I sit writing this letter one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people vaccinated against COVID no longer need masks in most settings. I was thrilled to hear that news, partly because it means more in-person events like conferences and trade shows. My seven months as editor of Water Technology have all been during pandemic-related restrictions on gatherings, so I’m excited at the prospect of meeting some of you face to face at those events.
I’m also excited to tell you about the articles and features in this edition of Water Technology magazine. I had the privilege of writing the cover story, which deals with the Environmental Protection Agency’s push toward further regulation of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and what that regulation could mean to the industrial water sector. I’m truly grateful to all the people who agreed to an interview for this story. Their knowledge and expertise helped me better understand an incredibly nuanced issue.
On page 12, ChemTreat’s Brad Buecker discusses the most important factors influencing modern cooling water chemical treatment. He writes, “While environmental issues are certainly drivers for this evolution [of modern treatment options], advancements in technology to provide better protection and reliability of cooling systems have also played a key role.”
On page 16, Amin Almasi writes about the Dos and Don’ts of industrial water treatment, providing practical notes and useful guidelines on such plants.
One tip he provides: “It is necessary to plan for future expansions of industrial wastewater treatment plants to accommodate industrial growth, future developments and others. Future expansion and possible revamp/renovation/upgrading have always been key requirements for industrial wastewater treatment plants.”
And on page 20, data analytics engineer Daniel Münchrath from Trendminer talks about how the industrial water and wastewater sector can face its challenges head-on with advanced analytics.
