Global Spotlight

Sunday, March 15th, 2020

North America
Lead content maximum lowered
The joint committee governing the American National Standards for drinking water treatment units recently lowered the maximum allowable concentration of lead in treated drinking water to five ppb or less—a 50-percent drop from the previous 10 ppb—and a threshold that matches Health Canada’s new maximum allowable concentration level. The new lead pass/fail criteria has been published for NSF/ANSI 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects and NSF/ANSI 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Systems. Updates to both standards were published in December and are effective immediately for any new filter or filtration device claiming to reduce lead.

Groundwater Foundation helping with private wells
The Groundwater Foundation announced it has kicked off its year-long effort to drill water wells for low-income families across the US who lack access to clean water. On February 4, drilling began on a new water-well system for the Saleh family in Crete, IL. Last year, the Groundwater Foundation donated $100,000 (USD) to the Water Well Trust to fund a program that pays for the initial cost of drilling a well. Participating families are given a 20-year, one-percent interest loan.

US EPA funds SRFs
US EPA announced the availability of $2.7 billion (USD) for State Revolving Funds (SRFs), which assists states, tribes and territories with infrastructure projects that help protect surface water and provide safe drinking water to communities across the country. The 2020 annual allocation for the four US EPA Region 7 states is: Iowa – $38.95 million; Kansas – $27.13 million; Missouri – $63.46 million and Nebraska – $19.12 million.

Xylem, Waterboys helping with wells
A rural Virginia family, displaced from their home after their water well failed, received the gift of clean water through the first project of Hometown H₂O, a domestic water program aimed at bringing education and access to clean and sustainable water to people and communities in need across the US. Hometown H₂O is an extension of The Chris Long Foundation’s Waterboys initiative and the result of a partnership announced in December 2019 with Xylem Inc.

Solar water technology honored
GivePower received the first-place Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award for its Solar Water Farm technology. The containerized, solar-powered water desalination and purification technology can be rapidly deployed in coastal regions around the world suffering from a shortage of clean water.

IUVA technology award winner named
The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) inaugural 2020 Emerging Technology Award has been bestowed on the Oasis International QUASAR^™ system, a UV-C LED system for point-of-dispense disinfection. This type of treatment ensures the beverage water is getting the right amount of disinfection with no opportunity to become infected at another point and prevents outlet-sourced contamination or bacteria growing up the pipeline from the point of use.

WFC to address coronavirus
The recent outbreak of novel coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, has caused a worldwide concern about a potential pandemic. On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. Wallace Leung, Chair of World Filtration Congress 13 and past Chair Professor of Innovative Products & Technologies in Mechanical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, will deliver a timely presentation at the upcoming World Filtration Congress on filtration innovations and technologies designed to fight the spread of viruses.

Water technology takes top CES honors
The WaterSwitch^® smart-home, whole-house, water management system was named CES 2020 Product of the Year at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV. The system will identify and quantify any leak in the plumbing system. The technology is protected by two US patents, as well as 11 international and additional US patents pending, and is US EPA WaterSense-approved.

Pool drain cover standard updated
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) announced the publication of its updated ANSI/APSP/ICC-16 2017 American National Standard for Suction Outlet Fitting Assemblies (SOFA) for Use in Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs, approved by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This approval was originally published in the Federal Register on May 24, 2019 (Vol. 84, No. 101) and will go into effect on November 24, the 18-month deadline specified by the PHTA-16 Standard Writing Committee (SWC), which includes CPSC staff representation.

WinSupply news
Winsupply Inc. announced it has has closed on the purchase of Morgan Brothers Supply, Inc., a plumbing wholesale distributor primarily serving central and northern Florida. Details of the asset purchase were not disclosed. Morgan Brothers Supply was founded in 1980 and has grown rapidly to seven locations and nearly 120 employees to serve plumbing contractors and general contractors, developers, homeowners and correctional institutions. The company has six plumbing showrooms. Arnold Hardy, previously Sales Manager at Morgan Brothers, becomes President of the company, which will continue to do business as Morgan Brothers Supply. Winsupply Inc. recently celebrated the grand opening of its newest regional distribution center, a 272,000-sq. ft. center in Jacksonville, FL, the company’s fifth major regional distribution center (RDC).

Master’s Coffee acquisition
Master’s Coffee and Water Service has acquired the assets of Glacier Pure Drinking Water. Master’s will offer coffee products and services to Glacier’s water customers, as well as more product choices, such as filtered water coolers.

Europe
NSF UK certification program announced
NSF International has introduced NSF REG4, an independent certification program that enables manufacturers of plumbing products and materials to demonstrate compliance with the UK’s Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations of 1999 and with equivalent water regulations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. NSF REG4 certifies mechanical products and non-metallic materials that are in contact with drinking water and is the new reference program for the UK market.

Global Spotlight

Saturday, February 15th, 2020

North America
Delta Pure acquired
AJR Filtration announced the acquisition of Delta Pure Filtration in November 2019. AJR has expanded rapidly over the last few years, recently moving into a newly built, 180,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility with over 700 employees. Todd Furbee, Delta Pure’s President, will remain as President of the company to help maximize the next phase of expansion and ensure seamless support for customers.

Legionella conference to move
Legionella Conference 2020 will be held in Chicago, Il, August 19-21, with an emphasis on preventing deadly outbreaks in hospitals and health care settings. NSF Health Sciences and the National Environmental Health Association are partnering as conference co-hosts to help stem this rising public health threat. The theme of the conference is Prevention of Disease and Injury From Waterborne Pathogens in Health Care. Public health leaders, policy makers, researchers, practitioners and water management systems experts will discuss policies and strategies for the prevention of health care-associated waterborne disease outbreaks, including hazards related to medical devices, cleaning and disinfection in sterile settings, as well as water quality requirements in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

NACE standards board created
The NACE International Board of Directors has unanimously approved the membership slate of its new Standards Board and authorized its members to provide oversight and management of NACE International’s standards program. Additionally, it was agreed that the Standards Board will have a voting seat on the NACE International Board of Directors, effective March 2020. To quickly get the Standards Board acclimated and operational, members convened for a two-day orientation in Houston, TX in January. During orientation, the roles and responsibilities of members were reviewed, key issues requiring Standards Board attention prioritized and standards committees created to develop and approve NACE standards.

