In the spring of 2019, U.S. government-funded research on watersheds revealed a dire outlook for the future of water availability in the United States. Between population growth and climate change, the study reports that “serious water shortages'' are likely to occur within the next 55 years.

Each year, the oil and gas industry produces more than 800 billion gallons of wastewater. Coupling the massive volumes of wastewater generated over the life of the well and the millions of gallons of water needed to hydraulically fracture each well, it’s easy to see that oil and gas exploration and production is just as much a water issue as it is an energy issue.

The shale-gas boom could make water the most important commodity product of the 21st century.

For the unfamiliar, the term “disruptive technology” initially sounds quite bad, as though it describes something that gets in the way. Far from impeding progress, however, disruptive technologies actually accelerate progress exponentially by disrupting the status quo. Think personal computers vs. mainframes, or cell phones vs. land lines.

Crude oil is a fossil fuel formed from long-dead organisms subjected to intense heat and pressure underground. This resource is the main ingredient in the production of gasoline, diesel fuel, lubricants, kerosene, propane, and asphalt. All of these products can be made in a single refinery through a complex branching series of chemical processes. The central refining process is atmospheric distillation whereby the crude oil is fractured into different components based on their differing boiling points. Each of these fractions will be sent along to separate process to be turned into the different oil products. Therefore, remediation of refinery wastewater from these different processes can be quite complex.

Inspired in part by California’s Senate Bill 1383, which was enacted to reduce organic waste and methane emissions, co-digestion is fulfilling those goals while converting wastewater treatment plants into water resource recovery facilities.

No one enjoys being compelled to do things, especially when it dips into their wallet. For many in the industrial manufacturing and food processing sectors this is exactly what wastewater management is to them — a compulsory, bottomless money pit dug by regulatory bodies, seemingly just to make things difficult for business owners.

Harboes Bryggeri A/S was facing challenges with the performance of its wastewater treatment plant, due to the highly variable Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) load in the inlet.

Numerous compounds contribute to changes in beer flavor as it becomes stale. One of these compounds, (E)-2-nonenal, has been investigated as a major source of the papery/cardboard flavor that develops in aged beer.

Domestic cooking has taken a back seat across several developed economies, given the steady rise in the female workforce and subsequent lack of time. This, along with significant improvement in disposable incomes, has been playing a critical role in accelerating the shift toward processed food and beverages. 

The accurate measurement and disposal of flare gases aboard floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels is essential to manage these potentially hazardous combustible, flammable and toxic gases. Accurate measurement of these waste gases allows them to be processed efficiently and effectively to protect people and equipment aboard the vessel. Measuring of flare gas is also most often a strict regulatory requirement, as it can form the basis for payment of environmental taxes, climate quotas, etc.

The City of St. Cloud, Minnesota, straddles the Mississippi River near the center of the state a little more than 65 miles north of the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The city’s forward thinking staff began looking for sustainable green energy solutions in 2003. After planning and initiating a series of projects over several years, the site is today producing renewable energy with a 20 kW rooftop solar array, a 220 kW solar array and biofuels electricity generation.

In commercial brewing — as with other food, chemical, or industrial processes — control over steam heating can have significant influence on process costs and consistent quality in the final product. But its measurement and control can also be impacted by unique circumstances of those applications. Here is how changing just one aspect of steam measurement brought economy and consistency to multiple aspects of a brewer’s overall process.

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a plant’s water supply and the technology’s capabilities. The final article of this three-part series will address RO system operation and maintenance best practices.

As the global economy starts fully integrating other sources of energy in addition to fossil fuel, solar and wind, green hydrogen is starting to gain momentum.

Successful aquaculture corporations know that there are many variables that need to be accounted for in order for the bottom line to be “in the black”, let alone grow annually by 10-20%.

Partnering with StormwateRx, Forrest Technical Coatings sought a cost-effective treatment strategy that aligned with their corporate #environmental stewardship initiatives.

Inspired in part by California’s Senate Bill 1383, which was enacted to reduce organic waste and methane emissions, co-digestion is fulfilling those goals while converting wastewater treatment plants into water resource recovery facilities.

In the spring of 2019, U.S. government-funded research on watersheds revealed a dire outlook for the future of water availability in the United States. Between population growth and climate change, the study reports that “serious water shortages'' are likely to occur within the next 55 years.

Electromagnetic meters have increasingly become the instrument of choice for municipal utility and industrial water measurement applications where highly accurate flow measurement is critical. Also known as mag meters, these devices contain no moving parts, so they are both reliable and virtually maintenance-free. However, if a mag meter’s liner is torn or delaminates, it can lead to serious problems and major expenses.

From the increase in electronic cars to solar power, the benefits of renewable energy range from improved public health to reliability and resilience. Governments and private organizations have established climate goals to reduce their carbon emissions, and exploring renewable energy sources — such as solar, wind, and renewable natural gas — are key to meeting these goals.

Cooling and/or refrigeration is present in some form in almost every industrial production or process facility. The purpose of industrial cooling is to cool and remove heat from industrial machines, such as welding and injection molding machines, as well as industrial processes, including dairy, chemical and fermentation.

Each year, the oil and gas industry produces more than 800 billion gallons of wastewater. Coupling the massive volumes of wastewater generated over the life of the well and the millions of gallons of water needed to hydraulically fracture each well, it’s easy to see that oil and gas exploration and production is just as much a water issue as it is an energy issue.

The Kittansett Golf Club in Marion, Massachusetts is rated one of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses by Golf Digest Magazine.

The shale-gas boom could make water the most important commodity product of the 21st century.