Kurt C. Peterson, Publisher
A large portion of the residential water treatment market is comprised of small businesses, mom-and-pop outfits and new companies trying to gain a foothold. They have had a particularly difficult time over the past few years, in light of the capital restrictions from the Obamacare mandates. And as all Americans will readily agree, our taxation process has been counterproductive for keeping the economy strong. Now, that might be changing, thanks to recent tax reform legislation. While it remains to be seen how it will shake out for the different levels of income, both business and personal, there is much expectation from the business community that it will indeed bring tax relief.
This opens the door to questions that have been asked and frequently gone unanswered. While the pols and some economists tout the surging stock market as evidence of a stronger economy, that has not translated into gains by those who are working the hardest. Maybe now we will see real gains for the small businesses who can use their capital for company reinvestment instead of taxation, such as salary increases, service vehicle replacement, building and inventory expansion and more. It will take time to achieve the many goals that have revived expectations but it’s worth taking the time to consider the options that may bring company growth.
Market reports are being published daily, indicating that water treatment is at a crossroads of expansion and real growth, due to the very public realization that what leaves the water plant may not be what runs out of the tap. With the government and most industry trade groups pushing for more dollars to be spent on infrastructure, there’s still a huge need for POU/POE water treatment. Those bad pipe installations and aged infrastructure will not be fixed overnight. It’s up to those in the trenches to make sure a measure of safety in providing clean water is achievable at the home and business levels, while Congress and the industry wrestle with resolving these issues.
When we think of treatment options, there are a great many but not all are the same. The first line of defense in maintaining a clean water supply is removing as many bad elements as possible, using a variety of methodologies. In this issue, we present an article by Greg Reyneke, MWS, of Red Fox Advisors on membrane separation and filtration. Of note in recent media coverage, emerging contaminants such as PFOS and PFOA are coming to the forefront of governmental notice as possible health hazards. Rick Andrew tackles this in his column, detailing the testing requirement protocol devised by NSF International to give the treatment industry better tools to address the problems.
For a business to stay afloat, it must overcome a great many challenges on a continuous basis. In this country, a 25-year anniversary is a great milestone. To celebrate 50 years is truly a golden moment. Chester Paul Company takes it a step further, enjoying the fruits of 70 years of dedication, hard work and focus on its customers. We present an interview with Sean Caughron, who is keeping the train of successes the company is known for on the right track.
There are a number of locations around the nation that are grappling with hepatitis A outbreaks, most notably San Diego, CA. While there are multiple vectors for transmission, Dr. Kelly A. Reynolds, Public Health Editor, focuses on waterborne routes. Americans do not live in a vacuum and the emergence of yet another health threat is not going unnoticed. The risk to public health should not be under-emphasized and the industry has a large part to play in treatment options, as well as a defensive position on clean water production.
We’re ready to start a new year of coverage, conferences and hopefully, better tools to address the many public water problems that continue to grab the headlines. WC&P International is here to help, whenever possible, providing the best technical information industry captains can provide for our water treatment specialists. If there’s a topic we aren’t covering or if you want to help your fellow specialists by imparting your vast industry knowledge and technical acumen, let us know. We’ll be happy to guide you through our editorial process to help make our readers better informed and ready to tackle the challenges of providing clean, safe water for everyone.