Rosen Supply sold to Winsupply
Winsupply Inc. has purchased Rosen Supply, a plumbing and heating wholesale distributor in the greater Seattle-Tacoma metro area of Washington. Details of the asset purchase were not disclosed. Rosen Supply has been in business since 1946 and is the leading independent, family-owned and operated plumbing and heating wholesale distributor in western Washington. Third-generation members of the family include David Rosen as President and Adam Rosen as Executive Vice President. Harvey Rosen decided to sell the company to Winsupply as an opportunity to keep some ownership in the family. The company’s legal name becomes Winsupply of Seattle WA Co., but will continue to do business as Rosen Supply.

DuPont acquisitions reported
DuPont announced it has completed the 2019 acquisitions of Desalitech, inge GmbH, Memcor^® and OxyMem Limited, adding to its portfolio of water purification and separation technologies, including ultrafiltration, RO and ion exchange resins. These four recent acquisitions support DuPont’s goal to increase access to the products and technologies needed to meet global customers’ current and future challenges, including the increased need to recycle water, while reducing the energy requirements to generate clean water. The acquisitions further broaden DuPont’s portfolio and enhance the company’s ability to accelerate innovation and offer customers better levels of service, while reducing the life-cycle costs of clean water.

Europe
Food and beverage industry acquisitions break records
Zenith Global reported that 2019 broke records again for the number of food and drink transactions around the world, with 789 registered on the Zenith Global mergers and acquisitions database, an average of 15 each week. The total is 12 more than in 2018 and 41-percent higher than five years ago. The number has increased every year since a dip in 2013. Bottled water and water coolers added up to 23. Orkla, Pernod Ricard, Nestlé, Asahi, PepsiCo, Lactalis, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Azelis, Berlin Packaging, Kirin and Waterlogic were the most acquisitive companies of 2019, with each responsible for five or more takeovers. A total of 1,290 companies were involved across 59 countries, with the United States and United Kingdom most prominent overall.

Asia
Success for drinktech reported
Over 9,900 visitors, 201 exhibitors and a total floor space of 11,400 square meters (gross) defined drink technology India (Messe München), co-located with pacprocess and food pex India (Messe Düsseldorf). The trade fair, which takes place in a yearly rotation between Mumbai and New Delhi, is now well established in the Indian capital. The New Delhi edition registered a 30-percent increase in space and saw a record number of business deals negotiated at the fair. The growth of drink technology India remains strong. The supporting program was expanded and addressed all segments and topics of the beverage, dairy and liquid food industry in conferences and seminars. Together with its partners, drink technology India underlines its status as India’s leading knowledge platform.

In WC&P’s December coverage of the 2019 PWQA Annual Convention, credit for the family photos was not properly noted. Thank you, Joyce Takeda of Water Techniques, for your outstanding contribution.

Global Spotlight

Wednesday, January 15th, 2020

North America
WQA Code of Ethics updated
The Water Quality Association’s revised Code of Ethics, which guides members in the use of marketing terms aligned with those published in the WQA Knowledge Base Glossary, went into effect January 1. One specific concern addressed by the revisions is companies using the term ‘water softener’ inconsistently with the way industry professionals understand and use it. To give the industry time to adapt to the change, WQA posted the revised code on its website (https://www.wqa.org/about-us/governance/code-of-ethics-whistleblower-policy) last spring and has been answering questions, proactively contacting companies misusing terms and providing expertise on the issue to its members as needed throughout 2019. The revisions will be explained and discussed again in detail in a session planned for the first day of the 2020 WQA Convention & Exposition.

WFC13 conference information
The 13th World Filtration Congress (WFC13) has released its complete and detailed program that includes educational and technical offerings unparalleled among international filtration conferences. Hosted by the American Filtration and Separations Society (AFS), WFC13 includes seven plenary sessions, 30 keynote lectures, 285 oral presentations and panel discussions, 11 short courses and dozens of student and industry posters. Content is organized into four tracks (Solid/Liquid, Air/Gas, Membranes, Filter Media), three symposia (Energy, Environment, Health) and a full day of short courses. Experts from 23 countries will share their valuable perspectives, discoveries and insights in sessions that range from introductory to highly advanced. For full details, visit https://www.wfc13.com/v2/.

IAPMO news
Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan, a new report produced by DigDeep and the US Water Alliance (with advisory assistance from IAPMO), reveals that more than two million Americans today live with no running water, indoor plumbing or sanitation service, and recommends a series of remedies. The report makes several recommendations to help close the water gap in the US. They include re-introducing US Census questions about whether homes have working taps and toilets, as well as changes to how the federal government funds and regulates water systems to support rural and unincorporated areas. There are also several recommendations for the philanthropic and global WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sectors to drive community empowerment, deploy innovative technologies and apply successful WASH models from abroad here in the US. Read the full report at closethewatergap.org.
IAPMO has published ANSI/CAN/IAPMO/ISO 30500:2019, Non-Sewered Sanitation Systems—Prefabricated Integrated Treatment Units—General Safety and Performance Requirements for Design and Testing as an identical National Adoption Standard for both the US and Canada. The standard is available for purchase at the IAPMO bookstore in both English and French, at the website. The standard specifies general safety and performance requirements for design and testing, as well as sustainability considerations, for non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS). An NSSS, for the purposes of this document, is a prefabricated, integrated treatment unit, comprising front-end (toilet facility) and back-end (treatment facility) components.

Water Tower project announced
The Water Tower, Gwinnett County, GA’s new water innovation center, has joined forces with Silicon Valley start-up Aqaix to provide utilities with new technology for digitizing water operations and financing water infrastructure projects. The Water Tower has licensed two innovative products from Aqaix: a private-labeled version of its online finance marketplace, which allows utilities to showcase their water projects to potential funders and track environmental ROI, and a private-labeled version of its water-data integration hub.

ResinTech new headquarters
In summer 2020, ResinTech will be moving to a new headquarters and production plant in Camden, NJ. The company is now accepting pre-orders. Contact your representative or email info@resintech.com

Latin America
Toray products selected
Toray RO and UF membrane technologies have been selected for a new seawater desalination facility in Brazil, which is set to become the largest in the country. Expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2020, the plant will have an initial capacity to treat 12,000 m³/day, expandable to 24,000 and 36,000 m³/day and with an estimated value of US$10 million dollars. The principal objective of the plant is to decentralize the steel manufacturer’s reliance on the state’s water supply and contribute to water security to surrounding communities that rely on the same freshwater source.

