Global News: August 2015
HydroNovation recently completed relocation of its headquarters to La Palma, CA. The company has resided in San Francisco, CA since its inception in 2008. Expansion of the company, as well as consolidation of business units, elicited the move. For more information about the La Palma location, visit www.hydronovation.com.
North America
IDE honored as ‘smart’ company
IDE Technologies announced that it was ranked #18 on MIT Technology Review’s annual list of the 50 Smartest Companies. Each year, the magazine’s editors compile the list based on the companies that have displayed impressive innovations in the preceding year. IDE, the only water technology company to be recognized on this year’s list, was highlighted for offering more affordable water desalination at a scale never before achieved. IDE joined several prestigious companies on the list. MIT Technology Review previously featured the company’s Sorek plant, the world’s largest and most advanced seawater RO desalination plant, on its list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies.
AWWA, AMTA to partner for conferences
The American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) announced an extension of the agreement with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) to partner in hosting the annual Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition (MTC) through 2020. Initiated in 2012, this collaboration allowed AMTA and AWWA to combine their annual membrane conferences into one pinnacle event, giving members and the industry a singular venue to showcase outstanding technical programs and vendor exhibit hall. The annual MTC is held each year between February and April with recent coast-to-coast venues in Las Vegas, NV; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX and Glendale, AZ. The 2016 MTC will be held in San Antonio, TX February 1-5. Attendees are encouraged to register now to take advantage of early registration and hotel discounts.
New study examines global water quality
A first-of-its-kind study, The Murky Future of Global Water Quality, examines climate change, socio-economics and water quality trends together and found that up to one in three people will be exposed to a high risk of water pollution in 2050 from increased amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous in the water supply. The presence of nitrogen-based compounds in drinking water can be harmful to human health.
FMA, Harper College partner on fabrication lab
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) has partnered with Harper College for the construction of a $1.5 million (USD) facility designed to create critically needed, skilled workers for area manufacturers and related businesses. The new 6,000-square-foot FMA Metal Fabrication Lab, funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the FMA, will double the size of Harper’s current manufacturing lab. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June and the lab is expected to open later this year. The program was the recipient of a $13-million federal grant to expand its best practices statewide. The expanded facility will train up to 600 students annually and will house state-of-the-art equipment, such as lasers, turrets, press brakes and robotic welders, some of which will be donated by FMA members. According to research from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, the US faces a shortage of nearly two million manufacturing workers over the next decade.
Oxbow to change brand names
Oxbow Activated Carbon began changing trade names of its products in June to reflect new branding and clearly communicate the benefits of its diverse product offerings.The company stated it has made every effort to keep things simple and business uninterrupted, in most instances simply dropping the previous Series and CR or Activ prefixes. The new product trade names will be OxPure™ for all activated carbon products; OxOs™ for bone char products; OxAnthra™ for anthracite products and OxGuard™ for filter units and vessels. Sabre Series© CR1230C product will now be designated as OxPure™ 1230C; Guardian Adsorber Series© V200 as OxGuard™ V200 and Activ R G 4*8 product as OxPure™ 48B. Any company impacted by this change due to existing certifications,registrations, etc., should contact their respective sales manager for support and assistance.
Activated cabon conference details announced
PACS Activated Carbon Services, Inc. will host the 36th International Activated Carbon Conference (IACC-36) September 17-18 and Activated Carbon School before and after the conference. The event will take place at the Hyatt International Hotel near the airport for Pittsburgh, PA. IACC will provide several talks on sustainable new biomass feedstocks to manufacture activated carbons.
Videos promote groundwater ,careers
With a projected shortage of 135,000 geoscientists expected to occur in the US within the next decade, the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) is promoting two new videos spotlighting groundwater fields of study and careers to pre-college and college students. A two-minute video, Groundwater Is Cool, primarily targets secondary-school students interested in science and/or the outdoors and highlights the critical importance of groundwater as a freshwater resource for human use and the environment. It contains arresting statistics, fast-paced graphics and music. The second is a five-minute video targeting both pre-college and college students and includes interviews with students, professors and professionals about the benefits of groundwater careers. Both videos can be accessed via NGWA’s Career Center website, www.ngwa.org/Professional-Resources/industrycareers/Pages/default.aspx.
Europe
International hunt for unknown molecules
Over 8,000 molecule profile have already been stored in a public database for future analysis. This preventive water-screening system is now being expanded internationally and harmonized with further strategies in the FOR-IDENT project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). A key goal is “screening to prevent or at least quickly identify potential risks.” Chemical analyses show that a single water sample can contain thousands of different types of molecules. The amounts and composition of these molecules vary from region to region and from country to country, depending on the indigenous vegetation and the drugs, pesticides and chemicals approved for local use.
UK water drinks exceed three billion liters
Zenith International has issued new reports to provide its most comprehensive overview of the UK bottled water market, specialist food and drink industry. UK consumption of all water drinks rose by 10 percent in 2014 to 3,049 million liters (805 million gallons), with a retail value in excess of £2,400 million. Volumes are now 40 times the level of 30 years ago and represent over 20 percent of all soft drinks consumed. Plain water sales in retail pack sizes jumped by 10.3 percent to 2,306 million liters (609 million gallons), with consumption per person now over 40 liters (10 gallons) a year. Flavored, functional and juicy water plus drinks rose 11.5 percent to 461 million liters (121.7 million gallons). Bottledwater cooler sales advanced by 4.8 percent to 282 million liters (74.4 million gallons) after a period of decline.
Africa
EIB to fund Malawi project
European financial and technical support for investment to alleviate critical water shortages in Malawi’s largest city was approved in June by finance agreements confirming a new EUR 24 million (26.4 million USD) loan from the European Investment Bank to support the new EUR 49.2 million (54.2 million USD) investment program to be implemented by Lilongwe Water Board. Crucial upgrading and improvements to the city’s water infrastructure will be managed by the Lilongwe Water Board over the next four years and increase water supply in low-income areas, where services are currently limited, as well as reducing water leakage. The project will both improve reliable water supply for customers and share water management best-practice staff of the Lilongwe Water Board under a dedicated technical assistance program.
