In other news below:
-- Southwest Water appoints chairman, vice chairman; president resigns
-- AEM Cremona, KOPEC nuke plant acknowledged with BE Awards
-- WaterPartners gets $4M to fight water-related diseases
-- Graham Corp. wins $4.5 million Middle East oil refinery contract
-- Pa. governor announces study to protect drinking water sources
-- American Water appoints George MacKenzie to board chairman
-- Triton debuts at National Hurricane Conference in Orlando
-- Strategic Growth Ventures Inc. to purchase Water Recovery operations
• Watts Water Technologies acquires ATS Expansion Group -- NORTH ANDOVER, MA, May 19, 2006 -- Watts Water Technologies Inc. announced today that it has acquired ATS Expansion Group in a stock purchase transaction. ATS is a manufacturer of a wide range of products addressing the French wholesale and do-it-yourself markets. Its products include fittings, valves and manifolds for water, gas and heating applications and stainless steel flexible hoses. It has three facilities in France located in Sorgues, Grenoble and Houtvillers. It markets its products under the brands of Gripp, Porquet and Sirius. Annual revenue of these businesses is approximately 40 million euros [US$51.06 million]. The aggregate purchase price paid by Watts was 60 million euros [US$76.59 million]...
• Southwest Water appoints chairman, vice chairman; announces resignation of president/COO -- LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2006 -- Southwest Water Co. today announced that its board of directors elected CEO Mark A. Swatek as a director and chairman of the board, succeeding Anton C. Garnier, who remains a director and was appointed executive vice chairman. Swatek was appointed CEO of Southwest Water in April and took office on May 15. The company also announced that Peter J. Moerbeek has resigned as a director and as president and chief operating officer...
• AEM Cremona's 'extraordinary' work acknowledged with BE Award -- EXTON, PA, May 19, 2006 -- The Azienda Energetica Municipale (AEM) Cremona's new geospatial system, SIT AEMCR, is enabling this multi-utility in Italy to improve the quality of its services and increase its performance. For its implementation of this new system, AEM Cremona received a BE Award in the category "Geospatial: Utilities." AEM Cremona's SIT AEMCR system manages the multi-utility's many responsibilities, including electricity, gas, water, wastewater, and district heating services, along with public lighting, road signals, and traffic lights. The company required a database framework able to manage data from different sources, and to publish administrative documents and project files about the networks and territory. Bentley geospatial solutions were deployed to support the delivery of services to the customer. The BE Awards of Excellence honor extraordinary work of Bentley users in improving the world's infrastructure. This year's BE Awards of Excellence ceremony takes place May 22 in Charlotte, N.C...
Also see:
-- "KOPEC's nuclear power plant project honored with BE Award"
-- "Bentley unveils ProjectWise StartPoint"
• WaterPartners gets $4M to fight water-related diseases -- Again teams with Agora Foundation to deliver clean water worldwide -- KANSAS CITY, MO, May 19, 2006 -- WaterPartners International (WPI) today announced a $4 million grant from the Agora Foundation to bring clean water to the world's poorest communities, furthering WPI's mission to break the cycle of water-related diseases that claim about 5 million lives annually worldwide. The gift is one of the largest single grants to a non-profit group focused on the world water crisis and was spearheaded by philanthropist Wynnette LaBrosse, the founder of Agora, a donor-advised fund at Peninsula Community Foundation near San Francisco. In 2004, Agora gave $1 million to launch WPI's WaterCredit Initiative, a unique program providing access to financing for the world's poor so they can build and own sustainable water systems. Agora's latest grant will continue to fund water, sanitation, and health education programs and also will provide operational support for WaterPartners. To date, WaterPartners has provided more than 100,000 people with access to clean water, and the latest Agora grant will likely double that number...
• Graham Corp. wins $4.5 million Middle East oil refinery contract -- BATAVIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2006--Graham Corp. announced today it was awarded a $4.5 million ejector system contract to be installed in an oil refinery located in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. The oil refinery in which Graham's equipment will be installed is being upgraded to produce clean transportation fuels and expand its capacity. In addition to enabling the refinery to produce clean fuels which meet environmental regulations, the project will improve the refinery's production capacity to 480,000 barrels per day. The refinery improvements are part of an overall plan to upgrade the facility into a world-scale integrated refining and petrochemicals complex. Graham previously announced in July 2005, that it had won a contract to supply four surface condensers for an ethylene plant located in the same complex. With this new contract, Graham will have over $8 million in equipment installed in this complex once it completes this and the July 2005 contracts...
