The project will link comprehensive research with development programmes in the participating utilities that are working on an advanced strategy in meeting the upcoming challenges for water supply and sanitation. The partners and technology suppliers will develop new designs, tools and systems in order to approach adaptation and therefore enable change.
The selection of the cities involved in PREPARED was done on the basis of three criteria: the geographic representativeness, the added value of the cities to the matrix of challenges and the ability of the cities to invest a considerable amount of effort (money and staff) in adaptation measures.

Utilities in the following regions and cities will participate: Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Eindhoven (Netherlands), Genoa (Italy), Istanbul (Turkey), Gliwice (Poland), Lisbon (Portugal), Lyon (France), Oslo (Norway), Simferopol (Crimea), Aarhus (Denmark), Wales (England), Seattle (USA) and Melbourne (Australia).

“With our research and implementation partners in Europe, the United States of America and Australia, we will work towards a set of solutions for utilities all over the world to put in place mitigating strategies and solutions in the face of the anticipated climate change challenges”, said Adriana Hulsmann, Coordinator of the PREPARED Project.

 

The conference, to be held on 15th July 2010 in Sheffield, UK, will:

• Discuss the developments in technology and to consider what the future challenges are that the process will face;
• Look at how the recent generation of AS plants have performed and review this performance against the technological expectations;
• Debate what is the industry standard for energy usage and ghg emission and ask if there is scope to reduce this further;
• Provide an opportunity to highlight the industry strengths in this key area, which will approach its centenary in just two years.

 

Over the past decade, new AS plants have incorporated a range of features intended to enhance settleability and improve energy efficiency. They included plug-flow layouts equipped with selectors and anoxic zones, with intensive design of aerator placement. Final settlement tanks incorporate lager stilling basins, often with a range of Stamford and McKinney baffles, and facilities are put in place do deal with occurrence of sludge foaming. Plants also meet tighter standards for carbon, ammonia and occasionally nitrogen and phosphorus.

Please submit abstracts to franceswoodhead@aquaenviro.co.uk by 31st March 2010.

 

 

Asiawater is the largest water and wastewater industry event in Asia. Last year's event attracted nearly 10,000 visitors over 3 days to see the 550 exhibitors from 32 countries. 10,000 sqm of exhibition space at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre will play host to key decision makers and technology suppliers, serving as a platform to the latest developments and ideas in the water and wastewater industry. As a measure of its success, last year 99% of respondents rated the show as successful or very successful.

 

 

The main impulses in this business will come from Asia and Latin America. In Europe, Siemens intends to strengthen and expand its water business from a new central office in Erlangen, Germany. "We are the only supplier that has technologies for every stage of water and wastewater treatment, which enables us to meet the demands in this business. But we can only maintain a reliable supply of clean water to towns, communities and industry if there is massive investment in the treatment of waste water", said Jens Michael Wegmann, CEO of the Industry Solutions Division of the Industry Sector.

The challenges faced in supplying the world's population with water are huge. According to the United Nations statement for World Water Day on 22nd March 2010, 1.1 billion people currently have no access to fresh drinking water, and 2.6 billion have no sanitary facilities. Water, as a raw material for industrial production, is also ever more frequently becoming a resource problem and cost factor. Shortages caused by fallen water tables are today already threatening the further development of major cities and industrial locations in South European countries and several states of the USA. At the same time, ever-stricter environmental regulations are placing new demands on technical solutions for water and wastewater treatment.

The Siemens Industry Sector, with its Industry Solutions, Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Building Technologies Divisions, as well as Osram, recently achieved annual sales of around EUR2.2 billion in the water business. The Munich technology corporation has the world's widest-ranging product portfolio for physical and biological water purification and primary sludge treatment, and also offers its customers automation solutions, and energy-efficient pump drives and controllers. This is backed up by maintenance, modernization and plant expansion services. "Our process competence and technical solutions help us to stand out from the competition", Wegmann added. Alongside complex solutions for the construction of industrial water cycles, Siemens' second focus is on municipal water and wastewater treatment plants. Siemens supplies plants for both megacities, that is cities with populations of over ten million, as well as for villages in Africa with up to 500 inhabitants. Mobile treatment plants are also available to help when disasters occur.

Wegmann also sees new potential in automation and the use of pump systems with a lower energy consumption: "The water industry requires great amounts of energy to run its water and wastewater networks, and 40% of it could be saved." Every municipality has potential leverage in hand here, with which it can not only save money but also protect the environment. The energy consumed to supply water currently accounts for around five percent of world CO2 emissions.
Siemens looks after over 200,000 different water and wastewater treatment plants located throughout the world. In Orange County, California, almost 30,000 cubic metres of waste water are treated every day for use by industry and agriculture. Siemens installed a water treatment plant with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres per day for the Olympic Games in Beijing. The capacity of this plant is now planned to be expanded to 100,000 cubic metres per day, so that it can supply a whole area of the city with drinking water. Siemens automation technology controls the sewage treatment plant in Vienna round-the-clock. In Germany, Siemens disinfects the drinking water for towns and cities such as Berlin, in a waterpark in Neufahrn near Munich, Germany, Siemens has reduced by using an energy saving concept the average power consumption by 45%.

Siemens also sees great potential for growth in its own water business in Europe. In future, Erlangen will control some 600 employees working in the competence centres in Italy (municipal waste water), Great Britain (drinking water treatment and water treatment for the oil and gas industry), Germany and Belgium (ultra-pure water for the pharmaceutical industry and disinfection). "This is another step toward the internationalization of our water business", said Wegmann.

 

 

Atrazine is a weedkiller which was banned by the European Union in 2004 but is widely used by farmers in the US. The lawsuit, filed in a US District Court, claims that Syngenta knew that atrazine would contaminate public water supplies but left local communities with the clean-up costs. Stephen Tillery, the lawyer for the 16 cities named in the lawsuit, told the Huffington Post that the cities have spent nearly $350 million to filter the chemical.

 

Syngenta's lawyer argued that the company has worked with communities to ensure that atrazine levels are kept below Environmental Protection Agency limits. "As a hallmark of good stewardship, my client worked voluntarily with stakeholders for years and since then also with EPA to monitor the water systems where minute detections of atrazine may occasionally occur," said Syngenta attorney Kurtis B. Reeg in a press release. "Since 2005, no water system has had an annual average atrazine level in its drinking water greater than the EPA standard, which itself carries a 1000-fold safety factor."

 

However, a Natural Resources Defense Council study found atrazine levels in two Iowa watersheds greater than three times the EPA limit of 3.0 parts per billion, the Iowa Independent reports.

 

Reeg called the lawsuit frivolous and argued that it would only hurt US farmers. "This suit is no surprise, as the same plaintiffs' attorneys who have been trying a wasteful case in Madison County, Ill., have been shopping this around for years," said Reeg. "Just last month, plaintiffs in Illinois voluntarily dismissed numerous damage and liability claims they had made in their case. With that disarray, it appears attorneys are scrambling to another venue in which to waste scarce taxpayer resources with junk science and false allegations for personal gain at the expense of US agriculture."

