WWEMA

WWEMA BLOG

• How Can AI Be Used To Ethically Provide Clean Drinking Water? Due to the fast implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the water industry, there are unknowns which create challenges in establishing protocols.
• WWEMA Window: Valuing Water

  Given the importance and impact of water and water treatment, as an industry, why do we have to go hat-in-hand every year looking for sustainable funding for our municipal water systems? I contend that the water industry has a branding and messaging issue.

• WWEMA Window: Insourcing — The Value Provided From Manufacturers Focused On 'In-House' Production

  Keeping core functions in-house for an equipment manufacturer has key benefits that include both processes and people. Of course, keeping processes in-house could require more employee investment, including training, performance assessment, process documentation, and infrastructure. The improved benefits from keeping functions in-house are not always in the forefront of sourcing decisions but are highlighted here.

• WWEMA Window: Post-WEFTEC Reflections

  The air is crisp. The leaves are colorful. The aroma of pumpkin spice fills the air. It’s autumn and many of us have just returned from WEFTEC in Chicago. As we find time to relax and enjoy the fall season, it's also time to take stock of 2023 and think ahead to 2024.

• WWEMA Window: Designing Wastewater Treatment Equipment For Resiliency

  It is a known issue that wastewater infrastructure is aging and is in need of significant investment to upgrade or replace systems to operate safely. Age is not the only factor driving system replacements. Wastewater itself has changed, which means what flows through collection systems and into treatment plants is different than what it was 50 years ago. At home, lower-flow toilets translate to less water to move flushed solids.

• WWEMA Window: The Changing Nature Of The Water Construction And Procurement Industry

  This article is my third since 2021. The subject of the prior articles has been from the perspective of a manufacturer's representative and reporting from the field on items related to project funding, supply chain impacts on construction, and the general state of the industry from the point of sale and installation. So why not continue the discussion with this article?

• WWEMA Window: Update On Build America, Buy America Requirements For Manufactured Products Ever since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was signed on November 15, 2021, the question of implementation of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirement has lingered for manufactured products. There is still no definitive guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the U.S. EPA as of this writing.
• WWEMA Window: The Workforce Is Evolving. Is Yours?

  It's no secret that we are in the midst of a large portion of the current workforce talent moving to retirement in the next 5 to 10 years. In fact, according to the Brookings Institution, roughly 1/3 of drinking water and wastewater operators in the U.S. will be eligible for retirement by 2028 — that's just 5 years from now!

• WWEMA Window: The Importance Of Early Design System Integration

  The water/wastewater industry is about to be hit, and in some cases already has been hit, with funding for projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Monies are starting to flow from the federal government into State Revolving Funds, or SRFs, to assist municipalities with upgrading an aging infrastructure.

• WWEMA Window: Fully Automated Chemical Optimization For Drinking Water Treatment Gains Momentum

  Drinking water treatment systems utilize chemical coagulants to assist in mitigating turbidity from surface source waters. In most cases, coagulant consumption is the largest operating cost within a facility. Over the past few years, coagulant prices have increased significantly, putting pressure on utilities to look for ways to reduce chemical consumption. Coagulants rely on certain conditions to perform, namely particle charge, pH, water temperature, turbidity, and organic level. However, the technology to optimize chemical performance is lacking in this industry.