North America
Membrana plant completed
Membrana announced the completion of its manufacturing operation in Charlotte, NC, part of an overall expansion plan to keep up with growing markets. The strategic expansion will increase the production capacity of hollow fiber membrane array and its Liqui-Cel® membrane contactors, support continued growth in the contactor business and enable the company to better meet increasing customer demand.
POU study completed
Water Science and Marketing (WSM) recently completed a study identifying a limited number of commercially available POU water treatment devices as effective for the removal of perfluorocarbons (PFCs) from drinking water supplies. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) commissioned WSM to conduct an extensive study to provide data relevant to PFC removal performance/capacity for such POU devices, in addition to identification of factors affecting reliability and operational characteristics/limitations. Visit www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/brochures.html to view the final report.
Carbon Resources
Carbon Resources is partnering with Molecular Products to provide an alternative product to silver-impregnated carbons for anti-microbial applications. The Chemsorb®BioGard™ product features a new patented antimicrobial agent effective against a wide spectrum of microorganisms, fungi, yeasts and mold and passed NSF 42 testing for bacteriostasis and extractables.
Watts updates
Watts Water Technologies, Inc. announced results for the second quarter ended June 29. Sales were $389.0 million, an increase of $38.6 million (11 percent) compared to the second quarter of 2007. Net income was $19.8 million ($0.54 per share), compared to net income of $17.8 million (or $0.46 per share), for second quarter 2007. Income from continuing operations increased by $2.3 million (13 percent) to $20.0 million ($0.54 per share), compared to second quarter 2007 results of $17.7 million (or $0.45 per share). The company also declared a quarterly dividend of eleven cents ($0.11) per share on its Class A and Class B common stock, payable on September 5 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 25.
Watts Premier, a subsidiary of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. successfully completed the MDH lab and field-testing program for the removal of perfluorochemicals from the drinking water. Its WP-4V RO system did not show any PFC’s in the effluent RO treated water, effectively removing all of the PFC’s from the drinking water.
WQA announcements
Following a successful Phoenix Challenge meeting in May, WQA joined the City of Phoenix’s (AZ) Point of Use Water Softener and Treatment Study in June. The challenge is an initiative designed to bring together Arizona political and industrial leaders to find technological answers and other new approaches for regional water. WQA will serve as coordinator and conduit between the industry and the regulatory community. A final report, due at the end of the year, will feature conclusions about salinity reduction and alternatives to water softeners.
The NSF/ANSI Standard 60 and Standard 61 Joint committee announced it is seeking representatives from the water industry to fill recent openings. Meetings are held annually in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for two days during the last week of November or first week of December. Interested parties should contact Dave Purkiss, [email protected] or WQA’s Tom Palkon or Joe Harrison, (630) 505-0160.
IBWA emergency planning guide released
IBWA has developed an online Emergency Response Directory (ERD), which contains a list of organizations and government agencies responsible for emergency and disaster response activities. IBWA members and other interested parties can successfully navigate the proper channels and help provide bottled water and other resources to those in need by downloading the ERD at http://www.bottledwater.org/public/downloads/erd.pdf.
NSF certification announced
NSF International has certified vapor control balls (also known as ‘shade balls’) produced by Orange Products, Inc. The shade balls met the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components — Health Effects, which includes requirements for all products that come in contact with drinking water. The balls are four-inch diameter high-density polyethylene balls that are intended for vapor control in potable water tanks and reservoirs with an average depth of nine feet or more.
PACS news
Activated Carbon Services and Professional Analytical and Consulting Services Corporation began celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Located near Pittsburgh, PA, the firm offers 60 short courses designed for scientists and engineers. Upcoming monthly courses will be held in October in Pittsburgh, November in Atlanta, GA and December in Orlando, FL.
US EPA news
US EPA has made a final determination not to regulate 11 contaminants on the second drinking water contaminant candidate list (CCL 2). The agency has concluded the contaminants do not occur nationally in public water systems, or they occur at levels below a public health concern. The contaminants include naturally occurring substances, pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals used (or once used) in manufacturing. The agency is updating health advisories for seven (boron; dacthal mono- and di-acid degradates; 1,3-dichloropropene [Telone]; 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,6-dinitrotoluene and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane) to provide current health information to local officials for situations where the contaminants may be present.
US EPA announced that five builders will participate in the Water-Efficient Single-Family New Homes Pilot Program to construct homes designed to meet the WaterSense program’s draft specification for new homes. The companies have committed to build and certify 35 to 50 homes by 2009 in various regions of the country. The five are Anderson Homes of Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC; Aspen Homes of Colorado, Windsor, CO; Cleantech Homes of Beverly, MA; Dorn Homes of Tubac, AZ and Tim O’Brien Homes, Inc. of Waukesha, WI.
