WaterBriefs: Elster wins first U.S. systemwide metering deal in Fredericksburg, TX

In other news below:
-- 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

• Elster wins first U.S. systemwide commitment for electric, water in Fredericksburg, TX -- EnergyAxis System offers state-of-the-art technology to help improve billing efficiencies, time management, and customer service -- RALEIGH, NC, MAy 18, 2006 -- April 25, 2006 -- Elster Electricity, LLC announced April 25 its first EnergyAxis System deployment in the Lone Star State's City of Fredericksburg, Texas. This is Elster's first commitment for a complete system wide deployment of both electric and water meter automation in the United States. The EnergyAxis System is an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system for residential, commercial, and industrial electric and water metering applications. Deployment will take place in stages over a three-year period encompassing approximately 5,290 electric meters and 5,071 water meters installed at residential and commercial locations. The City expects to improve billing efficiencies with more accurate and timely bills...
Also see: "Elster Electricity announces agreement with Hunt Technologies to provide AirPoint AMR Module for Electromechanical Meters"

• Aqua America subsidiary acquires another waste hauling business -- BRYN MAWR, PA, May 18, 2006 -- Aqua America Inc. announced today that its non-regulated subsidiary, Aqua Wastewater Management Inc., has acquired the assets of another septage hauling business, significantly increasing the customer base of the new business venture it began last spring. Aqua purchased Leary and Higgins septage hauling business of West Chester, Chester County for $285,000. The business serves 1,500 residential and commercial customers in Chester County, adding to the more than 2,000 customers Aqua currently serves as a result of its acquisition of a similar company, Concord Wastewater Services Inc. of Delaware County, PA, in April 2005. Like its existing septage hauling business, the new business provides commercial and residential wastewater services including septic tank clean-outs and sludge and bulk wastewater hauling. Its customer base includes Aqua America's water utility customers water and wastewater facilities...

• Lyondell Chemical Company selects TiPS LogMate AMS for alarm management -- HOUSTON, May 18, 2006 -- TiPS Inc. announced Houston's Lyondell Chemical Company has executed a company-wide agreement to license TiPS LogMate^® AMS™ alarm management software. LogMate AMS is a full-featured alarm management system that provides the tools necessary to assess and optimize plant alarms, including continuous archival of alarms, events, and operator actions; display of collected data on a customizable grid; analysis and trending tools; alarm rationalization and operator documentation knowledge base; and much more...

• Major oil in water monitor supply contract won by Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments Inc. -- FRESNO, CA, May 18, 2006 -- Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments of Fresno, CA, has won one of the largest oil in water monitor supply contracts in the history of the offshore oil and FPSO business. The Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel contract is split between produced water analyzers and cargo heater steam condensate analyzers. Scheduled for delivery later this year are 26 of their TD-4100 XDC oil in water analyzers. The TD-4100 XDC is a continuous on-line oil in water monitor using Fluorescence measurement technology. The company specializes in oil in water measurement with a staff of specialists in oil production and ship's systems oily water solutions. Turner manufactures oil in water analysis and monitoring instrument with applications world wide ranging from drinking water protection, industrial wastewater, ships bilge water, cooling water, oilfield wastewater and other heavy industrial applications...

• Webcast for laboratories will uncover strategic benefits of integrating CDS, LIMS -- Labtronics Inc. to present "Improving Lab Performance by Integrating Your CDS with Your LIMS," including demonstration of latest available CDS/LIMS integration technology -- GUELPH, Ontario, Canada, May 18, 2006 -- Labtronics Inc., a provider of innovative laboratory data integration and management solutions, announced today that it will be hosting a free informational Webcast that will uncover the strategic benefits of integrating your CDS with your LIMS. The one-hour Webcast entitled "Improving Lab Performance by Integrating Your CDS with Your LIMS" will take place Wednesday, June 21, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. EDT North America. Interested parties can register at http://www.labtronics.com/webcasts/webcast-cds.htm...

• USFilter technology aids odor-free sludge drying at the town of Forest City, NC -- STURBRIDGE, MA, May 18, 2006 -- Forest City is located in western North Carolina about equidistant from Asheville, NC, and Charlotte, NC. The town became concerned about long term disposal options for the biosolids produced by their wastewater reclamation facility. The sludge cake from the belt filter presses had been disposed of by land application in co-operation with local farmers. However, several long extended wet spells that prevented land application resulted in a sludge crisis for the treatment facility. After a study, it was determined that sludge drying would be the best alternative. The solution was provided by a Dragon Dryer^® system that dries biosolids to 90% D.S., meeting the requirements for Class A material. The steam from the totally sealed dryer, which is entirely separated from the combustion gases, is condensed by lowering the air stream temperature below the dew point using a water-cooled condenser. The condensed water is returned to the wastewater treatment plant head works...
Also see:
-- "'Put Up or Shut Up,' that was the choice for this country's oldest potato chip manufacturer in meeting municipal wastewater treatment specifications"
-- "Alaska water treatment plant saves money"
-- "Candy manufacturer, municipality cooperate to overcome wastewater handling problem"

