In other news below:
-- WERF taps HDR-led team to address nutrient removal challenge
-- Basin Water selected to reduce arsenic levels in Arizona community
-- Emerson wins contract to digitize Canada's largest drinking water filtration plant
-- Seprotech receives new orders valued at over $5 million
-- GEI Consultants expands Rocky Mountain region water resources practice
-- Shimadzu Scientific announces presentations, workshops for PittCon 2007
• American Water to focus on public-private partnerships, green initiatives and innovative solutions in 2007 -- VOORHEES, NJ, Jan. 18, 2007 -- American Water, the largest water services provider in North America, begins 2007 determined to form more public-private partnerships with municipalities and other government agencies as it implements innovative solutions to meet the many challenges facing the water industry such as aging infrastructure, water quality and supply challenges.
In looking at the year ahead, American Water President and CEO Donald Correll said the company intends to build on relationships it has already formed in cities such as Phoenix, Tampa Bay, New York City, Seattle and Fillmore, CA.
"Communities are looking for sustainable solutions for their water quality and capacity needs, infrastructure management, and wastewater treatment. We believe that offering this assistance will be extremely valuable in 2007 and the years ahead," said Mr. Correll.
Noting estimates that it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to build new water services capacity and replacing aging infrastructure in the next two decades, Mr. Correll predicted that companies such as American Water offer a useful resource for local governments to gain access to capital and find solutions to their pressing water challenges.
"One solution to today's water challenges lies in public-private partnerships that can implement total water management (TWM) programs," he said. "TWM takes into account social, environmental and economic needs so that water resources can be managed in a balanced, sustainable manner. We offer our customers the opportunity to leverage our technical expertise, customer relations skills and our ability to access to capital markets. We can help cities implement entire TWM solutions as well as significant elements that have immediate priority."
Examples of American Water's public-private-partnerships underway in 2007 include:
Wastewater Design, Build and Operate: American Water will design, build and operate (DBO) a new wastewater recycling facility for Fillmore, CA, to replace an existing 50-year-old plant. Initially designed to serve approximately 15,000 residents and businesses, it will have the capacity to accommodate projected growth and to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
Partnering with the U.S. Military: American Water will operate and manage Fort Bragg's 10.6 million gallons per day (MGD) Water Treatment Plant and 8 MGD Wastewater Treatment Plant, helping the Army to achieve its goal of viable, environmentally sound solutions to its water and wastewater challenges. The company's other military partnerships include Fort Sill, OK, Fort Leavenworth, KS, and Fort Rucker, AL,
Desalination: American Water has largely completed the remediation of the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant at Apollo Beach. This enormously complex project is the largest desalination activity ever undertaken in the United States. When completed, it will provide a sustainable, drought-proof and environmentally sound source of drinking water for many of the two million residents of the Tampa Bay area. It will serve as a model for how other coastal cities can meet the needs of growing populations in the years ahead.
Green Initiatives/Water Re-use: The Solaire high-rise apartment in New York's Battery Park City now has the country's first onsite wastewater treatment and re-use system in a multi-family residential building. American Water, which designed and built it, is also currently creating two additional wastewater recycling projects for the Battery Park City Authority. One will recycle 30,000 gallons of water per day at Millennium Towers and the other will treat 25,000 gallons per day at the River House. Both are expected to be operational in 2007.
The largest DBO in North America: American Water is currently managing the design and construction of a water treatment facility that will serve 400,000 households in Phoenix. The plant's initial 80 million gallons per day capacity will ultimately be expanded to 320 MGD. When completed in early 2007, American Water will operate the system which will be the largest project delivered through a DBO on the continent.
Seattle and Buffalo projects: The continued success of the Tolt Water Treatment Plant operated for the City of Seattle is one of the most visible public-private partnership stories; it already has saved Seattle taxpayers an estimated $70 million. The City of Buffalo reported savings of $21 million and has recently renewed their contract for another five years with American Water. Services provided include repair and maintenance of the distribution system; water treatment and pump station operations; residuals management; customer service; billing and collections; and the repair and installation of water meters.
"Partnerships between municipalities and the private sector will be an increasingly important strategy for dealing with the enormous challenges of upgrading and replacing the nation's water and wastewater delivery systems and to do so in a way that protects our environment," said Mr. Correll. "We look forward to delivering more innovative solutions in 2007 and beyond."
In addition to offering public-private partnerships, American Water works with local governments to help sustain economic development and provide a reliable water supply for future growth through systems that become part of the company's network of privately owned subsidiaries. Examples include the recent purchase of a water system in Florham Park, NJ, that will provide water to the future headquarters and training camp of the New York Jets NFL football team and the announced purchase of S.J. Services Inc. in a high-growth area of the New Jersey where additional water resources are needed for economic development.
With headquarters in Voorhees, NJ, American Water (www.amwater.com) employs approximately 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide high-quality water, wastewater and other related services to about 17 million people in 29 states and Canada.
