The meeting took place in Burgers Zoo, Arnhem, The Netherlands. The presentations of the first day were in English, the second day was presented in Dutch language.

 

The online videos show the presenters as well as the slides so it is easy to get the significance of the research done.

 

 

 

 

 

Since the earthquake the American aid organisation, "Water Mission International" has been working intensively on installing purchased Grundfos SQFlex pumping systems in Haiti.

The organisation has co-operated with Grundfos for several years and was already installing SQFlex systems in Haiti. This is why they already had four relief workers in Haiti when the earthquake happened. Together with a team of volunteers who were quickly flown to Haiti, they initiated work on finding suitable places to install the pumps. Seven days after the earthquake the first two pumping systems had already been installed. In the following days two pumps a day were installed and so far a total of nine pumps have been installed. Another three pumps have arrived in Haiti and they will be installed as soon as suitable places are found. Additional 20 pumping systems are in transit and ready to be flown to Haiti.

 

In addition to these pumping systems, the Poul Due Jensen Foundation recently decided to donate 20 SQFlex pumping systemt to the relief work in Haiti. In this way Grundfos pumps in the near future will provide clean water for several of the people affected by the Haiti earthquake.

 

The SQFlex systems consist of SQ pumps driven by solar energy. In addition a chlorine cleansing unit is added to the system and so the pumping systems can deliver clean drinking water immediately to the thirsty people of Haiti, making a difference here and now.

 

Berson will be showing its InLine, InLine+ and ProLine+ ranges of closed-vessel UV disinfection systems. Capable of treating water and wastewater flows as high as 5000 m3/hour, they have a unique design where the UV lamps are angled at 90° to the water flow. This not only means a more effective distribution of UV light to the passing fluid, it also means a much smaller footprint, allowing easy installation and servicing.

 

 

 

In Germany in 2007, the main sources of water were groundwater and spring water (70%), surface water and artificial infiltrate (22%) and bank filtrate (8%). Bank filtrate as a raw water source is used for both drinking water supply and process water. The water quality of pumped raw water from bank filtration sites depends on the water quality of the infiltrating surface water and the landside groundwater, the proportions of each and the flow and transport conditions in the aquifer.

 

Due to the intensive agricultural use of the landside catchment, high portions of landside groundwater may result in increased concentrations of nitrate, sulphate, hardness and pesticides. Poor quality of river water, in combination with high loads of suspended matter, may also result in river bed clogging. While the clogging layer comprises the biologically most active layer, it also strongly reduces water infiltration if the hydraulic conductivity decreases.

 

According to an article in Drinking Water and Engineering and Science by Grischenk et al., reduced water abstraction (due to the decline in water consumption and thus water production) results in a lower portion of bank filtrate in the abstracted raw water. The quality of the landside groundwater therefore becomes more important for the subsequent water treatment.

 

Optimisation of well operation to cover the lower mean demand and the remaining peak demand therefore becomes a key issue in the management of bank filtration sites. Under other hydrogeological or other socio-political conditions, flow conditions such as mixing behaviour, groundwater flow beneath the river and travel times should be investigated by groundwater flow modelling prior to any planning, construction or optimisation of bank filtration sites.

 

 

 

The new simulator will test products aimed at protecting homes against flooding. Testing will be available for all parts of the PAS1188 (2009) specification, including property protection products, temporary defences, demountable defences and property skirt systems. The tank will be filled with thousands of gallons of water to simulate a severe flood. If products pass the tests, they will be awarded a Kitemark symbol to show they meet new industry standards.

 

The Environment Agency said the testing site at HR Wallingford's hydraulic laboratory would ensure new products entering the market are robust and effective in the face of flood waters.
It wants local authorities, which spend money from the Environment Department's GBP5m grant scheme, to protect individual properties from flooding to ensure they install products with the Kitemark.

 

Robert Runcie, the Environment Agency's director of flood and coastal risk management, said: "The new testing facility and industry standard will help those at risk make informed choices and have confidence in the flood products they buy, as well as encouraging new product development."

 

He said one in six homes across England and Wales were at risk of flooding, and the number was likely to rise with climate change. "We want to encourage individuals and businesses to help themselves by making their property more resistant to flooding," he added.

To arrange product testing or to visit the facilities please contact HR Wallingford .

 

 

Several more hurdles remain before the city can become the first outside the Great Lakes basin to tap into the lakes since adoption of a landmark protection agreement in 2008. Under terms of the Great Lakes Compact, cities outside the basin must win approval of the governors from all eight Great Lakes states before diverting water from the lakes. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also needs to sign off on Waukesha's plan.

 

Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson called the city's efforts to secure a radium-free water supply "a critical public health issue," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. For years, the city has been figuring how to replace city water from deep wells contaminated with naturally occurring radium and salt. The city needs to comply with federal radium-safe water standards by 2018 under a state order.

 

The city made its case for Lake Michigan water in a draft application. The application notes that the city has already made great strides toward reducing its water use through conservation measures, but it maintains that conservation alone will not serve the city's water needs. Between 1988 and 2008, the city managed to decrease water use by 31% despite an 18% increase in population. Recent efforts to reduce consumption, including a ban on daytime water sprinkling, water rates that promote conservation, a high-efficiency toilet rebate program and public education have resulted in an 11% decrease in use in the past three years.

 

Waukesha currently uses an average of 6.8 million gallons of water a day and will need an average of 10.9 million gallons a day when the city is fully developed, according to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). The city and SEWRPC evaluated numerous water supply alternatives to meet those needs before settling on the three most feasible: using a mix of deep and shallow wells, switching to shallow wells alone or switching to water pumped from Lake Michigan.

