bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A proposed C × T table for the synergistic inactivation of Cryptosporidium with ozone and chloramine
Authors: Najm Issam , Rakness Kerwin , Hotaling Michael , Via Steve , Rexing David
Published: February 2018

Several studies have investigated the possible synergy between ozone and chloramine and between ozone and chlorine for the inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts. This article includes a pooled analysis of three published data sets collected by different research groups using different analytical techniques. The analysis shows that significant inactivation of Cryptosporidium oocysts with chloramine can be achieved downstream of exposure to ozone. An empirical model is proposed to incorporate upstream inactivation with ozone into the calculation of the Cryptosporidium log inactivation with downstream chloramine. Using this model, the authors developed C × T tables for the inactivation of Cryptosporidium with chloramine downstream of various levels of inactivation with ozone. Synergistic inactivation with extended chloramine contact time downstream of ozone can provide substantial benefits to water treatment plants.
Investigating Multibarrier Inactivation for Cincinnati—UV, By‐Products, and Biostability
Authors: Kashinkunti Ramesh D. , Linden Karl G. , Shin Gwy‐Am , Metz Deborah H. , Sobsey Mark D. , Moran Melissa C. , Samuelson Amy M.
Published: February 2018

The Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) Water Works strives to continually improve the effectiveness of its water treatment processes. Questions regarding the vulnerability of the Ohio River watershed to microbial contamination and concerns about compliance with the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule led the utility to initiate an in‐depth study of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. The study was designed to determine how exposing treated Ohio River water to UV affected (1) the inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum, bacteria, and viruses, (2) the susceptibility of these microorganisms to free chlorine after partial inactivation with UV, (3) the formation of oxidation and chlorinated disinfection by‐products (DBPs), and (4) microbial regrowth (measured by assimilated organic carbon) following UV disinfection. Results indicated that UV alone or UV followed by free chlorine effectively controlled all microorganisms tested. Additionally, no evidence of increased DBP formation or regrowth was observed at UV doses typically used for disinfection.
Tapping Into the Knowledge OF FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES
Authors: Cooper Karen H. , Dettmer Ann , Leeds Rubi
Published: February 2018

A water utility's field service and customer service areas are both critical to customer satisfaction. Though they share certain processes and a common goal of serving the customer, communication between the two groups can often be lacking, a fact that does not go unnoticed by the customer. This article offers suggestions for bringing these two groups together by detailing the experiences of American Water, the largest water utility in the United States, which launched a knowledge‐sharing program in July 2004. Examples of successful practices include holding knowledge‐sharing conferences, working side‐by‐side, and creating interaction maps to foster a mutual understanding of each other and to consider ways to enhance shared processes.
Nitrification potential curves: a new strategy for nitrification prevention
Authors: Fleming Kala K. , Harrington Gregory W. , Noguera Daniel R.
Published: February 2018

In this article, nitrification potential curves are introduced as a possible operational strategy to prevent nitrification in chloraminated distribution systems. Nitrification potential curves are constructed based on the parameters that define growth and inactivation kinetics of ammoniaoxidizing bacteria in environments that contain chloramine and ammonia. To demonstrate the applicability of nitrification potential curves, long‐term, pilot‐scale studies that covered a range of chlorine‐to‐ammonia application ratios and chloramine residual concentrations that are typical of full‐scale chloraminated systems were conducted. The nitrification potential curve approach was effective in explaining why some of the pilot‐scale runs experienced nitrification while others did not based only on experimental measurements of total chlorine residual and free ammonia concentration. Because of the simplicity of the required measurements, nitrification potential curves can help define strategies to monitor and operate chloraminated distribution systems to prevent or minimize nitrification episodes.
Operation of Dams Constitutes Discharge Under CWA
Authors: Stiegler Mayo H.
Published: February 2018

The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine has ruled that water released from hydroelectric dams constituted a discharge under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Building a Successful Workforce Diversity Program
Authors: Stone Mark
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the City of San Diego's workforce diversity program, started in 1991, and has since spun off a number of training programs and activities that support many of the city's departments, including the water department. The article discusses developing a team and training program, developing a strategic plan, affirming the department's commitment to the program, celebrating diversity, and enhancing the program with new educational offerings called the Diversity University.
Fixed‐bed biological treatment of perchlorate‐contaminated: DRINKING WATER
Authors: Brown Jess C. , Anderson Ryan D. , Min Joon H. , Boulos Lina , Prasifka David , Juby Graham J.G.
Published: February 2018

