In other news below, see:
-- Pirnie acquisition of McGuire Environmental Consultants done
-- EARNINGS: Amtrol net sales jump 7.2% in 2004
-- Koch Industries sponsors DC watershed cleanup
-- Ohio county receives national biosolids EMS certification
-- Pa. American Water completes buy of local water authority
-- Judge scraps Nestle deal for half-billion gallons of spring water
-- Insituform pipeline tunneling unit receives award
-- Anglian Water employs software for field engineer scheduling
-- U.S. Microbics teams with German firm for EU cleanup market
-- UK aids P&G clean water effort in Haiti
-- AchemAmerica focuses on process technologies at Mexico City event
-- Aqua-Aerobic breaks ground for $4 million addition
-- UK: Ofwat sets out new powers to fine water companies
-- WEF, others commemorate World Water Day 2005
Aqua America unit builds wastewater business with two acquisitions
BRYN MAWR, PA, April 1, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aqua America Inc. announced today that its non-regulated subsidiary, Aqua Wastewater Management Inc., has acquired the assets of Concord Wastewater Services Inc. and Golden Mechanical Inc., of Delaware County, Pa., for $700,000. The acquisition of these businesses represents Aqua America's first venture into this specialized area of the wastewater services business.
The companies acquired by Aqua began local operations nearly 25 years ago providing commercial and residential wastewater services including sludge and bulk wastewater hauling, septic tank clean-outs, and sewer system/pump station maintenance and repair. Aqua's newest business will serve about 2,000 customers, some of whom are also water customers of Aqua America's Pennsylvania subsidiary, Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc.
These new businesses will also enable Aqua Pennsylvania's wastewater utility to utilize "in-house" sludge hauling and collection system maintenance services for its wastewater treatment facilities in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Aqua America Inc. is the largest U.S.-based publicly-traded water utility, serving more than 2.5 million residents in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, New York, and South Carolina.
Pirnie acquisition of McGuire Environmental Consultants done
WHITE PLAINS, NY, April 1, 2005 -- National environmental consultant Malcolm Pirnie Inc. completed its buyout of California-based McGuire Environmental Consultants Inc. (MEC). According to an announcement by William P. Dee, P.E., DEE, Pirnie's president and CEO, the integration of the MEC principals and staff will commence immediately.
The addition of the MEC team, which specializes in water quality, water resources management and drinking water treatment processes, will expand Malcolm Pirnie's services to the drinking water industry while strengthening its western market. It will be made part of Malcolm Pirnie's Municipal Water Environment Business Unit.
Malcolm Pirnie is a leading national environmental consulting firm focused on water and wastewater engineering, design, construction management, water resources, environmental restoration and management consulting.
EARNINGS: Amtrol net sales jump 7.2% in 2004
April 1, 2005 (PRNewswire-FirstCall/Business Wire) -- See other results also for Artesian Resources, Robbins & Myers Inc., Layne Christensen Co., JMAR Technologies Inc., SABESP, BioRem Inc., American States Water Co., and Southwest Water Co. For more information, click here.
Koch Industries sponsors DC watershed cleanup effort
WASHINGTON, DC, March 31, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Washington, D.C., mayor joins local organizations, federal environmental officials to kick off Koch Industries-sponsored Capital River Relief "Team up to Clean Up'' effort. Event launches month-long cleanup of Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. For more information, click here.
Ohio county receives national biosolids EMS certification
ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 31, 2005 -- The National Biosolids Partnership, an alliance of the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies and Water Environment Federation with advisory support from the EPA, recognizes the Butler County Department of Environmental Services, Hamilton, Ohio, as the sixth wastewater agency in the nation to be certified and admitted to the Partnership's environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids program. Butler County is one of 70 demonstration agencies participating in the NBP EMS for biosolids program.
A special presentation will be held during the WEF Residuals & Biosolids Specialty Conference in Nashville, Tenn., on April 18. Butler County DES also plans an EMS celebration at its LeSourdsville Wastewater Facility later in May 2005. Board of Commissioners and Butler County DES Director, Susan Vance will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement by officials of the NBP, WEF, AMSA, and EPA.