• Alliance between Siemens, Thiess Services and South East Water maintains water supply network in Australia -- ESSEN, Germany, May 18, 2006 -- Three companies have joined forces in an alliance to ensure reliable, value-for-money supplies of drinking water and the collection of waste water for 1.3 million people in south-east Melbourne, located in Australia. The alliance, which involves the Siemens and Thiess Consortium and South East Water, provides maintenance services to South East Water's supply network which covers an area of around 3,640 square kilometres. Together with external revenue, the alliance's total net sales for civil, electrical / mechanical service and construction are projected to be A$ 500+ million [over US$375 million] for the term of agreement. The alliance will run for the next seven years, with a performance-linked option for a further five years. Operating under the name 'us' - Utility Services, the alliance is designed to deliver organisational efficiencies and cost savings in construction, operations and maintenance ultimately leading to reduced overheads and improved services...

• 8,000 new cleanrooms per year keep ultrapure markets busy

NORTHFIELD, IL, May 18, 2006 -- Cleanrooms are utilized by semiconductor, pharmaceutical, flat panel display, aerospace, food and other manufacturers who need to protect products and/or workers from airborne contaminants. More than 94 million ft² of cleanrooms are installed worldwide. More than 150,000 rooms ranging from less than 100 ft² to over 300,000 ft² are in use. More than 8,000 new cleanrooms will be built this year. The largest 800 will account for more than 80% of the total new space. These larger projects are tracked in the McIlvaine report, "World Cleanroom Projects." The largest projects are found in the fast growing flat panel display industry. This is where rooms of 300,000 ft² are being constructed. The semiconductor industry also constructs large sized cleanrooms for chip production. One supplier of disk drives employees over 9000 people in a large cleanroom facility. Many small modular cleanrooms are found in animal research, medical device, food, and many other manufacturing industries...

• Foster Wheeler announces conclusion of Bernard H. Cherry's tenure as Global Power Group CEO -- HAMILTON, Bermuda, May 18, 2006 -- Foster Wheeler Ltd. today announced that Bernard H. "Bud" Cherry's tenure as the company's chief executive officer of its Global Power Group, will end effective June 16, 2006. Initially following Cherry's departure, Raymond J. Milchovich, the company's chairman, president and CEO, will assume his management responsibilities. Cherry, 66, joined Foster Wheeler in November 2002 as president and CEO of Foster Wheeler North America Corp. In May 2004, Foster Wheeler consolidated the management of its North American and European power businesses into one global business, Foster Wheeler Global Power Group, under Cherry's leadership...

• Air Liquide's TURBOXAL goes to new depths for Cott Beverage -- HOUSTON, May 17, 2006 -- Operations managers at Cott Beverage in Concordville, PA, know well the difficulties in balancing increased production with effective wastewater management. As Cott's production capacity rose beyond its wastewater plant's treating capacity, the facility was faced with increased haul-off costs and significant capital expansion costs. Cott turned to Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP and its TURBOXAL oxygen injection technology, which allowed the facility to increase treatment capacity by over 20 percent while it reduced operating costs by 30 percent. The ultimate operational improvements and cost benefits led to the Cott core implementation team being honored with its company's prestigious Gerald N. Pencer Award for Excellence...
Also see: "Air Liquide begins operations in Kuwait: Signs 20-year contract between its subsidiary Shuaiba Oxygen and EQUATE Petrochemical Company"

• R.W. Beck hires Demme as new vice president -- BOSTON, May 16, 2006 -- Management consulting and engineering firm R.W. Beck Inc. announces the addition of David C. Demme, P.E., to the firm as a vice president responsible for growing its Water and Waste Resources Practice throughout the U.S. Northeast. Demme is a registered professional engineer with 30 years of business development, project management and engineering experience. Project feasibility analysis, alternative project delivery systems consulting and financial analysis are also among his areas of expertise. Prior to joining the firm, he was the Alternative Delivery Systems Practice leader at HDR Engineering, an architectural, engineering and consulting firm, where he managed major wastewater treatment, solid waste and water treatment projects. He also worked for Camp Dresser & McKee...
Also see: "R.W. Beck ranked in the Top 500 Design Firms by ENR Magazine"
-- "R.W. Beck wins public relations awards"

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Also in this report:
In earlier newsbriefs, see: "WaterBriefs: ABB's Automation World sees 45 percent bump in attendance" -- Also in this report (May 17, 2006): Aqua-Aerobic celebrates expansion, renovation with open house; PCSF Control System Security Event Monitoring Interest Group transitions to Working Group; Salt Creek Urban Runoff Treatment Facility wins APWA award; Parkson wins ISO 9001:2000 certification; Three new cities join CarteGraph; CONTECH Bridge Solutions becomes new division of CONTECH; Teledyne MGD merges with Teledyne Isco; World Bank's Development Marketplace awards $5M to water, sanitation and energy projects; ohnson Controls helps Middletown, OH, upgrade water meter systems, increase efficiency...

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