Water wasters announced
According to Scientific American, the top 10 areas of water use that could be addressed to help relieve shortages of potable water are washing dishes; washing the car (and the driveway); cracks in swimming pools; poorly managed lawn sprinkler systems; well-watered desert resorts; biofuels production; Southwest agriculture; alfalfa farming; the ruin of the Aral Sea and getting ‘wasted’. As fresh, potable water, an already precious commodity in many drier parts of the world, grows more rare—and thus, dearer—in developed countries, the true value of H2O is beginning to seep in
NIH grant for pharmaceutical removal
BlueInGreen announced a two-year, $750,000 grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (a division of the National Institutes of Health) to study the cost-effective removal of pharmaceutical residuals from wastewater using a new hyper ozonation technology. The company will use patented and patents-pending technology in a hyperconcentrated dissolved ozone (HyDOZ) unit for large-scale removal of both microbes and chemical components from wastewater. This study will examine hyper ozonation as a replacement for traditional disinfection technologies in use at treatment facilities.
MIOX disinfection technology for Florida plant
MIOX Corporation has been selected by Baskerville-Donovan, Inc. to supply five on-site sodium hypochlorite generators for the final disinfection phase at the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s new Central Water Reclamation Facility in Pensacola, FL. Each RIO unit has a 500 pound-per-day capacity and will treat 20 million gallons of wastewater per day. Completion of the facility is expected in 2010.
New membrane type developed
A chemical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin is part of a team that has developed a chlorine-tolerant membrane made of sulfonated copolymers. A patent has been filed. Professor Benny Freeman worked primarily with James E. McGrath of Virginia Tech University and Ho Bum Park of the University of Ulsan in South Korea for more than three years to develop the membrane. The new technology should simplify the water desalination process, increasing access to fresh water and possibly reducing greenhouse gases.
Innovative water quality reports
The annual City of Bryan, TX Water Quality Report calendar was issued in July and made available to the public through the city’s website. While most water customers ignore annual reports, an estimated 97 percent of Bryan’s citizens are believed to know exactly what’s in their water, thanks to the Water Department’s innovative public information approach. (The remaining three percent admit to just looking at the pictures.) Visit www.bryantx.gov/ to download a free copy of the creative calendars.
Innovative water quality reports
The annual City of Bryan, TX water quality report calendar was issued in July and made available to the public through the city’s Web site. While most water customers ignore annual reports, an estimated 97 percent of Bryan’s citizens are believed to know exactly what’s in their water, thanks to the water department’s innovative public information approach. (The remaining three percent admit to just looking at the pictures.) Visit www.bryantx.gov/ to download a free copy of the creative calendars.
AquaSensors acquired by Thermo Fisher
AquaSensors, LLC has been acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Effective immediately, AquaSensors will be integrated into Thermo Fisher’s Water Analysis Instruments business (WAI) of the Environmental Instruments Division. AquaSensors will complement Thermo Fisher’s existing capabilities in water markets for laboratory electrodes and online analyzers. They offer a full range of ‘smart’ and analog process electrodes and hardware for pH/ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, ozone, free chlorine, turbidity and suspended solids. This also provides Thermo Fisher with a major opportunity to compete in process sensor markets.
FDA program for scientists, engineers launched
FDA launched a two-year fellowship program aimed at attracting physicians, microbiologists, chemists, statisticians, pharmacists, biomedical engineers, nutritionists, veterinarians and other science professionals to the agency. The FDA Commissioner’s Fellowship Program will provide participants with advanced training in the scientific analysis involved in the safety and regulatory decisions unique to the agency’s mission. Visit www.fda.gov/commissionersfellowships/default.htm for full details.
McDermott named Grundfos distributor
The A.I. McDermott Company of Oshkosh, WI has been appointed as the authorized stocking Grundfos Pumps submersible motor distributor for Wisconsin. Since 2007, McDermott has exclusively stocked Grundfos’ MS4000 four-inch large submersible motor line and in August, began stocking six-inch MS6000 series submersible motors from 10HP through 40HP. The combination of both series will allow McDermott to supply needed motors for large residential, commercial, municipal, irrigation and farm applications requiring water systems that supply from 25 to over 1,000 gpm.
News for engineers
Engineer Your Life™, a national campaign designed to enlighten girls about opportunities available in the engineering world, is a dynamic initiative spearheaded by members of the engineering community and WGBH Boston. The program, built around three key messages (creativity has its rewards, make a world of difference and explore the possibilities) aims to change perceptions high-school girls have about engineering and to encourage them to enroll in undergraduate engineering programs. Visit www.engineeryourlife.org for more information.
