Hendrx Corp. and RG Global Lifestyles, Inc., announced a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Aquair, Inc. to share in the manufacture and marketing of its advanced reverse osmosis filtration systems, new air-to-water technology and its advanced anti-scaling technology.?
Calgon Carbon Corporation has completed the sale of assets of its premium charcoal and derivatives business to local management and an investor group located in northern Germany. The purchase price consisted of $19.1 million in cash and is subject to a potential working capital adjustment. An additional $5.0 million could be paid contingent upon the business meeting certain earnings targets over the next three years. Also, the firm has announced the start-up of its new activated carbon processing and packaging facility in Tianjin, China. Calgon Company Tianjin Limited (CCT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Calgon Carbon Corporation, will operate the facility. The state-of-the-art facility replaces the existing 7,000 square meter building opened in mid-2002.?
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has published a new American National Standard for Effects of Liquid Viscosity on Rotodynamic (Centrifugal and Vertical) Pump Performance (ANSI/HI 9.6.7). Replacing 40+ year old HI viscosity correction nomographs, the Standard is designed to predict the performance change of rotodynamic pumps operated on viscous liquids exhibiting Newtonian behavior relative to their performance on water, which is the basis for most published curves.?
Diversity Business.com has named Seal-It, Inc. to the Div 500 list of ‘Top Owned Businesses’. In addition, Seal-It has been named to Diversity Business.com’s list of ‘Top 500 Women Owned Companies in the USA’.?
MonoSol LLC announced that they have signed a vendor business agreement with VSE Corporation. With this agreement in place, MonoSol can quickly supply its products to U.S. government managers with a streamlined acquisition process. The agreement enhances the ability of MonoSol to offer its water-soluble products.?
Pepperl+Fuchs has introduced a redesigned and content-rich website. The site features simplified and intuitive site architecture and marks a dramatic improvement in accessibility, usability and ease of navigation. www.am.pepperl-fuchs.com?
North America
Global price increase for resins
Dow is increasing the price of all ion exchange resin, adsorbent and catalyst products. The price increase will average five percent across the product line, globally and was effective April 1, 2006, or as contracts will allow. Local sales representatives will contact customers with the specific product and price details.
Hamburg, Mich. checks salt in water
High levels of salt discovered in test wells at the township’s wastewater treatment plant have prompted officials to take quick action that may include going door-to-door to inspect residents’ water softeners, according to the Detroit News. Pine said as many as a quarter of the 2,500 sanitary sewer customers in the township may have their water softeners hooked up to discharge salt water into the sewer system
Firms accuse China of dumping activated carbon
Two U.S. makers of activated carbon filed petitions with the government accusing China of dumping the production the U.S. market. In a story from Water Industry News, Calgon Carbon Corp. and Norit Americas Inc. said Chinese imports of activated carbon had surged by more than a third in two years and were priced at up to seven times less than the market value.
IBWA announces official theme
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) announced the official theme, ‘Everyone’s a Winner,’ for the IBWA 2006 Annual Convention and Trade Show, to be held in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino from October 3-6, 2006. To reserve booth space, exhibitors may contact IBWA Trade Show Consultant Michiel Glunt, at (407) 468-7475 or (703) 647-4617. For attendee registration and additional information about the IBWA 2006 Annual Convention and Trade Show, log on to the IBWA website at www.bottledwater. org, or call Susan Frate, Director of Conventions, at (703) 647-4606.
Tap water damaging to skin?
The New York Times Magazine reported on a beauty trend that identifies tap water as being damaging to skin. The article identified the theory as having begun with Dorit Baxter, owner of a New York City day spa, who has recently introduced a skin cream to protect the face from water spray in the shower.
Total wastewater recycling for laundromats
The first zero discharge laundry system affording 100 percent wastewater recycling capabilities was installed by Ecoloclean Industries, Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiary, Aquatronics Industries, Inc. of Providence, R.I. Typically, coin-operated laundries address only some 70-80 percent of their wastewater discharge resulting in a 20-30 percent discharge of non-recycled wastewater.
ITT UV contract awarded
ITT Industries, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a sole-source ultraviolet (UV) water framework contract by United Utilities PLC of the United Kingdom. This is the first major framework contract award for UV potable water disinfection by a U.K. utility. The contract covers a period of two years with an option to extend.
Cold facts about fast food ice?