Asia
Chennai RO plant erected
IDE Technologies announced it has completed the erection phase of the Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis plant for Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) at the facility’s location in Koyambedu, City of Chennai, State of Tamil Nadu. The Chennai area has very challenging water circumstances due to severe and prolonged drought conditions. CMWSSB needed a suitable partner to design, build and operate (DBO) a 45-million liter/day tertiary treatment reverse osmosis (TTRO) plant in Koyambedu, including supplying and laying of a transmission pipe for conveying product water to various industries situated in Irungattukottai, Sriperumbudur and Oragadam.The DBO project also includes a 15-year operation and maintenance period.

Global Spotlight

Sunday, December 15th, 2019

North America
LaMotte Company celebrates 100 years
In October of 1919, Frank LaMotte left DuPont to start a company making pH indicators in the US. He began by making the first domestically produced pH test kits; the only ones then available came from Germany and relations with that country were tenuous. Originally located in downtown Baltimore, MD, LaMotte worked on his own until 1920, when he hired fellow chemist Doc Kenny. That same year he worked with Johns Hopkins chemist, Dr. Linn Enslow, to develop the first chlorine comparator. Its need arose after chlorinated lime was first added to drinking water in 1908. While LaMotte Company started with pH indicators and buffers for water test kits, they began developing and marketing other types of test kits as well. Methods for analyzing agricultural soil were developed in the early 1920s. In 1925, LaMotte produced the first kits in the US for testing chlorine and pH in swimming pools.
In 1929, a LaMotte pH test kit made the first expedition to the South Pole with explorer Admiral Byrd at his station called Little America. Traveling by air, the kit was later returned and is still on display at LaMotte Company headquarters in Chestertown, MD. In 1934, the company moved to Towson, MD, where it continued to grow and in the mid 1950s, LaMotte began supplying phenol red pH indicators for monitoring the stability of the Jonas Salk vaccine. Needing more space, LaMotte moved the company to Chestertown in July 1956, where it remains today. Over the years, as innovation and product demand increased, the original location expanded many times. (The latest expansion, completed in late 2018, added 10,0002 of research and development labs as well as additional production and meeting space.)
In 1968, LaMotte introduced the first DPD Free Available Chlorine test in North America under a partnership with Dr. A.T. Palin. Soon afterward, US EPA recognized the DPD method as a preferred way for testing free chlorine in drinking water and in pools. The late Charles LaMotte took over as President from Frank LaMotte in 1971, pioneering the use of electronic colorimeters to measure pH, chlorine and dozens of other test parameters. In 1983, the company was sold to the Arthur H. Thomas Corporation, of Swedesboro, NJ. The corporation allowed Charles to pass the leadership on to his nephew, David LaMotte, who became president in 1986 and remains at the helm today.
By the late 1980s LaMotte had introduced water analysis systems linked to computers and software to record data and provide recommendations to the user. In the mid-1990s, they began making an assortment of multi-parameter test strips designed for instantly measuring various elements in water. More recently the company launched and patented an automated water analyzer, WaterLink® Spin, in 2012. The key to the Spin system is a reagent-filled disk that can measure up to 10 factors using only a small water sample. The Spin meter mixes and analyzes the filled disk and displays the results in just 60 seconds.
Today the company employs over 220 at its headquarters in Maryland and has three other sales offices globally. LaMotte Company remains a privately held manufacturer, dedicated to innovations that make testing and analyses easier for all.

WQA 2020 convention notes
The Water Quality Association has opened registration for its 2020 WQA Convention & Exposition, to be held April 1-3, 2020 in Orlando, FL. The convention website, wqa.org/convention, offers easy-to-use access to registration, housing and event information for the annual industry gathering and for the March 31 WQA Business Boot Camp, both set for the Orange County Convention Center. The event is expected to attract more than 3,000 dealers, manufacturers and consultants. Expanded hours for the trade show offer greater opportunities to see the latest products and services in drinking water treatment.

NSF standard update announced
The joint committee of experts that maintains an NSF International drinking water treatment standard has recently updated it to allow a more efficient method of treating microorganisms in drinking water. The revision to NSF/ANSI 55: Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems establishes new criteria for use of UV-LED technology for microbial reduction and provides a new test method to certify manufacturer claims. Treatment systems covered by the standard use UV light to inactivate or kill bacteria, viruses and cysts in microbiologically unsafe water (Class A systems) or to reduce the amount of non-disease-causing bacteria in disinfected drinking water (Class B systems). See Water Matters for full details.

PFAS briefing on Capitol Hill
In an effort to bring awareness to the work being done at the local level to respond to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure in drinking water, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) joined the National Environmental Health Association, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Trust for America’s Health and American Public Health Association to hold a congressional briefing: PFAS and Water Protection Briefing with Public Health Experts. Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Kent County, MI, discussed PFAS contamination of wells in northern Kent County and the local health department response efforts to understand and mitigate resident exposure. The health department documented more than 700 sites in the county that were contaminated, with levels of PFAS from less than 70 ppt to a high of 96,000 ppt.

DuPont technology honored
DuPont Water Solutions was awarded the 2019 International Desalination Association (IDA) Award for Best Disruptive Technology in recognition of its efforts to meet water demand in Egypt. DuPont’s innovative, modular design of a new ultrafiltration plant constructed in Suez, Egypt in partnership with Integrated Environmental Technology and Oil Services Company S.A.E (IETOS) was showcased.

Water dispenser growth reported
The US water-dispenser market has grown by an annual average of 4.4 percent to reach almost eight million units by the end of 2018, according to US Water Dispenser Report 2019 from Zenith Global. Home and office bottled water dispensers dominated the market at 75 percent of total numbers installed. Mains-fed units have advanced faster than the overall market, rising by an average 8.8 percent a year to nearly two million in December 2018. Integrated tap systems are also strengthening their profile: 87 percent are in commercial locations, mainly workplaces. Their presence in hotels, restaurants, catering and homes is also significant.