 

As well as the contamination issues with deep wells, the application notes that the deep water aquifer that those wells draw from is already depleted and not reliable in the future. Switching from the deep wells to shallow wells exclusively would avoid the radium contamination but leave the city's water supply vulnerable to other contamination sources, while reducing the volume of groundwater feeding wetlands, streams and lakes. The city has therefore concluded that using Lake Michigan for its water supply "has the least environmental impact and provides the greatest protection of public health."

 

Any change to the city's current water sources will be expensive. Engineering and construction of pipelines to pump Lake Michigan water to the city and then return the treated wastewater to the lake via one of its tributaries, as required by the Great Lakes Compact, will cost about USD164 million. Annual operating and maintenance costs for the pipelines are estimated at USD6.2 million. Switching to a series of shallow wells to supply the city would cost USD174 million for construction, engineering, administrative, legal and other expenses, followed by an estimated USD7.4 million a year to run and maintain the wells.

 

While the Great Lakes Compact prohibits water diversions outside of the lakes' drainage basin, exceptions may be granted to communities in counties that fall at least partly within the basin such as Waukesha County. The Wisconsin DNR will work with the city on a comprehensive environmental impact study for the project, the Journal Sentinel reported . The DNR will also invite the public to comment on issues that should be included in the study.

 

Reference Circle of Blue

 

A statement from the IPPC says that this ‘refers to poorly substantiated rates of recession and date for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers.' It added that ‘in drafting the paragraph in question, the clear and well-established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly.'

 

It added: ‘This episode demonstrates that the quality of the assessment depends on absolute adherence to the IPCC standards, including thorough review of the quality and validity of each source before incorporating results from the source in an IPCC report.'

 

The admission was made after the error was pointed out by leading glaciologists in a letter to the journal Science. The experts said that the mistakes originated from a WWF report that picked up a news report based on an unpublished study, which was then exacerbated by the accidental inversion of the date 2350 to give the 2035 claim.

 

 

 

 

Consequently, in the pilot test area around Nuweiba city (Wadi Watier, about 10.000 km²), no casualties have been reported. The early warning system allows to forecast the amount, timing and location of rainfall. Based on this simulation, the risk for flash floods is calculated and if needed, a warning is send to the competent Crisis and Disaster Management Centre.

 

The early warning system has been developed under the FlaFloM project by a Belgian-Egyptian team. The team consists of the Egyptian Water Resources Research Insititute (WRRI), the Belgian consultancy company SORESMA and the Free University of Brussels. The project has been developed in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Gamal Salah El-Afandi (Al Azhar University, Cairo), the South Sinai Crisis and Disaster Management Centre and the municipality of Nuweiba City. The contract for the pilot area around Nuweiba City has a value of 800,000 Euro. 70% is financed by the European Commission (LIFE Fund) and 30% by Egypt.

 

The early warning system has been in operation for only one month. In December 2009, the technology was presented in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Nasr el-din Allam, the Minister of Water and Irrigation and General Mohamed Hany Metwally, the Governor of South Sinai. In order to protect the whole Sinai and the Red Sea Coast, they expressed their interest to extend the current early warning system beyond the pilot region. The Sultanate of Oman also expressed interest for the technology.

 

 

Users of the system simply have to visit the website and log in to see the precise location, condition and noise levels of their deployed Permalog+ loggers. This information can be displayed either in a list form, or overlaid onto a detailed map, terrain or satellite view of the area.

 

Loggers in a non-leak state appear in blue on the map, those transmitting a leak alert are shown in red, and those with anomalous readings display a yellow warning sign. Each logger can be individually highlighted to view more detailed information, including its serial number, noise level, signal strength and acoustic spread. This enables problem areas to be quickly and accurately identified, and offers the potential for in-depth analysis of the leak situation. The list view allows loggers to be sorted by a number of variables, and historical leak data for each one is available at the click of a mouse.

 

Users can be set up to have different levels of access to data and administrative functions, so several people can view the data simultaneously but only administrators will be able to make changes to it. A demonstration of the system is available, which shows a district of Copenhagen where the system has been used for several months successfully to achieve and maintain a 10% reduction in leakage.

 

The Almos system can be used to view and manage integrated data from several sources, including PermaNet and Automatic Meter Reading Readers (AMR's) systems, with all data running through an extensive web server-based algorithm analysis post processing function (patent pending). This offers currently unparalleled water management functionality to save time, water and money.

 

Water suppliers can now monitor 100% of their distribution system confidently and effectively, knowing that the combination of Permalog® technology, PermaNet data communication and ALMOS online data presentation enables them to identify potential leak sites quickly, accurately, conveniently and automatically.

 

 

Thus we are inviting Abstracts that address this theme, across the spectrum of the water and wastewater treatment industry and we hope to organise sessions that cover:
• Legislatory Overview
• The Sewer as a Solids Transport System
• Improving Water Management
• Pumps and Pumping
• Potable Water Treatment
• Resource Recovery
• Carbon and Energy Management
• On Site Generation of Renewable Energy
• Innovation
• Sensors and Instrumentation

 

Individuals interested in contributing should provide a 150 word abstract that includes:
• The title of the presentation/paper
• A summary of the contribution
• Identify the key theme
• Name and full contact details for all presenters/authors

Abstracts should be submitted by email to sarahhickinson@aquaenviro.co.uk by the 26th March 2010.

 

The conference will take place from 27th to 28th September 2010 in Leeds, UK.

 

The photometer uses a patented method utilizing eXact Micro reagent strip technology, eliminating the need for powders, tablets, and liquids - saving the user time and money. It provides fast, accurate results without the guesswork of color matching and meets 4500-CL-G requirement. The waterproof meter (IP-67) fits comfortably in your hand has a built in sampling cell and comes with a 5 (five) year warranty. The kit also includes 100 eXact Micro Free Chlorine strips (DPD-1), 100 eXact Micro Total Chlorine strips (DPD-3), carry case and batteries.