A six‐month pilot study was conducted to evaluate the use of fixed‐bed (FXB) bioreactors to treat perchlorate‐contaminated groundwater and to address some of the concerns associated with the full‐scale implementation of such a process. The pilot data illustrated that perchlorate‐reducing FXB bioreactors can be acclimated using organisms indigenous to the local aquifer; can achieve sustained perchlorate removal to below the analytical detection limit using reasonable contact times; can produce biologically stable effluent; do not foster the growth of pathogenic bacteria; and are robust with respect to system upsets. Based on this project, the California Department of Health Services conditionally approved FXB bioreactors for treating perchlorate‐contaminated drinking water, making it possible to consider the full‐scale design and implementation of FXB biological perchlorate treatment in California.
Measuring Up
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack W.
Published: February 2018

In his column, AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr discusses the meaning of the term “professional.” Hoffbuhr extends the meaning of professionalism to more than just completing training, earning certifications or graduating with a college degree. The true measure of a professional, he states, is based on character, dependability, and conscience. Committment to the mission of ensuring public safety and being responsible stewards of precious water resources is something every water professional should strive for and be measured by.
We Need to Get Strategic on Water Security
Authors: Roberson J. Alan , Morley Kevin M.
Published: February 2018

Since The Bioterrorism Act was enacted in 2002, more than 8,000 drinking water utilities have completed their vulnerability assessments (VAs) and revised their emergency response plans (ERPs). However, many questions related to water security remain unanswered. This article outlines many of the key issues that still need to be addressed, and failure to focus on these and other issues places at risk the establishment of a security culture and the knowledge necessary to support a sustained, long‐term investment in the protection of this critical infrastructure.
A standard efficiency metric for evaluating the performance of community water systems
Authors: Rogers Jeffrey W. , Louis Garrick E.
Published: February 2018

Community water systems face pressure to improve performance because of increasing public scrutiny, decreasing financial health, and increasing infrastructure rehabilitation/replacement costs. This pressure requires community water systems to improve accountability to stakeholders relative to all aspects of their performance. However, the current performance assessment and evaluation (PAE) approach of community water systems is highly individualized by service, and it provides little opportunity for benchmark comparisons across the community water system (CWS) sector. Existing PAE frameworks focus on the continuous improvement of core processes internal to a CWS without providing a standard for consistent comparison across services within a geographical region. The research presented in this article hypothesizes that an effective solution to this problem would be to: facilitate public awareness by developing a standard efficiency metric (SEM) parameter for a standardized PAE that would enable stakeholders to compare the performance of their CWS to the regional benchmarks; enhance financial health characteristics by enabling regional management to base resource allocation decisions on uniform performance information about the services in the regional water system; and, increase service operating efficiency over the current practice. The SEM parameter described in this article is capable of providing assessment information to the individual community water system provider in order to improve performance. The SEM parameter also enables the comparison and benchmarking of CWSs operating as a regional water system through the standardized PAE framework. As accountability in the CWS sector improves through the use of the SEM parameter, the expected result will be more effective resource allocation decisions across a collection of CWSs operating as a regional system.
Second UCMR Seeks Data on 26 Chemical Contaminants
Authors: Scharfenaker Mark
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the second Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR2) that will require a national sampling of water utilities to monitor for 26 high‐priority unregulated contaminants, including perchlorate. The UCMR2 features an assessment monitoring component that would have 3,910 public water systems look for 11 priority chemicals using six well‐established analytical methods. The rule also includes a screening survey that would have 1,122 systems monitor for 15 other targeted chemicals using specialized and less commonly used methods. Scheduled for promulgation by August 2006, the rule would apply to community water systems (CWSs) and nontransient‐ noncommunity water systems (NTNCWSs). The article discusses the US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) selection method for the 26 chemicals, the USEPA's request for a second monitoring for perchlorate, and possible additions to the final screening survey. Assessment monitoring process is described, along with the screening survey and state participation.
Helping Utility Managers Address Tomorrow's Competitive Pressures
Authors: Smith Harold , Buchanan Barry
Published: February 2018

This article describes the AWWA Competitive Practices Committee (CPC), whose purpose is to advance and disseminate information and knowledge related to strategic approaches to the management and operation of water utilities. In other words, its purpose is to help utility managers identify and implement the most up‐to‐date management practices. The article lists the committee's most recent activities that include sponsoring professional sessions and workshops and contributions to the M5 Manual, along with current CPC initiatives concerning asset management.
Envisioning the future water utility
Authors: Westerhoff Garrett P. , Pomerance Hy , Sklar David
Published: February 2018

