North America
Office Buildings with Infrequent Water Use May Have Poor Water Quality
Low-consumption office buildings with infrequent water use could have chemical and microbiological safety issues, according to a study published in PLOS Water by Andrew Whelton at Purdue University and colleagues. The research could have implications for office buildings used less frequently during pandemic lockdowns and suggests that regular water testing in commercial buildings may be needed. Many office buildings have decreased occupancy during weekends and holidays —and recently, during pandemic lockdowns —increasing water stagnation in plumbing.
Ferguson, Uponor North America Support Community Plumbing Challenge in Alabama
Ferguson and Uponor North America have both announced their continued support for the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation’s (IWSH) Community Plumbing Challenge™ (CPC) program. Ferguson is generously donating all necessary plumbing products for the project, while Uponor is providing monetary support toward the new program.
IWSH’s latest CPC effort is a collaboration with the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP) and LIXIL to provide plumbing repairs and upgrades for five homes and develop a framework for ongoing plumbing industry support to the BBUWP. The weeklong project will address a critical issue for public health and safety in the surrounding community, where many low-income homeowners are unable to afford an on-site sewage disposal system, instead resorting to straight piping, which releases sewage above ground.
California Announce Standard for Hexavalent Chromium
California proposed a long-awaited standard for a cancer-causing contaminant in drinking water that would require costly treatment in many cities throughout the state. Traces of hexavalent chromium are widely found in the drinking water of millions of Californians, with some of the contamination naturally occurring and some from industries that work with the heavy metal. Once finalized, the standard would be a first in the nation to specifically target hexavalent chromium.
AM Products & Services LLC Has Been Acquired by Specialty Sales LLC
AM Products & Services LLC, a supplier/ manufacturer of softener and deionized portable exchange items, tank and bottle water carts, and hard-to-find industry related parts, has been acquired by Specialty Sales LLC as of January 1st, 2022. The company will continue to operate under the AM Products name, and Don Zelinski, founder of AM Products, will continue to lead the division and serve portable exchange customers. Specialty Sales is a family-owned distributor of a wide variety of water treatment components, including hose, tubing, fittings, valves, clamps, etc. Both companies are looking forward to providing excellent customer service and sourcing hard-to-find components for a broader set of water treatment customer. Per Don Zelinski, “Specialty Sales has been a long-time vendor and partner of AM Products, and I know they value customer service as much as I do. I’m looking forward to continuing to serve our customers as a part of Specialty Sales.”
Swimming Pool Market Expected to Grow Through 2024
The swimming pool market is expected to grow by $3.56 billion from 2019 to 2024 at a CAGR of 2.29% as per the latest market report by Technavio. 44% of the market’s growth will originate from North America where the presence of developed infra-structure and the thriving wellness tourism industry will facilitate the swimming pool market growth. The key factors driving growth in the swimming pool market globally are large-scale urbanization and high growth in the tourism industry.
Utah Gov. Cox Signs Bill to Protect Children from Lead in Drinking Water
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, along with the American Supply Association, NSF international, and the Water Quality Association, applauds the state of Utah for passing House Bill 21 into law, which advances the state’s efforts to address water quality testing for schools and child care centers. Gov. Spencer Cox signed HB 21 into law. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Handy (R-16) and Sen. Jani Iwamoto (D-4), HB 21 outlines timelines for schools and child care centers to test the quality of water in their buildings and report that testing data. Facilities will then need to take action if the presence of lead is above 5 parts per billion, keeping in line with the industry’s current drinking water quality standards and product capabilities.
MIT Engineers Use Soap to Remove Micropollutants from Water
Imagine millions of soapy sponges the size of human cells that can clean water by soaking up contaminants. This simplistic model is used to describe technology that MIT chemical engineers have developed to remove micropollutants from water. The research, published in the ACS Applied Polymer Materials journal, explains how micropollutants come from a variety of sources, have been detected in almost all bodies of water, and are hazardous to the ecosystem and human health. Examples of micropollutants include pharmaceuticals, BPA, PFAS, lead and arsenic.
RETEGO Labs Announces Platinum Custom Tailored Certification Program
RETEGO Labs has launched its new Platinum Custom Tailored (CT) Certification program to reward homeowners for testing and remediating damaged water problems as they are detected. Certification validates the purity, safety, and correct balance of the water system for homeowners. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated the Lead and Copper Rule, clarifying that homeowners are ultimately responsible for the quality of their water once it reaches their home, and the Platinum CT Certification is an answer to that responsibility.
Central America
WWIF, in Partnership with EOS, Benefits Thousands in Nicaragua and Honduras
EOS International, a non-profit organization working in Central America, in partnership with Wishing Well International Foundation (WWIF), impacted 10 rural communities and 6,587 people in 2019- 2020 and again in 2021. The goal was to increase the number (and good health) of people with access to safe drinking water by installing community inline water treatment systems. Along with providing community water quality and testing services to new and existing rural community water systems and ensuring access to safe drinking water on a continual basis, funding from WWIF focused on expansion of the water chlorinator in rural villages of Honduras and Nicaragua.
Europe
Record Year for UK Water Dispenser Market
The UK water dispenser market, which includes bottled water coolers, mains-fed water dispensers, and integrated tap systems, grew to record levels in 2021, according to new research by Zenith Global. Overall revenue jumped 13% to £184 million and the number of units installed increased by 5% to 785,000 in December.
“Both these figures are higher than in any previous year,” commented Zenith Global Chairman Richard Hall. “It is all the more remarkable, because 75% of units are installed in workplaces and 2021 was substantially held back by lockdowns alongside greater acceptance of flexible working from home.”
Middle East
World’s Largest Reverse Osmosis Desalination Facility in Saudi Arabia
ACWA Power announced that its Rabigh 3 Independent Water Plant (IWP) in Saudi Arabia has been recognized as the “world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination facility” by the Guinness World Records™, the global authority on record-breaking achievements. Rabigh 3 IWP has the capacity of producing 600,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day and can fulfil water demand of nearly one million households in Makkah Al Mukarramah and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia’s western region.
Australia
Wetland Plant Capable of Reducing PFAS in Soil and Water
A new study at Flinders University found a common Australian native wetland plant capable of tolerating and reducing major contaminant Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The wetland plant Juncus sarophorus has a high tolerance to PFAS and is capable of overall PFAS removal rates between 9% and 11% at a time. Together with its high growth rate, this plant appears to be a suitable candidate for phyto-extraction of short-chained PFAS compounds, but less effective at removing PFOS owing to this compound’s long chain-lengths and ability to be absorbed by soils.