 

 

 

 

 

About 75% of the people responding to the survey says to be directly or indirectly involved in the decision-making process, nearly half of all professionals being directly involved in the decisions. This supports the direction of WaterLink International to assist water professionals by providing the results of research, best practices and solutions to improve water quality.

Of the responding group of nearly 500 professionals 23.1% described themselves as manager or director, 14.5% as scientist, 13% as an engineer, 12.8% as a consultant. Government, education and utilities are mentioned most as the primary business.

 

 

The construction supervision is an option. Lahmeyer International has already been involved in this project since 2004. At that time a Feasibility Study for the Kaluganga Multipurpose Project was carried out.

 

 

"The water under the ice shelf is very close to the freezing point," wrote Ole Anders Noest of the Norwegian Polar Institute in a statement after drilling through the Fimbul, which is 250-400m thick. "This situation seems to be stable, suggesting that melting under the ice shelf is not increasing," he wrote of the first drilling cores.

The findings, a rare piece of good news after worrying signs in recent years of polar warming, are only a small part of how Antarctica is responding to climate change. Antarctica holds enough water to raise world sea levels by 57m, so even tiny changes are a risk for low-lying coasts or cities such as Beijing and New York.

The Institute said that the water below the Fimbul was at a temperature of -2.05 degrees Celsius (salty water freezes at a slightly lower temperature than fresh water). This was slightly colder than estimates generated by a regional computer model for Antarctica, said Nalan Koc, head of the Norwegian Polar Institute's Center for Ice, Climate and Ecosystems. "The important thing is that we are now in a position to monitor the water beneath the ice shelf," she said. "If there is a warming in future we can tell."

Noc described how data collected could be included in a new report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due in 2013-14. The last IPCC report in 2007 did not include models for sea temperature around the Fimbul Ice Shelf.

Experts have generally raised estimates for sea level rise. The United Nations spoke in late 2009 of a maximum 2m rise by 2100, up from 18-59cm estimated by the IPCC in 2007 which excluded any possible acceleration from Antarctica. The break-up of ice shelves does not in itself contribute to rising sea levels since the ice is already floating. However, melting ice shelves increase the risk that glaciers on land will flow faster toward the ocean if the shelves are removed.

At the Copenhagen climate summit last month, most nations agreed to limit any rise in world temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. They failed to set cuts in greenhouse gas emissions needed to achieve the goal, however.

 

 

The technology, which could easily be adapted to detect a variety of harmful chemicals or toxins in water or food, is described by Wang et al. in the journal Nano Letters.

The paper strips produce results 28 times faster than the complex method commonly used today to detect microcystin-LR, a chemical compound produced by cyanobacteria or blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria are commonly found in nutrient-rich waters.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), even in very small quantities, is suspected of causing liver damage and possibly liver cancer. The substance and others like it are among the leading causes of biological water pollution. It is believed to be the cause of historical mass poisonings, said Nicholas Kotov. Kotov, a professor in the departments of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, was project leader of the biosensor development.

Water treatment plants (even in developed countries) cannot always remove MC-LR completely or test for it often enough, according to Kotov. The biosensor which he and his colleagues developed provides a quick, cheap, portable and sensitive test that could allow water treatment plants and individuals to verify the safety of water on a more regular basis. "The safety of drinking water is a vital issue in many developing countries and in many parts of the United States," Kotov said. "We've developed a simple and inexpensive technology to detect multiple toxins."

The sensor works by measuring the electrical conductivity of the nanotubes in the paper. Before the nanotubes are impregnated in the paper, they are mixed with antibodies for MC-LR. When the paper strips come in contact with water contaminated with MC-LR, those antibodies squeeze in between the nanotubes to bond with the MC-LR. This ‘spreading apart' of the nanotubes changes their electrical conductivity, which is then measured by an external monitor. The whole device is about the size of a home pregnancy test, and results appear in fewer than 12 minutes. To adapt the biosensor for other toxins, scientists could simply replace the antibodies that bond to the toxin.

This research was carried out in collaboration with the laboratory of professor Chuanlai Xu at Wuxi University in China. The University of Michigan is pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property, and is seeking commercialization partners to help bring the technology to market.

 

Most people in Port au Prince obtained water from public wells or tanker delivery, but the municipal pipeline supplying the city has been damaged and the treatment works is reported to be shut because the electricity supply is down.

Aid is coming from many different sources: the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is able to produce treated water at a rate of 150,000 gallons per day (660,700 litres/day) using the vessel's onboard desalination system, and is gearing up to put its spare water into bladders for transport to shore.

UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières have also flown in medical supplies, oral rehydration salts for children with diarrhoea, water purification kits and drinking water. The Save the Children charity is also providing water purifiers. The Red Cross has said it will also concentrate much of its effort on providing clean water, which is critical in reducing the risk of waterborne and water-related diseases. Outlying areas are also in need - reports suggest that up to 90% of the town of Leogane has been destroyed.

A plane carrying 20 tonnes of water and sanitation equipment from Action Against Hunger has also arrived at Port au Prince. AAH also plans to restore the water distribution networks by repairing pipes and infrastructure. Convoy of Hope workers have installed two modified bio-sand filters at an orphanage in the capital city, where the children had been surviving on half a cup of water a day. Oxfam had existing water supplies in the country and has managed to get a number of large tanks into Port au Prince.

Visiting the area, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that emergency relief including food and water was essential. The UN has appealed for $562 million, with half of this sum to be targeted at health, water, sanitation, nutrition, early recovery, emergency education and other key needs.