Europe
Aquatech Amsterdam success reported
Aquatech Amsterdam 2019 proved to be an exciting week. The all-new Innovation Forum kick-started the event with the tagline, Mastering Water’s Digital Transformation. With the ambition to help people ‘think differently about water,’ the forum, which included 250 delegates, speakers and moderators, was applauded for its non-conference style, focusing on two-way interaction. Four days of an energetic, informative and interactive exhibition then followed to ensure visitors from over 147 countries were kept informed, engaged and energized throughout the entire week. Highlights included the world champions drilling and tapping won by Team Waterbedrijf Groningen; drones demonstrating groundwater monitoring in the Drone Arena; eight country pavilions; 26 visiting country delegations (including six ambassadors), specialty pavilions and much more.

drinktec name changed
Messe München GmbH announced that drinktec worldwide has changed to bev & food tec network powered by drinktec. The new name reflects the evolution of the trade-fair network. Since 2007, the network around drinktec has grown steadily to now include events at 10 locations.

Middle East
Desalination technology field tests in Palestine
A new low-energy desalination technology, developed at Aston University and the University of Birmingham and patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise, will soon begin field tests in Palestine, where it is expected to help mitigate the effects of water shortages and improve the efficiency of crop production. The technology uses a solar-powered desalination system, made of a novel combination of existing, off-the-shelf products, which can be deployed easily and relatively cheaply in locations that are off-grid. The field-testing project and the technology are described in a paper published in the November issue of Desalination and Water Treatment.

Africa
Solar-powered borehole inaugurated
In October, the Poul Due Jensen Foundation inaugurated Borehole 2 in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp. With the last of three boreholes in use, the foundation’s safe water projects provide drinking water for almost 150,000 refugees in western Tanzania. The foundation also celebrated having reached over 50,000 Tanzanians in poor rural communities outside the camp. In 2016, the foundation and the American NGO Water Mission partnered to show the international community that it is possible to provide safe drinking water for large refugee camps with solar pumping solutions.

Asia
De Nora technology highlighted
To address increasingly complex water treatment issues and standards in Asia, De Nora highlighted its groundbreaking hybrid system of CECHLO^® and Capital Controls^® at this year’s International Water Association conference. The system aims to ensure an entirely safe process of chlorine management from beginning to end. Water treatment has become an indispensable part of the water supply process, with chlorine being the most common disinfectant. Safety around the transportation and management of chlorine gas, however, is a growing concern, particularly in populated areas.

Global Spotlight

Friday, November 15th, 2019

North America
De Nora announced the opening of a greenfield manufacturing facility for the production of electrodes in Mentor, OH. The 110,000-square-foot building, designed for flexibility in production planning, will reduce lead time, optimize capacity and improve efficiency. DSA^® electrodes that are produced in the new facility are used in a range of industries and applications, including in the production of chlorine for water and wastewater disinfection.

US EPA lead rule proposed
As part of Children’s Health Month, US EPA announced a proposed rule that significantly improves the actions that water systems must take to reduce lead in the nation’s drinking water. This action represents the first major overhaul of the Lead and Copper Rule since 1991 and marks a critical step in advancing the Trump Administration’s Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures. In conjunction with this announcement, US EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have launched a new website that summarizes available federal programs that help finance or fund lead service line replacement. The American Water Works Association noted the new rule represents an important step forward in addressing lead risks, even though it’s too soon to offer a detailed analysis of the rule and important work remains.

Switched-on iron
Sandia National Laboratories researchers have discovered the mechanism to switch on iron residing in clay mineral structures, leading to the understanding of how to make iron reactive under oxygen-free conditions. This research will help scientists understand and predict how contaminants, such as arsenic, selenium and chromium, move through the environment and enter waterways. These chemical principles can be applied to develop natural soil barriers to remove these contaminants from water and make reactive membranes, which can transform contaminants during the water filtration process.

WEFTEC success announced
With 22,500 registrants, the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) 92nd annual WEFTEC drew one of the largest crowds in a decade. It also featured 992 exhibitors using 294,000 net square feet of space to showcase the latest developments, technologies and services for the water sector. Of note during the event, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced the selection of the National Alliance for Water Innovation to lead an Energy-Water Desalination Hub that will address water security issues in the United States, and teams from Texas and Colorado won the Operations Challenge Competition, which features some of the most elite operators in the world in a fast-paced, skills-based contest for wastewater and maintenance professionals.

Legionella conference notes
Environmental and public health experts agree that proactive water management plans, stronger policies, collaboration, communication and regulation are needed to stop the rapidly increasing number of Legionnaires’ disease cases and outbreaks. Representatives from public health agencies, water utilities, water industry organizations, regulatory bodies and academia were among 360 international attendees at Legionella Conference 2019, Building Water Systems: The Sustainability and Public Health Nexus, co-hosted by NSF International and the National Environmental Health Association in September. The conference emphasized the importance of building water management plans and served as an important driver in thought-leadership regarding surveillance and response to outbreaks. Safe water is a strategic priority and Legionella is one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) main focus areas. That agency has published a Legionella toolkit based on ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015 detailing seven steps for a water management program. Other interagency efforts between the CDC, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the US EPA also address Legionnaires’ disease.

WSI: another winning event
Nearly 900 water-efficiency professionals came together in Las Vegas, NV in October for this year’s 12th annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition. Participants soaked up a world of water knowledge at more than 100 professional sessions and panel discussions, as well as pre-conference workshops, technical tours and the expo hall. They also gained invaluable insights from keynote speaker George Hawkins, and saluted those organizations, companies and individuals who earned WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards from US EPA’s WaterSense Program and the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

Europe
Global alkaline water market to treble by 2023
Rapid growth in alkaline water consumption is predicted for the next five years, according to the 2019 Zenith Global Alkaline Water Report from Zenith Global. Global volumes are forecast to jump from 635 million liters (173 million gallons) in 2018 to 2,200 million liters (600 million gllons) by 2023. Global value is rising even faster than volume. Volume has grown by an average 12.2 percent a year since 2013. Value has advanced by 21.6 percent a year, reaching $883 million in 2018 and expected to exceed $4,300 million in 2023.

Asia
Salt demand, pool and spa markets to increase
According to The Freedonia Group’s new Global Salt Study, demand for salt is forecast to reach 346 million metric tons in 2023. The Asia-Pacific region will remain the largest regional market as a result of the country’s massive chemical, textile and pharmaceutical industries, while salt demand will grow at the fastest rate in the Africa-Mideast region, driven by a shift away from natural-resource extraction as the region’s main economic driver toward industrial diversification. To read more about this trend, click on the link (https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-salt-W1003.htm). According to Global Pools & Spas, new pool and spa sales are expected to grow 3.5 percent per year to 4.9 million units in 2023. The Asia-Pacific region will account for 53 percent of new sales, supported by the key Chinese market, which itself will account for 22 percent of new pools and spas sold globally in 2023, due to rising incomes and related investment in recreational facilities, such as public swimming pools, aquatics facilities and amusement parks. For more information regarding pool sales and water treatment trends, click on the link (https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-pools-spas-3778.htm).

