In other news below:
-- WCSA receives top honors from Va. Health Department
-- Hi-Vac expands with O'Brien Manufacturing acquisition
-- Aquionics' McClean promoted to head all Halma UV companies
-- Pellegrin joins HDR to head MBR technical effort
-- Earth Tech consortium wins N. Ireland's first public-private water partnership
-- Ashland completes purchase of Degussa water treatment business
-- ProSep Technologies Inc. moves to new offices
-- Peerless Mfg. Co. awarded $5.4 million in contracts for steam dryer systems
-- Enpar awarded UK patent for its ammonia treatment technology
-- Radisson's drinking water now treated using Dagua technology
-- Damaged Iraq marshes show renewed signs of life
-- Water Works Industry Solutions revolutionizes construction training
• State Department to release 'Safe Water and Sanitation Strategy,' marking new commitment to water for world's poor -- WASHINGTON, DC, May 31, 2006 -- The U.S. State Department is set to publish its "Safe Water and Sanitation Strategy," a plan for expanding access to safe, affordable drinking water and sanitation throughout the world, announced the nonprofit organization Water Advocates. The strategy is required by the landmark Sen. Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last fall. The Water for the Poor Act, led by Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), makes the provision of safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene a formal priority of U.S. foreign policy. For more information, a webpage on the topic is scheduled to be available June 1: www.state.gov/g/oes/water...
Also see:
-- "USAID Initiative Brings Clean Water to West Africa"
-- "Sri Lanka Water Supply Still Suffers Effects of 2004 Tsunami"
-- "Water-Management Plan Aims To Cut Poverty in Southern Africa"
-- "Water System Improvements Lead to Better Health in Honduras"
-- "Nigeria Receives Aid To Manage At-Risk Water Ecosystems"
-- "OPIC Funds Help Supply Kenyans with Potable Water"
• WCSA receives top honors from Va. Health Department -- May 31, 2006, ABINGDON, VA, May 31, 2006 -- The Washington County Service Authority is once again an award winner for its excellence in waterworks performance. The water utility received recognition for the second year in a row by the Virginia Department of Health for providing drinking water that surpasses state and federal regulations. The WCSA received the 2005 Silver Excellence in Waterworks Performance Award, which recognizes the Middle Fork Holston River Water Treatment Plant for achieving Virginia's Optimization Program goals for clarification and filtration. On May 23, the state health department recognized the WCSA at Hotel Roanoke at a "Water is Life 2006 Celebration Luncheon," part of a Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project...
Also see: "WCSA Places Fourth in World's Largest Water Tasting Competition"
• Hi-Vac expands with O'Brien Manufacturing acquisition -- MARIETTA, OH, May 31, 2006 -- Hi-Vac Corp. has acquired certain assets of O'Brien Manufacturing, including the trade name. Hi-Vac Corporation will move the production of the O'Brien Manufacturing product line to its modern facility located in Marietta, OH. O'Brien Manufacturing has produced sewer cleaning equipment for over 65 years. The acquisition of the company based in Leiters Ford, IN, became official April 28. Jeff Fulton will continue to manage O'Brien Manufacturing sales and distributors as product sales manager. He will report to Hi-Vac vice president Patrick Snyder...
• Aquionics' McClean promoted to head all Halma UV companies -- ERLANGER, KY, May 31, 2006 -- Jon McClean, president of UV disinfection company Aquionics Inc., has been promoted to Divisional Managing Director (UV Companies), taking overall control of all three Halma UV companies: Aquionics Inc. in the United States, Berson UV-techniek in The Netherlands, and Hanovia Ltd. in Great Britain. McClean was only appointed president of Aquionics last year, and before that he was managing director of Hanovia Ltd. in Great Britain. During his six years with Hanovia, he developed new markets for the company's UV disinfection and de-chloramination technology in the pool and drinking water sectors. He also won the Queen's Award for Enterprise, Britain's most prestigious award for business performance...
• Pellegrin joins HDR to head MBR technical effort -- OMAHA, NE, May 31, 2006 -- Marie-Laure Pellegrin, Ph.D., has joined HDR as the company's membrane bioreactor (MBR) technical leader, based in the Kansas City, Mo., office. She is responsible for developing and evaluating MBR technology performance for HDR water/wastewater clients across the nation, which includes assessing treatment deficiencies, developing process alternatives and designing pilot and full-scale systems. She also is involved in computer modeling of the biological systems that are used to design MBR systems. Prior to joining HDR, Pellegrin was the MBR process engineer expert for USFilter Memcor. She has more than eight years of experience in the design, construction, operation, optimization and product development of MBR plants...
