Kurt C. Peterson, Publisher
The dynamic nature of life in general sets us up for events that require a huge outpouring of support, knowledge and willingness to act. And, in light of the situation in Flint, MI (and other communities suffering through contamination issues), continued vigilance by our industry is a top priority. Water treatment professionals are needed now more than ever and that need is going to increase as time goes by.
It is, therefore, overwhelmingly important that we are at our best, all the time. This requires education and lots of practice. Nobody in water treatment earned their stripes because they thought twisting a pipe wrench was a neat trick. The volatility of water treatment, emerging technologies as well as contaminants of concern, makes training and education a best-case strategy for success. And we’ve got the information you need to reach that goal.
In this issue, we’ve included an updated WQA Convention schedule and hope you will use it to take advantage of every possible educational opportunity. The new education program, MEP, relies on a mentor-based approach, which is very beneficial. Some people are hands-on learners, others do better with the written word and some need both. The convention will offer training, seminars, networking with experts and industry veterans. You can’t go wrong with all of that expertise in one place.
At the core of treatment is water softening. In fact, it’s probably the most well-known of all treatment technologies. The equipment has evolved over the years to meet new regulatory requirements, certification demands and consumer needs. But the basics remain the same, as Technical Reviewer Gary Battenberg outlines in Part 2 of his series on cation exchange. Because we are fortunate in this country to have a wide range of water treatment options, we should remember that is not a global prospect. What works here may not work elsewhere and some methodologies need to be tweaked to meet regional demands. Porex Filtration has engaged such a project in Jakarta, Indonesia, which Simon Yang reviews in this issue.
Public health concerns have created layer upon layer of regulatory requirements for water treatment. How then can our efforts fail so badly, as evidenced by the catastrophes in West Virginia last year and Flint this year? Dr. Kelly A. Reynolds continues her search for answers to this question in her On Tap column. Aging infrastructure, political unwillingness, time and money are among the causes, but that doesn’t make us more confident. It’s your turn, dealers and manufacturers, to take the initiative. Be the ones who restore a high quality water source, responsible public health criteria and elevate the water treatment industry to the place it properly should hold. You are the experts; leave the pundits to flounder.
Please stop by Booth 526 during the conference and say hello, pick up a copy of the magazine, give us your ideas on coverage and topics and let us know how we’re doing. We hope to see you there!