Hundreds of thousands of young people have been introduced to engineering, many for the first time, through the National Engineers Week Future City CompetitionTM. Now in its 17th year, the competition makes engineering come alive and has been credited with guiding many students to consider engineering careers. Critical to that success are the volunteer engineer mentors, who serve as role models for young minds eager to learn. Future City needs engineers from every field to volunteer this fall and winter. To sign up, visit www.futurecity.org and click on “Register / as an Engineer.” Engineers will be contacted by regional coordinators.
Latin America
Manufacturing boom predicted
Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) predicts Latin America, once thought as a growth area for manufacturing but overwhelmed by competition from the Far East, will soon see a manufacturing revival. “The once-formidable benefits provided by manufacturing in China, India and other Asian states are eroding,” he noted. The most important factors are transportation and labor costs and a lack of capacity. These developments point to a return of manufacturing to Mexico, Central and South America and the US. “China, for example, has never been easy to work with,” he added. “Now that the cost advantages are fading, the appeal of working with our neighbors to the south has become obvious.”
Europe
Study refutes BPA danger
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) noted that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reaffirmed the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) in common consumer products such as baby bottles, water bottles and food containers. An EFSA expert scientific panel reviewed new scientific data and concluded that their previously established safe limit for BPA “provides a sufficient margin of safety for the protection of the consumer, including fetuses and newborns.” The findings strongly support the conclusion that BPA is not harmful to children or adults at the very low levels to which people are exposed from use of consumer products and further limit the relevance of low dose effects of BPA reported in some rodent studies.
Water Care tapped for award
Water Care BVBA has been nominated for an Aquatech Innovation Award in the Process Control Technology & Process Automation category for it’s HYDRAVERT® leak detection product (See WC&P, March 2008). The awards jury selected nine of 35 product or service applications as contenders for the most innovative current product or service award. Winners will be announced during the September 29 opening ceremony at Aquatech Amsterdam 2008. The company has also been invited to present its new technological innovation as part of the Aquastage program.
Severn Trent nominated
Severn Trent Services’ SmartMeter™ SM150VR+ solution and MicroDynamics™ microwave UV disinfection systems were nominated for Aquatech Innovation Awards in the Process Control Technology and Process Automation and Water Treatment categories, respectively. As an award nominee, Severn Trent has been invited to present during the Aquastage program.
LANXESS news
LANXESS AG’s investments in its ion exchange resin production facilities in Bitterfeld and Leverkusen, Germany have been deemed a success. The company’s new plant in India should be operational in 2010 and, in the last 18 months, plants have increased Lewatit resin production by more than 10 percent.
The company announced a global price increase (per metric ton) effective July 1 for Buna EP (EPDM) up to €200 (US$300); Perbunan/Krynac (NBR) up to €150 (US$225) and Therban (HNBR) up to €2,000 (US$3,000). Baypren (CR) was raised by up to €160 (US$250) in the North America and Asia-Pacific regions.
Middle East
Toray membrane supplier to UAE plants
Toray Industries, Inc has supplied polyvinylidene fluoride submerged membrane modules used in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) to a sewage recycling plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The plant is being constructed by UAE-based METITO and will have the capacity to treat 15,000 m3/day (three units of 5,000 m3/day). Located in Al Ain in the eastern part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the plant is designed to purify sewage at sewer network pumping stations and supply processed water for irrigation. It is expected to start operations later this year. Toray has also won orders to supply submerged membrane modules for two other sewage plants in UAE with processing capacities of 38,000m3/ day and 45,000m3/day.
Israeli seminars sponsored by ALD
American Leak Detection (ALD) announced its support and sponsorship of Transboundary Environmental Management Seminars, a series by Israel’s Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. The seminars are scheduled for September 9 at UCLA Law School in Los Angeles, CA; September 10 at the University of Utah Law School in Salt Lake City, UT; September 11 at Denver University in Denver, CO and September 12 at Colorado University in Boulder.
Desal dumps iron into sea
Desalination plants not only consume large amounts of energy and use up expensive coastal land, it turns out that they also reportedly pollute the sea. A study by Globes found that Ashkelon desalination plant produces 6,500 cubic meters of fresh water a day and discharges iron into the Mediterranean as a byproduct. Israeli officials are now worried that the construction of other desalination facilities using RO technology will result in huge iron discharges. There is no research on the effect on the marine environment.
Africa
Pipe manufacturer water initiative
Plastic pipe manufacturer JM Eagle announced that it has launched a major initiative with Columbia University’s Earth Institute to provide safer water to more than 11,000 people in Senegal. The company has donated and delivered over $800,000 worth of high-strength polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water pipe, which is being installed in several Millennium Villages-projects designed to end extreme poverty in rural communities throughout Africa. The company looks forward to expanding its current work with the Earth Institute into many more projects over the next five years to bring both potable and non-potable water to the country.