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Among other recent headlines:
• HDR selected for national wastewater study -- Water Environment Research Foundation taps HDR-led team to address nutrient removal challenge -- OMAHA, NE, Jan. 18, 2007 -- Regulations are dramatically reducing the levels of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus permitted in effluent discharges from treated wastewater. The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has tapped an HDR-led team to study nutrient removal processes and technologies, with a focus on cost-effective removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. HDR partnered with Metcalf & Eddy and the University of Washington on the original proposal for the study. The research will provide data on nutrient removal so treatment facilities can select sustainable, cost-effective methods and technologies to meet permit limits. It also will provide information on nutrients (specifically nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater), their characteristics, and bioavailability in aquatic environments to help regulators make informed decisions. Anticipated outcomes include developing and sharing credible scientific information on nutrients and fostering a better understanding of the best available technologies, or developing new technologies so that plants can become more efficient and effective. The project includes developing a conceptual framework for a Web-based information/technology transfer center to provide accurate and up-to-date information to wastewater utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders. The project will start in early 2007 and is anticipated to continue for four years...
-- "Mike N. Agbodo joins HDR: Active in WEF, AWWA, CWEA and WERF"
-- "HDR's Labode named one of most important black engineers in technology"
• Basin Water selected to reduce arsenic levels in Arizona community -- Treatment technologies will ensure federal standards are met -- RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA, Jan. 18, 2007 -- The City of Cottonwood, AZ, has selected Basin Water for a minimum five-year, $4.3-million contract to treat the community's water and meet federal water quality standards for arsenic. Basin Water will construct a network of systems to treat the growing community's 25 wells through 5 coagulation filtration (CF) and 15 ion-exchange (IX) units featuring a unique mobile regeneration capability. The city must meet new EPA standards requiring arsenic levels to be 10 parts per billion or less. The unanimous vote by Cottonwood City Council was based in part on a recommendation from the city's engineering consultant Coe and Van Loo...
• Emerson wins $5.3 million contract to digitally automate Canada's largest drinking water filtration plant -- PITTSBURGH, PA, Jan. 18, 2007 -- Emerson Process Management, a business of Emerson, announced that it has received a $5.3 million contract from the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) to install PlantWeb® digital automation architecture at the Seymour-Capilano Water Filtration Plant, which is under construction. GVRD, a partnership of over 20 municipalities comprising the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, serves more than 2 million residents. The district and electoral areas are building the filtration plant, which -- at 475 mgd -- will be the country's largest drinking water filtration plant combined with ultraviolet (UV) disinfection when completed in 2008, to help meet new federal and provincial standards for drinking water treatment. The digital automation solution includes deployment of the company's DeltaV™ digital automation system, which will provide data acquisition, and monitor and control water filtration, chemical feed, and operation of motors and variable-speed drives...
• Seprotech receives new orders valued at $575,000 -- OTTAWA, ON, Canada, Jan. 17, 2007 -- Seprotech Systems Inc., a Canadian water and wastewater treatment systems manufacturer, announced two new orders totalling approximately $575,000. These orders are in addition to the $4.6 million announced in December 2006. One of the orders comes from a repeat customer in the municipal sector and represents the application of new advanced tertiary wastewater treatment technology, and the other is for wastewater treatment of a mining operation in Quebec. Seprotech is a provider of pre-engineered water and wastewater treatment plants to the land development, industrial and military market place, including membrane-based water treatment systems and the ROTORDISK® biological wastewater treatment systems...
Also see: "Seprotech receives new orders valued at $4.6 million: Deal involves ROTORDISK wastewater treatment plants and related technologies"
• GEI Consultants expands Rocky Mountain region water resources practice -- New hires bring additional seasoned expertise to GEI Rocky Mountain region -- CENTENNIAL, CO, Jan. 17, 2007 -- GEI Consultants Inc., one of the nation's leading water resources, geotechnical, and environmental engineering consulting firms, announces the addition of three senior executives to its Rocky Mountain regional headquarters, augmenting the existing practice with seasoned expertise in water resources engineering, program and project management. GEI named Daniel Johnson, formerly of URS, and John Harb, formerly of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, as senior water resource engineers, and Steven Townsley, a veteran of several federal agencies (USBR, ASCE, USFW and NPS), as senior program manager. Johnson will support clients as a practice expert and senior program manager, as well as lead GEI's new Boulder office, opening this spring. Harb will also work with GEI clients as a practice expert, senior program manager and client liaison. Townsley will provide GEI clients with project delivery expertise for water resources and hydropower projects, and will lead the Rocky Mountain Civil Engineering Group...
Also see: "GEI Consultants, Chadwick Ecological Consultants merge"
• Shimadzu Scientific Instruments announces presentations, workshops and new products for PittCon 2007 -- COLUMBIA, MD, Jan. 18, 2007 -- Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., (SSI) today announced its upcoming activity for the PittCon 2007 conference and exhibition taking place Feb. 25 to March 2 in Chicago. The company will introduce several new products, make presentations and exhibit several poster sessions, all demonstrating its leadership in the analytical instrumentation industry. Products include several lab analysis and testing systems. Presentations include:
-- "Analytical Instrument Control Model Using XML" by Alex Mutin
-- "FTIR Vapor Phase Measurement of Volatile Flavors and Fragrances" by John A. Monti, Eric J. Bukowski, Shannon M. Richard...
Also see:
-- "Shimadzu Announces 2007 Training Schedule"
-- "Shimadzu USA Manufacturing Celebrates 10 Successful Years"
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