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North America
WQA survey released
Emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are more positive about their household drinking water quality, less likely to depend on government oversight and increasingly ready to spend money on home water treatment, according to a new national survey of consumer opinions about drinking water released by the Water Quality Association. Half the American households report they rely on home treatment systems (32 percent) or bottled water (18 percent) for quality drinking water in their homes. Consumers interviewed in January, after 10 months of quarantine, said concerns about contaminants and desire for a healthy lifestyle are the most important factors influencing their decision to purchase a water filtration product. About a quarter of those who do not have water filtration in their homes said they are likely to install products in the near future, with 10 percent saying the possibility was very likely. Almost half of the households (46 percent) have a refrigerator with a filtered drinking water dispenser and 22 percent have a whole-house filter system.
Culligan International to be sold again
According to Business Wire, Culligan International announced that BDT Capital Partners, LLC has entered into an agreement to acquire the company through its affiliated funds. BDT will acquire Culligan alongside several strategic family business owners and investors within the firm’s global network from private equity investors Advent International and Centerbridge Partners, LP. As part of this agreement, Advent will also reinvest to acquire a minority stake in the business. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Reuse legislation passed
On June 9, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 (HR 1915), which will make major investments in water recycling programs and resources, and help communities across the country adopt water reuse as a resource management tool. The legislation contains the WateReuse Association’s top policy priorities.
NGWA input on infrastructure proposed
The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) and 18 state groundwater associations from across the country have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to consider utilizing water wells in any future infrastructure legislation. The letter outlines the important role water wells play in US infrastructure and their ability to efficiently provide safe and clean water to rural and underserved areas. Nationally, it is estimated that more than 40 million people depend on water wells as their primary source of clean water. Most of these water wells are located in small, rural and often times disadvantaged communities. As an initial proposal to increase water quality and access, NGWA is urging Congress to expand grant eligibility within the Safe Drinking Water Act to fund the rehabilitation, deepening, or replacement of water wells in small and disadvantaged communities.
NAW, NLC launch partnership
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) announced a new partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC) to provide small and mid-sized cities with needed supplies and PPE as they work to boost local vaccination rates, reopen city buildings and community centers, and protect teachers and students returning to classroom instruction. NAW previously partnered with NFL stadium vaccination sites to provide over $500,000 worth of PPE in their efforts to vaccinate more than two million people. NAW and NLC’s PPE Partnership is currently focused on supplying face shields, masks, sanitizer, and other needed supplies to eight cities: Albany, East Point, Savannah and Union City, GA; Framingham, MA; Hamden and New London, CT and Nashua, NH. These cities will use the supplies to support their efforts to get residents vaccinated through pop-up health clinics, provide PPE for classrooms, reopen places of community connection like senior centers and protect vulnerable populations.
Atlantic Coastal Supply purchased by Winsupply
Winsupply Inc. has completed the purchase of Atlantic Coastal Supply, a specialty plumbing distributor in Greenville, NC, that focuses on commercial and institutional customers, including municipalities, schools, hospitals and prisons. Owned by John Meeks and his sister Lea Meeks-Blinson, the company was founded in 1992 by their father. In the Winsupply business model, Winsupply is the majority owner of its companies, reflecting its shared-ownership business model in which local entrepreneurs have autonomy to decide how best to serve their customers, and to share in the financial risks and rewards of ownership.
Middle East
IDE technology for Israeli facility
IDE Water Technologies announced the launch of its project with Emek Hama’aynot Water Corporation, including the design, build and operation (DBO) of the Afikey Maim Facility in Israel. IDE will operate the facility for several years with an optional extension, providing approximately 280 m3/h (2,000,000 m3 per year) of high-quality water for agriculture and industrial use in Israel’s Gilboa area, in addition to about 70 m3/h of brine to be used for fish farming ponds. The facility will be the first of its kind brackish/surface water reclamation plant in Israel to reuse the southern Jordan River’s polluted water, implementing IDE’s innovative technologies. In recent years, the southern Jordan River has become a channel fed mainly with brackish water from springs around the Sea of Galilee and wastewater from various sources, hindering its use for agriculture.