 

Syngenta estimates that atrazine is used on half of the corn acres, two-thirds of sorghum acres and up to 90% of sugar cane acres in the US. The lawsuit comes at a time when the safety of atrazine is being called into question.

 

A study from researchers at the University of California-Berkeley found that exposure to atrazine levels lower than the EPA limit caused hormonal imbalances in male frogs that chemically castrated them or changed their sex to female, according to Science Daily.

 

Three-quarters of the 40 test frogs were rendered infertile and 10% changed sex. Syngenta disputes the results of the study, arguing that the researchers used inadequate control methods. However, other studies provide increasing evidence that atrazine may play a role in disrupting endocrine systems in mammals as well as amphibians and fish. "What people have to realize is that, just as with taking pharmaceuticals, they have to decide whether the benefits outweigh the costs," said lead author and professor of integrative biology Tyrone Hayes.

 

"Not every frog or every human will be affected by atrazine, but do you want to take a chance, what with all the other things that we know atrazine does, not just to humans but to rodents and frogs and fish?"

 

The EPA announced in October it would study the effects of atrazine. The agency's most recent approval for the 50-year-old chemical was in 2006.

 

 

 

The objectives for potable water treatment include the removal of suspended and dissolved impurities as well as the removal of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E. coli and other parasites which pose serious health risks. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is now extensively used for potable water treatment due to its effectiveness over a wide range of raw water quality. It has the advantage over the traditional process of separation via sedimentation of being able to remove light or neutrally buoyant particulates from the water. DAF is a gravity assisted separation process in which microbubbles are used to remove suspended solid particles from water. While DAF has been employed on a worldwide basis for potable water treatment since the 1960s, there is still considerable scope for improving the efficiency of the process.

 

The fundamental act in flotation is the successful formation of bubble/floc agglomerates which are capable of rising to the top of the flotation tank. Observations of the interaction of bubbles and floc particles within a full-scale DAF tank have recently been recorded. The authors summarise the key findings from this observational study and then report on a laboratory-scale experimental study of microbubble formation.

 

Since it has been observed that bubble clustering is the primary mechanism for floc removal within a DAF system, the authors ask: "What can be done to improve the efficiency of a DAF system?" The obvious answer, of course, is to promote bubble clustering. The less obvious answer is to reduce or eliminate factors which are adverse to bubble clustering. The conclusion from the reported field study states that a DAF nozzle should be designed to (1) minimise the level of turbulence at the outlet of the DAF nozzle while (2) ensuring that the bubbles generated by the nozzle are small enough (maximum size less than 200 mm, but preferably smaller) that they do not lead to floc fragmentation or the destruction of bubble clusters.

 

The authors arrive at two design criteria from these conclusions: the nozzle should be designed to produce relatively small bubbles and to minimise the shear associated with injecting the bubbly recycle stream into the flotation tank. A series of laboratory experiments into the formation of microbubbles were performed in order to design a nozzle based on these design criterion.

Experimental parameters such as the effect of varying the diameter and the length of the constriction in the primary pressure reduction nozzle were examined both with and without the use of a cylindrical shroud. Median bubble diameter was found to be unacceptably high for a constriction diameter of 0.5mm. Experiments with constriction diameters of 1mm indicated that the shorter the length of constriction, the smaller the bubbles. The effect of the cylindrical shroud, which also has an optimum length, is to influence and localise the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy.

 

Finally, the authors also decided to incorporate an external shroud with the purpose of reducing the level of turbulence at the DAF nozzle exit. The resultant jet minimised the amount of floc fragmentation in the contact zone of a DAF tank while promoting the formation of bubble clusters.

The nozzle design has been granted a UK Patent and has been successfully deployed at various DAF facilities within Yorkshire Water.

 

 

 

René van der Bruggen, Imtech CEO: ‘The new orders for the next phase of the Welsh Water Asset Management Plan as well as the technology upgrade of the Crossness and Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London are firm foundations for continuity in the coming years in the UK. These assignments are focussing not only on the water and environmental quality, but with the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment 2010 there is the added challenge for long-term sustainable solutions through reducing carbon emissions and energy use. Imtech has a lot of experience in this fields through the delivery of leading innovative technical solutions.'

Welsh Water has confirmed that the Imtech framework contract will continue into AMP 5. This is the next five year Asset Management Plan period which runs between 2010 and 2015 for maintaining and upgrading all of the water and wastewater assets in Wales, including the demand that these assets are more adequately protected against surface water flooding. Imtech has been working with Welsh Water since 2000 and this will be the third successive AMP period where Imtech will deliver services in Wales on behalf of Welsh Water and its customers. The contract is to be worth over EUR100 million to Imtech over the next five years and will include sub-programmes of work for process engineering, using multidisciplinary technology solutions and major improvements at sewage treatment works Five Fords, Cardiff, Afan and Nash. Imtech is focussing on introducing energy efficiency measures to drive continuous improvements in asset performance, carbon reduction and HSE management (Health, Safety and Environment). One of the goals for AMP 5 is that companies look to source their energy requirements from renewables where possible, and in fact create renewable energy of their own, as well as reduce their carbon footprint through effective waste management. Imtech has a lot of experience in delivering innovative waste to energy projects.

 

Thames Water selects Imtech for Crossness and Beckton upgrade contracts in London
Thames Water has appointed Tamesis - a joint venture between Imtech and Laing O'Rourke - as the contractor for a EUR155 million upgrade to the Crossness Sewage Treatment Works on the south bank of the Thames as well as a EUR150 million upgrade to the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works on the north of the river. Both plants are situated on the east side of London. Together these sewage assets serve four million Londoners. The improvements will enable the sites to treat 44 per cent (Crossness) and 60 per cent (Beckton) more sewage than they do now, significantly reducing the amount of storm sewage that overflows into the River Thames during heavy rainfall when the site becomes overloaded. This marks a fundamental step in improving the quality of London's iconic river. The projects include the installation of wind turbines - the first ever to power British sewage works - that will help generate up to half the energy needed to power the sites. The upgrade will also see new odour controlled treatment processes and environmental enhancements. Both upgrades will be finished at the end of 2013.

 

The works at Crossness and Beckton are part of a EUR720 million program to improve treatment standards and increase the volume of sewage treated London's five major sewage treatment works - Crossness, Mogden, Beckton, Long Reach and Riverside. Imtech and Laing O'Rourke are offering multidisciplinary solutions involving civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and control-systems engineering and technology solutions.

 

 

Older versions of the UV-Tronic already had the capacity to control multiple streams and treatment chambers, a particularly useful feature where treatment plants may have variable water parameters such as flow or transmittance as it allows shutdown of individual UV chambers when not required, reducing power consumption.

The new UV-Tronic+ V5 has features which makes it possible to individually control the power level of up to six UV disinfection chambers simultaneously to suit the flow conditions for each stream, thus further minimising power consumption.

The controller also can be programmed to calculate the required power setting depending on whether it is validated to DVGW, UVDGM or Berson's default dose control settings. Software is currently being written which will also allow it to operate to NWRI parameters. The device can control conventional electro-magnetic ballas as well as Berson's own electronic ballast.

