WELCOME TO THE September/October edition of Water Efficiency.
In our feature article, author Daniel Duffy provides an in-depth look at backflow preventers and their critical role in creating a safe water supply system. He discusses why these tools are necessary, what causes backflow events, and how backflow prevention devices are designed.
There are myriad kinds of pumps in the world, but which type should be used for which application? In our feature article "Choosing the Right Tool for the Job," you'll gain an understanding of how to specify pumps to match system requirements by examining the characteristics of the liquid being pumped, the impact of pipe roughness on the flow of a liquid, and the mechanics of pump performance curves. Click to learn more.
In areas where fresh water is limited or pumping long distances is cost-prohibitive, seawater and brackish water desalination is increasingly considered an alternative source of potable water. In "Desalination: Opportunities and Challenges", Tamim Younos and Juneseok Lee explore leading desalination technologies, energy consumption considerations, and environmental impacts. They also provide a handy snapshot of regulatory and permitting statutes that impact desalination facilities.
A utility's dependence on purchased water is costly for residents. That's why California's Liberty Utilities sought to increase its local water supply by bringing new groundwater wells online. However, when switching from an established well to a new one, the utility detected pressure drops that, if left to persist, could potentially impact water quality. In Virgil Diaz's article you'll read how a remote pressure monitoring system provided real-time data that gave the utility the insight it needed to not only eliminate pressure fluctuations but also reduce the amount of time personnel had to spend in the field.
As water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States continues to age, the increasing frequency and severity of storm events is supporting resiliency-based master planning. In Resiliency In Master Planning Lara Kammereck and Kevin Tice discuss how the state of Oregon has taken the initiative to develop a specific resilience plan for its utilities in order to identify and prioritize system-wide improvements that will reduce risk and shorten recovery time.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Water Efficiency! Thanks for reading.