As the sixth wastewater agency certified and admitted into the NBP EMS program, Butler County Department of Environmental Services" achievement recognizes that the agency has been independently verified as having an effective biosolids environmental management system. Butler County's biosolids EMS was independently verified on March 18, 2005 by the audit firm, Det Norske Veritas (DNV)l, to conform to the NBP's EMS guidance. The EMS verification signifies that Butler County meets the requirements for certification and admittance to the NBP EMS program and supports excellence in biosolids management practices, exceeds regulatory compliance obligations, and provides meaningful opportunities for public participation.
An additional 12 NBP wastewater demonstration agencies are expected to undergo audits of their biosolids EMS programs in 2005. For more information on the Butler County EMS program, visit their web site at: www.butlercountyohio.org/des/. For more information on the NBP EMS program, visit: www.biosolids.org.
Pa. American Water completes buy of Shippenville Borough Authority
MCMURRAY, PA, March 31, 2005 (PRNewswire) -- Pennsylvania American Water, the state's largest regulated public water utility, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the water assets of Shippenville Borough Authority for $170,000.
As a result of the acquisition, it will serve 382 customers in Shippenville Borough and in portions of Elk Township (Clarion County). The company now serves over two million people in 370 Pennsylvania communities.
"Pennsylvania American Water is pleased to be the regional water utility provider in Clarion County. The company has invested $25 million in Clarion County over the last three years. The completion of the acquisition of Shippenville Borough Authority represents one of the final pieces of the largest infrastructure projects in Clarion County since Interstate 80 was constructed in the 1970s," said Pennsylvania American Water President and CEO Robert M. Ross.
According to Pennsylvania American Water Business Development Manager Charles W. Johnston, who led the Shippenville acquisition process, a new, $12 million, state-of-the-art water treatment plant in Clarion was integral to the deal. Construction of the new, expanded plant in Clarion and related facilities was supported by a $9.3 million low-interest, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) loan and $13.4 million in revenue bonds from the Clarion County Industrial Development Authority.
Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, provides reliable, quality water and wastewater service to over 2 million people in the Commonwealth. The company owns and operates 38 water treatment facilities, three wastewater facilities and about 8,900 miles of pipeline to serve customers in over 370 communities in 35 counties. American Water is a unit of RWE Thames Water.
Judge scraps town's deal to sell Nestle half-billion gallons of spring water
MCCLOUD, CA, March 30, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nestle Waters North America Inc. today announced it will appeal a local court ruling that has delayed plans in hiring for the construction and operation of a bottled water factory in McCloud, Calif. As part of the announcement the company is taking out two full-page ads in local papers to reassure residents that Nestle Waters is not abandoning its plan for the factory...
For more information, click here.
Insituform pipeline tunneling unit receives award
ST. LOUIS, March 29, 2005 -- Affholder Inc. presented with outstanding contract performance honors from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for St. Louis trenchless sewer project...
For more information, click here.
Anglian Water implements software to improve field engineer scheduling
BURLINGTON, MA, March 29, 2005 -- Anglian Water, one of the leading providers of water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom, has selected ClickSoftware's ServiceOptimization Suite to improve scheduling capabilities in its service organization.
Anglian Water, which serves 2.6 million properties in the United Kingdom, has a field service staff of 1,300 field service engineers. Historically, these engineers have been scheduled on a regional basis, but the utility is now in the process of developing an operational management center where distribution and scheduling will now be centralized.
This software suite provides an integrated, intelligent solution for automatic, efficient, and effective decisions over the entire service decision-making chain. It includes customer demand and workload forecasting, strategic and tactical capacity planning, daily service scheduling, troubleshooting and repair support, wireless workforce management, and business analytics.
With the software, Anglian Water is taking steps to ensure its compliance with efficiency and cost standards set forth by the Office of Water Services (OFWAT) for the five-year period beginning April 2005. The company is looking to both drive down its operating costs and improve the level of service it gives to its customers.
ClickSoftware is a leading provider of workforce and service optimization solutions that maximize workforce productivity and customer satisfaction while minimizing operations costs. The company is located in Burlington, Mass., and in Israel, with offices in Europe and Asia Pacific.
U.S. Microbics teams with German engineering firm for EU cleanup market
CARLSBAD, CA, March 31, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- U.S. Microbics Inc. has entered into a strategic teaming and representation agreement with the established Germany-based civil engineering firm of Dr. Brenner + Munnich Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH.