Additional new features include greatly extended monitoring and control via Modbus, increased manual control functionality to ease maintenance and servicing, and the capacity to individually calibrate UV sensors when running in DVGW mode. A modem can also be used to provide remote monitoring and diagnosis and for software upgrades.

When UV monitors on the inner wall of the UV chamber register a fall in the UV level, the UV-Tronic+ V5 is designed to trigger automatic wipers on the quartz sleeves protecting the UV lamps. The wipers remove any built-up deposits on the sleeves, ensuring uninterrupted protection against microbial contamination. A major benefit of automated wiping means no chemicals are required for cleaning, an especially important feature when it comes to drinking water disinfection.

"The UV-Tronic+ V5 is a very useful feature of the Berson UV system," comments Bob Clifforde, an Electrical Engineer at Cambridge Water in the UK who uses the new system. "By allowing us to control each UV chamber individually it not only greatly simplifies operations but has also reduced our operating costs."

Berson UV is one of the few non-German UV system suppliers capable of providing a complete range of UV systems with capacities between 10 - 10,000 m3/hour, certified to the German DVGW norm, W294, Part 1, 2 & 3 - the highest standard currently possible in the world.

 

 

In Africa two out of five people live without adequate water supply systems needed for basic sanitation and hygiene. The building of reliable and long-lasting rainwater harvesting systems and ecological latrines in schools are cost effective and efficient means to secure water supplies and improve water sanitation for an entire school community.

 

Today 45% of the land surface is covered by river basins that are shared by more than one country and 40% of the world's population resides within internationally shared river basins. Providing water and sanitation services to schools is an important step to engage children and communities in improving their water security and maintaining their role as guardians of healthy and vital river ecosystems.

 

"Pureology's support for this project stems from one of the central aims of the partnership, namely to garner support for select initiatives relating to conservation of water, a resource that salon professionals make use of," observed Nathalie Tang, Vice President and General Manager of Pureology worldwide. "In addition, the partnership aims to help encourage salon professionals to support sustainable practices and generate awareness of GCI projects, spreading this message to their clients."

 

This announcement comes in the run-up to World Water Day, held annually on the 22nd of March and is closely aligned with this year's UN selected theme "Clean Water for a Healthy World." With less than 1% of the world's freshwater accessible for human use, the Green Cross National Offices and Pureology are planning events around the world to highlight the importance of water conservation and the concept of celebrating World Water Day every day. Pureology salons will be educated on how to adopt habits to conserve water and will pass this message onto their clients.
"Every day should be world water day. We are happy to work with Pureology to help foster a more sustainable planet. By protecting water resources we protect ourselves," said Green Cross France Chairman, Jean-Michel Cousteau.

 

The first initiative ahead of World Water Day that Pureology and GCI have started is the fundraising campaign for Smart Water for Green Schools. A special edition of a Pureology-GCI water bottle will be available in select Pureology salons. The bottle is designed by SIGG, a company specialising in reusable water bottles. This is especially important given that less than 20% of the world's plastic water bottles are actually recycled. In the US it is estimated that over 100 million plastic bottles end up in rubbish bins or landfills every day.

 

 

The selection underscores the value of the company's geocentric hydraulic infrastructure modelling and design solutions, tools that have made MWH Soft a worldwide market leader. Among the reasons cited for the City of Arvada's decision were the software's many powerful tools, comprehensive functionality, speed, ease of use, flexibility, and seamless ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, CA) integration.

Located seven miles from the state capitol, between Denver and the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, Arvada covers 23,000 acres and serves a population in excess of 100,000. The City's drinking water system has the capacity to produce 52 MGD from its two water treatment plants. Its two primary sources of water are the Denver Water Department's Moffat System and Clear Creek. The Moffat water system, a year-round source, is diverted from Denver's Ralston Reservoir. This mountain snow melt water is collected from the Fraser River and South Boulder Creek Basins and transported to Gross Reservoir and then to Ralston Reservoir. Approximately 25% of the City's water supply is diverted from Clear Creek, where it is stored in a local reservoir until needed during months when water demand is high.

"MWH Soft has provided us with powerful software and top-notch service," said Kevin Tohill, Water Quality Technician for the City of Arvada. "We chose InfoWater because the products are very easy to learn and use, integrate seamlessly with our ArcGIS platform, and have the power to model and analyze our complex water network quickly and reliably. These tools make master planning fast, easy, accurate and cost-effective. That gives us more power to improve the operation, performance and integrity of our existing systems and plan the new facilities we need to accommodate growth."

Arvada also opted to extend the power of InfoWater by purchasing the suite's add-on modules. These extras enable the City to perform valve criticality modelling, pump scheduling optimization, automated demand allocation, on-demand contaminant and main break customer notifications, automated hydraulic design, and genetic algorithm-based model calibration.

 

 

The Kazakh Rmergencies Ministry said two dams had burst near the Kazakh financial capital Almaty when melt water swept through the area, flooding villages and causing mudslides.

 

"Some have died and their identity and number is being verified," the ministry said in a statement. It could give no further information when contacted by Reuters.

 

The Emergencies Ministry said the latest floods mainly affected two settlements, Zhylbulak and Kyzyl-Agash, where a total of about 4,000 people were evacuated to safer areas.

 

Separately, it said a helicopter with eight people on board disappeared from radar screens today during a separate rescue operation in eastern Kazakhstan where several districts were cut off from the rest of the country by heavy snowstorms.

 

 

Speakers at this event include:
Mr. Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for Environment (tbc)
Ms. Elena Espinosa, Spanish Minister for Environment, Regional Development and Marine (tbc)
Mr. Serge de Gheldere, Climate Ambassador to Al Gore/ CEO Futureproofed
Mr. Peter Gammeltoft, Head of Unit, DG Environment, European Commission
Ms. Danuta Hübner, MEP
Mr. Andrew Farmer, Head of Climate and Pollution, IEEP
Ms. Evelyne Huytebroeck, Brussels Region Minister for Environment
Mr. Christoph Gleitsmann, Water and Wastewater Specialist, EIB
Ms. Beate Werner, Water&Agriculture, Head of Group, EEA

 

Registration for this event will only be open till the end of this week, and limited places are still available. Please visit the website of the EWP for more information and registration.

 

 

 

In addition the biogas yield is routinely enhanced and this can further increase the economic viability of the digestion process.

 

The UK Water Companies are reputed to have currently around 30% of excess anaerobic digestion capacity as well as over 100 years of experience in operating anaerobic digesters and so it would seem an obvious route for them to utilise this excess capacity with other organic waste streams and thus enhance the value of the biogas they produce. This generates an obvious economic benefit, but co-digestion offers other, significant environmental benefits: renewable energy generation and carbon reduction associated with the biogas, landfill diversion for the feedstocks and resource recovery as fertiliser and compost deriving from the digestate.

 

It is the aim of this event to understand better the factors that will inform the debate on the uptake of co-digestion and identify the major knowledge gaps, the programme includes discussion of:

 

• The regulatory barriers currently in place, the measures being taken to dismantle them and what the final regulatory framework may look like. 

