One dead after outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Ohio
The Lake County General Health District (LCGHD), the Ohio Department of Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating 12 confirmed cases, including one fatality, of Legionnaires’ disease in Lake County, Ohio. Three of those sickened by the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease worked in companies located near each other in the Eastlake area, according to ABC News 5 Cleveland.
LCGHD conducted a Legionella Environmental Assessment at some businesses in the area and confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria, the bacteria which causes Legionnaires’ disease, in one cooling tower at Consolidated Precision Products. The company cleaned and sanitized its cooling towers and after re-inspection, no Legionella bacteria was detected.
Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person-to-person. Instead, the Legionnaires’-causing bacteria spreads through mist, such as from air-conditioning units for large buildings. Adults over the age of 50 and people with weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease, or heavy tobacco use are most at risk of developing symptoms such as cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches and diarrhea.
AWWA encourages collaboration in letter to Trump Transition Team
In a letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) urged the new Administration to make water infrastructure investment a key priority in the coming years. The letter also elevated the issues of cybersecurity, source water protection, the energy-water nexus, affordability and the importance of sound science to guide regulatory actions.
Specifically, AWWA recommended the following:
- Making water infrastructure a top priority while continuing strong support for the state revolving loans (SRFs) and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA): AWWA encouraged the Trump Administration to remove red tape from WIFIA and enable to program to fully realize its capacity to make $3.35 billion in loans available with just a $50 million investment.
- Supporting a collaborative approach to cybersecurity, while developing a more aggressive approach to cyber attacks and support for programs such as the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT)
- Support for water utilities being designated as "first responders" with a need-to-know status during emergency situations, and support for programs that encourage communications between the agricultural and water sectors
- Supporting state and federal programs that encourage water utility energy efficiency
- Considering the full cost of community implementation when considering regulatory actions
- Fully utilizing the deliberative, science-based approach outlined in the Safe Drinking Water Act when setting health-protective standards for drinking water
Malaysian desalination project in Tianjin to start operation
A Malaysian integrated seawater desalination and salt-making project in China’s Tianjin City will soon start operation following the signing of an operation agreement today between Xianda (Malaysia) and the Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, according to New Straits Times. Xianda had reportedly invested RMB15bil (RM8bil) into the plant, which would produce one million tonnes of clarified water and 600,000 tonnes of desalinated water per day. The project serves as an important infrastructure and key utility project in the Nangang Industrial Zone, and is the main supplier of industrial water and demineralized water to the other manufacturing plants within the zone.
Canadian refinery uses GE’s wastewater technologies
Seeking to reduce the use of water in the refining process and as a way of minimizing its environmental impact on the North Saskatchewan River, North West Redwater (NWR) Partnership turned to GE’s Water & Process Technologies for NWR’s new Sturgeon refinery in Alberta, Canada. Like many regions, Alberta has very stringent regulations regarding freshwater withdrawal and effluent discharge, and Water & Process Technologies provided an innovative solution to meet NWR’s sustainability and environmental goals as well as the province’s policies.
Water pump market to record impressive growth rate through 2020
Asia Pacific is the largest market for water pumps followed by Europe and North America, according to a report by Persistence Market Research. Asia Pacific has the highest growth rate in the water pumps market, mainly due to surge in infrastructural developments in developing countries such as India and China. On the basis of product segments, centrifugal water pumps hold majority of the market share and is expected to grow further with steady rate owing to increasing demand from industries such as oil and gas and municipalities. By end user application, industrial water pumps had the largest market share in 2013 in the water pumps market. Industrial water pumps are also growing at a high rate due to increasing industrialization in growing Asia Pacific countries where oil and gas industry are the major end users of water pumps.
Industrial water meter industry report expected to grow
The global industrial water meter market is expected to witness a relatively higher growth rate during the forecast period, according to Absolute Report’s Industrial Water Meter Industry Outlook, Growth by Top Company, Region, Application, Driver, Trends & Forecasts by 2020. Industrial Water Meter Industry report focuses on the major drivers and restraints for the key players. It also provides granular analysis of the market share, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the market. The Industrial Water Meter Industry research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Industrial Water Meter Industry.
Rainwater harvesting helps overcome shortage of water
The Rainwater Harvesting System Market: Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 – 2021, by Zion Market Research reports various regions facing water scarcity issues globally which lead to depletion of ground water level due to the high amount of heat that is induced into ground. This, in turn, leads to drought situations. However, rainwater harvesting is an old technique and also an initiative to overcome the shortage of water with the help of modern equipment in order to store the water from house roofs and building which is further directed to the storage facility constructed on the ground level or directly into the ground. This arrangement is made to increase the ground water level. Rain is undoubtfully an ultimate source of fresh water.
Industrial wastewater treatments spur US soluble polymers growth
The U.S. water soluble polymers market is expected to cross $11 billion by 2025, on the back of growing demands for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, increased oil and gas recovery using drilling techniques, pharmaceuticals and pulp & paper industries from different regions across the United States, according to a new Research and Market report, the “US Water Soluble Polymers Market – Forecast & Opportunities, 2011-2025.”