This article presents the findings of a Malcolm Pirnie Inc. 2004 national survey of 71 water utility industry experts with regard to their views on the future issues facing U.S. utilities. The survey challenged respondents to predict the future and outline how utilities can best prepare themselves for upcoming issues. According to respondents, effective leadership and management are key to the success of the U.S. utility industry. Respondents also suggested that leadership and management will be very different in the years ahead. The effective leader of the future will provide: emotional direction, driving effective interpersonal relationships at all levels; strategic thinking, driving development of vision and planning and operational excellence; and, business and technical leadership, driving complex financial and environmental decision‐making. Key to this type of leadership in the future are succession planning, strategic planning, and asset management plan implementation today.
Ten steps to a Winning SLA
Authors: Johnson Tony
Published: February 2018

Water utilities are increasingly outsourcing noncore business functions as a way to boost efficiency and economy. Service level agreements (SLAs) with vendors are a key component of successful outsourcing and, ultimately, enhanced customer care. However, creating and implementing a comprehensive and cohesive SLA are complicated processes, especially for utilities with little or no experience in outsourcing critical functions. This article offers ten strategies for developing and executing SLAs that will help utilities meet their objectives. Key performance indicators, expectations, and the process for measuring results should be clearly but not overly defined. In addition, a good SLA builds in incentives, regular reviews, benchmarking provisions, and requirements for employee training and documentation. Utilities need to view the vendor partner as an extension of their organizations in order to establish a partnership that works for both utility personnel and the customers they serve. The SLA is the cornerstone on which successful outsourcing is built. A good SLA can help protect a water utility from misunderstandings, poor vendor performance, a failed partnership, and disgruntled consumers.
State's Issuance of Wastewater Discharge Permit Upheld
Authors: Stiegler Mayo H.
Published: February 2018

The Court of Appeals of Virginia has ruled that the State Water Control Board (SWCB) of Virginia could issue a permit to discharge treated wastewater into a river even though no pollutant‐load allocation analysis had been performed to demonstrate the achievement of water quality standards.
Riverbank Filtration for IESWTR Compliance
Authors: Gollnitz William D. , Clancy Jennifer L. , McEwen J. Brock , Garner Stephen C.
Published: February 2018

The Central Wyoming Regional Water System operates 29 groundwater collection devices in an alluvial aquifer adjacent to the North Platte River. These collection devices were previously designated “groundwater under the direct influence of surface water.” In lieu of constructing a conventional surface water treatment plant, the utility opted to perform a two‐year study to demonstrate that riverbank filtration (i.e., natural filtration) provided the 2.0‐log reduction of Cryptosporidium required under the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (e.g., riverbank filtration is the primary filtration process). Using multiple surrogates of various sizes encompassing those of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, the utility demonstrated 2.0‐log reductions in more than 90% of matched data pairs. No Giardia cysts or Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in any of the 170 groundwater samples. This level of removal was achieved during the summer months when infiltration rates are high because of increased river stage and well‐field production.
Antimicrobial contaminant removal by Multistage Slow Sand Filtration
Authors: Rooklidge Stephen J. , Miner J. Ronald , Kassim Tarek A. , Nelson Peter O.
Published: February 2018

In rural areas, where passive filtration of surface water is a viable option, aquatic systems can become contaminated by antimicrobials from wastewater treatment plants or diffuse pollution. This study examined slow sand filter biomass (schmutzdecke) sorption behavior and removal efficiencies in a pilot roughing and slow sand filter that was fed 0.2 mg/L of five compounds from four classes of antimicrobials. High‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC MS/MS) was used to analyze aqueous antimicrobial concentrations. Schmutzdecke sorption coefficients were comparable to those previously found for soils but did not correlate well with estimates derived from octanol–water partition coefficients. Roughing filtration exhibited low removal efficiencies, but antimicrobials with high sorption coefficients can accumulate in roughing filter waste and schmutzdecke. At the end of a 14‐day slow sand filtration period, tylosin was not detected in filter effluent and trimethoprim was >99% removed. Slow sand filtration, however, exhibited <25% removal of lincomycin and <4% removal of the sulfonamide class of antimicrobials. Multistage filtration is regarded as an ineffective treatment method for antimicrobials with low filter‐media sorption coefficients.
Enhancing calcium carbonate precipitation by heterogeneous nucleation during chemical softening
Authors: Mercer Kenneth L. , Lin Yi‐Pin , Singer Philip C.
Published: February 2018

