One billion dollar initiative to help secure safe drinking water in Ill.
The state of Illinois will benefit from a new $1 billion initiative that will help secure safe drinking water. Currently, residents are receiving water through water mains that are nearly 100 years old and are in dire need of being replaced. The Illinois Clean Water Initiative will be able to help the state meet its demand for safe drinking water by offering funding for wastewater treatment infrastructure. According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, over 350 local governments have made requests for such support. In addition to supplying safe water, the project will create over 28,000 jobs. Part of the project includes the replacement of water mains, upgrades to the sewer system, treatment plants being built and environmental threats cleaned up.
AWWA launches new, streamlined website
The American Water Works Association announced the launch of a new, streamlined website at awwa.org. The enhanced design and improved functionality provides a state-of-the-art browsing experience for AWWA members, customers and other visitors. Some of the updates include a one-stop shopping for event registration, products and other purchases, an international event calendar, enhanced Journal AWWA and Opflow online publications and easier access to knowledge about available volunteer opportunities.
County in Fla. looking to build pumping station for backup drinking water source
While continuing their search for a secondary potable water source, Bay County officials are looking to build a pumping station near Deer Point Lake. Assistant county manager Dan Shaw said plans to add a second intake in the northern part of the county are in preliminary talks right now. The pumping station would act as a backup drinking water source, something the county has been looking to acquire for years. Deer Point Lake is the county’s only source of drinking water. Shaw added that the new plant would safeguard the county if a natural disaster caused saltwater to come over the dam into the lake.
Low levels of Mississippi River to blame for bad odor, taste of drinking water in Ill.
Illinois communities may have been noticing a bad odor and taste from their tap water recently coming from a local utility. Illinois American Water spokeswoman Karen Cotton said the low levels of the Mississippi River seem to be changing the water’s composition. The utility has been addressing complaints from residents as they look to solve the issue. Engineers are working to fix the problem through the treatment process, but Cotton said the water is still safe to consume and meets federal health standards. For the time being, Cotton suggests residents place water in a container in the refrigerator for one hour to combat the problem.
MTN Products awarded patent for new energy saving reservoir baffle
MTN Products has just been awarded a patent for its new energy saving reservoir baffle. The patent allows MTN Products' coolers to meet Energy Star standards using a 2.0 L hot tank and 1 gallon cold reservoir, yet still meet the goal of less than 1.2kWh/day. This patented new baffle uniquely controls and manages the mixing of hot & cold water between the hot tank and cold reservoir. Most of MTN's pump and solenoid model coolers already meet the new ES standard of .81kWh/day proposed to go into effect November 2013. The Nexus and Horizon model coolers have been within this proposed new spec for months already.
School in Nevada installing hydration stations for clean drinking water
The American Water Works Association and American Membrane Technology Association announced that registration is open for the 2013 AMTA/AWWA Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition, to be held Feb. 25-28, 2013, in San Antonio, Texas. AWWA and AMTA are uniting once again to present the latest developments in membrane water treatment technologies. Members from both organizations are encouraged to register for the conference and at the conference hotel by Jan. 24, 2013, to receive discounted pricing and group rates. This year’s conference is expected to be the largest in its history, with 120 technical presentations, five workshops and close to 100 exhibitors. For the first time the conference will also feature a track on the industrial uses of membrane technology. Attendees will also hear from Tuesday’s keynote speaker, Dr. Samer Adham, director of the ConocoPhilips Global Water Sustainability Center, as he discusses the future role membranes will play in addressing the world’s energy and water needs.
Waterlogic announces acquisition of trading assets of AquaPerfect
Waterlogic Plc, a designer, manufacturer and global distributor of point-of-use (POU) drinking water purification and dispensing systems, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire the trading assets of AquaPerfect LLC, a highly-regarded vendor of Waterlogic water dispensers and Keurig coffee machines based in Northern California. AquaPerfect has an existing installed base of over 2,300 water dispensers and coffee machines supplying and servicing offices and businesses in the Sacramento area. Following completion, the AquaPerfect business will become part of Taylor Made Water Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Waterlogic USA, the Company's U.S. division. The unaudited financial statements of AquaPerfect for the full year ending Dec. 31, 2011 show revenues of $1.26 million and adjusted EBITDA of $0.23 million (after adding back non-recurring payments made to officers).