• What the biogas potential for co-digestion is in terms of the organic wastes available, how secure these sources are and how the economics associated with their use may change in the future. 

• The outstanding technical issues with regards to pre- and post-treatment technologies, ensuring the quality of the feedstocks and examining the robustness of digester design and operation for variable feedstock intakes over the asset life.

 

 

The future for co-digestion is looking positive and delegates attending this event will leave with a clear understanding of the current state of legislation; the technical issues that have been tackled and those that remain to be tackled. They will be able to assess the potential benefits that they may derive from their own waste streams and they will see successful examples of how co-digestion has been tackled in the UK and Europe.

 

 

The That Luang Marsh, sited on the eastern edge of Vientiane, has traditionally provided vital services for the city through flood prevention, wastewater treatment and livelihood support which have been valued at USD5 million annually. Threats from unregulated urban expansion, increases in discharges from industry and untreated domestic wastewater are reducing the capacity of the marsh to provide these services.

 

The project demonstrated that an integrated wastewater management approach may be the most appropriate. The approach involved the production of designs for large-scale treatment wetlands within the marsh to treat wastewater from a catchment of 250,000 people; maintenance of the marsh for flood storage, water purification, biodiversity and food production through the production of an adaptive wetland management plan; and the construction of smaller scale wetlands designed to target industrial and domestic wastewater at source before it enters the cities network of ditches and canals leading to the marsh.

 

For those interested in finding out more, Dr Sally Mackenzie from Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Dr Matthew Simpson from WWT Consulting and Pauline Gerrard from WWF Laos will be presenting Wastewater treatment through effective wetland management of That Luang Marsh (WATER), Vientiane, Laos at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM's Annual Conference on 28th April at the Olympia Conference Centre, London.

 

 

Every potential hydropower site is different as there are considerable variations in hydrology, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, fisheries and flood risk between different sites. This means that a one-size-fits-all approach to managing their impacts is not feasible, but a consistent assessment framework is essential. Poorly designed hydropower schemes can have serious impacts on the local river environment, particularly on fish populations, and on flood risk for properties downstream of the installation.

 

In August 2009, the Environment Agency published Good Practice Guidance for small-scale hydropower schemes, providing clear guidance for developers on how schemes should be designed to meet environmental and flood risk legislation. The Environment Agency is now in the process of reviewing the document and wishes to gather feedback from its use to inform the publication of an updated version later this year. A major programme of work also has been launched by the Environment Agency to support the sustainable development of hydropower to ensure that permit applications are dealt with rapidly and efficiently. The aim of this conference is to provide delegates with an update on the current progress, including identifying new opportunities, tackling environmental challenges and streamlining the permitting process.

 

The keynote address will be given by EA Chairman Lord Chris Smith and will include presentations from The Angling Trust and the British Hydropower. Hydropower - Opportunities, Challenges and Sharing Best Practice is relevant for regulators, developers, environmental practitioners, consultants, scientists and engineers and will take place on 23rd June at SOAS, London.

 

 

 

 

With more than 2.3 million inhabitants, Orange County Water District's service area is one of the most populous areas in the US. The GWR System, a joint project of OCWD and the Orange County Sanitation District, was established in 1997 to preserve local groundwater resources and to help form OCWD's seawater intrusion barrier. The RO pre-treatment system expansion will consist of Memcor CS membrane modules, ancillaries, control system upgrades, and associated electrical work. Siemens will supervise the membrane modules' installation and the expanded system's commissioning. At the time it was installed, the original Siemens membrane system was the largest membrane system in the Americas and one of the largest in the world. Because the System was designed for future expansion, with 20% extra space in the existing 26 basins, OCWD will only have to add 10 more membrane basins.

The GWR System, which has been operating since January 2008, is the world's largest water purification project of its kind. Highly treated wastewater, originally destined for the ocean, is pre-treated by Memcor submerged membrane modules at a rate of 86 MGD (325 MLD) before entering the RO units, followed by ultraviolet and hydrogen peroxide disinfection. The GWR System produces high-quality water for less than the cost of future imported water, while using less energy and therefore fewer gas emissions than required to import water from Northern California.

 

 

 

"NASA is perfectly positioned to host a conversation with experts about potential solutions to the world's most perplexing sustainability problems," said NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, the host of the forum. "NASA offers a culture of problem-solving, deep technical expertise on sustainable systems such as the International Space Station, and a unique capacity to capture and analyze data about our home planet."

 

Other founding partners are the US Agency for International Development, the US State Department and Nike. The event will bring together 10 entrepreneurs from around the world who have proposed solutions to water shortages and 40 council members who represent business, policy, engineering, science, communications and sustainability sectors. During the two-and-a-half day forum, the invited innovators and the Launch Council will participate in sessions designed to identify challenges and discuss future opportunities for their innovations.

Launch is a global initiative to identify and support innovative work that will contribute to a sustainable future. Organisers have begun a global search for visionaries, whose innovative world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise in making tangible impacts on society. Through a series of forums focused on key challenge areas including water, air, food, energy, mobility and sustainable cities, Launch will give thought leaders a forum to present innovative ideas among peers and join in collaborative, solution-driven discussions.

 

 

A cross-government group, led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, is undertaking a feasibility study to consider whether the Government could support a project that exploits the major energy generation potential of this tidal range and, if so, on what terms.

Converting the power of the Severn Estuary tides would, in most cases, reduce the tidal range within the estuary. The scale of change could result in substantial loss of inter-tidal estuary habitats. Most of these habitats are protected under national and European law and support a range of similarly protected waterbirds. Tidal power options could also adversely affect the passage and survival within the Severn Estuary of a range of protected migratory fish species. There is also potential for other effects on water quality, flood risk and land drainage, navigation, the local and regional community, land and seascape and the historic environment.

 

For those interested in finding out about the environmental challenges of Severn Tidal Power, Tom Matthewson, Lara Ball and Delyth Toghill from Black & Veatch will be giving a presentation at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM's Annual Conference on the 28th April at the Olympia Conference Centre, London.

 

 

 

 

Over 1 billion people worldwide lack access to improved drinking water sources, and many more lack access to safe water as defined by the World Health Organisation. Conventional piped water systems using effective treatment to deliver safe water to households may be decades away in much of the developing world, meaning that many of the poorest people must collect water outside the home. Unsafe drinking water contributes to a staggering burden of water-related disease in developing countries, borne primarily by the poor. The Millennium Development Goals aim to halve the proportion of people without access to safe water by 2015.

 

Many of the Cambodian population lack access to improved drinking water sources and diarrhoeal diseases are the most prevalent cause of death in children under 5 years of age. The authors discuss low-cost options for the treatment of drinking water at the household level which are being explored by the Cambodian government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in Cambodia. An estimated 100,000 + households in the country now use CWPs for drinking water treatment.

 

Two candidate filters were tested for the reduction of bacterial and viral surrogates for waterborne pathogens using representative Cambodian drinking water sources (rainwater and surface water) spiked with Escherichia coli and bacteriophage MS2. Results indicate that filters were capable of reducing key microbes in the laboratory with mean reductions of E. coli of approximately 99% and mean reduction of bacteriophages of 90-99% over 600 litres throughput.