Heterogeneous nucleation refers to precipitation on the surface of nucleating agents such as seed crystals, whereas homogeneous nucleation is precipitation in the absence of available nucleating surfaces. Unlike homogeneous nucleation, heterogeneous nucleation lowers the free energy of crystallization in precipitative water softening processes. To determine the importance of the amount of surface area provided by the nucleating agent, different‐sized calcium carbonate seed crystals were added to various hard waters during precipitative softening with caustic soda. Synthetic hard waters (with and without natural organic material) and naturally occurring hard waters were softened to remove dissolved calcium through homogeneous nucleation and heterogeneous nucleation using calcite seed crystals of two sizes. The naturally occurring hard waters were also softened in the presence of softening sludge from selected water softening treatment plants. Study results demonstrated that calcite seed crystals improved the removal of dissolved calcium during precipitative softening and that the optimal seed dose depended on the surface area available for nucleation.
CWSRF cut shuffles infrastructure funding deck
Authors: Scharfenakery Mark
Published: February 2018

This article sums up a number of legislative actions that include: Congressional spending cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) clean and safe water programs that were made to lower the budget deficit; approval of $309.9 million in cost‐share grants for hundreds of “targeted” local projects in every state, called “pork” by critics; and, cuts to major federal funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. The article outlines signals that indicate continued bipartisan backing for some form of additional assistance for infrastructure projects despite a tight budget and cutbacks.
How Big Is The “Water Business”?
Authors: Maxwell Steve
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the difficulties of defining and measuring the water industry and states that the industry is composed of different sectors that each have their own growth, profitability, and strategic profiles. The article warns that lumping too many different segments together into one large whole tends to mask important trends and developments within a specific part of the business. The article lists several detailed economic studies and projections about the future of the water business that were done by a number of academic institutions, industry groups, government agencies, and associations. The article provides a table of supply‐side segmentation figures covering the overall market from a survey done by Environmental Business International (EBI).
Beneficial Use Must Be Shown to Change New Mexico Water Rights
Authors: Stiegler Hayo H.
Published: February 2018

The Court of Appeals of New Mexico has ruled that the owner of a water right must perfect the right through beneficial use in order to qualify for a change of location or use of the right.
Is Your Surface Water Plant Optimized?—Part 1
Authors: Fraser Dan L. , Steiner Joe
Published: February 2018

This is Part One of a two‐part column on surface water treatment plant optimization. The article describes the term “optimization” as used to describe the efficient operation of process control procedures in the creation of a product such as drinking water. The article lists criteria used to measure the success of an optimized conventional water treatment plant. These criteria were developed to measure the effective use of the multiple barriers to pathogens (sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection) provided in a typical conventional water treatment plant and are more restrictive and difficult to achieve than the performance requirements of the SWTR, the Enhanced SWTR, or the Long Term 1 SWTR. The article lists typical factors commonly observed in struggling water systems that are marginally meeting regulations.
Creating a Strategic Communication Plan That Gathers No Dust
Authors: Tennyson Patricia A. , Ray Kristina
Published: February 2018

Many organizations struggle to maintain a cohesive communication program, despite the existence of a communication plan. The problem often lies in the plan itself. Planning exercises are exciting, ambitious undertakings involving the highest levels of an organization. Board members, general managers, other agency leaders, and consultants often contribute to the creation of a water utility's communication plan. With this kind of intellectual wattage, why aren't plans more useful? This article identifies seven planning pitfalls and shows utilities how to avoid the mistake of thinking they're serving the “general public.”
The Power of Water
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack W.
Published: February 2018

In his column, AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr discusses the December 26, 2004 tsunami that impacted the countries of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and elsewhere and what effect the tsunami will have on water and sanitation systems in those areas. He states that even though the magnitude of this disaster is tremendous, the immediate loss of life due to the tsunami will be outstripped by the number of people dying from unsafe drinking water under ordinary circumstances in other parts of the world. He hopes that the spotlight on the tsunami disaster will encourage greater public and governmental awareness of safe water and sanitation concerns not only in Asia, but also in developing countries throughout the world.
Charging Vacant Lots for Access to Water and Sewer Services Deemed Unconstitutional
Authors: Stiegler Hayo H.
Published: February 2018

The Court of Appeals of Washington has determined that availability charges assessed to owners of vacant lots for water and sewer access, even though such properties were not connected to a city's water and sewer systems, were unconstitutional property taxes.
Condition‐based asset management strengthens bottom line
Authors: Mergelas Brian J.
Published: February 2018

This field report discusses how a condition‐based asset management approach can drastically reduce expenditures and maximize both the safe life of the asset and the effectiveness of the budget allocation. The primary focus of this approach is on establishing the condition of a water transmission system and selectively rehabilitating only the individual pipes whose structural or mechanical integrity has been compromised, thus eliminating unnecessary replacement of large lengths of transmission mains. The report describes using a remote field eddy current/transformer coupling (RFEC/TC) to assess the condition of concrete pressure pipe (CPP) and pre‐stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP), and a new technology called the Sahara® water transmission main leak detection system that can be used to survey pipe of any material or construction type >12 in. (300 mm) in diameter. Two case studies are presented that demonstrate how the Sahara was modified to accommodate special needs by Dallas Water Utilities and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Supply from the Sea: Exploring Ocean Desalination
Authors: Szytel Jeff
Published: February 2018