Watts partnership announced
Watts Water Technologies, Inc. recently funded and helped install two water filtration systems that provide clean drinking water for children and families in Sa Kaeo, Thailand. Through its partnership with Planet Water Foundation, Watts employees and five of its customers built ‘AquaTowers’ at two schools, which remove harmful particles, bacteria and viruses, providing 1,000 people with 10,000 liters (2,641 gallons) of clean water per unit daily. Watts first joined forces with Planet Water in 2016. Since that time, the organizations have brought clean water to 15,000 people in Cambodia, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Puerto Rico.

Global Spotlight

Tuesday, October 15th, 2019

North America
Hydronix move announced
Hydronix Water Technologies announced it has moved to 8630 Rochester Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. Telephone and fax numbers remain the same at (909) 527-6996 and (909) 527-6997, respectively.

ResinTech REACH Registration
ResinTech announced that it completed its Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registration with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). REACH entered into force on June 1, 2007 and established procedures for collecting and assessing information on the properties and hazards of substances.

HealthWay, Culligan partnership announced
HealthWay and Culligan have partnered to offer consumers the complete environmental package of clean air and water. With the addition of 600+ Culligan dealers, there will now be nearly 1,000 dealerships that bring the message of clean air to the health-conscious consumer around the world. HealthWay’s advanced air purification systems feature a patented DFS technology which removes and destroys 99.99 percent of all particles down to 0.007 micron in size, including particles, VOCs and microorganisms.

WEF kids book now multilingual
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) continues to make WATER’S WORTH IT^® accessible to international audiences with the coming release of its award-winning Why Water’s Worth It children’s book (https://watersworthit.org/resources/) in Spanish and French. All three editions, along with exclusive new merchandise (such as a kids’ t-shirt, coloring tote bag and a sticker-sheet featuring the book illustrations) were available for the first time at WEFTEC 2019.

LWCF to fund projects
US Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced $170,623,713 in grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to all 50 states, five US territories and the District of Columbia for state-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects. LWCF funds are non-taxpayer dollars derived from Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues and are awarded through federal matching grants administered by the National Park Service. Bernhardt also announced an $83.7 million construction contract for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to bring clean and reliable water to tribal and rural communities in northwestern New Mexico. As part of the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation’s water supply project is the cornerstone of the Navajo Nation San Juan River in New Mexico Water Rights Settlement Agreement.

Space water treatment announced
AquiSense Technologies has participated in 10 distinct aerospace projects. In 2015, the company was selected to participate in BIOWYSE, a Horizon 2020 project dedicated to designing and testing a water monitoring and treatment system for next-generation manned space stations. Since then, several other aerospace projects have sought the company’s water treatment technology. They include product design and hardware supply to both private space companies and various NASA groups, including those at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. These projects range from keeping growth systems clean in space-bound greenhouses, to decreasing the maintenance burden from nuisance biofilm formation in enclosed systems, to disinfecting the water that astronauts drink on the International Space Station.

New Winsupply location opened
Winsupply Inc. has opened Winsupply of West Orange (County), in Ocoee, FL, serving residential plumbing contractors and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) for theme parks, resorts and hotels in central Florida. President of Winsupply of West Orange Scott Karlson began his career as a plumber 34 years ago, shifting into wholesale plumbing supplies for the past 23 years. In 2018, he joined Winsupply of Orlando (Florida) to help grow its residential plumbing business and has now accepted the opportunity to become owner of a new Winsupply location. Although Winsupply of West Orange is a new location, Karlson and his team of seven employees have a combined 150 years of plumbing and distribution experience.

PWF, Xylem partnership expanded
During World Water Week 2019, Xylem Inc. and Planet Water Foundation (PWF) announced plans to extend and deepen their partnership. As part of the expanded partnership, which initially launched eight years ago to address water access issues in the world’s most impoverished communities, Planet Water Foundation will integrate Xylem pump products into all the non-profit’s water filtration and sanitation solutions. Since 2011, the two companies have provided education and access to safe, potable water in over 400 communities across 12 countries, supporting the daily drinking water requirements of nearly 500,000 people.

Water filtering cloth invented
Syracuse University senior Nikita Chatterjee and her roommate, Brianna Howard, had an idea to help provide access to safe drinking water in India. Many families in India use traditional sari cloth to filter water. Lab tests have shown four layers of cloth can help filter cholera bacteria but still leave many contaminants behind. (Water.org estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in India are linked to unsafe water sources.) The students designed and built a prototype for an invention that combined a traditional sari with built-in, advanced water filters. Recognizing that first-world solutions do not always work for developing countries, their PAANI device is simple, familiar and practical for families who already use sari cloth for filtering. When the filters in the PAANI device are used up, henna dye produces an X symbol (universally meaning stop) on the cloth.

Fracking not affecting groundwater more
Conventional oil and gas production methods can affect groundwater much more than fracking, according to hydrogeologists Jennifer McIntosh from the University of Arizona and Grant Ferguson from the University of Saskatchewan. While groundwater use varies by region, about 30 percent of Canadians and more than 45 percent of Americans depend on the resource for their municipal, domestic and agricultural needs. Some of the water injected as part of oil and gas production activities is freshwater from the surface or from shallow aquifers. McIntosh said that could affect groundwater and surface water supplies in water-stressed regions, such as New Mexico or Texas.

Europe
2030 UN goal not being met
Just four countries have met the UN Sustainable Development Goals for everyone to have access to sanitation and safe drinking water by 2030. More than two billion people still need safe sanitation within the next 11 years. Life expectancy is 4.72 years shorter in countries where less than 70 percent of the population have access to drinking water and countries with limited access to basic drinking water experience significantly more deaths from preventable health risks and higher child mortality rates. Seven countries still provide less than half of their population with access to basic drinking water, while another 40 countries have no basic sanitation services for at least 50 percent of citizens, new research shows.

Global Spotlight

Sunday, September 15th, 2019

North America
New system for California prison
Pure Water Works Inc. announced the installation of a high-purity water system at the Valley State Penitentiary in Chowchilla, CA. The system went into a vision lab, the infrastructure built using prison labor. This state-of-the-art optical lab will be run by the prison population and provide eyewear to prisoners. It will also give marketable skills to inmates for use after their release.