UNICEF has also brought in plane-loads of water and sanitation supplies, as well as experts in water and sanitation. World Bank experts are also due to go to Haiti to conduct damage and reconstruction assessments in every major sector including water and sanitation.
UNICEF NZ Executive Director, Dennis McKinlay said: "Providing access to clean water and sanitation is essential in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, to avoid a second wave of deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Children are particularly susceptible to diarrhoeal diseases. In this case, water saves lives. Water is a UNICEF priority and distribution has begun."

 

 

 
Parameters such as pH value, acid capacity, free and total chlorine content, chlorine dioxide, bromine, ozone and cyanuric acid can be measured quickly, easily and precisely.
The portable photometer is compact, ergonomically designed, and powered by a 9VDC battery. The cell compartment is hermetically sealed to prevent water penetrating into the electronic components. The P15 plus has a software-supported calibration facility, which qualifies it for use as a testing instrument. The scope of supply includes 400 reaction tablets. Siemens Water Technologies also provides liquid reagents on request.

The photometer is very easy to use. The sample tube is first filled with the water to be tested, and placed in the cell compartment. The device is zeroed simply by pressing a button. The sample tube is then removed, and a measuring reagent added to the sample water. After color has developed in the sample, the tube is returned to the cell compartment. Pressing the button once more displays the values of the constituents and other quality parameters. The photometer has a count-down function for determining parameters that require a certain reaction time. It emits an acoustic signal as soon as the displayed value is valid and can be recorded.

 

 

 

World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. CIWEM's World Wetlands Day Conference is supporting key ideas outlined in the RAMSAR convention and is a major event for the wetland community to meet and share their views. By looking at the similarities and differences in taking action for wetland biodiversity in different habitats, the conference will explore the way that policies, research and practical action need to be joined together to help deliver the most effective outcomes.

 

This event is relevant for site practitioners who have to meet the specific challenges of site management on a day to day basis and may be planning for climate change adaptation; policy officers who are responsible for drafting policies on wetlands and biodiversity which inform effective practical adaptation and mitigation project, and give clarity to the impacts of climate change; researchers who can update on the latest objective thinking on wetland biodiversity and functioning in the face of climate change; regulators who make the critical links between policy and schemes on the ground; and the wetland community who need to be fully aware of the direction climate change is pushing biodiversity change in the different wetland habitats.

 

Speakers will include representatives from government agencies, wildlife trusts, universities and consultancies. The winner of CIWEM Living Wetlands Award for a project that demonstrates a sustainable use of wetland habitats will also be announced.

 

CIWEM's World Wetlands Day Conference 2010 is on 2nd and 3rd February in Peterborough.

Aqua Enviro's conference is intended to ensure delegates will: be aware of the origin of PCP's and their fate during wastewater treatment; understand the potential risk of PCP's in sewage effluent to the aquatic environment; learn of the necessity to remove these compounds in order to meet our WFD obligations and identify the business opportunities for removal technologies and strategies.

 

A bathroom contains a vast array of toiletries, perfumes, deodorants and skin care products. Open your medicine cabinet and see the range of painkillers, contraceptive pills, analgesics and stomach care products. Now imagine the number of these products distributed throughout the UK and consider that all of them will eventually end up in the sewer via the toilet, sink or shower. Their ultimate fate is in the river and then the sea.

 

Water Companies continue to invest heavily and the chemical quality of UK rivers is continuing to improve, over the past three years, such that 79% of river length is now of good quality. By contrast, the more rigorous measure of biological quality has remained unchanged at 72% of river length over this same period. More detailed analysis of aquatic environments has shown a widespread presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Their annual consumption ranges from a few kilograms to several hundred tons per individual. These compounds are a persistent presence due to their continual discharge into the aquatic environment.

 

 

 
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was established more than 100 years ago to provide a reliable and safe water and electricity to City residents and businesses. In May 2008, LADWP officials unveiled the City of Los Angeles Water Supply Action Plan, "Securing L.A.'s Water Supply," which pledged to meet all new demand for water - about 100,000 acre-feet per year (123 million m3/yr) by 2030 - through water conservation and recycling rather than by importing of additional water. Since then, the City's total use of recycled water is up to 7,200 acre-feet per year (8.9 million m3/yr). The water is used for irrigation and industrial purposes, and for environmental uses, including serving as a barrier to seawater intrusion.

All recycled wastewater in Los Angeles undergoes treatment and disinfection to the tertiary level and meets stringent water quality standards set by the California State Department of Public Health. The treated water travels to the end user through a network of pipes that are painted purple to differentiate them from those that carry potable water.

"LADWP's use of our software to help manage its recycled water system sends a message that our products are not only powerful and easy-to-implement, but help drive sustainability in our industry," said MWH Soft Vice President-Director of Americas Operations J. Erick Heath, P.E. "Our products are known for delivering consistent, high quality engineering GIS modeling data; enhanced efficiency; and reliable, cost-effective planning options. These powerful advantages are sparking measurable improvements in productivity, system performance, return on investment, and customer satisfaction around the world."

Built atop ArcGIS using the latest Microsoft.NET and ESRI ArcObjects component technologies, InfoWater seamlessly integrates advanced water network modeling and optimization functionality with the latest generation of ArcGIS. It not only addresses all the operations of a typical water distribution system, but allows engineers to accurately perform the most difficult hydraulic analyses - including multi-point and extended period fire flow simulations, variable speed pumps, and advanced water quality calculations - and showcase the results using the rich presentations tools native to the ArcGIS environment.

The software delivers world-record performance, scalability, reliability, functionality and flexibility directly within the GIS setting, completely eliminating the need for inefficient, unreliable data synchronization, synching schemes, or middlelink interfaces required by other software. These factors and more translate to increased productivity, reduced costs, greater efficiency, and improved designs.