A student in Florida won the New Tampa Middle School science fair with disturbing local research about the bacteria in ice served at local fast food eateries, according to the Tampa Tribune. Twelve-year-old Jasmine Roberts compared the ice used in the drinks with the water from toilet bowls in each of five restaurants. She discovered that 70 percent of the time, the ice had more bacteria than the toilet water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 61: addition of new stainless steel grades
NSF International announced in February that NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects now allows additional types of stainless steel as acceptable materials for use in the manufacturing of drinking water equipment. NSF/ANSI Standard 61 is the American National Standard that ensures pipes, tubes, storage tanks and other products that come in contact with drinking water do not contribute levels of contaminants that could cause serious health problems. Forty-five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces require drinking water system components to comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61 requirements.
Chemical-free water purification technology
The Vortex Corporation of Prescott, Ariz. has been awarded a Phase Two $750,000 Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency Small Business Innovation Research (HSARPA SBIR) contract to develop chlorine-free water purification systems for municipal use. The HSARPA SBIR program funds early stage research and development aimed at enhancing the safety and security of American citizens, institutions and culture.
Bottled water: the ‘new eco-disaster’
Plastic water bottles are becoming a major environmental hazard, reported The Age National. A recent report by the Washington-based Earth Policy Institute said global consumption of bottled water rose 57 percent from 1999 to 2004 to 154 billion liters. Much of the growth came from countries such as Australia, where most tap water is of as high a quality as anything that can be bought. Environmental scientist Tim Grant said it was counter-intuitive that bottled water was such a successful product. “People pay $2.50 for something that’s free,” he said. Packaging worldwide required 2.7 million tons of plastic each year, the report’s author, Emily Arnold, said, adding that the manufacture of bottles used up 1.5 million barrels of crude oil in the U.S. because the plastic is made from fossil fuel.
Bottled water: nectar of the frauds?
Consumers spend a collective $100 billion every year on bottled water in the belief—often mistaken, as it happens—that this is better than what flows from our taps, according to environmental think tank the Earth Policy Institute (EPI) and reported in OneWorld. For a fraction of that sum, everyone on the planet could have safe drinking water and proper sanitation, the Washington, D.C.-based organization said. Members of the United Nations have agreed to halve the proportion of people who lack reliable and lasting access to safe drinking water by the year 2015. To meet this goal, they would have to double the $15 billion spent every year on water supply and sanitation.
Huntington Beach approves largest U.S. desalination plant
A controversial proposal to build what would be the largest desalination plant in the nation along the Huntington Beach coastline was approved after months of raucous debate. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Huntington Beach City Council voted four to three to approve permits for Poseidon Resources Corp. to build a $250 million desalination facility next to the AES power station on Pacific Coast Highway at the city’s southern edge, despite the Poseidon Tampa Bay fiasco.
Contract and patent infringement suit
According to Market Wire, Hendrx Corp. announced that legal proceedings have been initiated by Worldwide Water, LLC against a number of defendants, including Hendrx, in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, for breach of contract and patent infringement.
U.S. EPA reducing lead in drinking water
U.S. EPA has released a specialized toolkit to encourage school officials and childcare facilities to reduce lead in their drinking water. The “3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities Toolkit” contains materials to implement a voluntary training, testing and telling strategy.
Calgon Carbon amends credit facility
Calgon Carbon Corporation announced that it has completed the amendment and restatement of its $125.0 million unsecured credit facility that would have expired in February 2008. The amended $118 million facility consists of a $100 million revolving loan and an $18 million term loan. National City Bank of Pennsylvania was the lead arranger and is participating along with PNC Bank N.A., Harris N.A., First Commonwealth Bank and First National Bank of Pennsylvania.
The company was not in compliance with the leverage covenant of its former credit facility for the quarter ended September 30, 2005. Despite acquiring a waiver from its lenders through January 31, 2006, the company was required to reclassify all existing debt under that facility as short-term. As a result of the amended agreement, all current debt outstanding under the facility was reclassified as long-term on December 31, 2005.
The firm announced on February 21, 2006 that it is delaying release of 2005 financial results pending the outcome of an investigation by the audit committee of the company’s Board of Directors related to vendor invoices that the company discovered had not been recorded in a timely fashion. The value of the invoices, based on information to date, approximates $1.3 million that will be reflected in 2005 results. The company expects the result of the investigation will be disclosed prior to the filing of the Form 10-K annual report.
The LeverEdge hosts annual event
The LeverEdge and ISPC hosted their annual Invitational Golf Tournament on November 11, 2005, at Champions Gate Golf Club near Orlando, Fla. In addition to The LeverEdge and ISPC, 28 other sponsors made this great event possible. All enjoyed the full day of activities.
Project seeks multiple uses for water
Eddie Livingston’s Multiple Use Water Project proposes to create a system that could use the same water two or three times and save money, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. The project’s motto is, ‘Because water should be used more than once.’