Most ocean desal facilities are located along the coasts in the energy‐rich Middle East. However, ocean desal is a growing market in Spain, England, the United States, and Mexico. Several trends are discussed that have contributed to the advancement of ocean desal both in the United States and abroad in recent years. Although there are still many barriers to large‐scale implementation of ocean desal, advances in technology, water policy, economic allocation, and public awareness will continue to drive the development of ocean desal projects well into the foreseeable future.
Key Growth Drivers and Trends in the Water Business
Authors: Maxwell Steve
Published: February 2018

This article addresses a handful of key factors that are driving the overall expansion and coalescence of the water industry. These drivers, that include economic and social demands as well as political realities, give rise to various trends and effects, which will likely dominate the water industry for years to come. They include: growing water quality and quantity problems; growing public awareness and concerns about water issues; expansion of regulatory controls and enforcement; huge capital expenditures; changes in privatization and public‐private partnerships; utility consolidation and rearrangement of ownership; more efficient water use by consumers, and greater reliance on recycling and reuse; incremental but inexorable advances in water treatment technologies; growth of consumer power; and, rising water rates.
Michigan Laws Cannot Restrict Enforcement of CWA
Authors: Stiegler Mayo H.
Published: February 2018

According to the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, a state's adoption of its own wetlands protection regulations did not relieve developers of a responsibility to comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Comparison of stannous chloride and phosphate for lead corrosion control
Authors: Hozalski Raymond M. , Esbri‐Amador Elizabeth , Chen Che Fei
Published: February 2018

Because of health hazards associated with lead toxicity, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1991 promulgated the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), which established an action level for lead at 15 μg/L as Pb. Even though lead pipes are no longer installed in U.S. distribution systems, many cities still have lead service connections that can release lead into the water. To help control lead concentrations, many water utilities add corrosion inhibitors to the treated water to create a protective scale layer on pipe walls. In this research, a 13‐month study investigated the effects of corrosion control chemicals on lead release and bacterial growth in a pipe‐loop system of new ductile‐iron and lead pipes. The five parallel lines in the study consisted of a control loop plus four loops testing orthophosphate, polyphosphate, an orthophosphate‐polyphosphate blend, and stannous chloride. Total lead concentrations in the treated loops were significantly lower than in the untreated control, with orthophosphate yielding the lowest lead concentrations of all of the chemicals tested. However, none of the chemicals consistently maintained lead concentrations below the 15‐μg/L action level for the 8‐hour stagnation time sample. The microbiological results suggest that utilities should exercise caution when adding corrosion control chemicals in order to ensure that reduced corrosion is not achieved at the expense of other water quality indicators. For utilities concerned about phosphate's effects on microbiological water quality, stannous chloride may represent a viable option to help them achieve LCR compliance.
people
Authors: Miner Gary
Published: February 2018

Data from the long form of the 2000 US Census was analyzed to create a profile of the cost of water and wastewater service in the United States. Using the Public Use Microdata Sample data set, the author determined how water and wastewater cost was influenced by such factors as size of household, age of people, income, tenure, type of housing unit, and size of housing unit. Results indicated that 62% of households paid directly for water and wastewater service, whereas 18% had the cost included in a rental payment or maintenance fee. The average US household served by a public water and wastewater system paid $476 in 1999 for the service, which represented 1.6% of the household's income. Among the more surprising findings was that some groups thought to have little direct responsibility for paying for water and wastewater service did, in fact, pay bills directly. Almost 50% of low‐income households (i.e., earning less than $20,000 per year) paid directly for water and wastewater service, as did 49% of one‐person households and 47% of mobile home residents. Perhaps of most interest to utility managers is the comprehensive nationwide and state‐by‐state perspective on water and wastewater expenses of various types of households. This information furthers an understanding of who pays for water and wastewater service, how much they pay, and what percentage of income is being spent. Such data should prove valuable to policymakers and utility managers in evaluating the level and affordability of water and wastewater rates.
The Principles of Risk Communication: IGNORING THEM CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH!
Authors: Grimm Michael W.
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the principles of risk communication, which involve public health, behavioral science, and communication. Seven basic rules of risk communication are provided, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Drinking Water Academy website, and AWWA's website for its 2005 seminar on crisis communications.
AWWA's Finance, Accounting and Management Controls Committee Tackles Broad Financial Issues
Authors: Schlette Theodore C.
Published: February 2018