 

 

 

The Jaap van der Graaf Award was established in 2009 to mark the departure of Professor Jaap van der Graaf as a professor of Wastewater Treatment at TU Delft. The Award is an initiative of Witteveen+Bos, the engineering company where Jaap van der Graaf was managing director between 1988 and 2003, and includes a prize of EUR5,000 and a glass trophy. It will be awarded on an annual basis. The objective is to give greater prominence to Dutch expertise in the field of wastewater treatment, and the monetary part of the prize is intended to be used for that purpose. The trophy by glass artist Henk Adriaan Meijer symbolises the treatment of wastewater.

 

Articles meet the following conditions: 

 

• the subject should relate to the collection or treatment of wastewater;

• the author should be a university student or be employed in a relevant professional field in the Netherlands;

• the article, which must be in English, must have been published in a trade journal in the past year;

• the subject must be of real practical use.

 

Participation is open to authors of any nationality. A total of ten articles based on these conditions were submitted.

 

The jury, consisting of Professor Jules van Lier, Jans Kruit, Ad de Man, Dr Arjen van Nieuwenhuijzen and Dr Hardy Temmink, announced the three nominees for the award and the winner during the Vakantiecursus symposium. In their assessment, they took consideration of practical applicability, profiling and current themes such as greenhouse gases, energy and extensive purification. The winning article states that there is an astonishing lack of knowledge of N2O emissions during the treatment of wastewater. This knowledge will be needed in the future in order to be able to measure and report greenhouse gases and, where necessary, to effect changes to existing models for the design of sewage purification installations. 

 

Marlies Kampschreur (born in 1977) studied Environmental Protection at Wageningen University from 1997 to 2002, after which she worked at Witteveen+Bos until 2004. She started her PhD research project in 2005 at the TU Delft Department of Biotechnology, and is due to complete it shortly. The subject is ‘The influence of nitrogen oxides on the metabolism of ammonia oxidizing bacteria’. Following on from this, N2O emissions at a number of sewage purification installations will be measured as part of a STOWA (Foundation for Applied Water Research) research project.

 

In addition to the winning article, the following two submissions also received nominations:

 

• David Jeison et al, ‘Thermophilic sidestream anaerobic membrane bioreactors: The shear rate di-lemma’, Water Environment Research Volume 81, No 11;

• Adrien Moreau, et al, ‘The (in)significance of apparent viscosity in full-scale municipal membrane bioreactors’, Journal of Membrane Science, 340 (2009).

 

The Jaap van der Graaf Award was presented in the presence of many experts in the field of drinking water and wastewater, all of whom were taking part in the 62nd Drinking Water and Wastewater Vakantiecursus symposium. 

 

A discharge of Triclosan at a concentration of 22.6 µg l-1 was detected by one of a number of FASTtracka systems within an ongoing evaluation programme, involving UK sites operated by Veolia Water, United Utilities and Scottish Water, plus one site within the US. All FASTtracka II sensors within this trial are installed at the water intake of pumping stations, with natural flora providing the target material for FRR measurements. The RAG algorithm provides a clear display of the water condition and alarms when a contamination event is detected. Since each FRR sequence requires only 2.7 ms the system can provide very high temporal resolution (currently set at one acquisition per minute), whilst allowing for use of a very low maintenance, flow-through arrangement. Using data from the evaluation programme, the RAG algorithm now has been developed to the point where it provides extremely effective rejection of false positives, whilst maintaining high sensitivity to contamination events.

 

Dr Kevin Oxborough (CTG Ltd) presented results from the evaluation programme to a special interest group from UK water companies, at a meeting hosted by Veolia Water (Hatfield). The presentation included results from independent laboratory tests, which showed that the combination of FASTtracka II sensor and RAG algorithm is effective in the detection of a wide range of toxicants. Other features of the system discussed included the self-cleaning design of the sample chamber, the ability to function at high turbidity levels, the extremely high dynamic range and the real-time measurement of chlorophyll a concentration. The potential for using FRR technology for algal bloom detection was also discussed.

 

 

 

Technical Director and Company Founder, Prof. Lucy Wyatt says 'We are continuing to work on new developments to improve our software and ensure it is of value to the end user.  Being able to offer data in grib format makes the data more practical for clients used to working with this format". 

 

 

 

As result of a large investment by the Water Companies, the chemical quality of UK rivers (assessed based on dissolved oxygen and ammonia) has improved continuously over the past three years, such that 79% of river length is now of good quality.  By contrast, the more rigorous measure of biological quality has remained unchanged at 72% of river length over this same period. More detailed analysis of aquatic environments shows a widespread presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

 

This is unsurprising considering their extensive use hospitals and households and their incomplete removal during wastewater treatment Plant.  Their annual consumption ranges from a few kilograms to several hundred tons per individual compounds and they are persistent compounds as result of their continual discharge to the aquatic environment.  Future UK obligations under the Water Framework Directive will require removal of these compounds to background levels and the investment required to achieve this will be large.  As the problem is a worldwide one, there is a significant European interest in becoming a technology leader in view of the size of the global market. 

 

 

Bertoua's 200,000 inhabitants had limited access to clean drinking water because of poor logistics. In the past 10 years 46 new pumps and wells have been installed providing clean and safe drinking water. Now Rotary contributes to the management and maintenance in the community, enhancing local competences for responsibility and resilience.

 

"We are very lucky that RapidEye has recorded imagery for this region" - says initiator Tamme van der Wal from AeroVision. "The available maps so far were either of small scale or hand drawn. This map clearly shows the extent of the city, the infrastructure and the tigerish gully pattern". The 5 meter resolution of the RapidEye imagery reveals buildings, erosion patterns, rivers, streets, and agricultural fields. The map will be used to locate the drinking water sites as basis for per-site maintenance plans including environmental protection.