Antimicrobial approved
AgION Technologies, Inc., has announced that the U.S. EPA has approved the company’s Silver Antimicrobial Type AK for food and water contact. The five percent reservoir of silver found in Type AK in combination with a permissible loading of five percent is the strongest concentration of silver available in the U.S. market for use in food and water contact applications. The Type AK can provide greater antimicrobial performance under the most challenging conditions, including high water flow, abusive wear and caustic cleaning environments.
Net income gain reported
Aqua America, Inc. has reported net income for the year ending December 31, 2005 grew 14 percent to $91.2 million, from $80 million, for the full year 2004. Corresponding diluted earnings per share, on a GAAP basis, increased 11 percent to $0.71 per share from $0.64 per share for 2004, on three percent more shares outstanding. Earnings in 2004 benefited from a $2.3 million pre-tax gain in the fourth quarter from the sale of the company’s Geneva, Ohio water system. The gain was recorded as a reduction in the operations and maintenance expenses in the fourth quarter. Excluding the gain, 2004 diluted earnings per share were $0.62.
Representative appointed
Spartan Environmental Technologies, a distributor and manufacturer of chemical oxidation and disinfection equipment, has appointed MEMECO Sales and Service Corp. (MEMECO) of Lincolnwood, Ill., as its representative for Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Spartan’s product line includes ozone generators, odor control systems and a proprietary electrolytic system for the removal of organics from water. The systems treat air and water from municipal, commercial and industrial facilities.
Canada
Canadian boil orders continue
According to CBC News in Calgary, 76 First Nations communities remain under boil water advisories. Health Canada reports were the source of the statistics, which noted that nearly 60 percent of reserve drinking water systems in Alberta were at risk and the fact that of the province’s 78 First Nations’ water operators, only 14 are fully certified.
Water quality improvements could cost $1B
The Alberta government may be willing to spend 1 billion Canadian dollars over the next decade to improve drinking water systems across the province, said Environment Minister Guy Boutilier. The comment followed an evaluation of more than 500 water treatment plants. The evaluation found older infrastructure in need of upgrading in some smaller communities.
Latin America
Call for abstracts
The Second International Meeting on Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering (2IMEBE) will be held September 26-29, 2006, in Mexico City, Mexico. Environmental problems require an interdisciplinary solution and both engineers and scientists require information on a wide range of issues. This conference promotes discussion and debate based on the sharing of experiences at an international level. If you are interested in presenting at this important gathering, now is the time to submit abstract(s). Visit the conference website at http://www.cinvestav.mx/2IMEBE/cabs.html or contact Dr. Héctor M. Poggi-Varaldo, BSChemEng, MSEnvironEng, ScD Full Professor, CINVESTAV-IPN, Dept. Biotechnology, Environ. Biotechnol. R&D Group,P.O. Box 118-202, México DF, Col. G. A. Madero, 07051, México. Telephone (5255) 5061-3800 ext 4324; Fax: (5255) 5061-3313 or via emailhectorpoggi2001@ yahoo.com. All abstracts must be received by June 20, 2006 for consideration.
Bottled water necessity
Across much of Latin America bottled water is considered by many consumers to be a necessity rather than a lifestyle choice, according to Research & Markets. The region boasts some of the largest bottled water markets worldwide, topped by Mexico and Brazil. Poor quality tap water coupled with a growing awareness of health and wellness issues have meant that demand for bottled water in many markets has risen sharply in recent years, with bulk packaged water driving consumption forward in many countries.
Caribbean
GE success in Aruba
GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company has provided its antiscalant technology program, GE Betz HT15/PDC9323, to Water en Energiebedrijf (WEB) Aruba N.V., which provides power and water to the island. The GE technology was used in WEB Aruba’s Aquachem 5 (AC-5) MSF plant.
Europe
Earnings forecast for recycling/reuse
The industrial market for water recycling and reuse equipment in Europe and the Middle East earned revenues of $279 million over a three-year period from 2003 to 2005. With anticipated annual growth of about seven per cent, this market has the potential to earn $531 million from 2012-2014, according to Frost & Sullivan, the global growth consultancy.
Italian drinking water ban due to arsenic levels
Varying arsenic levels in two wells and the Simbrivio Aqueduct led to a drinking water ban by Cave Mayor Massimo Umbertini of nearly three weeks. Regional and provincial agencies came to the city’s assistance, distributing bottled water to residents. An official stated that the arsenic was naturally occurring due to the city of Cave’s volcanic soil.
