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Water & Wastewater News Roundtable 2007

June 1, 2007By Water and Wastewater News Staff

Despite the roar from the municipal water and wastewater industry about the lack of funds for infrastructure, Water & Wastewater News’ roundtable participants seemed to agree that the money is “out there,” it is just a matter of finding the right source.

All Stirred Up

March 1, 2007By Angela Neville, JD, REM

EPA addresses the controversial practice of utility discharge of partially treated wastewater during peak wet-weather flows

Many wastewater treatment plants that release partially treated wastewater during heavy rains are getting into hot water with nearby residents and various stakeholder groups.

The Protozoa Puzzle

March 1, 2007By Michael H. Gerardi

Proliferation of certain groups provides clues for activated sludge management

A New Lease on Old Methods

January 1, 2007By Zoe Grosser, Elaine Le Moine

Advances in organic analysis of wastewater using GC/MS

City Saves With Industrial Process

January 1, 2007By Jim Stafford, Boris M. Khudenko, Rocco M. Palazzolo

Anaerobic process converts organics with less biosolids, odor, and energy cost

Deep-bed Detox

September 1, 2006By David C. Slack

An established technology is helping remove harmful nutrients from municipal wastewater

As total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for nutrient discharges have been developed and further revised by federal and state agencies over the years to address water quality concerns, deep-bed denitrification filters have proven to be a highly effective treatment technology used by wastewater plants to meet low total nitrogen (TN) limits. Patented in 1979, the technology of combining denitrification and solids removal in a deep-bed filter process has helped to dramatically improve wastewater quality at treatment plants across the country.

PPCPs' Double Life

September 1, 2006By Sherleen H. Mahoney

Experts are concerned about the potential health and environmental impacts of contaminants from pharmaceuticals and personal care products that survive municipal wastewater treatment

Each and every one of us contribute to water pollution. "Not I," you say? Well, if you use personal care products, such as shampoos, lotions, or antiperspirants, you do. If you take any kind of medication, over-the-counter or prescription, you do.

Passing the NPDES Litmus Test

May 1, 2006By Gary Antony, Brad Buecker

Power plant operators must control pH limits and contaminants in their wastewater streams to meet permit guidelines

When people think of water issues at electric utilities, the first thought that usually comes to mind is production of high-purity water for steam generation. Even though a power plant may not have myriad fluid processes like a refinery or petrochemical facility, water discharge from a steam-generating facility is usually considerable. Chemistry in discharge streams must be carefully controlled to prevent pollution of receiving bodies of water or surrounding land.

Back to the Basics

September 1, 2005By Steve Harris

A new biostimulant economically treats wastewater sludge by breaking it down into gas, ash, and water

Despite the very best in design, there does come a time in every wastewater lagoon system when sludge must be removed.

The Price Is Right

May 1, 2005By S. David Ross

Magnetic flowmeters aid accurate billing for customers of wastewater treatment facilities

The City of Orlando in Florida treats up to 40 million gallons a day (mgd) of wastewater at its Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The city bills one major upstream source based on the amount of wastewater treated. Both parties want accurate flow measurements to ensure a fair assessment of costs. A few percentage points of error can quickly add up to thousands of dollars in questionable billings.

A Change for the Better

January 1, 2005By Steve Thompson

A new disinfection systems is ensuring safe, all-vacuum liquid chemical feed at Middletown, Ohio's wastewater treatment plant

When the staff at Middletown, Ohio's wastewater treatment plant decided two years ago to switch from gaseous chlorine to sodium hypochlorite for disinfection, they also wanted to find an alternative to using a pressurized liquid chemical delivery system.

A Crystal Clear Vision

December 1, 2004By Gerry D. Rector, CE

A patented recycling process that allows paper companies to convert wastewater sludge into glass aggregate and power exemplifies the growing movement to lessen adverse environmental impacts

Benjamin Franklin once said, "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." With that in mind, paper companies recognize it is not a question of whether they should treat and recycle their spent water -- the question is "How?" Some paper companies are not only finding environmentally friendly ways to take care of spent water, they are going a step further by putting the sludge from their wastewater treatment plants to beneficial use by converting it to glass aggregate, steam, and electricity. In fact, paper companies are leading the charge in using practices that reduce the consumption of resources and related emissions for themselves and their customers.

Beyond Process Control

December 1, 2004By Douglas Johnson

Today's integrated monitoring and control technologies provide operational and economic benefits for municipalities of all sizes

The environment in which the water and wastewater industries operate has never been more challenging. Increasingly complex financial and environmental regulations, security concerns, and shrinking budgets are just a few of the realities keeping managers up at night. Simultaneously addressing these sometimes conflicting demands may seem overwhelming on the surface, but it doesn't have to be. Experience shows that integrating information -- both horizontally and vertically throughout an organization -- can make it easier to satisfy these competing concerns, while at the same time producing additional measurable benefits.

Joining the Mainstream

December 1, 2004By T. David Chinn, PE

As effluent discharge standards become more stringent, advanced treatment alternatives such as membrane bioreactor technology are gaining acceptance with municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants

For more than 30 years the Clean Water Act (CWA) has established programs and requirements to protect the quality of U.S. rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. In that time, this regulatory framework has succeeded in doubling the number of water bodies in the United State that are considered swimmable and fishable. Today, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more than two thirds of water bodies are regarded as healthy compared to only one third in 1972 when the CWA was first created by Congress.

A Tiny Solution to a Big Problem

September 1, 2004By Shas Mattigod, PhD

Using nanotechnology, scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a simple tool to adsorbing large quantities of mercury without creating secondary waste

A powerful, novel technology for mercury removal in waste streams provides an ounce of cure for municipalities, government, and industry. Scientists at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed Thiol-SAMMS, or Self-Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports, as an effective and voracious tool for adsorbing mercury.