 

This map is an initiative of AeroVision, spatial information management consultants. Imagery was kindly made available by RapidEye. Map production was carried out by TerraSphere Imaging & GIS. Reproduction was done by the Centre for Geo-Information of Alterra. ore information can be requested at tamme.vanderwal@aerovision.nl.

 

 

 

The USD1 million grant to the American Red Cross will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical and financial assistance, and other support to help those in need.

Coca-Cola has sold its products in Haiti since 1927. More than 800 people work for its bottling partner, Brasserie de la Couronne, on the island. The bottling plant received limited structural damage.

Since 1989, The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated more than USD7 million to the American Red Cross for disaster relief efforts worldwide, including Hurricane Katrina, the Indonesian tsunami, and the Sichuan earthquake. Since its inception, The Coca-Cola Foundation has contributed more than USD300 million to support sustainable community initiatives worldwide.

 

 

The project is one of nine in California selected by NOAA for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to restore coastal habitat. Managed by the California State Coastal Conservancy, this project is part of the largest tidal wetland restoration effort taking place on the West Coast.

 

"San Francisco Bay has lost an estimated 85%of its historic wetlands to development," said Rodney McInnis, NOAA's Fisheries Service southwest regional administrator. "This project will work to reverse that loss, while increasing habitat and improving the bay's ecosystem."

Other NOAA Recovery Act habitat restoration projects in the Bay Area include the American Canyon Salt Pond project, which received USD8.5 million to restore 1,135 acres of tidal wetlands and expand the Napa-Sonoma Wildlife Area and San Pablo National Wildlife Refuge; and the Salmon Creek Restoration, which received USD1.5 million to restore habitat along an important stream near Bodega Bay. There are six other NOAA Recovery Act projects being funded throughout coastal California, which will restore hundreds of acres of wetlands and open miles of river to migratory fish.

 

In February 2009, NOAA received USD167 million from the Obama Administration's Recovery Act to restore coastal habitat and help jumpstart the nation's economy. Altogether, the agency received 814 proposals from 34 states and five territories, totaling more than USD3 billion in requests. From these proposals, NOAA selected 50 high quality, high priority projects to restore US coasts. These projects will create jobs and restore wetlands, salt marshes, oyster and coral reefs, as well as remove fish passage barriers on coastal rivers and streams. In addition to improving the environment, these efforts will assist recreational and commercial fishing, support more resilient coasts in the face of climate change, and create jobs - many in areas of high unemployment.

 

 

The barrier's purpose is to increase the draining capacity of the Nakdong River. By draining the excess water, the river can be better managed. This benefits ecology, irrigation, and flood-water safety, which means that the quality of life of the local population is improved.

The barrier is to be built on the edge of the port city of Busan, which, with 4.6 million inhabitants, is the second largest city in Korea and the country's most important port. According to Wim Klomp, DHV's project director, "the barrier can be compared to the Haringvliet barrier in the Netherlands. The big difference is that the flood threat in Korea doesn't come from the sea, but from the rivers themselves. This means that the barrier's curvature is turned toward the sea."

The Nakdong Barrier is over 300 meters long, with a mid span of almost 100 meters. In the past, DHV was also involved in the construction of the current barrier. "Because of climate change and sedimentation in the river's feeder channels, there is a need for extra drainage capacity," explains Klomp.

DHV is working closely on the project with Samsung Engineering & Construction and Yooshin. The client is K-water, which is part of the South Korean directorate for public works and water management.

 

 

 

Located approximately 100km west of Brisbane, Toowoomba is home to approximately 95,000 people. Surface water from dams is the main source of water for the city. In 2006 the residents of Toowoomba were invited to vote in a referendum concerning whether or not an indirect potable wastewater reuse scheme should be constructed to supply additional water to the area. At that stage, dam levels in Toowoomba were at approximately 20% of capacity. After intense campaigning on both sides of the referendum debate, Toowoomba residents voted against the proposal.

By using techniques including the analysis of blog sites and publicly available information brochures, in-depth interviews and the results of a questionnaire, Hurlimann and Dolnicar describe how public opposition defeated the proposal for a water augmentation solution.

Toowoomba City Council announced the Water Futures Initiative in 2005, intending to follow the announcement with a 3-year community engagement program. However, the campaign group Citizens Against Drinking Sewage (CADS) formed in reaction to the announcement. CADS were therefore the first to communicate their view to the public, providing detailed arguments to support their opposition. CADS collected 10,000 signatures against the water initiative within 6 months of the announcement of the initiative.

Parliament announced that a referendum inviting the Toowoomba residents to support the project would be held. Toowoomba City Council was then forced to condense the planned 3-year consultation into a 10-week information campaign in the face of CADS' ‘first mover' advantage. The impact of the council's rushed campaign could be one explanation for the negative vote. Alternatively, opposition could also have been due to the difficulty participants had in trusting information sources. Participants raised concerns about information and sources of bias on both sides of the referendum.

 

The article provides valuable insights with respect to public participation in indirect potable reuse proposals and discusses factors including politics, vested interest and information manipulation. As a consequence of the Toowoomba referendum, the Queensland state government chose not to put critically needed alternative water projects to a public vote. In July 2008, Toowoomba dam levels dropped to 11%. Stage 5 water restrictions have been in place since September 2006, stating that mains water must not be used for any outdoor uses.

 

 

NOM must be removed from drinking water due to its effect on properties such as taste and colour, reaction with disinfectant, removal of inorganic pollutants, corrosion and biostability (to name a few). The main component of NOM in water in Norway is HS. The characteristics of these humic substances (e.g. size, charge, colour and biodegradability) have a direct influence on the method used to remove them. Ødegaard et al. describe several different techniques in detail.