This article focuses on the AWWA Finance, Accounting and Management Controls Committee (FAMC) that was created by expanding the previously existing Rates Committee to include the broader issues of financial standards, financial reporting, and financial management of water utilities. The article lists the committee's responsibilities and its full agenda of activities for 2005 that are designed to engage its members. The article discusses several industry trends that indicate heightened activity over the next several years in a number of areas that are related to the interests and expertise of the committee members.
Water plant retrofit eliminates dwindling capacity
Authors: Domkowski Bob
Published: February 2018

This article discusses a case study of the City of Danville, Virginia, where the water utility recently undertook a $3.3 million retrofit of its municipal water plant to replace worn‐out equipment and to restore the 18‐mgd (68‐ML/D) capacity that the state permits the utility to draw from the Dan River. The article describes the process of developing a master plan to prioritize the improvements, in particular the aging pumps and filters needed to be replaced. A second supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system was installed to control the raw water pumps, plant treatment process, filter efficiency, and process control. The existing SCADA system monitors and controls the nine booster pumps and eleven finished water storage tanks in the distribution system. Also, two high‐service pumps were replaced, one is a diesel‐powered unit that can deliver varied flow rates and the other is equipped with a variable‐frequency drive for additional flexibility.
Measuring Fairness: Assessing the equity of municipal water rates
Authors: Teodoro Manuel P.
Published: February 2018

Meaningful, scientific measures of water rate equity are elusive. Without a sound metric for equity, discussions of fairness in water rates are prone to political manipulation, or worse yet, neglect. This study crafts empirically grounded, theoretically consistent metrics of water rate equity at the individual customer level, based on AWWA's cost‐of‐service principles. Individual equity measures are aggregated to a utility‐level rate equity index for analysis of entire rate structures. A third metric captures rate progressivity, or the degree to which rate structures favor high‐ or low‐cost‐of‐service customers. Equity metrics are calculated using financial and billing data from a small municipal water utility. Finally, this article analyzes several alternative rate structures for the example utility and draws inferences about their respective degrees of equitability. The equity metrics developed here provide new tools for managers and policymakers in assessing the equity of alternative rate structures.
Incroyable!
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack W.
Published: February 2018

In his column, AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr talks about the $6 billion‐a‐year bottled water industry, and the waste it generates in terms of hidden costs, the water it takes to manufacture the plastic bottles, and the fact that only 10% of the bottles are recycled. He gives an example of a marketing campaign by Eau de Paris to promote its water, but points out that water utilities can't compete with the massive marketing resources that bottlers invest in their product. Hoffbuhr states that we have to continue providing the message to the public of the tremendous value that community suppliers provide.
Data gains push perchlorate nearer to regulatory determination
Authors: Scharfenaker Mark
Published: February 2018

This article discusses how the recent firming‐up of perchlorate risk science and occurrence data has gone a long way toward meeting two critical information needs for possible federal regulation. However, the article points out that the progress has fallen short of addressing the lingering uncertainties faced by water suppliers about how to respond to the high‐profile contaminant. The remainder of the article reviews recent developments in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state efforts to characterize perchlorate risk and occurrence.
Law Regulating Pollution From Hog Production Declared Invalid
Authors: Stiegler Mayo H.
Published: February 2018

The Supreme Court of Iowa has ruled that a county ordinance setting standards for water pollution that is caused by confinement feeding operations was invalid and illegal.
AWWA's Security Committee: Striving to Enhance Water Industry Security
Authors: Linville Thomas J. , Gritzuk Michael , Jacobs Jack , McLaughlin John , Moyer Jack W. , Roberson Alan , Thompson Kenneth A.
Published: February 2018

This article describes the AWWA Security Committee (SC) and its goal of advancing and disseminating current research, suggested practices, training, and technology that improve water utility security, assuring safe and reliable water service, and providing a secure work environment for utility employees. To fulfill this mission, the SC provides guidance to the association's volunteer units and staff in the planning and implementation of security enhancement measures and through security‐related educational events and training for both large and small utilities. The committee maintains formal liaisons with each division within AWWA's Technical and Education Council to ensure strong coordination and communication and to make sure that the committee meets the broad security needs of the water industry. The article discusses the Security Committee's role in hosting the Water Security Congress and its five subcommittees that include: information transfer; security practices; training and education; liaison and outreach; and, emergency preparedness.
Phoenix tests the waters with DBO alternative project delivery
Authors: White Timothy J. , Jones William R. , Waer Mark A. , Hayes Troy , Quarendon John
Published: February 2018