• Earth Tech consortium wins N. Ireland's first public-private water partnership -- Investment program to improve drinking water quality, meet EU standards -- LONG BEACH, CA, May 31, 2006 -- Earth Tech Engineering Ltd., as part of the Dalriada Water Limited consortium, signed a 25-year contract with the Northern Ireland's Department for Regional Development Water Service today to undertake Northern Ireland's first public-private partnership drinking water project. The Dalriada Water consortium is comprised of Earth Tech, Kelda Group, and Farrans. Earth Tech, a business unit of Tyco International Ltd. and a global provider of consulting, engineering and construction services, will provide design and construction management services for the project. The existing water treatment facilities located at Ballinrees, Castor Bay, Forked Bridge, Dunore Point and Moyola will remain under Water Service ownership and the Dalriada Water Limited consortium will be responsible for upgrading the facilities and associated infrastructure. Water Service will continue to operate the sites until this upgrade is complete...
Also see:
-- "Earth Tech Harvests Green Hero Award 2006 for NIGG Sludge Treatment Works"
-- "Earth Tech clean sweep at ICE Yorkshire & Humber Awards"
-- "Earth Tech helps Severn Trent Sludge Incinerators achieve WID compliance"
• Ashland completes purchase of Degussa water treatment business -- COVINGTON, KY, May 31, 2006 -- Ashland Inc. announced today that it has completed its purchase of the water treatment business of Degussa AG -- branded under the Stockhausen name -- in North America, South America, western Europe and most of the rest of the world. In the areas where the purchase has not been completed, the parties have undertaken necessary steps to ensure that statutory requirements are met for the expected regulatory approvals. The entire transaction is valued at approximately 122 million euros. The Stockhausen business will be known as Environmental and Process Solutions and operate as a business group of Ashland Water Technologies, a business of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc...
Also see:
-- "Ashland and Engelhard team to reduce waste going to Texas landfills "
-- "Ashland names Fontana chief technology officer for Chemical Sector"
• ProSep Technologies Inc. moves to new offices -- HOUSTON, May 31, 2006 -- In an effort to provide more efficient client service, ProSep Technologies, Inc., a Houston-based oil and gas process solutions provider, has recently moved into new office space at West Sam Houston Parkway North. The move gives ProSep more than 14,000 square feet of space less than two miles from its assembly/fabrication shop. Interlinked IT and telephone networks will allow administrative operations in the main offices and shop area to function virtually as one office. The new address and telephone numbers are: 5353 W. Sam Houston Parkway N., Ste. 150, Houston, Texas 77041, 281-504-2040, Fax: 281-598-2688...
Also see: "Tighter Environmental Legislation for Produced Water Treatment Meets its Match in Cost-Effective CTour Process"
• Peerless Mfg. Co. awarded $5.4 million in contracts for steam dryer systems -- DALLAS, May 31, 2006 -- Peerless Mfg. Co. (Nasdaq: PMFG) today announced that it was awarded contracts, valued at about $5.4 million, to provide steam dryer systems to several nuclear power plants. Steam dryers are utilized as the final stage of water separation within a reactor vessel (BWR plants) or steam generator vessel (PWR plants). Peerless is the global leader, supplying steam dryers to the industry for over 30 years. The first contract, valued at approximately $3.8 million, was awarded to Peerless for the supply of multiple sets of steam dryer systems to be installed in BWR reactor vessels in two nuclear power plants located in Europe. The second order, consisting of two separate contracts from a major Japanese supplier of steam generators and totaling approximately $1.6 million, was awarded to Peerless for steam dryer systems to be installed into PWR replacement steam generators. One unit will be delivered for installation in France and the other will be delivered to a nuclear plant in California, each as part of plant modernization projects...
• Enpar awarded UK patent for its ammonia treatment technology -- TORONTO, Canada, May 31, 2006 -- ENPAR Technologies Inc. has received a patent for its AmmEL System. Additional patents for the technology in Canada, the European Union and the United States are anticipated within the near future. The current patent is for improvements made to the company's U.S. and Canadian patents that were awarded on July 4, 2000, and December 2005, respectively. The improvements broaden the applications of the technology, which now include treatment of solutions resulting from dewatering of sludge or bio-solids and containing extremely high levels of ammonia (500-1500 parts per million), as well as tertiary treatment of solutions containing relatively low levels of ammonia (10-50 parts per million)...