 

However, more work is needed to further characterise the chemical composition and effectiveness of the various silver-based preparations used in ceramic filter manufacture in developing countries. No standard exists and few data are available. In addition, low-cost ceramic filtration for drinking water treatment in developing countries comprises a diverse range of technologies which vary by overall design, production method, clay and other materials, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures, burnout material, firing temperatures and methods and chemical (e.g. so-called ‘colloidal silver') amendments. Because the design and available materials and methods vary widely from region to region, effectiveness data for one ceramic filter design may not be representative of other systems.

 

The authors conclude that CWP technology, although not as effective as chlorination or boiling combined with safe storage, does reduce bacteria and viruses in water and may be suitable for the treatment of moderately contaminated drinking water sources. However, more work is needed to increase the evidence base of effectiveness for these promising interventions, including long-term health impact studies and field testing of filters under daily household use conditions in developing country settings.

 

 

Globally, flooding is the most economically significant natural hazard, associated with an estimated USD 700 billion of damages between 1984 and 2005. Although the largest share of economic flooding costs is borne by urban communities, agriculture typically occupies more than half of the land surface in most countries and is likely to play an increasing role in both flood mitigation and adaptation. Policies that combine flood risk management with other objectives such as food production, rural livelihoods and the protection of natural resources and nature conservation are likely to offer the best long-term solutions.

 

Matt Jones from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust will focus on Farming Floodplains for the Future, a partnership project hosted by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and funded by Defra, which is intended to inform future policy direction. The project has completed works on eight sites, demonstrating opportunities ranging from the reconnection of floodplains and diversion of watercourses to the alteration of existing ponds and construction of debris dams and other water control structures. The key to success appeared to be the cumulative slowing and storing of water in the headwaters and tributaries, as new attenuation opportunities are limited in downstream functional floodplains.

 

The second presentation by Cranfield University will review the application of the source pathway receptor framework to understand the role of agricultural land in flood risk management. It considers how mitigation, such as conservation tillage or retention ponds, can help reduce the probability of flood generation from farm land, and it shows how adaptation can help reduce the impact of flooding by enhancing flood warning systems and switching to flood-tolerant agricultural land uses.

 

For those interested in finding out more, the presentations will be made at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM's Annual Conference on 28th and 29th April at the Olympia Conference Centre, London.

 

 

Casey Walther, the UNESCO representative at the workshop, said: ‘Let us hope that this momentum gained here will now be the force that moves Iraq forward in placing early preparedness and planning at the centre of government drought management efforts.'

 

The workshop on Iraq, held from 13th to 15th February in Amman, Jordan, brought together senior representatives from ten Iraqi ministries, three major cities, five provincial governments, four universities and one non-governmental organisation to examine drought planning policies in Iraq and discuss reform options for the government.

 

At the heart of the recommendations was developing a long-term national drought mitigation plan that could be implemented before, during and after a drought. The workshop outcomes also cited the need to upgrade the country's system of weather stations into a more robust, comprehensive national early warning system that could provide more accurate forecasts and data.

 

The participants called on the UN for help with building institutional capacities for drought planning and research and with promoting adherence to international conventions and treaties on water use and regional and international networks for best practices in drought management.

 

 

 

 

Under this agreement, United Water will be in charge of improvements to be made to the
treatment plant, which dates back to 1954, as well as its operations. In addition to work to
renovate the plant, United Water will be in charge of building a new pumping station in
Watchemoket Cove and a wastewater pipe between now and August 2013.

 

The water treatment plant will benefit from major improvements, including odour control
systems and a biological nutrient removal process, making it possible to reduce nitrogen levels in the water that has been treated. This new process will represent an additional treatment phase, paving the way for improvements in water quality in the Pawtucket River and Narragansett Bay.

United Water already runs the Bucklin Point water treatment plant on behalf of the
Narragansett Bay Commission, covering the needs of approximately one third of the people
living in East Providence. The company also operates the Westerly, Newport and Warren water treatment facilities. It has won several awards from the National Association of Clean Water and the National Wastewater Pollution Control Agency for the excellent quality of its services.

 

 

 

Across the spectrum of the water and wastewater treatment industry the provision of clean drinking water and safe sanitation carries a large environmental burden. In the UK, the carbon emissions from the industry are similar to that of the aviation industry. However a lot is being done to reduce this impact and the technological challenges this poses likely to lead to new opportunities for innovative businesses. Please see the website for more details.

Please indicate which session you would like to contribute to, for more details please see.

"The Impact of Competition on the Regulation and Financing of Water Companies." keynote address will be given by Alan Sutherland, Chief Executive of the Water Commission for Scotland (WICS). Debating Innovation; Professor Issy Caffoor of Environmental Sustainability KTN considers "A Vision for a Low Carbon Water Industry 2050" and Professor Charles Ainger of MWH examines "Innovation - much more that R&D".

 

William Wilson, Barrister of Burges Salmon LLP will talk on "Integrating water law with the low carbon agenda" and Professor Simon Tait of the University of Bradford will discuss the theme of "The Sewer as a Solids Transport System". The 4th EWWM Conference takes place on 27-28 September 2010 at The Royal Armouries, Leeds

 

 

 

Prior to Global Membrains* he worked for GE Water and Process Technologies, GE Betz and Kiwa Water Research, all companies focused on water treatment using various technologies.

Paul has a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. He also received a number of leadership and service awards from GE Water and was granted a patent for a new process to improve ultrafiltration performance.

Commenting on his appointment Paul said, "With many exciting developments under way I am excited to be part of Berson's continuing growth. I believe that the company's strong scientific knowledge base and extensive field experience worldwide means we are exceptionally well placed to expand the use of our world-beating UV water treatment technology."

 

 

 

Therefore CIWEM will be providing a forum for the latest technical information on emerging drinking water quality and treatment technologies at the conference Emerging Contaminants and Advanced Treatment Technologies: How Much Further Can We Go? on 23rd March 2010 at SOAS, London.

The aim of this technical conference will be to share the latest information and experiences concerning emerging contaminants in drinking water and advanced treatment technologies, as well as the regulatory perspectives on these topics. Topics addressed will include the strategy for emerging contaminants; emerging water quality challenges to PR09 implementation with regard to the cost and carbon footprint of treatment processes; PR09 implementation; and the water quality research priorities to start to address now, in preparation for PR14.

This event is relevant for experts responsible for water quality and treatment processes; planners and those involved with water quality management and water treatment operations; those working on investment and asset management for achieving water quality objectives; and professionals working for treatment technology companies.

Speakers will include representatives from consultancies, water companies, the Health Protection Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

 

 

 

In an effort to ensure that diverse groups of actors whose decisions impact our planet's water resources can make better and more informed decisions, UN Water has produced ten short "messages" for businesses based on the findings of the 3rd World Water Development Report. Each message addresses a particular influential group of decision-makers.

