weeks ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt called PFAS groundwater contamination “a national priority” and pledged action at an EPA national PFAS leadership summit.
Affordability and maintainability are two of the greatest challenges small municipalities face when constructing and managing sewer infrastructure. With these challenges in mind, it’s important for small cities to choose wisely when investing in a wastewater system that needs to last for 30-60 years.
Corrosion control has always been a priority for distributing safe drinking water throughout the world’s networks of pipeline. This has become all the more critical following the outrageous lead poisoning revelations in Flint, MI — an incident caused directly by corrosion of the city’s lead-based infrastructure.
The Mountain Regional Water District is a Special Service District of the county that was established by the Summit County Commission in 2000 to regionalize water service by consolidating several public and private water companies.
California is home to some of the world’s most creative minds, top universities, productive farmland, groundbreaking industries — and one of the most epic droughts. The state has endured five years of drained reservoirs and groundwater reserves tapped so aggressively that the land subsidence caused by pumping has been literally seen from space. This indicates in no uncertain terms that it’s time to get all hands on deck. Private companies, universities, irrigation and drainage districts, municipalities — it’s time to pull together into public-private partnerships to address water challenges that face California and so many other regions of the world.
More than 20 years ago I wrote a Master’s Thesis about software tools that could be put together with EPA SWMM to create a toolbox for very long term continuous simulation for stormwater and watershed simulations. I was inspired at the time by Dr. William James who was my advisor for that research.
Among water treatment industry professionals, consensus is growing that small- to medium-scale decentralized desalination and wastewater treatment plants are the way forward in a water-stressed future. But governments continue to announce new water mega-infrastructure projects at an alarming rate. Because the public policy debate appears to have simply not caught up with current technology, many companies and NGOs with a focus on small- to medium-scale water treatment or renewable energy have begun to see the Caribbean as something of a new frontier.
One of the great turnaround stories in the history of our nation’s water bodies is that of the Chesapeake Bay. Since 1976 when the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) first undertook a comprehensive study of the Bay, efforts to address excessive nitrogen and phosphorous degradation of water quality have steadily improved the Bay’s complex ecosystem.
New York City treats 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater a day across its 14 wastewater treatment plants. The city has seen a precipitous drop in fecal coliforms, with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reporting that fecal coliforms per 100 mL of water has fallen from 1,000 in 1972 when the Clean Water Act was passed to closer to 10 as of 2009.
District Sales Engineer Andy Singer has spent enough time troubleshooting problems in the field that not much surprises him anymore. When it comes to dry barrel fire hydrants, though, he still gets a chuckle out of some of his more outrageous experiences. Here is his educational and entertaining take on the care and maintenance of fire hydrants, and ways to maximize a utility’s return on what potentially can be a 50+-year infrastructure investment.
Now that you have returned to the role of private citizen — though, admittedly you are a private citizen with millions of eyes focused on you — I want to encourage you to continue your great work promoting the health of our nation’s children. Your emphasis on exercise and nutrition, jobs and support for veterans, and education have touched millions of Americans of all ages and all backgrounds. Now it’s time to bring in the most common denominator and the first step toward good health — access to clean water.
A Request for Startups post on January 3rd on the Y Combinator Blog caught my eye. The blogger talked about the need to prepare for things to get worse with regard to climate change, and called for applications for funding from those working on new technologies that could inexpensively produce clean water.
Salvator Mundi sold for nearly half a billion dollars. Walter Isaacson’s latest biography is a breakaway hit. Management guru Michael Gelb’s book accessing the thought techniques of history’s most accomplished Renaissance Man — in every literal and figurative sense of the word — is still a bestseller. Almost 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci is still a superstar.
Choosing the right communication network is crucial to building a successful, smart utility. The quality of the communication technology selected determines whether the data will be transmitted efficiently, securely, and reliably over the long haul. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly.