This report discusses an effort by the the city of Phoenix, Arizona, to construct a new water treatment plant to meet increased demand as well as the tough standards imposed by today's water requirements. The city's leaders and Water Services Department staff considered various design and construction approaches that would offer fast delivery, low total costs, and low risk of litigation, but that would also maximize technical innovation. This report focuses on the design‐build‐operate (DBO) approach and the reasons why it was chosen to build the Lake Pleasant WTP.
Management Tools at Your Fingertips tapping the power of the web
Authors: Balchunas Brian M. , Hucks Charles E.
Published: February 2018

All utilities at one time or another find it necessary to upgrade facilities and expand capacity, especially as water and wastewater service needs continue to increase with the demands of growing populations. As utilities undertake such projects, engineers and operators enter a world of old records, manuals, and drawings ‐ often stored in a confusing disarray ‐ looking for information to help make a project more efficient and therefore more cost‐effective. Conversely, the time it takes to find this information and then convert it to a usable format can diminish its benefit. But advances in Web technology and associated computer programs have created the ability to convert and store massive amounts of information, thus providing utilities with efficient access to information critical to making accurate upgrades. These new technologies can also save massive amounts of physical space that was once occupied by old documents and make the information contained in those documents readily available to project managers and engineers during daily operations and inevitable upgrades. In this article the authors explain how a number of online applications and the latest computer technologies were used to create a high level of information accessibility during a major water treatment plant upgrade.
NPDES Noncompliance Triggers CWA Citizen‐suit Provisions
Authors: Stiegler Mayo H.
Published: February 2018

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled that noncompliance with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit constitutes a violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA), such that citizen‐suit provisions are triggered.
Building and Sustaining Human Capital
Authors: Post Arlene , Breen Sean
Published: February 2018

Helping managers to build and sustain their “human capital,” the Human Resources Committee of AWWA's Management Division focuses on tools to address contemporary issues such as diversity, equitable compensation, appropriate benefits, labor negotiation techniques, effective risk management, organizational development, successful hiring, and holistic employee support. Conference technical sessions and workshops created and supported by the Human Resources Committee provide the latest techniques and case studies to help managers understand and work through current and emerging human resource challenges. Also, the committee provides insight and input for policy statements of AWWA's board of directors on such topics as diversity and nondiscrimination, employee compensation, and employee training and career development.
Managing the coming brain drain
Authors: Olstein Myron A.
Published: February 2018

Within the next 10 years, 35% of current utility employees will be eligible to retire. Most of these retirees are senior employees, with many years of experience and a wealth of institutional and operational knowledge. Concerned about this brain drain, the AWWA Research Foundation and the Water Environment Research Foundation co‐funded a study titled Succession Planning for a Vital Workforce in the Information Age. The study analyzed demographic data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. These data indicate that the U.S. workforce is becoming older and more diverse and that the number of available workers is declining. Within the utility sector, water and wastewater facilities will need even more workers at a time when replacement personnel (particularly engineers) will be in increasingly short supply. One conclusion of the succession planning study was that every utility should implement workforce planning to properly manage transition. A 12‐step workforce‐planning model was developed specifically for utilities and their specific labor needs. The study also underlined the importance of knowledge capture to ensure that tacit (i.e., undocumented) knowledge is not lost during this period of employee changeover.
Tinkering with the future
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack W.
Published: February 2018

In his column, AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr discusses the importance of being able to anticipate the future. He suggests two methods for doing that, converting the information gathered by computers into useful knowledge that facilitates strategic planning and decision‐making, and using this knowledge to eliminate waterborne disease throughout the world.
Essential Criteria for Selecting an Ultraviolet Disinfection System
Authors: Miner Gary , Dussert Bertrand W.
Published: February 2018

This paper discusses the various available ultraviolet (UV) disinfection equipment elements, their pros and cons, and how they affect the installation, operation, performance, and maintenance of the overall UV system. The paper stresses that selecting the equipment is application‐specific and that the equipment elements must be considered collectively. The article discusses the six fundamental elements of a UV system and criteria for selecting the equipment that include: UV lamp technology; ballasts; UV reactor design; a cleaning system; a control system; and, a validation protocol.
Developing a Phased Distribution System Security Enhancement Program
Authors: Murphy Brian M. , Kirmeyer Gregory J.
Published: February 2018

This article addresses the organization and prioritization of short‐ and long‐term security enhancements for existing and future water utility facilities. It suggests tools and provides guidance for utilities to use in assessing and prioritizing the vulnerabilities of their water distribution systems and provides direction for balancing vulnerability, consequences, liabilities, and capital resource availability. The recommendations and considerations were developed with the input of a panel of recognized professionals in utility distribution system operation, security, hazard analysis and critical control points application, and federal and local law enforcement. The recommendations in this article are designed to address national strategy needs and the security implementation challenges facing water utilities.
Assessment of a distribution system nitrification critical threshold concept
Authors: Pintar Katarina D.M. , Anderson William B. , Slawson Robin M. , Smith E. Franklyn , Huck Peter M.
Published: February 2018

