The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to change our world rapidly, and our new normal appears to have no end in sight. It’s a whole new world; one that will continue to force us to adapt and change as the days and months go on. For water utilities, this means keeping the water flowing, and in some areas turning the water back on in homes that were previously disconnected.
Recently, I spoke with NACWA CEO Adam Krantz about the estimated $12.5 billion cost to water and wastewater utilities in lost revenue due to COVID-19 related practices. Krantz also talked about the $40 billion in infrastructure-related projects being put on hold as workers are asked to stay home, and how a jobs stimulus plan might affect the industry.
“Water and wastewater is one of the only areas where, in addition to putting people to work quickly — which is the key to any jobs stimulus — you actually also get environmental benefit and public health benefit,” Krantz said.
The silver lining to the current pandemic, at least for the water and wastewater sector, he said, is that the nature of the work utilities do has been highlighted in new ways as handwashing has been touted as the main line of defense against infection. It’s something that David Zielonka, NACWA communications manager, hopes will have positive impacts on the utility workforce moving forward.
“Public works [projects] will be necessary to get people back to work [after the pandemic is over],”he said. “[Hopefully] the water sector will provide a career path that a lot of people had not thought of before.”
As we continue our work sharing news about the industry with our readers, I am excited to bring you this month’s issue of WaterWorld, where our lead feature discusses the issue of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. In a Q&A round table, scientists from around the globe share their perspectives on current research and technological advances being used to address these forever chemicals in our water supply and environment. As the author writes on page 10, “Nothing about PFAS — from how they are made to their impermeable nature to how they need to be analyzed — is easy,” but the perspectives here offer a glimpse at what management of these chemicals might look like in the future.
In Colorado, the Northglenn Water Treatment Plant experiences a 400 percent fluctuation in demand ranging from 9.5 MGD in the summer months to 2.0 MGD in winter months. In order to maintain sufficient, consistent disinfectant residual levels while avoiding elevated THM levels in its system, the utility has employed tank mixing technology. Read all about it on page 18.
On page 20, we dive into the topic of drones and the water industry, as federal laws enacted as part of the FAA reauthorization Act of 2018 will require some utilities to change their practices around their use.
Finally, as we sent this issue to print, we learned that the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE20), scheduled for June 14–17, would not be taking place. Despite the show being canceled, on page 27 we begin our annual coverage of ACE, where you will find an array of products and technologies, which are just as relevant as ever in this changing climate. We hope to see you all at an industry event sometime soon and wish you and your families good health during these times.
Be well, and thanks for reading! WW