Africa
Cholera epidemic reported
In Blantyre, Malawi, the eastern African nation’s commercial hub, cholera has killed 24 people and infected thousands of others, Secretary of Health Wesley Sangala said. As reported by Reuters, the outbreak began late last year and comes on the heels of a drought and subsequent severe food shortages that have left nearly half of Malawi’s estimated 12 million people with little to eat. The crisis is particularly bad in the southern province.
Asia
Salinity relief granted
Macao Water Co. Ltd. said that it will grant salinity relief worth 10 million patacas (1.25 million U.S. dollars) to the people in Macao. In a statement quoted by the Macao Post Daily, the monopoly tap water supplier said the salinity level was expected to hike to 700 mg/L in the region by the beginning of March, while WHO defines the standard level for drinking water at 250 mg/L. Macao, which relies upon the Xijiang River for its water supply, has been experiencing a salinity crisis caused by the intake of seawater during the winter season.
Drinking water shortages spark protest march in New Delhi
New Delhi’s NDTV reported a drinking water demands protest by the residents of Sadiq Nagar, who marched to the Center for Public Works office. Many said they receive water for only two hours a day. Water shortages have affected thousands in the city, as the water treatment plant at Bhagirathi has choked filters, which officials of the Delhi Jal Board(DJB) attribute to low turbidity.
Membrana selected in Malaysia and Japan
Membrana’s Liqui-Cel® Membrane Contactor system for oxygen removal is being shipped to Malaysia. The 115 m3/hr (506 gpm) system utilizes Liqui-Cel 10 x 28 High Purity Membrane Contactors to provide a dissolved oxygen outlet of less than 100 ppb. The system will operate in combo mode using nitrogen and vacuum. The semiconductor plant will use the membrane contactors to manufacture Logic chips used in automobiles and industrial power applications. Oxygen in water used to manufacture semiconductor wafers negatively impacts production yields. Membrana is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore Inc. The firm’s Liqui-Cel Membrane Contractor technology has been selected for gas control in a functional water system in Japan. The system will start up in first quarter 2006.
Beijing water conservation efforts
Bi Xiaogang, Deputy Director of the Municipal Water Resources Bureau of Beijing, reported that the aggregate water consumption in the city in 2005 was 3.45 billion cubic meters, 15 percent less than the 4.06 billion cubic feet consumed in 2000. Bi noted that the specific water use limits for the city’s 10 major industries and agriculture were established last year and that water use quotas were established for government institutions, hotels, hospitals, colleges and office buildings. Reuters reported a new edict from the central government was issued on March 7, 2006, directing departments to cut their electricity and water consumption by 20 percent by 2010.
Government determined to supply clean drinking water
According to Online-International News Network, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that government is committed to providing safe drinking water to all and 6,036 water filtration plants would be installed under the Khushal Pakistan Program by December 2007. The Prime Minister said that water borne diseases are one of the major hazards for public health and providing safe drinking water to all by 2007 is among the top priorities of the government.
Australia
Water swindle alert
As reported in the Herald Sun, conmen posing as water experts are duping Melbourne householders into buying unnecessary and overpriced water filters. The door-to-door sellers use bogus test kits to claim that people’s water is unsuitable for drinking. Unsuspecting householders are then told a filter would solve the problem and are pressured to buy one on the spot, usually at an exorbitant price. More than 50 reports have been made in the past year.
City of Brisbane drilling under the streets for water
The Australian government shelved plans for a controversial desalination plant due to projected costs. The City of Brisbane announced an aquifer project will start this month in which the city will conduct exploratory underground drilling of about 40 production wells, seeking to determine whether the underground aquifer is extensive enough for sustainable use. According to The Australian, Southeast Queensland is seeking an additional 20 million liters a day for their supply network. Underground water discovered in this project will initially be used for irrigation only.
New water laws
The Australian Financial Review reported effective March 1, new laws made it mandatory that all new houses in Queensland be fitted with greenhouse efficient hot water systems, AAA-rated shower roses, dual-flush toilets, water pressure limiting devices and energy efficient lighting. The laws also approve the use of greywater throughout the state; and give councils the power to rule new houses be fitted with rainwater tanks.
Middle East
World’s largest desalination plant now fully commissioned
The second phase of the world’s largest desalination plant is now successfully running. Due to successful start-up, the entire plant was fully commissioned and turned over to operations. The plant, located in Ashkelon, Israel, serves one of the most water-challenged areas of the world. The plant is designed to produce a total of 330,000 m3 per day of water.