• Pa. governor announces study to protect drinking water sources -- Goal is to determine presence of unregulated compounds, identify treatment alternatives -- HARRISBURG, PA, May 18, 2006 -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the state's partnership with the federal government on a landmark study that will determine the occurrence and concentration of unregulated compounds, such as prescription and non-prescription chemicals, in the waters of central Pennsylvania. The Department of Environmental Protection launched the joint research with the Pennsylvania Water Science Center at the U.S. Geologic Survey in February. Sampling will be conducted on a quarterly basis, leading to a final report in 2007...
Also see:
-- "Gov. Rendell announces $20 million in recycling gratns"
-- "Gov. Rendell says $34 million water, wastewater infrastructure investment will lay groundwork for 20,000 jobs in 10 counties"
• American Water appoints George MacKenzie to board chairman -- VOORHEES, NJ, May 18, 2006 -- American Water, the largest and most geographically diverse provider of water services in North America, today announced the appointment of George MacKenzie as non-executive chairman of the company's board of directors effective May 17. MacKenzie most recently served as interim president and CEO of American Water until the appointment of Donald L. Correll, which took effect April 17. Previously Audit Committee chair, he has been a member of the American Water Board since August 2003. He's also served on the boards of Safeguard Scientific Inc., traffic.com, C&D Technologies Inc. He spent 22 years with Hercules Inc., where he was CFO and board vice chairman...
• Triton debuts at National Hurricane Conference in Orlando -- NAPA, CA May 18, 2006 -- PRISMedical Corp., maker of MainStream®, the only FDA cleared water purification device to produce US Pharmacopeia sterile water in a handheld, portable, gravity driven and point-of-use device, introduces the Triton® Personal Water Purification Unit capable of producing up to 55 gallons (200 liters or 440 pounds) of highly pure water for emergencies or outdoor use, without power, pumping or chemicals. Water interruption emergencies are frequently associated with hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, fires and other natural disasters. Notably, the "boil water alert" implemented after Hurricane Katrina, was lifted in New Orleans more than seven months after it was initiated. This leaves significant opportunities for companies that are able to offer emergency water treatment solutions...
Also see:
-- "PRISMedical introduces Triton personal water purification unit for emergency preparedness and outdoor enthusiasts"
-- "PRISMedical announces a new contract with U.S. Department of Defense"
• Strategic Growth Ventures Inc. announces agreement in principal to purchase Water Recovery operations -- TAMPA, FL, May 18, 2006 -- Strategic Growth Ventures (SGWV) announced today it has reached an agreement in principal to purchase World First Water Recovery Corp. for preferred stock. SGWV will issue Preferred Stock for the purchase. World First Water Recovery provides services and equipment for water treatment and purification. The initial contract in this agreement is being negotiated. It is expected to provide $53 million in revenue with about $10 million in net income. The duration of the contract as currently negotiated provides for three years of operations with an additional one year extension possible. The operation will treat 25,000 barrels of water per day from oil production. It will take five months to install the equipment. The first revenue should be realized in November 2006. The final contract will be signed before the end of May 2006...
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In earlier newsbriefs, see: "WaterBriefs: Elster wins first U.S. systemwide metering deal in Fredericksburg, TX" -- Also in this report (May 18, 2006): Aqua America subsidiary acquires another waste hauling business; Lyondell Chemical Company selects TiPS LogMate AMS for alarm management; Major FPSO oil-in-water monitor supply contract won by Turner Designs; Webcast for laboratories will uncover strategic benefits of integrating CDS, LIMS; USFilter technology aids odor-free sludge drying at the town of Forest City, NC; Siemens, Thiess Services and South East Water maintain Australian water supply network; 8,000 new cleanrooms per year keep ultrapure markets busy; Cherry out as Foster Wheeler Global Power Group CEO; Air Liquide's TURBOXAL goes to new depths for Cott Beverage; R.W. Beck hires Demme as new vice president...
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