Spring is the time for change
For most of the country, the winter has been a brutal reminder of all that we don’t control. The weather, the upended economy and consumer fickleness have all conspired to make the business of water treatment a more difficult occupation. But it also brought new markets to those who were willing to take a chance in branching out. Static has become stagnant and the only way to break out of the lull is to look to other opportunities.
During Aquatech, the positioning of the industrial segment as an important part of our world offered many the chance to discuss the possibilities of engaging projects that were previously overlooked. Is this the wave of the future for both dealers and manufacturers and does the dealer network see itself as being on the edge of a changing dynamic?
For every broken water main, boil water alert, or New York Times article that exposes yet another problem with water infrastructure, new opportunities present themselves to the dedicated and innovative dealerships. More Americans are savvy to the tools readily available to check on regional water quality, treatment options and the ongoing drumbeat of the environmental movement. It’s time to exploit the possibilities in every way possible, through the social media dynamic as well as other information networks. As consumers embrace newer information technologies, take advantage of the possibilities these present in our industry.
Some processes and equipment are in a constant state of improvement and deployment to additional markets. UV is one that has traditionally been seen as a big-water application in the past. With new insight into what the consumer wants and redefinition of how to scale technology to additional markets, UV is finding its place in the residential and smaller commercial markets as well. Bruce Laing offers some basics on UV for the residential dealers to consider. As a complimentary treatment option, the DNA-destructive technology offers an additional safety net for consumers and they are ready to embrace it. And, Rick Vansant examines trends that are pushing markets into the range of UV adoption for smaller applications.
What’s water treatment without testing? It’s an essential ingredient in designing the best system for customers and there are several new technologies available that provide greater knowledge of what is actually in our water sources. From region to region, specifics of contaminant levels that are addressed on the municipal level can also be mitigated in the residential realm. Marianne Metzger takes a closer look at what labs are doing to assist the industry in its quest to keep citizens safe from the increasing number of bad things that make their way into our water systems and US EPA determines must be addressed. Her article focuses on the legal aspects of testing water quality and how it impacts the water treatment industry. The regulatory landscape is changing more frequently as we learn more about what’s in our water supplies, which results in yet more requirements at all levels.
New legislation can place additional burdens on business that make it ever more difficult to assist consumers in their quest for safe water. PWQA is at the forefront of defeating onerous legislation that is detrimental, making annual trips to the state capitol to fight for the industry. In this issue, we feature their latest foray into the jaws of the legislative offices, with a synopsis by Frank Desilva. In addition, we have a full recap of events at WQA Aquatech 2011, accompanied by the perspective of our northern brothers in an overview by Kevin Wong of the Canadian Water Quality Association.
Enjoy the spring, smell the flowers and work toward the expansion of your business. The opportunities are there for those who are willing to take a chance. After all, this industry is known for taking a bad situation and making it a selling opportunity.