UDC enters another international partnership
United Development Company (UDC) and Millenya Inc. of Ankara, Turkey have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) whereby UDC will acquire 60 percent of Millenya equity from its founder owners, who will retain a 40 percent equity stake and will jointly manage the operations. By entering into this agreement, UDC and Millenya will jointly expand existing operations and production facilities to serve the rapidly expanding regional and global water treatment market. There are already several hundred Millenya Biocell™ units operating in Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.
Bottled water sales soar in nervous Egypt
Panicked people worldwide have been trying to ensure protection from bird flu, no more so than in Egypt, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. The advice went out last week spread via emails and word of mouth, ‘don’t drink the water’. Farmers and rooftop poultry breeders, a Cairo fixture, were dumping sick or dead chickens into the River Nile, the source of drinking water for millions of Egyptians. Suddenly, taps were turned off and there was a rush to buy bottled water.
Israeli expertise noted
Israel is becoming a world leader in water management, according to David Wanetick, Managing Director of The Wall Street Transcript “Due to its population and industrial growth, scarcity and threats of having its water supply disrupted by Syria and Lebanon, Israel has been forced to become resourceful in its management of water,” he explained. Ashkelon, Israel is home to the world’s largest operating desalination facility. The small nation has a total of 31 desalination facilities and 1,200 wells. The country’s Water Commission anticipates that Israel will desalinate 20 percent of its water by 2010. Israel currently recycles 75 percent of its water.
Water purification specialists in Iraq
According to Blackanthem Military News, there is plenty of bottled water for drinking in and around Iraq, but water used for other things, such as showering and washing clothes, needs to be tested and treated by a water purification specialist. Spc. Craig Naputi Quinata and Spc. Arthur Relech, members of Guam National Guard’s 909th Quartermaster Detachment, are the only water purification specialists at Forward Operating Base Normandy. The team maintains the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System, purifying the water in FOB Normandy.
Israel weighing desalination R & D
The government scheduled to discuss a proposal that would allot several hundred million shekels over the next three years to strengthening Israel’s position as an exporter of water desalination technology, Israel Radio reported. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Siemens AG agreed in October to establish a joint team of experts to study ways to increase collaboration in developing water technologies between Siemens and Israeli industry.
Environmental impact assessment completed
Metoc plc, has completed a contract with Hamma Water Desalination Spa—a joint venture between GE Water & Process Technologies and Algerian Energy Company Spa. The contract provided a comprehensive environmental impact assessment associated with the construction and operation of Africa’s largest desalination plant at Hamma in Algeria.
Continuing education opportunities for Florida water well contractors
Licensed water well contractors in the state of Florida must obtain 12 continuing education credits every two years in order to renew their license. The Florida Water Well Continuing Education Program has been in place since December 2003. The first license renewal cycle for which CEU credits were necessary took place in July 2005 (water well contractor license renewal is due July 31 of every odd year).
The Florida Water Well Administrator, the office set up to operate the continuing education program, is located in Winter Haven, Fla.. This office maintains a database of water well contractors’ continuing education credit hours and posts these credit hours at regular intervals on the program’s web site, www.flwwceu.org. Water well contractors can check their credit hours on this site find a wealth of other information, including links to other pertinent web sites, a list of current course offerings and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page about the program.
Over 30 providers offer continuing education coursework in two categories: Rules and Regulations (covering the rules and regulations of water well contracting in the state) and Safety and Business. Of the 12 hours that water well contractors must obtain every two years, at least six of those hours must be in the Rules and Regulations category and only three of the required 12 hours may be obtained online.
The Administrator’s office also mails out a quarterly newsletter to all water well contractors in Florida, with information of interest about the CEU program, as well as notice of upcoming events and reminders about program policies and procedures.
The Continuing Education Program was initiated with the goal of increasing the level of professionalism in the water well contracting industry. Over 1,100 water well contractors obtained the necessary 12 hours for license renewal back in July 2005 and are now obtaining hours for the July 2007 renewal cycle. There will be many opportunities over the next 16 months for contractors to get their 12 credit hours, with one of the most convenient and reasonably priced being the Florida Ground Water Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, May 19-20, 2006 at the Sheraton World Resort in Orlando, where attendees will be able to get all 12 hours in a two-day span. Last year’s Convention attendance was over 1,000 and this year’s is expected to be high as well, with many contractors taking advantage of the opportunity to get their credits in early at this exciting event.
For more information about the Continuing Education Program, visit the program’s web site, www.flwwceu.org. For more information about the FGWA Convention and Trade Show, as well as a convention schedule, coursework descriptions and a pre-registration form, visit www.fgwa.org.
—David Boozer