WQA supports US EPA recommendations
The Water Quality Association announced that it supports the US EPA recommendation that residents of Newark, NJ use bottled water until further testing can verify that the amount of lead in the water delivered to homes and businesses does not exceed the design and scope of water filtration products to effectively reduce lead to safe levels. Based on the limited information available currently, the lead levels in water coming to the filters may exceed the 150 ppb for which they are tested under the American National Standards. If so, these high lead levels could exceed filter design and the scope of the product certification and thus, the ability to reach the US EPA safe drinking-water standard of 15 ppb.

ASSE standards available
ASSE International has published two new Listing Evaluation Criteria (LEC) documents: ASSE LEC 2004-2019, Drinking Water Treatment Systems Using Air as a Source and ASSE LEC 2006-2019, Point of Entry Reverse Osmosis Systems. ASSE LEC 2004 Systems, also known as atmospheric water generators, are used to produce drinking water by using humidity as a source. Atmospheric water generation becomes a real source of water supply in places where tap water is not available or where the quality of tap water does not meet consumer requirements. ASSE LEC 2006 POE RO Systems are used to treat and improve water quality as well. The document covers systems that produce a product flowrate of at least two gpm (7.6 L/min) out of the system.

Four decades of ATS
Alpine Technical Solutions announced it is celebrating 40 years in business.The original CEO, Robert Allred, began operations out of his pea-green station wagon in 1979. He catapulted the business into a leading water treatment and safety shower company that his son, Richard Allred, took over and expanded in Brazil, with plans to move into Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, China and India, as well as in other areas of the US.

Water tasting event requirements announced
The 30th Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, is the largest and longest running of its kind in the world, acclaimed by media as the world’s most prestigious water tasting. The event will take place in Berkeley Springs, WV February 20-23, 2020. New this year there will be no entry fees for winners of regional AWWA competitions, as a congratulatory gift from the event’s producer. The entry deadline is February 1, 2020.

Study on submersible pumps released
The submersible-pump type remains lucrative as investments in wastewater treatment and water supply projects see a hike, according to a Persistence Market Research study. The production rate of pumps is increasing across the globe, which is backed by demand from countries in Asia Pacific, Latin America and MEA. The global demand for pumps is directly correlated to infrastructure development activities worldwide. The global market for pumps witnessed significant growth in 2018 and is anticipated to reach a market value of $40 billion (USD) in 2019.

Latin America
ENEPAC collaboration announced
TRENDS Industrial (developer of the ENAPAC solar-powered desalination project) and the Sustainable Minerals Institute International Centre of Excellence-Chile (SMI-ICE-Chile, an entity of The University of Queensland, Australia) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of a project on an optimization supply model for the use of desalinated water in the Atacama Region. The country—and the Atacama Region in particular—is suffering from a severe drought. Continued and future industrial development, especially by the mining industry, will depend on having effective strategies in place to ensure sustainable water supply and demand management.

Europe
Aquatech news
Three months before the show, Aquatech Global Events announced that Aquatech Amsterdam is now 99-percent sold out. This is especially noteworthy as the show moves to larger halls this year. Over 1,000 exhibitors and 25,000 water professionals are anticipated to visit Amsterdam for a week of networking and knowledge sharing with industry peers. It is a festive edition as the show, born in 1964, celebrates its 55th anniversary. The first Aquatech Innovation Forum set for November 4 is nearing completion. Thirty speakers, including 15 water utilities, have confirmed to speak. With more than four months to go until its inaugural event, Aquatech is pleased to announce that 80 percent of the conference program for the Innovation Forum is now complete.

Canary Island project announced
IDE Technologies announced that is continuing a 50-year tradition of providing desalination plants to the Canary Islands by supplying a chemical-free SWRO solution to Aguas De Arguineguín, a water utility company. The plant has a capacity of 1,000 m³/day and utilizes IDE PROGREEN^™, which delivers affordable, clean water without the use of chemicals and with reduced energy consumption. The plant will be able to better meet increasing water demands due to tourism, without using harmful chemicals. Arguineguín is a picturesque tourist location on Gran Canaria’s south coast, the largest island in the archipelago. The existing desalination plant was built 36 years ago. IDE was awarded the project in late 2017, which included production and distribution.

Asia
Grundfos expansion announced
In August, P.T. Grundfos Pompa inaugurated its new office building in Surabaya, Indonesia. The new branch office is proof of Grundfos’ steady growth in Indonesia and will help cater to customers across key segments including industry, water utility, and commercial and domestic building services. Kim Jensen, Regional Managing Director-Grundfos Asia Pacific Region, Giancarlo Roggiolani, General Manager-Grundfos Indonesia & Philippines along with the key management team members from Indonesia, customers and partners were present at the inaugural event.

India sustainable water model to be developed
SPML Infra Limited, India’s leading water management company will play a key role in the development of sustainable water infrastructure to realize the vision of Nal Se Jal. This ambitious scheme announced by the Finance Minister aims to provide piped water connection to every household in India by 2024. Given the massive number of connecting about 140 million remaining rural and urban households in five years’ time will be a challenging task.

Global Spotlight

Thursday, August 15th, 2019

North America
Registration is now open for the 2019 WQA Mid-Year Leadership Conference, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Spa and Resort outside San Antonio, TX, September 9-11. Visit the website (https://events.wqa.org/) to register.

Legislative news
In June, Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced the Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act, which will help communities throughout the western states create drought-proof water supplies. The bill includes a five-year, $100 million (USD) re-authorization of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse competitive grant program and $60 million for desalination, additional funding for surface and groundwater storage, and a new low-interest loan program for the financing of a range of water infrastructure projects.
Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) was joined by 11 senators to reintroduce the Contaminant and Lead Electronic Accounting and Reporting Requirements for (CLEARR) Drinking Water Act, legislation to authorize more than $1 billion in federal funding to help small and disadvantaged communities replace contaminated water infrastructure to comply with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. CLEARR also directs US EPA to provide grants for community and research partnerships on drinking water contaminants, establish requirements for electronic reporting of water-quality testing results and update the requirements for repeat- or serious-offender water systems.