 

The UN World Water Development Report is published every three years and is the result of a cooperative effort by 26 UN agencies and entities that make up UN Water. It brings together some of the world's leading experts to analyse the state of our water resources and report to decision-makers in government, business, civil society and the international community. It provides information on trends and explores the options for action. The latest edition, Water in a Changing World, was launched ahead of the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul (Turkey) in March 2009 and emphasises the role of water in development and economic growth.

As a partner to UN Water the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), under the leadership of Jack Moss from AquaFed, contributed business perspectives to the report.

"The 2009 edition shows how a converging set of ‘drivers' is accelerating many local water crises. What is more, many of these factors amplify each others' adverse effects. Acting together they have the potential to create a global water crisis that will have regional and local impacts: from mounting demands and increasing competition between water users to water stress, too little water or too much water, unpredictability and the increased intensity of extreme events such as droughts and floods", says Jack Moss.

 

Key questions for business include:
• Will your business be able to get enough water to operate?
• How might water allocations restrict your supply chain?
• What effects will the lack of water security have on your markets?
• Will your customers have enough water to enable them to use your products or services?
• Can you justify your water consumption with regard to other users?
• Can you boost your revenues by providing solutions?

 

If you can't answer such questions or don't see their relevance, think again. The World Water Development Report will help you.

 

In wastewater treatment processes, the emphasis has recently shifted to include reduction of energy costs and sludge production in the efficient removal of micro-organisms and viruses. Anaerobic processes consume less energy than aerobic processes, since no aeration is required. In addition, bacteria have slower growth rates under anaerobic conditions, hence producing less sludge.

 

To meet discharge standards, anaerobic effluent is also subject to downstream post-treatment. Membrane filtering is an ideal process for this treatment since it can achieve a high-quality effluent. The article considers membrane modules submerged in the upper part of the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor.

 

Whether the treatment process is aerobic or anaerobic, membrane fouling is always a major limitation in the membrane separation process. This limitation leads to a decrease in permeate flux or an increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP). Air sparging and intermittent permeation have been widely used as membrane-cleaning methods in aerobic processes. In UASB reactors, however, the effluent contains less suspended solids and more dissolved solids (of a wide range of sizes). The authors therefore aim to determine the effects of air sparging and intermittent permeation on the reduction of membrane fouling in a submerged anaerobic membrane reactor. The anaerobic effluent characteristics, such as mean particle size, surface charge and soluble extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), were evaluated in order to explain the membrane fouling mechanisms. The optimal fouling reducing method was determined according to membrane fouling tendency and energy consumed.

 

The authors examine the effects of air sparging and intermittent permeation on membrane foulding tendency individually. A comparison between the two methods is made utilising the rate of increase of TMP.

 

Experiments indicated that intermittent permeation is more effective than air sparging in the reduction of membrane fouling. In addition, the intermittent permeation process was shown to consume less energy. The authors propose optimal operating conditions of a 25 L/m2 h flux and an idle time of 4 minutes with every 10-minute filtration, in order to alleviate membrane fouling and achieve low energy consumption.

 

 

From an initial review, it is determined that: floc water content appears to affect the loading rate; floc sizes must be sufficiently large to permit transfer to a collection surface; flocs must be suitably conditioned to enable capture (normally achieved by effective coagulation); and the ‘bigger is better' approach is not necessarily appropriate in situations in which floc/deposit strength plays a controlling role in the removal process.

 

A detailed description of floc structure and properties follows, in which the authors examine how properties such as density and strength are connected.

 

The different processes involved in conventional water treatment have one factor in common: the incoming stream of flocs encounters an array of collectors. These ‘collectors' could be in the form of floc blanket clarifiers (FBCs), bubbles in the case of dissolved air flotation (DAF) or the packed bed in the case of filters. Each of these three processes is examined individually in terms of how properties such as floc size, density and strength affect the process dynamics. It is shown that these features come into play both individually and collectively and are sensitive to the floc fractal structure. It is argued that floc strength often plays a critical role in separation processes through its impact on floc size.

 

Recognising the benefits of densification, the authors provide specific advice on how densification can be achieved. Among the many options considered, it is noted that the most straightforward means of securing greater density or strength is by use of smaller flocs, which also benefits dewaterability.

 

The authors conclude that, due to the range of factors affecting floc behaviour, separation processes require to be adjusted by means of trial and error. However, they stress that several ground rules can be considered, including: the overarching implications of strength; attempting to work with as small a floc as possible; treatment practices which promote densification; and recognising that many operational problems stem from the floc water content.

 

 

The OPW has taken delivery of a highly reliable countrywide digital terrain model with all cultural features digitally removed, along with an orthorectified radar image that accentuates topographic features - all with a vertical accuracy (RMSE) of 70 centimetres or better. The use of accurate geospatial data will facilitate the OPW in meeting the requirements of the directive mandated by the European Union. Complete details of contract terms and value have not been disclosed.

 

According to the EU Floods Directive, "This new European directive is an important addition to the European Union's water legislation and has been carefully crafted for compatibility with the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It applies to all types of floods whether they originate from rivers and lakes, or occur in urban and coastal areas, or arise as a result of storm surges and tsunamis. Implementation in the Member States will be done in three stages, beginning with a preliminary assessment of river basin's flood risk and their associated coastal zones to be carried out by 2011."

 

"Our nationwide coverage throughout Europe is continuing to provide value to numerous enterprise customers and government agencies, including the OPW in Ireland," stated Adam Denman, Intermap's vice president and general manager, Europe. "As these types of directives are put in place by governing bodies, more countries are looking for a cost-effective source of consistently reliable data to support the needs of crucial geospatial projects across their entire geography. The fact that Intermap has recently completed countrywide elevation models across 21 Western European countries bodes well for satisfying these needs."

 

 

A cross-government group, led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, is undertaking a feasibility study to consider whether the Government could support a project that exploits the major energy generation potential of this tidal range, and if so, on what terms.

Converting the power of the Severn Estuary s tides would, in most cases, reduce the tidal range within the estuary and the scale of change could result in substantial loss of inter-tidal estuary habitats. Most of these habitats are protected under national and European law and support a range of similarly protected waterbirds. Tidal power options could also adversely affect the passage and survival within the Severn Estuary of a range of protected migratory fish species. There is also potential for other effects such as upon water quality, flood risk and land drainage, navigation, the local and regional community, land and seascape, and the historic environment.

 

For those interested in finding out about the environmental challenges of Severn Tidal Power, Tom Matthewson, Lara Ball and Delyth Toghill from Black & Veatch will be giving a presentation at Water & Environment 2010: CIWEM's Annual Conference on the 28th April at the Olympia Conference Centre, London, UK.

 

 

Participants will learn about the sustainable management of water and wastewater networks; sophisticated water quality modelling; water hammer, uni-directional flushing and desalination modelling; integrated urban drainage planning; nutrient and H2S modelling in sewers; advanced river and flood modelling; protecting investments through improved asset management; how to design more efficient pressure sewer systems; and the effective management of sewer collection systems.