 

Nanofiltration (NF) techniques are effective due to the large size of HS molecules. The raw water first passes through a pre-treatment unit, normally a micro-sieve with a sieve opening of typically 50 microns. The pressure is then increased to the operating pressure of the membrane unit by a circulation pump. Cross-flow filtration takes place in the membrane unit, resulting in a cleaned water stream (the permeate) which has passed through the membrane and a dirty water stream (the concentrate) that passes a reduction valve bringing the pressure in the concentrate back to that of the atmosphere. NF is suitable when the NOM concentration is high and the colour strong.

The negative charge of HS molecules implies that they can be coagulated, adsorbed to metal hydroxide and subsequently removed by floc separation, the most commonly used method in Norway. Coagulation is normally carried out by the addition of aluminium sulphate and prepolymerised aluminium chloride of iron chloride as coagulants.

 

Chemical sorption (ion exchange) is also effective due to the negative charge of the molecules, but is used less frequently. Ion exchange (based on macroporous anion exchangers) is used in small plants, but is only recommended for relatively low raw water colour levels (typically below 30 mg Pt/l).

 

Since the colour of HS is associated with its aromatic content and C=C bonds, the colour can be removed by breaking these bonds through the addition of a strong oxidant. When colour removal and disinfection are the main goals, ozonation is the preferred oxidation method.

 

Ozonation/biofiltration is recommended for relatively low colour levels, typically below 35mg Pt/l. Otherwise, the biogrowth potential created by the ozonation may be too high for the biofilter to handle.

 

Finally, by adding a strong oxidising agent, the large HS molecules can be broken down into smaller biodegradable components, removable by biofiltration.

 

 

"CEPI is delighted to welcome the Slovenian association as a member and we hope that we will have a very fruitful partnership over the years to come. The association has been active since 1976 and has been promoting our industry within Slovenia and we now look forward to learning from them and sharing expertise." said Teresa Presas, Managing Director of CEPI.

 

"We are pleased to be able to take our place as a member of CEPI and believe that we can play an important role in representing the smaller European member states and the issues we face," stated Mr. Andro OCVIRK, President of the Paper and Paper Converting Industry Association of Slovenia.

 

 

 

Delegates will enjoy a first-class technical program with 13 themes addressing pertinent and  ground-breaking information in the field of mine water. As always, there will be ample opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices with colleagues from around the world, both during the conference and on exciting field trips.

 

 

This water master planning tool greatly accelerates hydraulic diagram design of existing and proposed pressure zones and helps ensure accuracy on projects subject to frequent updates and revisions. Built atop AutoCAD 2010, H2ONET PZM integrates dynamic water network modeling with sophisticated graph-theoretical algorithms to help water utilities and consulting engineering firms handle a number of critical tasks. They include development of rigorous water distribution system models; accurate delineation of pressure zone boundaries; and speedy generation of comprehensive pressure zone hydraulic schematics, including summaries of in/out flows through pumps, control valves, check valves, storage tanks and reservoirs.

 

These capabilities not only make water distribution system master planning easier, faster and more reliable and enable users to perform quality assurance and control during the model development stage, prior to performing any rigorous evaluations. Water utilities can more effectively leverage the power of network modeling along with the tremendous expertise of the engineers who contribute to the process. The ultimate result is improved work experience, capital planning and operational efficiency.

 

H2ONET PZM automatically identifies and delineates each pressure zone based on its "ending" elements, such as tanks, pumps, control valves, check valves, closed pipes, and reservoirs. This helps ensure that the network model accurately reflects actual system performance and operation. The application then produces a schematic for each pressure zone, with the maximum and minimum elevations defined by tank level, junction, pump, control valve, closed pipe, and check valve elevation information. Summary data includes the flow and pressure for each hydraulic element along with maximum and minimum data for pressure, hydraulic grade line, water quality, flow, velocity, head loss and hydraulic slope. This information can be generated for any modeling scenario and any hydraulic time step in an extended period (dynamic) simulation.

 

 

 

The digital inventory of small hydrological basins can be viewed at: http://ne-friend.bafg.de/servlet/is/17796/

 

Hydrological research basins with clearly defined system properties and basin characteristics are very suitable for investigating complex processes, both natural or anthropogenically superimposed, within the natural space. These research basins make a valuable contribution towards understanding and monitoring hydrological and energy balance processes as well as the inherent materials cycles. Hydrological research basins featuring long-term measurement series also serve as reference basins for diverse time-variant measurement parameters and allow the acquisition of changes due to pollution sources.

 

 

 

This name expresses the increased cooperation with ESRI Nederland BV. ESRI Nederland Solutions is an organisation employing 50 people and operates from Zwolle, Rotterdam and Breda. The current cooperation reinforces ESRI Nederland BV, offering better solutions base don ESRI technology.

 

 

 

Furthermore, Grontmij announces an enhanced five-year strategy with a focus on profitability, organic revenue growth and further expansion by acquisitions. The company will leverage its local expertise to allow greater knowledge sharing and cross selling internationally across the business. At the core of the strategy is the principle of sustainability by design which is a leading proposition for Grontmij's customers.

 

Sylvo Thijsen, CEO, comments ‘Our strategy to 2015 is a logical next phase in the development of Grontmij. Five years ago, we were mainly active in the Netherlands. After a period of sustained organic growth, complemented by acquisitions, our company is now one of the leading design and management consultancies in Europe. Based on our local strongholds, focussing on innovations and expertise across the company and actively pursuing new markets for these, we will continue to grow the company and increase our profits. Especially in the current economic climate, the organisational change will enable us to better anticipate demand, unlock synergies and leverage this across geographical borders. The new organisational structure offers opportunities for our people too with growing opportunities to work in new geographical locations and with expanded international expertise. Our long term goals are ambitious; nevertheless in the short term we have to absorb the economic challenges by reducing our cost base according to our Q3 announcement.'