WQA: read municipal reports
WQA recommends homeowners review their municipality’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), available online or in the mail, to learn important information about their drinking-water quality. US EPA requires community water systems serving more than 25 people or 15 households to issue a CCR every year by July 1. Most CCRs are posted on the water system’s website; residents also can check the US EPA website (https://ofmpub.epa.gov/apex/safewater/f?p=ccr_wyl:102) to find the water-quality report for their community. Those who receive water from a private well are responsible for testing and treatment of their own water supply.

Team Horner: golden years
On Monday, April 15, the Team Horner Group celebrated worldwide in honor of 50 years in business. This was quite the milestone for current CEO, Dr. Bill Kent. Even the city of Fort Lauderdale, FL recognized this wonderful accomplishment by declaring April 15 Dr. Bill Kent and Team Horner Day. It all started back in 1969 with Earl Horner, three employees and one warehouse. (There are now nearly 500 employees in 19 locations and customers in over 110 countries for the integrated manufacturer, wholesale distributor and global exporter of swimming pool equipment and supplies.) In 1972, Kent bought into the company and became sole owner a year later. He sold the company to employees in 2016.

Water recyling program announced
Kemco Systems recently introduced CONSERVE, a program that delivers water recycling as a service to the laundry industry. Built around the company’s understanding of the challenges of running a laundry, the program allows laundry operators to install systems that can recycle up to 90 percent of their water with zero capital investment.

WaterTAP operations ceased
The Water Technology Acceleration Project’s (WaterTAP) funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) was terminated in March as a result of the provincial government’s cost-savings efforts. Therefore, WaterTAP ceased operations on June 30. WaterTAP was created by the Ontario Water Opportunities Act to promote and foster the growth of Ontario’s innovative water technology companies.

Charity golf tournament a success
In June, McKeough Supply held its 21st Annual Charity Golf Tournament (in honor of Bill Porteous) at Burford Golf Links. The tournament was a tremendous success, with $38,500 being raised in support of Camp Trillium/Rainbow Lake. This donation will enable 39 families affected by childhood cancer to spend a week at camp, having fun being kids. McKeough Supply offered heartfelt thanks to its customers, vendors and teammates for their ongoing support of this event.

Latin America
Aquatech Mexico news
The 4th edition of Aquatech Mexico will be held September 3-5 at the World Trade Centre in Mexico City. Cooperation with the National Association of Water and Sanitation Utilities of Mexico (ANEAS) will strengthen what this international platform has to offer. The event will be co-located with THE GREEN EXPO^®. Additionally, the second edition of the Aquatech Latam Awards for new initiatives in responsible and efficient water management are now open for registration.

Asia
India water campaign launched
The newly formed government in India has acknowledged the gravity of the water crisis with the launch of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a campaign focusing on rainwater harvesting, water conservation, revival of traditional water bodies, reuse and recharge of water, watershed development and afforestation. Knowledge sharing and community participation have been identified as critical factors for the success of this campaign. Teams have already been constituted in 256 districts; engineers and technical staff have been put in place to take stock of groundwater levels and the state of aquifers and water bodies.

IDE technology deployed in Singapore
IDE Technologies announced it has been awarded the contract to deliver an RO system for the Jurong Island Desalination Plant (JIDP). This plant will be Singapore’s fifth desalination plant and have a capacity of 35.7 million gallons per day (135,000 m³/d). This combined system will produce high-quality water for Singapore. The small city-state has set a target to have desalinated water meet up to 30 percent of the country’s future water needs by 2060.

Global Spotlight

Monday, July 15th, 2019

North America
Pure Water Works advanced system installed
Traverse City, MI-based Pure Water Works Inc. reported it has designed and installed an advanced system, the H200M Triplex at Turtle Creek Casino and Resort in Williamsburg. The three-tank design uses progressive-flow technology to reach a peak potential of 229 gpm (866 L/m). The computerized system mate panel controls all aspects of operation and is downloadable. The patented MDV brine recovery system is an environmental and cost-saving feature, reducing both sodium and chlorides in the environment.

AquiSense technology compliance reported
AquiSense Technologies became the world’s first UV LED supplier to be tested against US EPA protocols for its PearlAqua Micro range, which was verified by Hull Consulting, LLC in compliance with US EPA microbiological performance protocols. Five models of the range have been validated with flowrates from 0.1-10.0 L/m. This validation provides reduction equivalent dose, allowing AquiSense to support customers selecting the right configuration for their application, flowrate, microbiological performance and UV dose.

High backflow preventer growth projected
The global demand for backflow preventers is expected to be influenced by the growing construction industry across the globe. Resilient consumer demand for backflow preventers from the residential plumbing sector, as well as from the sprinkler and irrigation sectors, is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years. The growth is leading toward lesser numbers of undesirable reverse-flow incidents, consequently reducing the probability of contamination in potable water. Based on end use, owing to increasing implementation of plumbing codes in residential construction, the residential plumbing segment is expected to be a prominent segment in the market, accounting for more than 40 percent of the market share.

Acuva certification compliance announced
Acuva Technologies announced that its Strike water purification modules comply with two key standards: NSF/ANSI 55 Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems for Material Safety and Structural Integrity and NSF/ANSI 372 Drinking Water System Components—Lead Content Compliance. OEMs can now differentiate themselves with advanced applications in industries that are highly regulated or need to meet very specific disinfection requirements.

Plastic waste program announced
Canada will ban single-use plastics, make companies responsible for plastic waste and invest to grow recycling across the country, a comprehensive approach to address plastic pollution across the country. While there is no single solution to addressing plastic waste, the combination of initiatives will position Canada in a place of domestic and international leadership. The government also sets an example by looking internally and leveraging its own purchasing and procurement power to shift markets by reducing reliance on single-use plastic and increasing usage of products that contain recycled material.

Middle East
DuPont decentralized treatment plant announced
DuPont Water Solutions announced it has partnered with Integrated Environmental Technology and Oil Services Company S.A.E to design a decentralized UF treatment plant in the Suez Governate. The plant is the first of four planned in the region. Built from pre-engineered and pre-assembled IntegraPac^™ ultrafiltration units, the new compact plant is one-third the size of the previous facility. The modular design of the system requires fewer parts and materials than traditional designs and allows for a simplified installation process. In turn, the facility was fully operational in just three months—compared to the twelve months typically needed for completion.