Robert Brehm, CEO of U.S. Microbics, stated: "We are working with our new German partners to define site cleanup opportunities inside the European Union (EU), which has recently begun their own 'Superfund' cleanup program with funding immediately available to qualified contractors. We understand there is a lack of cost-effective cleanup technology that can treat the wastes on-site versus using undesirable conventional thermal treatment or landfill disposal. Our company and its environmental clean-up subsidiary, Sub-Surface Waste Management of Delaware Inc., now have an established and successful civil engineering partner with 10 offices in the EU to roll out our proprietary cleanup solutions."
U.S. Microbics is a business development and holding company that acquires, develops and deploys innovative environmental technologies for soil, groundwater and carbon remediation, air pollution reduction, modular drinking water systems and agriculture enhancement.
UK aids P&G clean water effort in Haiti
CINCINNATI, March 31, 2005 (PRNewswire) -- The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) has awarded a grant of 225,000 pounds (US$423,000), through the Business Linkages Challenge Fund to P&G Health Science Institute and its partner Population Services International (PSI) to save lives in Haiti by using PUR Purifier of Water to provide safe drinking water.
PUR helps address the World Health Organization's concern that more than one billion people lack safe water. An estimated two million children die each year because of diarrhoeal diseases, that could be prevented by safe drinking water.
PUR is a simple, low-cost water purifier which has already prevented countless cases of diarrhea by supplying more than 200 million liters of drinking water in emergency situations throughout the world - particularly in Tsunami hit regions, as well as other countries such as Botswana, Chad, Malawi, Liberia and Zimbabwe.
So far, PUR sachets have provided more than 7 million liters of safe drinking water to Haiti, which has long suffered from lack of access to clean water, the problem being exacerbated throughout the last year due to civil unrest, severe flooding and heavy damage from hurricanes. This timely grant should reduce the number of Haitians suffering from illnesses such as diarrhea and cholera induced by drinking contaminated water. In this project PUR will be distributed by PSI Haiti through their network of women's groups.
AchemAmerica 2005 to focus on process technologies in Mexico City event
FRANKFURT, Germany, & MEXICO CITY, March 30, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AchemAmerica 2005, International Exhibition on Process Technologies, will take place for the second time in the World Trade Center in Mexico City on April 12-15.
It is the biggest international event for the supplier branches in chemistry and process engineering in Mexico and Latin America. About 200 international exhibitors and over 5,000 professionals are expected to attend. The largest contingents of exhibitors come from Mexico, Germany and the United States. With a total of 21 countries represented there is a perceptible increase in the internationality of the exhibitors.
Mexico's Minister of the Economy, Fernando Jesus Canales Clariond, emphasized the significance of this AchemAmerica for the international economic relations of his country and he characterized Mexico with its worldwide network of free trade agreements as one of the best locations in the world for investments and economic cooperation. He noted that the oil industry and the chemical process industries are the cornerstones of Mexico's future development and added that there's tremendous demand for technologies and know-how for the food, pharma, biotechnology and environmental sectors.
The conferences accompanying the exhibition will feature current developments on all issues concerning process technologies. The main themes are "Water and Wastewater Management" and "Novel Processes for Refining, SynFuels and Petrochemistry." Business meetings and partnering workshops particularly address enterprises to promote cooperations with Mexico.
AchemAmerica is organized by DECHEMA - Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, in Frankfurt, Germany. For more information, see www.achemamerica.de.
Aqua-Aerobic breaks ground for $4 million addition
ROCKFORD, IL, March 24, 2005 -- Expansion and renovation of wastewater and equipment manufacturer's Loves Park facility to accommodate its growing business. Company to add 25,000 square feet for engineering, seminar facilities, meeting areas, employee lunchroom and executive offices. The construction is expected to be complete by spring 2006. For more information, click here.
UK: Ofwat sets out new powers to fine water companies
LONDON, March 24, 2005 (GNN) -- The United Kingdom's Office of Water Services (Ofwat), Secretary of State for the Environment and the Welsh Assembly Government have set out how new powers to fine water companies will be implemented.
For more information, click here.
WEF, others commemorate World Water Day 2005
ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 22, 2005 -- The Water Environment Federation joined the United Nations in marking today as World Water Day 2005. In addition, the UN Food & Agriculture Organization declares appropriate policies needed to make better use of water considering that it takes a ton of water to produce a kilogram of wheat. And NSF International releases new educational materials for those interested in learning more. For more information, click here.
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