In other news below:
-- Public water systems face compliance date for new federal arsenic standard
-- Parkson Corp. wins World Ag Expo's top ag new product award
-- Pittcon committee in high gear for 2006 conference
-- Black & Veatch integrates resources for expansion at business consulting division
-- Pentair to acquire APW Ltd.'s thermal management businesses
-- Wimm-Bill-Dann acquires mineral water plant in Essentuki
-- Victory for common sense as EU reaches agreement on future of bathing waters
-- Ofwat announces new director of network regulation
-- Parker Hannifin acquires UK's Sterling Hydraulics
-- U.S. marshals seize violative infusion pumps made by Baxter Healthcare Corp.
-- San Jose Water files plan to harvest timber in Santa Cruz Mountains watershed
NUS Consulting Group survey says U.S. water costs on rise (again!)
PARK RIDGE, NJ, Oct. 17, 2005 -- NUS Consulting Group's annual water survey found the average price of water in the United States climbed 3.5% from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005. The survey of 51 water systems revealed the highest price paid was in Huntington, W.V., at $5.49 per thousand gallons (MGal) while Greenville, Miss., enjoyed the lowest price at $0.80/MGal. The average U.S. cost of water was $2.34/MGal. Including sewer costs, the survey found the national average rose to $5.78/MGal -- a 5.3% jump...
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Public water systems face compliance date for new federal arsenic standard
HARRISBURG, PA, Oct. 17, 2005 -- New federal drinking water standards designed to lower the levels of arsenic in drinking water, take effect Jan. 23, 2006, for Pennsylvania's public water systems, Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. The federal law lowers the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic from 0.050 milligrams per liter (mg/L), or 50 parts per billion, to 0.010 mg/L, or 10 parts per billion.
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Parkson Corp. wins World Ag Expo's top ag new product award
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Oct. 17, 2005 -- The Parkson Manure Sand Saver has been chosen a 2006 World Ag Expo Top Ten New Product. A selection committee comprised of farmers and agribusiness professionals reviewed 136 nominations for the New Product award. As a Top Ten finalist, the Manure Sand Saver will be featured in the New Product Center at the 2006 World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., Feb. 14-16...
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Pittcon committee in high gear for 2006 conference
PITTSBURGH, PA, October 17, 2005 -- Announces early bird discount with advance registration, which is now open for the March 12-17 event in Orlando. Analytical chemistry, laboratory systems and applied spectroscopy are focus of annual event. Symposia topics include bioterrorism, nanotechnology, environmental science, informatics, forensics, food analysis, drug discovery, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the life sciences...
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Among other recent headlines:
• Black & Veatch integrates resources for expansion at business consulting division -- OVERLAND PARK, KS, Oct. 17, 2005 -- Black & Veatch Corp. announced organizational changes that will align the vast resources it has assembled within its business consulting division, Enterprise Management Solutions (EMS). The recent acquisition of Fortegra further enhances and expands the range of business solutions the company offers. EMS president Rodger Smith said Fortegra's expertise spans Customer Information Systems (CIS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), billing, field operations, scheduling and settlement applications, and when integrated with EMS, creates greater strengths for Black & Veatch¿
• Pentair to acquire APW Ltd.'s thermal management businesses -- Expands Pentair's Enclosures Group into growing thermal market, provides customers new product solutions -- GOLDEN VALLEY, MN, Oct. 17, 2005 -- Pentair has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of APW Ltd., including the McLean Thermal Management, Aspen Motion Technologies and Electronic Solutions businesses. These businesses provide thermal management solutions and integration services to the telecommunications, data communication, medical and security markets¿
• Wimm-Bill-Dann acquires mineral water plant in Essentuki -- MOSCOW, Russia, Oct. 17, 2005 -- Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC has acquired 100% of the share capital of Essentuki mineral water plant at the Caucasian Mineral Waters (CMW) Ltd in the town of Essentuki in Russia's Stavropol region. Hence, the number of manufacturing facilities comprising Wimm-Bill-Dann has reached 28.
The plant currently produces Novoessentukskaya mineral water in plastic bottles, this water is well represented on the shelves of Moscow supermarket chains. Following the acquisition, Wimm-Bill-Dann is looking to further develop this brand and overhaul the current packaging. The plant's nameplate production capacity is approximately 8,000 units of 1.5 liter bottles per hour¿
• Victory for common sense as EU reaches agreement on future of bathing waters -- LONDON, Oct. 17, 2005 (GNN) -- Water consumers were saved from footing a GBP1 billion [US$1.75 billion] bill for improvements to bathing waters in the United Kingdom, following a compromise on new improved standards reached by the European Parliament and the EU's Environment Council, according to a news release from the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater). The European Parliament had argued for major changes to the 'sufficient' category, seeking to tighten it so that 1 in 5 UK bathing waters would have failed to meet the new standards. CCWater -- and its predecessor WaterVoice -- had argued strongly for a more realistic and affordable set of standards¿
• Ofwat announces new director of network regulation -- LONDON, Oct. 17, 2005 -- The UK Office of Water (Ofwat) announced that Dr. Melinda Acutt would be joining the water regulator as director of Network Regulation. Acutt, who will join the Ofwat board in early January, is currently working for Yorkshire Water as head of regulation. She brings a wealth of experience in economic regulation, gained during her time at Yorkshire Water and previously as an academic economist. She succeeds Dr. Bill Emery, who left Ofwat after 15 years' service to become chief executive of the Office of Rail Regulation¿
• Parker Hannifin acquires UK's Sterling Hydraulics -- CLEVELAND, Oct. 14, 2005 -- Parker Hannifin has acquired the maker of custom hydraulic screw-in cartridge valves and manifold systems for an undisclosed amount of cash from Sterling Industries Plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caledonia Investments Plc. With headquarters in Crewkerne, England, Sterling is a leader in the design and custom manufacture of products for mobile applications. Sterling Hydraulics produced revenue of approximately $42 million in its fiscal year ended March 31. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in its first full year of integration...
• U.S. marshals seize violative infusion pumps made by Baxter Healthcare Corp. -- WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 14, 2005 -- At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on Oct. 12, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a warrant for seizure of three types of infusion pumps manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corp. because FDA inspections revealed that the firm has continually failed to follow medical device manufacturing requirements...
• San Jose Water files plan to harvest timber in Santa Cruz Mountains watershed
SAN JOSE, CA, Oct. 14, 2005 -- San Jose Water Company (SJWC), a wholly owned subsidiary of SJW Corp., announces today that it has submitted a Non-Industrial Timber Management Plan (NTMP) to the California Department of Forestry. The NTMP proposes to harvest, in stages, timber from approximately 1,000 acres of SJWC's watershed properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Big Creek Lumber Co., Davenport, Calif., recognized state-wide and nationally for its sustainable forestry practices, has been contracted to develop the NTMP and harvest the timber¿
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In earlier newsbriefs, see: WaterBriefs: Indiana wastewater treatment plants earn perfect safety ratings -- Also in this report (Oct. 14, 2005): AWT Water Technologist of the Year Award goes to Pearson; Carter & Burgess' Fort Worth public works unit gets new senior engineer; GE, Dow to launch contest for best eco-business ideas; Sterling Construction Co. Inc. is low bidder on $6.7 million contract for Texas town; Integrated Environmental Technologies sells EcaFlo equipment to food safety firm; Ideologues hinder environmental clean-up, says National Center for Public Policy Research; 18th Annual Food Engineering Filtration Short Course set for May 2006; New water treatment website targets Legionnaire's disease in healthcare facilities; Pakistan children face deadly combination of exposure, disease, lack of water¿
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