 

 

The current methodology shows how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses. A "water footprint" is defined as a spatial and temporal indicator of direct and indirect freshwater use. Following water footprint accounting, the sustainability assessment phase should evaluate the water footprint from an environmental, social and economic perspective generating meaningful data to formulate response strategies.

 

As a founding partner of the Water Footprint Network (WFN) and because this is a living document, the WBCSD aims to play a key role in facilitating the exchange of experience and learnings among corporate pilot testers that could inform the development of the next version of the manual.

 

The decision to join the WFN built on the work of the WBCSD's water project, which developed the Global Water Tool (2007) that helps companies map their water use and assess risks relative to their global operations and supply chain.

 

Members of the water project recognised the rapid increase of initiatives relating to water measurement, impact assessment, standard setting, reporting and disclosure and mapped these out in an on-line report Water for Business (2009). The WBCSD decided to take a further step working towards a common approach to water use measurement and impacts assessment by engaging proactively with other stakeholders through the WFN.

 

This is very much a learning journey: "Integrating water quantity and quality with time and place into a measurement of sustainable water use is a very complex challenge," says James Griffiths, Managing Director of the Water Project.

The WFN and WBCSD are seeking comments and suggestions on this current manual based on studies and experience to info@waterfootprint.org by the end of May 2010.

 

.

Europe needs a vibrant manufacturing industry to spark the economic recovery, innovation and growth required to meet the societal and environmental challenges which lie ahead. Manufacturing provides a fifth of EU GDP and provides three quarters of EU exports. Over 80% of the EU private sector research and development expenditures are provided by industry. Manufacturing firms are also key clients of many services activities. Many of the services jobs in the EU would be lost without a strong industrial base.

The Manifesto presented today gives an overview of the priority actions to be taken to achieve a competitive and innovative industrial base. To achieve this, the ACEI has identified 6 priority areas:
• Partnership: EU institutions and the private sector can and must work more closely to secure the future of Europe's industrial base.
• Growth: we need to establish the right mix of fiscal, monetary and financial policies to re-invigorate economic dynamism, while ensuring that European industry comes out of the economic crisis more competitive and innovative than before.
• Balance: Europe must take a fully integrated approach to industrial policy by carefully balancing essential climate, energy and competitiveness factors.
• Innovation: growth, industrial leadership and sustainability require one key ingredient: innovation. The EU must therefore establish and all-encompassing R&D and innovation strategy for Europe.
• Markets: the EU must ensure access to world markets and to raw materials by aiming to open export markets while maintaining effective trade defence instruments.
• Skills: manufacturing industry must foster and attract new generations of highly skilled and creative workers.

 

"Europe's place in the world of 2025 will be radically different from that of today. The EU institutions share the European industry goal of remaining a world leader. They must work together to ensure that growth and jobs are created in Europe," stated Teresa Presas, Chair of the Alliance and CEPI Managing Director. Philippe de Buck, Co-Chair of the Alliance and BUSINESSEUROPE Director General, added: "The EU badly needs an integrated industrial policy. We are calling on Commissioner Tajani, the Competitiveness Council and the European Parliament to tackle EU industrial policy forcefully and thoroughly. This is crucial. It will determine where our manufacturing companies invest in the jobs of tomorrow".

 

A hallmark of InfoWorks ICM is the integration of hydrodynamic and hydrological models within the powerful workgroup management platform to enable truly coupled drainage systems and receiving environments analysis. InfoWorks ICM provides a new single simulation engine that fully integrates 1D and 2D simulation of above- and below-ground manmade drainage, open channels, rivers and floodplains. This is an industry-leading development and the first software in the world to successfully combine these advanced modeling capabilities in a single simulation engine. InfoWorks ICM will be able to model manholes, pipes, inlets, natural channels and man-made channels. The resulting model contains common hydrology and can include both catchment and floodplain data.

This holistic approach to catchment modeling is especially important in the United Kingdom and across Europe, where legislation and future asset management planning requirements mandate that planners use an integrated model when considering how to assess the more complex elements of flooding across an entire catchment.

InfoWorks ICM supports the running of simulations on standalone workstations, within a workgroup sharing computer resources, and within an enterprise system with dedicated servers and central storage. Users can monitor and control the progress of selected simulations and the queue of simulation jobs on a straightforward user interface. They can schedule simulations on their own local computers as well as remote computers, setting them to run as soon as possible or after a specified time. Simulations on remote computers can continue even when users have disconnected their own local computers. The simulation load can be balanced on an individual machine or within named groups of machines, giving equal priority to all users.

The new simulation server also allows users to store results locally or share them on a central server. Simulations can be left to complete and their results uploaded to the central server without further user intervention.

An easy-to-use inheritance tree-type scenario manager allows the user to quickly apply different "what if" scenarios to the base network model. This enables the user to maintain a single model of the drainage system and quickly construct, apply, and evaluate different scenarios as they relate to that model. Scenarios can be cut, copied, and pasted between different branches of the inheritance tree, allowing the user to quickly combine different scenarios to address a particular modeling concern.

The scenario manager also allows for the addition and deletion of network elements, such as pipes, pump stations and storage tanks, as well as network sub-models for each scenario. This enables the modeler to analyze sewerage master plans with future growth and land use changes in mind. A batch simulation feature facilitates efficient examination of alternative modeling scenarios by allowing the user to select which scenario(s) to analyze and then automatically running them.

 

"The pressure on operators to manage produced water is growing considerably - and will continue to do so in the future," explains Saif Rahman, Senior Consultant, OTM Consulting Ltd. "Our research from within the operator community itself shows that environmental and pollution regulation at local, regional or national levels is the main reason for their interest in the technology and the principle driver for innovation within the sector. "

In addition, the report identifies a range of other new technologies that can help operators deal successfully with produced water - including treatment, minimisation, separation and even re-use. It also examines a wide range of factors including target and actual site production rates, production chemistry and reservoir characteristics such as geology that have a major impact on the way in which produced water is managed.

The report provides detailed forecasts on market opportunities and growth potential for key produced water treatment equipment and technologies. In addition, it includes a selection of case studies that describe actual produced water projects undertaken by operators - including Chevron's application of compact flotation units at its Alba field, and ConocoPhillips' adoption of condensate based extraction technology at the Ekofisk field. It also presents the results of a detailed operator survey carried out amongst companies including BP, Chevron, Schlumberger, Shell and Total.

"Produced water is the single largest waste stream from hydrocarbon production. Daily water production volumes significantly exceed that of oil volumes, to the extent that 211 million barrels of water are produced by the industry daily compared to around 85 million barrels of oil. In this context, it is vital to deal efficiently and cost-effectively with produced water to ensure fully optimised production and compliance with national and regional regulations," concludes Steve Robertson, Director at Douglas-Westwood.

 

 

• the recovery of phosphate from reject water at sewage treatment plants. The intention is the realisation of a large-scale plant linked to the long-term marketing of the struvite produced.

• The combination of the recovery of phosphorus of human and animal origin.

