North America
Specialty license required in Colorado
The Colorado Plumbing Board recently approved new rules to implement Senate Bill 202, which Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law this summer. It will go into effect on April 1, 2016. Under the new law and rules, a water treatment installer will require a CI certification through WQA and a water treatment principal will require CI and CWS certifications. Professional Certification & Training Director Tanya Lubner and other WQA staff are working with the Colorado Water Quality Association to organize education sessions. For information regarding WQA Professional Certification, visit www.wqa.org/Professional-Certification or e-mail [email protected].
IAPMO granted status for new standard
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®) applied for and was granted Audited Designator status by the American National Standard Institute in the ANSI-accredited consensus development of the Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard to be known as WEStand 2017. Accordingly, WEStand will be designated as an American National Standard immediately upon finalization, without the need for review by the ANSI Board of Standards Review.
World demand for membranes to rise
According to World Membrane Separation Technologies (a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc.), world demand for membranes is forecast to rise 8.5 percent annually to $26.3 billion (USD) in 2019. Rising output from key industries, including food and beverages and pharmaceuticals, will promote increasing demand as membranes are used to meet increasingly stringent purity requirements. Scarce freshwater resources will support gains in the water and wastewater treatment markets. Desalination facilities will produce an increasing share of drinking water supplies, particularly in arid regions such as the southwestern US, the Middle East and parts of the Mediterranean. Industrial users will also expand their efforts to reclaim and reuse wastewater in response to rising costs associated with the disposal of wastewater and the purchase of fresh water.
NGWREF research grants awarded
The National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation (NGWREF) has awarded a total of $35,000 (USD) to five applicants for groundwater supply and education and training projects in developing nations. The fund provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for qualified projects in low-income, developing or third-world nations as defined by The World Bank or some other equivalent international body, such as the United Nations. The grantees included Good Neighbor Network ($4,300) to construct a water well for Thule Village in the southeast African nation of Malawi; Northern Illinois Research Foundation ($5,000) to conduct two weeks of education and hands-on training to students, faculty and professionals in Myanmar on groundwater development, well construction, wellhead protection and groundwater quality and quantity sampling; Rosshirt Water for Africa ($8,000) for repair and maintenance of 10 wells in Zimbabwe; Skat Foundation ($10,000) for development of a short animated film on water-well design and construction quality, and Water for Life ($7,700) to install a well to serve 400 people in a remote village in Guatemala.
NSPF, Genesis merger announced
The National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) and Genesis 3, Inc. will merge their operations to deliver a broader spectrum of training programs, effective January 1, 2016. The organizations seek to merge their respective swimming pool service professional certification programs to accelerate training to the service sector. Both operate globally and are accredited by the International Association of Continuing Education & Training (IACET). The combined organization will further the NSPF mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to encourage healthier living by increasing aquatic activity through education and research.
Bottled water containers use more recycled PET plastic
New data compiled by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) show that between 2000 and 2014, the average weight of a 16.9-ounce (half-liter) single-serve PET plastic bottled water bottle has declined 52 percent to 9.25 grams. This has resulted in a savings of 6.2 billion pounds of PET resin since 2000. The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) noted that producing new products from recycled PET (rPET) uses two-thirds less energy than what is required to make products from raw virgin materials. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. According to BMC, bottled water is poised to become the largest beverage category, by volume, in the US by the end of the decade.
Endress + Hauser reps announced
Effective October 12, Instrumentation and Controls, LLC became Endress+ Hauser’s exclusive representative for the entire state of Arizona and strategic markets of New Mexico, including the greater Albuquerque area. Instrumentation and Controls is armed and ready to serve its customers as a single-source provider for all sales and solutions.
Standards to be harmonized
The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) announced progress on a North American project to harmonize standards. In August, a technical committee of US and Canadian stakeholders was struck, consisting of industry (CIPH), manufacturers and regulators, in order to develop the ANSI/UL 1201: Standard for Sensor Operated Backwater Prevention System. The overall objective is to ultimately create “one standard, one test, one mark… recognized in North America.” The technical committee is committed to having a working first draft of the standard to SCC by December. This standard is planned for release in 2016 in both the US and Canada as an ANSI- and SCC-accredited document.
Another successful WSI event
More than 1,000 professionals working in a wide range of water-related disciplines gathered to network and share experiences and ideas at the eighth annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, held in October. The program included comprehensive professional sessions, panel discussions, pre-conference workshops and a sold-out expo hall. It also featured an opening keynote address by Mary Ann Dickinson, President and CEO of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. In addition, a luncheon featured the presentation of US EPA’s WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards. Participants included professionals from 40 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Australia, Canada, Denmark, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and the UK. Technical tours to Hoover Dam, Clark County Wetlands Park, the Springs Preserve and the Venetian Resort highlighted southern Nevada’s water-efficiency practices and water resources, while an expo hall provided 80 exhibitors with an opportunity to share their water-efficient products and services. The ninth annual WSI Conference and Expo is slated for October 5-7, 2016 in Las Vegas.
Carbon conference report released
The 36th International Activated Carbon Conference (IACC-36), held in Pittsburgh, PA in September, was host to a variety of presentations focused on the many uses of activated carbon. Several were notable, including one from Jack Baron, President of Sweetwater Energy, on a breakthrough new technology to separate cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from forest product(s). If a cellulosic ethanol industry is established, large amounts of lignin may be produced as a byproduct. To be economically feasible as a reusable product, a portion of the lignin would need to be converted to higher-value chemicals or materials like activated carbons. The proceedings of the 36th International Carbon Conference are available from PACS. Please contact Barbara Sherman ([email protected]) or call (724) 457-6576 to obtain a copy.
Latin America
Exclusive BASF agreement announced
BASF signed an exclusive agreement with Pochteca, a Mexico-based raw materials supplier, for the distribution of its Water Solutions portfolio throughout Mexico and Central America. Product lines included in the agreement are BASF’s Zetag®, Magnafloc® LT, Burst®, Magnasol® and Antiprex® brands. These solutions address the needs of the water treatment industry in a variety of applications, such as drinking and wastewater treatment, industrial process water treatment and environmental remediation.