UAE’s Be Kind to donate for Africa wells
Be Kind has pledged to donate 100 percent of profits from its first product, Zayed Water, to the Emirates Red Crescent. The ongoing charity campaign will continue all year long, with the goal of helping Be Kind (in collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent) to build 1,000 water wells over the next five years, in continents suffering from shortage of drinking water. Africa will be the first target. Through the Holy Month of Ramadan, Be Kind donated 120,000 bottles of Zayed Water to schools and Iftar tents within the Emirates, as a way to spread the culture of giving and increase the awareness about socially responsible companies in the Emirates and alleviate the suffering of the less fortunate.

Asia
IWA hub opened
A new International Water Association global operation hub has been opened in Asia, an important and strategic step to achieve IWA’s vision of a water-wise world. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG6, IWA inspires water professionals to deliver water and sanitation for all. Being home to over 2,000 environment companies and 100 universities and research institutes, Jiangsu Province boosts China’s economy and leads innovations in the water and other relevant industries.

Global Spotlight

Saturday, June 15th, 2019

North America
ResinTech new global HQ
ResinTech, Inc. officially broke ground in April on its new global headquarters in Camden, NJ. The $138.8M development project includes 353,000 square feet of new construction on approximately 27 acres. The high-tech plant for manufacturing strong-acid cation resin will be the largest facility of its kind on the east coast and the first US plant to produce ion exchange resins in over 30 years. The facility is sized to provide 550,000 cubic feet of production capacity with a planned expansion to meet the demands of the growing market.

Global membrane demand to increase
Demand for membranes in the water treatment market is forecast to advance 5.8 percent per year to $8.3 billion in 2023, according to Global Membrane Separation Technologies, a new report from Freedonia Group. Growth will be driven in part by the implementation of more stringent quality regulations for water streams in both developed and developing markets. Gains will also be spurred by the extension of water treatment operations into areas without access to clean water. Contact Corinne Gangloff, cgangloff@freedoniagroup.com for more information about the report.

NSF standards updated for Canada
The American National Standards for health effects of drinking water treatment chemicals (NSF/ANSI 60) and plumbing system components (NSF/ANSI 61) have been updated for the Canadian market and published as National Standards of Canada. The standards, initially published in 1988, have been renamed NSF/ANSI/CAN 60: 2018 Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals – Health Effects and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: 2018 Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects. NSF International facilitated development of the voluntary consensus standards by a balanced committee of stakeholders representing both US and Canadian public health officials, regulators, industry, product certifiers and various user groups.

Water-Right acquired by A.O. Smith
A.O. Smith has acquired Water-Right Inc. for $107 million (USD) in cash. The acquisition includes all Water-Right subsidiaries, real estate and Mineral-Right Inc., its sister company. It will expand A.O. Smith’s water treatment offerings to wholesale, dealer channels. In 2016, A.O. Smith acquired filtration company Aquasana, then added Hague Quality Water^® in 2017.

ATS collaboration announced
Midvale, UT-based ATS Innova announced a new partnership with LuminUltra, a microbial monitoring company with offices in Canada, the US and Europe. Through this new collaboration, ATS and LuminUltra have partnered to benefit customers in water, wastewater and industrial markets, to enhance microbial management programs. This will allow the plants to implement technology-based solutions, save time and money and provide faster access to proactive methods for identifying microbes in water.

US EPA grants announced
US EPA recently announced it will issue more $43.7 million in grants across all 50 US states, which is money that can be used to help test drinking water for lead contamination in public schools and childcare facilities. Water-quality experts say that money can help knock down the $1.08 billion estimated price tag to implement much-needed programs that can help protect students from potential lead exposure. According to 120WaterAudit, schools are at a higher risk than other types of facilities.

Salt Institute no more
Salt has existed for millions of years. The Salt Institute has existed for just over a century; now it has dissolved. The Salt Institute spent decades questioning government efforts to limit Americans’ salt consumption. But the trade group has been officially shuttered by the salt industry executives that serve on its board of directors. The board’s statement didn’t reveal why they decided to close now, nor did employees from major salt companies that were contacted by National Public Radio.

Europe
ASTM MOU with Uzbekistan announced
ASTM International has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Standardization, Metrology and Certification Agency of Uzbekistan (UZSTANDART Agency), bringing the total number of MOUs to 112. The MOU program supports the use of ASTM International standards, while also encouraging global participation in the ongoing development of new and revised standards. The MOU with UZSTANDART Agency will support the development of Uzbek national standards for health, safety, the environment and other industries.

Asia
LANXESS product enhancement announced
A leading producer of Indian market chlor-alkali products has shown benefits from improved efficiency of chlor-alkali electrolysis by applying the LANXESS Lewatit MDS TP 208 as ion exchange resin. Consequently, this new generation of finely dispersed resins is being successfully introduced alongside the MonoPlus types. The south India chemical plant in which the technology was deployed has a production capacity of approximately 190 metric kilotons of caustic soda a year, requiring a quantity of around 400 cubic meters of sodium chloride brine per hour. The brine used for electrolysis needs to be pretreated to protect the electrolysis membranes from high levels of impurities; otherwise, precipitation can harm the membranes, resulting in a less efficient process.

India’s drinktec event a success
drink technology India South (dti-South), which took place for the first time in Bengaluru in April, has established a strong position on the south Indian market. With more than 90 brands, 6,481 visitors and an extensive supporting program, the dti family further expanded its footprint to the southern region of India.

Middle East
DuPont technology deployed at water plant
DuPont Water Solutions reported that it has provided technical assistance to the Safi plant in Ajman to install and manage the system, which produces low-conductivity water for the production facilities and helps provide fresh water to the water-scarce region. Constructed in 2010 and then extended with DuPont technology in 2016, the plant was designed to desalinate estuary water as a means to reduce stress on fresh water resources in the region. The extended plant employs a two-stage system that first utilizes IntegraPac^™ IP-77-XP Ultrafiltration for pretreatment of the water. Then, FILMTEC^™ BW30XFR-400/34 RO elements, employed for the second stage.

Africa
Solar-powered water treatment advancing in Africa
In recent years, much effort has been devoted to creating and developing innovative technologies in the field of solarized water treatment technologies and the future is promising. According to Business Daily, in Africa, solar energy is an abundant and widely untapped resource, whose estimated daily insolation is four to six KWh/m². The use of solar energy in photovoltaic systems for lighting, water heating and solar water pumping is rapidly gaining popularity due to its availability, reliability, efficiency and quick payback periods. Solar-powered RO plants are among the technologies being fronted as the sustainable solution to water scarcity in not just Africa but the world over.