Welcome to the July/August edition of Water Technology magazine. As the cannabis industry grows and legalization expands in the U.S., the impacts of wastewater generated from cannabis processing requires research that can inform cannabis wastewater regulation under development. Currently, marijuana is fully illegal in only eight states; the rest are a patchwork of varying degrees of legalization status. As Brenda Martinez explains on page 10, the absence of a federal regulatory oversight framework — as well as the lack of reliable data on cannabis process wastewater — is complicating development of Best Management Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices for this expanding industry.
Primary treatment is a critical step in industrial wastewater treatment for protecting downstream processes and equipment. It typically begins with screening or settling but can also include clarifiers, oil-water separators, and other separation processes. On page 18, mechanical engineer Amin Almasi offers practical notes and useful guidance for pretreatment and primary stages of industrial wastewater treatment.
Wastewater lagoons and ponds are often used for primary, secondary, and even tertiary treatment of industrial wastewaters but over time, suspended solids that have settled out will accumulate and build up on the bottom of non-aerated ponds. Occasional dredging is required in order to maintain proper hydraulic residence time, but this can be a costly and complicated endeavor. On page 22, authors Larry Smith and Peter Norman present an alternative: a unique bioaugmentation product that harnesses the power of bacteria to improve wastewater treatment efficiency.
Reduction of groundwater consumption is a key component of Saudi Aramco's Water Conservation Policy and in evaluating and analyzing opportunities to save water at its facilities, the company determined that the multimedia filter backwash stream would be easy to treat and could be recovered for reuse. On page 26, Nidal Samad and his co-authors describe how Saudi Aramco piloted a ceramic membrane filtration technology to accomplish its objectives.
Our case study on page 40 takes us to MadTree Brewing, Ohio's first canned craft brewer. Over the past seven years since the company's inception, MadTree's popularity has skyrocketed. In order to meet demand while ensuring consistency and quality, the brewer relies on a dosing pump system at critical injection points in its water treatment process.
If you're like me, you would normally be making fall travel plans right about now, looking forward to connecting with friends and colleagues at industry events. However, at the time of this writing, nearly all events that we track have been canceled for the remainder of the year. But that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities to network and learn. WEFTEC, the largest annual water quality event in the world, is going virtual this year with an exciting agenda that strives to adapt its traditions to a digital experience. Check out some of the highlights in our show preview on page 14. We hope to virtually meet you there in October!