• an innovative, sustainable chain for the recovery of nutrients. Reject water and (wet) animal manure flows are treated in combination. In this way synergy effects are created that further increase the economic feasibility. Energy is recovered through the co-fermentation of biomass and manure flows in which phosphate is recovered through the production of struvite. The recovery of phosphate from animal manure and biomass reduces the local burden of phosphate on the environment and offers the opportunity to use high-quality phosphate content products like struvite outside excess fertiliser areas (Eastern Europe, global market).

 

 

During the drainage of fermented sewage sludge at treatment plants, wastewater containing ammonia and phosphate is released (known as reject water). Usually, this is fed back into the purification influent at the treatment plant. However, this water is responsible for a considerable amount of the nitrogen phosphate burden of purification (10-45%). Because the reject water is so concentrated, it is very well suited to being treated separately. The additional dosing of magnesium in a reactor enables the precipitation process of struvite to be used as a purification step; phosphate and ammonia are removed in a molar ratio of 1:1. The product, struvite, is suitable as a source of phosphate and nitrogen and is a good slow release fertiliser. Struvite is a mineral fertiliser with the composition Mg(NH4)PO4•6(H2O) (ammonium magnesium phosphate). All the elements of struvite have a fertilising value so that struvite can be used as an artificial fertiliser or as an additive in artificial fertilisers as long as certain limiting conditions are met. For this reason, it is very useful to recover phosphate from sub-flows that are released during the drainage of sludge. This enables a more far-reaching reuse of phosphate from the human chain. Grontmij is at the forefront of removing nitrogen from reject water and we are now adding this innovative technology to the recovery and reuse of phosphate and thus to the further closing of the phosphate cycle.

 

The consequences of a future shortage of phosphate for world food production are enormous given that phosphorus is an essential element in biological processes and thus in food production. Such a shortage will further complicate the competing claims for food, energy, water and land - particularly in light of the continuing growth in the world's population. In the long term, a shortage of phosphorus could lead to large-scale famine and socio-(geo)political tensions.

 

At the Lübzin Waterworks, Eurawasser Nord GmbH has conducted an LCC analysis and acted on the results. They now save 33% of their energy consumption thanks to more energy efficient pumps.
The case showed that even when the specific energy expenditure already compares well with averages, there is still a huge savings potential. Eurawasser Nord now aims to perform LCC analysis on more and more waterworks and reap further benefits.

 

Previously, OMNOVA Solutions used a deionized water system to treat the incoming city water to be used in the plant's manufacturing processes. OMNOVA decided to upgrade to new technology due to the high cost of maintaining the old system as well as reliability issues that threatened to affect plant production and product quality. Environmental, health and safety concerns related to the use of caustic and sulfuric acid for regeneration of the old system also were key considerations.

The implementation of two of GE's Pro-50 RO systems, along with GE's Continuum AEC Alkaline treatment program, resulted in a substantial reduction in fresh water usage and a yearly net savings for OMNOVA of USD120,000. The new system also is much safer for employees and the environment since there is no more acid or caustic usage. Recognizing OMNOVA's commitment to sustainability and the environment, the Green Bay project has received a GE ecomagination Leadership Award.

"Innovation and a commitment to reducing our environmental footprint are both hallmarks of the way we do business at OMNOVA Solutions," said James Hohman, president of OMNOVA's Performance Chemicals business unit. "Partnering with GE on this important project for our Green Bay area plant provided an excellent opportunity to apply a novel approach to the treatment of our process water, and in doing so, to significantly reduce our water usage. This has had a major positive impact for OMNOVA and for the surrounding community. We are delighted that GE has chosen to honor these efforts with their ecomagination Leadership Award."

Ecomagination is GE's corporate-wide sustainable business strategy to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundance sources of clean water. The GE ecomagination Leadership Award is given to the top one percentile of GE's customers who demonstrate significant environmental and economical performance improvements, striking a balance between today's environmental, industrial and sustainability challenges.

 

 

Herbert Saffir, a consulting engineer, and Robert Simpson, who was director of the National Hurricane Center from 1967 through 1973, developed the original scale which was a useful tool to convey the threats of tropical cyclones. Changes were made to the Saffir-Simpson Scale because storm surge values and associated flooding are dependent on a combination of the storm's intensity, size, motion and barometric pressure, as well as the depth of the near-shore waters and local topographical features. As a result, storm surge values can be significantly outside the ranges suggested in the original scale.

 

For example, Hurricane Ike in 2008 was a very large storm that made landfall on the upper Texas coast as a Category 2 hurricane with a peak storm surge of 15 to 20 feet. In contrast, Hurricane Charley struck Southwest Florida in 2004 as a Category 4 hurricane, but produced a peak storm surge of just 6 to 7 feet.

Storm surge forecasts will continue to be included in hurricane advisories and statements issued by the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service forecast offices. Beginning with the 2009 hurricane season this information has been expressed in terms of height above ground level giving residents a better understanding of the potential for flooding at their location.
The decision to implement the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was based, in part, on an assessment of the responses received during a 2009 public comment period. The descriptions of wind impacts in the new scale were updated with assistance from highly respected wind scientists from academia and industry.

"I applaud the NOAA decision to decouple storm surge predictions from the Saffir-Simpson scale," said Al Goodman, Floodplain Management Bureau director, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Goodman noted that while Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast with top winds of Category 3 strength, its expected and actual storm surge was associated with a higher Category of storm when ranked on the original Saffir-Simpson Scale.

 

 

At a recent CIWEM conference, 87% of delegates supported a comprehensive review of the financial regulation of water to encourage innovation, to incentivise water conservation, to integrate water management with environmental policy and legislation and to address future challenges. Nearly all agreed that innovation is not supported effectively. The take-up of innovation by the industry is a matter of particular concern.

 

In some industries, competition can encourage innovation. However, due to the nature of water regulation, inertia within the industry and its structure makes this unlikely as it is difficult for new processes to be approved and implemented. Furthermore, CIWEM believes that increased competition will only add to the current problems of companies not charging customers for the true value of water.

 

CIWEM urges government to encourage greater innovation by increasing the incentives for outperformance and addressing the potential bias to capital expenditure. Companies who over-perform against their environmental targets should not be penalised for failing to meet their economic targets. CIWEM would also like to see Ofwat given responsibilities for promoting the delivery of integrated water, wastewater and environmental services, not just water and wastewater services.

 

Other necessary changes include the development of a research and development body to ensure an innovative, integrated approach to water management; improved co-ordination across regulators; and investigation into more flexible approaches to regulation by looking to examples of good practice in other places (e.g. Australia) and in other sectors.

 

CIWEM's Director of Policy, Justin Taberham, says: "It is clear that current financial regulation models for the water industry are ill-equipped to deal with issues that have come to the fore, including sustainability, climate change, carbon accounting and resource efficiency. Current regulatory models are not seen as fit for purpose and have significant flaws including inflexibility and a ‘boom and bust' business and asset management cycle. They do not encourage engagement with the public, stall innovation and are price rather than sustainability driven."

CIWEM aims to offer solutions to these challenges by undertaking a work stream on Regulation for a Sustainable Water Industry. If you are interested in being updated as these work streams develop or in being involved in the working groups, please email Justin Taberham, CIWEM's Director of Policy, justin@ciwem.org.