 

 

 

The Grontmij team may be called on to carry out investigations such as borehole performance/condition surveys, reliable yield assessments, abstraction impact assessments and low flow studies, as well as borehole design, construction, licensing, rehabilitation and decommissioning.

Speaking about the framework win, Jason Jones, operations director at Grontmij, said: "Severn Trent Water is a key client and the team has a long-standing relationship with the company, built over many years. We are delighted to be appointed to the framework, which is testament to the fact that the team continues to deliver fresh ideas and approaches to our work with Severn Trent Water.

"Our experience in hydrogeology, coupled with over 20 years' working with the UK's water companies means we have the knowledge and expertise to deliver detailed and thorough studies, while implementing low cost, high quality solutions."

 

 

 

It currently produces 325 million m3 (260,000 acre-feet) of drinking water every year, with the Saigon River as the primary water source. The city is also faced with a large non-revenue water (NRW) problem, with over 140 million m3 (110,000 acre-feet) of water usage unaccounted for.

"Embarking on an NRW study is a challenging project, but critical to the long term health of our system," said Mr. Luu Khanh Toan, Deputy Team Leader of the project. "H2OMAP Water is the ideal tool for performing this analysis. It makes it easy for our engineers to run and simulate a range of possible conditions and determine the most likely sources of unaccounted water. The program is also highly intuitive, with a broad range of capabilities beyond NRW - making it a natural choice for our system. Add the MWH Soft reputation for being first to add new features and providing robust, responsive support, and H2OMAP Water is a perfect fit for Saigon Water Corporation."

Built using an advanced Object-Oriented Geospatial Component model, H2OMAP Water is a stand-alone GIS-based program, combining spatial analysis tools and mapping functions with sophisticated and accurate network modeling for complete infrastructure (asset) management and business planning. It performs fast, reliable and comprehensive hydraulic and dynamic water quality modeling, energy management (with true variable speed pumping), real-time simulation and control with online SCADA interface, and complete fire flow analysis.

 

H2OMAP Water fully supports geocoding and multiple mapping layers which can be imported from one of many data sources including Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings (e.g., dwg, dgn, dxf); CAD world files; standard GIS formats (Shapefiles, Generate files, MID/MIF files, and ArcInfo coverages); Vector product format (vpf) files; Spatial Database Engine (ArcSDE) Layers; attribute tables; grid data; image files; ODBC; and Comma Separated/Delimited Text (CSV) files. The program also supports the geodatabase standard of ArcGIS through an ArcSDE connection.

 

 

"IPM has a strong reputation in the mining market with their filter presses," said Dave Spyker, Executive Vice President of the Industrial Segment for Siemens Water Technologies. "The acquisition expands our filter press line of products and related services further into the global mining market, and into other industries as well, including chemical and remediation."

 

IPM will continue to operate out of its office in Manchester, New Hampshire. The company provides a line of filter presses that are robust and highly automated, offering shorter filter press cycle times and high speed shifting, resulting in reduced cost. IPM filter presses provide such high cake dryness that thermal drying equipment may not be needed further, reducing operating expenses. The IPM filter press will be incorporated into the existing Siemens dewatering product portfolio, which includes the J-Press line of filter presses.

 

As parties embraced a final climate change accord, water was included in one sentence in the latest draft of the treaty but then dropped entirely from the final text. Over the past few months, water-specific language has appeared and disappeared from drafts of the UN climate change adaptation text. In the last preliminary climate talks in Barcelona, water was eliminated from the negotiating texts.

Generations of people living in vulnerable coastal nations or farmers face volatile rainfall and could be left unprepared for decades if the treaty's language isn't carefully crafted into the next international climate treaty, said GPPN Secretariat Hannah Stoddart, one of the speakers at the "Bridging the Water and Climate Change Agendas" event.

 

In Copenhagen, the GPPN and its allies tried to step up the pressure on leaders by putting water in powerful introductory videos and speeches about climate and water-related damage happening around the world. Although representatives of the GPPN network (including partners from SIWI, the GWP and the World Wildlife Fund) had modest expectations for changes to the UN text, they were determined to stress the connections between water and climate change to the 33,000 accredited attendees at the conference, which ended on December 19.

 

Ainun Nishat, a senior climate change adviser for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, opened the panel discussion with a quick summary of the challenges facing Bangladesh including severe weather events, rising sea levels, shifting rainfall patterns and a fragile food supply. "I feel very ashamed the international community has not done anything about that," Nishat said. Nishat gave first-hand examples that supported the GPPN's central agenda i.e. urgent demand for action, regional and international guidance on water-related issues and a long-term strategy for adaptation by the United Nations.

 

The subsequent speakers moved through a series of warnings and guidance measures for climate leaders. Managing water resources will be critical, Stoddart said. She added that effective management requires broad-based cooperation, which starts at the international treaty level. Identifying a disconnect between climate and water advocates, speakers at the event encouraged everyone at the climate conference to break out of their specialities and engage in interdisciplinary discussions and solutions.

 

After the prepared speeches, moderator Mike Muller (Special Advisor to the Global Water Partnership) opened the floor for questions. This led to urgent calls for amended treaty language, all of which were subsequently ignored in the final accord. Negotiators in the room anticipated that water might be left out because environmental ministers, rather than water administrators, usually handle these agreements. The sense of urgency and pressure for ongoing planning are strong, however. Environmental ministers from both South Africa and Uganda who attended the event said they would take these messages back to their private delegation meetings.

 

"We really have to understand water is a key element for the poor and vulnerable," said Karin Lexen, a project director with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). "If you talk to a woman in Mali, the first thing she will probably ask for is water. That's why we have a commitment to do our best."