Results from bench‐scale studies using annular reactors and full‐scale distribution system data were used to evaluate a proposed critical threshold concept (0.05 mg/L nitrite‐nitrogen [NO2–‐N], as proposed by others) for confirming nitrification in chloraminated distribution systems. Bench‐scale data indicated that nitrification occurred at 12 and 22°C, in the presence of either 0.05–0.10 mg/L chlorine (Cl2) or 0.2–0.6 mg/L Cl2 monochloramine. As expected, nitrite‐nitrogen levels exceeded 0.05 mg/L more frequently at higher temperatures and lower disinfectant residuals. At full scale, increases in nitrite‐nitrogen levels were always preceded by a loss of total chlorine residual (usually by two to three months). Even though the critical threshold concept is useful for confirming nitrification, nitrite‐nitrogen levels are often site‐specific, and 0.05 mg/L NO2–‐N is too high to be used as a predictor of nitrification. A decline in total chlorine residual, however, can be a useful predictor of nitrification. Nitrification occurred at water temperatures as low as 6°C at full scale.
With today's technology, what percentage of unaccounted‐for water is OK?
Authors: Jones Marcellus
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the Las Vegas Valley Water District's (LVVWD) leak technology program. LVVWD uses an underground sounding system to monitor half of its system for leaks. The article discusses how the system works and how LVVWD determined the savings it has benefitted from since switching to this system.
Novel, practical deionization technology
Authors: Nyberg Eric
Published: February 2018

Rapid economic and population growth in the developing world is creating wealth and increasing expectations while simultaneously straining water supply and quality. This situation will reach crisis proportions during the next several decades, and innovative water treatment technologies will be required to meet the challenge. Electrically regenerable ion exchange (LINXμ by Pionetics Corp.) is an emerging technology that is particularly well‐suited for this challenge. This article describes the LINX deionization apparatus and process, its general design considerations, and how the technology compares with conventional ion exchange, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis (RO) deionization technologies.
Pump system helps utility tap Missouri River under low flows at vital intake
Authors: London Steve
Published: February 2018

Water and electric utilities that have intakes along the Missouri River are concerned about continued physical degradation of the channel and extended drought across the upper basin. These factors, combined with a more conservative US Army Corps of Engineers flow management policy, have caused the river to run thin above Kansas City, Missouri, for the past few winters. If severe drought conditions continue, the barge navigation season could even face total cancellation in that area next year. This paper discusses a new low‐river pump system installed by Water District Number 1 (WaterOne), a utility on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area, at the utility's 125‐mgd intake along the Missouri River.
The importance of standards
Authors: Baruth Ed
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the AWWA Standards and their purpose in structuring accumulated knowledge on materials and procedural “best practices”, while providing the greatest economy to the manufacturing, specification, and user segments of the industry. The article outlines the history of AWWA Standards and lists the topics covered by the 138 Standards now available.
AWWA publishing evolves in dynamic digitai age
Authors: Baruth Monica Joda
Published: February 2018

This article discusses the challenges of the new era of the Information Age and how the Internet has impacted the publishing business. The article discusses publishing highlights of the individual AWWA publications such as Journal AWWA, MainStream, Opflow, Waterweek, books and media, and how AWWA has worked to keep its members informed using the latest in publishing technology at a pace that is in keeping with members' needs. The article discusses Waternet, AWWA's bibliographic database and storehouse of AWWA intellectual property and how it has recently been used as the basis of the AWWA Water Library?, a web technology that will allow users to search for information electronically. Present day publishing challenges, publishing trends, future publishing issues, and AWWA's role as information provider are all discussed.
QualServe and Partnership: Restoring confidence through quality
Authors: Ginley Jim
Published: February 2018

This article discusses how and why AWWA developed a program supported by a partnership of organizations, named the “Partnership for Safe Water” (PSW), and spearheaded research for and ultimately backed the development of a program called “QualServe.” The article provides a summary of how each program is organized and the benefits that utilities receive from participating in the programs. The article states future goals and how the programs will achieve those goals.
Filtration processes—A distinguished history and a promising future
Authors: Logsdon Gary S. , Horsley Michael B. , Freeman Scott D.N. , Neemann Jeff J. , Budd George C.
Published: February 2018

This article chronicles advances in the filtration of public drinking water supplies from the late 1800s to today and discusses the future of filtration. Topics covered include: granular media's evolution over the years; pretreatment practices consisting of coagulation, mixing and clarification; current availability of filters and membranes; and, future advances in filtration.