Also see:
-- "Enpar ships AmmEL-HC and DesEL Systems to Anjou Recherche-Veolia Water for evaluation"
-- "Enpar appoints Dr. McKenley Esnard as chairman and director"
-- "Enpar enters distribution and sales agreement with HBC International of Calif."
• Radisson's drinking water now treated using Dagua technology -- RADISSON, Quebec, Canada, May 30, 2006 -- The town of Radisson, a community of 500 that is part of the James Bay Municipality, has inaugurated a new water treatment plant that employs leading edge technology by the Canadian firm Dagua. This project became necessary in 2001 in order to ensure compliance with Quebec's new Regulation Respecting the Quality of Drinking Water. It provides for the achievement of government standards in the treatment of surface water drawn from the Robert-Bourassa reservoir. The Radisson project consisted in setting up and implementing an innovative and chemical-free drinking water treatment procedure using ozone and membrane filtration, certified by the Drinking Water Treatment Technologies Committee of the Government of Québec. Partners in the project were Radisson and the Bay James Municipality, the Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin and Dagua...
Also see:
-- "Poll finds Canadians want municipal services public, not private"
-- "Canada announces expert panel to advise on a regulatory framework to ensure safe drinking water in First Nations communities"
-- "City of Chateauguay, Quebec, receives $4,030,590 in funding to improve its water supply infrastructure"
-- "Infrastructure programs invest $4.2 million toward Canso, Nova Scotia, water project"
-- "Canada and Ontario to invest over $235 million in municipal rural infrastructure"
-- "Alberta communities to benefit from $264 million in infrastructure investment"
-- "Thirty-one Saskatchewan communities to split over $26 million in infrastructure funding"
-- "$17 Million Infrastructure Investment for Rural & Northern Manitoba Communities"
-- "Eighteen Alberta Communities Benefit from $11.6 Million in Green Infrastructure Initiatives"
-- "New water and sewer system for Trinity, Newfoundland"
-- "Improvements announced for St. Anthony, Newfoundland, sewer system"
• Damaged Iraq marshes show renewed signs of life -- DURHAM, NC, May 31, 2006 -- The marshes of southern Iraq, once twice the original size of the Florida Everglades and devastated in recent decades by Saddam Hussein's regime, are showing a "remarkable" recovery, according to an ecological survey team led by scientists at Duke University and the University of Basrah. In their latest and most thorough evaluation of the marshes -- claimed in some quarters to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden -- the researchers found that populations of many native fish, invertebrate animals, birds and plants are well on their way to recovery. The researchers reported their findings in the June 2006 issue of the journal BioScience. Najah A. Hussain, a fisheries biologist at the University of Basrah, in Iraq, served as co-leader of the team...
Also see: "Restoration Efforts in Iraq's Degraded Mesopotamian Marshes to be Described in D.C. News Briefing and Symposium"
• Water Works Industry Solutions revolutionizes construction training -- LAS VEGAS, May 31, 2006, Las Vegas based Water Works Industry Solutions (WWIS) announced the release of its much-anticipated new training DVD set: Training and Installation "The Basics." WWIS has been developing their comprehensive training DVD series for over two years. "The Basics" was designed by educators and waterworks industry professionals and is a series of DVD lessons created to help supplement and aid in the understanding and safety of the most common waterworks parts, how they are used in the field and their general installations. Each lesson was created in part by following industry associations such as AWWA, Uni-Bell and DIPRA's standards in conjunction with industry manufacturers for accuracy...
Also see: "NASCAR Champion helps launch DVD training series for waterworks personnel"
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In earlier newsbriefs, see: "WaterBriefs: Philly water, sewer authority installs Severn Trent arsenic technology" -- Also in this report (May 30, 2006): Nalco, Enviroquip Inc. team up to offer better municipal MBR wastewater treatment; Veolia Water awarded New York's first design-build-operate agreement for wastewater services; Flowserve launches new training labs at Learning Resource Center; McIlvaine: Expect $168 billion FGD market in next 15 years; Sensaphone 1400 web training now available; B&V Water's Dr. James Barnard earns AAEE honor; WR3 recognized for technology innovation in sludge and odor treatment; PBS&J expert edits first comprehensive handbook on coral reef restoration; Infrastructure Canada announces series of water, wastewater projects; Gabelli & Company Inc.'s 1st Water Infrastructure Conference set for June 9...
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