Global News: May 2015
The 42nd Annual Texas Water Quality Association Convention & Exhibition will be held July 15-18 at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa on beautiful Lake Conroe in Montgomery, TX. Pre-registration is required by July 6. Contact Daina Grace by email, twqadirector@twqa.org or phone, (361) 573-6707 or visit www.twqa.org for details and registration forms.
North America
Horner honored with APA award
In recognition of its effortsto create a healthy, high-performing work environment, Team Horner received the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2015 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award at a ceremony in Washington, DC on March 14. One of five employers from across North America to receive the award this year, the company won in the medium for-profit category. Team Horner excelled in its effortsto foster employee involvement, health and safety, employee growth and development, work-life balance and employee recognition.
IAPMO releases report on comments books
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®) has uploaded the 2015 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (USPSHTC) Report on Comments (ROC) book and the 2015 Uniform Solar Energy and Hydronics Code (USEHC) Report on Comments book at http://codesiapmo.org/. The ROC contains comments received on proposed changes, the com-mittee’s action and its statement explaining any non-affirming votes. The 2015 edition of each code, due for release later this year, is being developed through a process accredited by ANSI. In addition, IAPMO has released the hard copy and digital versions of its 2015 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC®). Both versions, viewable on computers, tablets and smart phones, can be purchased and downloaded at www.iapmo.org.
TOMS Roasting, Water for People celebrate World Water Day
On March 22, World Water Day, Water For People and TOMS Roasting Co. announced that in one year, their partnership has provided over 100,000 weeks of water to communities globally. With the purchase of each bag of TOMS coffee, TOMS (through Water For People) provided almost 37 gallons (140 liters) of safe water (a one-week supply) to a person in need.
Dow, Value of Water Coalition
As water and sustainable development challenges grow more pressing, Dow Chemical Company announced it has aligned with Value of Water Coalition to bring atention to the importance of national water infrastructure. The coalition is made up of local and national leaders that promote awareness about the value of water at a time when water is often overlooked in the national discussion of infrastructure investment. Dow has joined the coalition’s growing number of public and private sector advocates, as well as US water utilities and major engineering firms.
Calgon Carbon report: GAC protects against algal toxins
According to a Calgon Carbon Corporation announcement, granular activated carbon (GAC) is one of the most effective and affordabledrinking water treatment processes to protect against the intrusion of algal toxins into the drinking water system. Last August, more than 400,000 residents in Toledo, OH lost access to drinking water when the city’s drinking water treatment system shut down because of algal blooms on Lake Erie. Interestingly, 30,000 residents of Bowling Green, down river from Toledo and using the same Lake Erie water, remained unaffected. The differencewas the use of GAC at the Bowling Green Drinking Water Treatment Plant. GAC is used by hundreds of drinking water treatment plants across the US to remove undesirable chemicals (including DBPs, pharmaceuticals, unpleasant tastes and odors and much more) from drinking water provided to local communities.
Grant applications sought by NGWA
The National Groundwater Research and Educational Foundation (NGWREF) is seeking grant applications for ground-water research as well as water supply projects and educational programs in developing nations. The NGWREF Board of Directors has approved $15,000 (USD) for the research grants and $35,000 for the developing nations grants. Applications are being accepted now through June 30 and grants will be announced on or before October 1.
Population growth could soon outpace water supply
Population growth could cause global demand for water to outpace supply by mid-century if current levels of consumption continue. Using a delayed-feedback mathematical model, Duke University researchers identified a regularly recurring patternof global water use in recent centuries. Periods of increased demand for water, often coinciding with population growth or other major demographic and social changes, were followed by periods of rapid innovation of new water technologies that helped end or ease any shortages. According to Anthony Parolari, a Duke postdoctoral research associate in civil and environmental engineering who led the new study, “Per capita water use has been declining since 1980, largely due to improved efficiency measures and heightened public awareness of the importance of conserving Earth’s limited supply of freshwater.” He noted that this has helped offset the impacts of recent population growth, but if those growth trends continue, per capita water use will have to decline even more sharply for there to be enough water to meet demand. The world’s population is projected to surge to 9.6 billion by 2050, up from an estimated seven billion today.
IDA news
The International Desalination As-sociation (IDA) has launched the IDA Mentorship Program, aimed at helping the next generation of leaders advance their knowledge and careers. The program pairs an established industry leader within the organization with a member of its Young Leaders Program (YLP). Each mentor will be assigned to no more than two young professionals, and they will contribute up to three hours a month of time sharing their knowledge, advice and guidance. Mentees and mentors are asked to commit to the program for a pe-riod of one year. The first set of mentors comprises three of the industry’s most respected individuals: Leon Awerbuch, IDA Director and Dean of the IDA Desalination Academy and President/CTO of Leading Edge Technologies Ltd.; Lisa Henthorne, IDA Past President and Senior Technology Officeof Water Standard and Professor Harvey Winters, Fairleigh-Dickinson University, Desalination Academy faculty member and past IDA Director. IDA also announced it has selected São Paulo, Brazil as the site for its 2017 World Congress on Desalination and Water Reuse. The event will take place in the second half of 2017; specificdates and details about the venue are currently being finalized.
WASH survey report released
In celebration of World Water Day, World Vision and KPMG released a new report on the cumulative impact of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) implementers. The purpose of the survey was to determine the cumulative impact of fellow WASH implementers and whether this cumulative scale would provide a significantimpact in addressing the need for clean water, improved sanitation and hygiene. The results showed that the organizations who responded to the survey reached nearly seven million people with clean water in 2014. Assuming that the number of people reached by these WASH implementers remains the same each year, then a cumulative 110 million people will be reached with clean water between 2015 and 2030, representing a significant portion of those still lacking clean water. As shown by these survey results, philanthropy or charity is playing a critical role in solving the global water crisis, but confirmthat philanthropy alone will not solve the crisis.
Asia
Jacobi Carbon’s Sri Lanka plant certified
The Jacobi Carbons Group announced that its Nattandia, Sri Lanka production facility has received certification from the Water Quality Association (WQA) under WQA/ASPE/ANSI Standard S-802: Product Sustainability for Activated Carbon. In response to increasing demand within the water treatment industry for an independent standard for environmental and sustainability claims, WQA developed a voluntary sustainability certification program for water filtration products. Following this process, over 25 activated carbon products produced at the Sri Lanka facility will now carry a WQA certification symbol on their packaging.