Microbes Run the World
Microbes run the world. They are the governing agents behind the conversion of key elements into vital biological forms. They remove toxins from their environments, and protect us from disease-causing organisms. Microbes do not, however, go to battle alone. Microbe armies live in complex communities that follow intricate processes and interactions to ensure environmental… Read More
Ontario Water Professionals Gather for May Conference and Trade Show
Ontario’s Water Conference & Trade Show 2017 is happening this year in Niagara Falls from May 7-10. This annual conference is one of the top events for Ontario drinking water professionals. It’s presented each year by the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA), Ontario Municipal Water Association (OMWA) and the Ontario Water Works Equipment Association… Read More
Harnessing Big Data in the Water Industry
Big data is a term that is increasingly embedded in society’s lexicon. It is a concept that describes how the immense amount of data that is routinely collected by organizations is analyzed and transformed into valuable insights. An example of how big data and advanced analytics was introduced to professional baseball was documented in… Read More
LuminUltra Cloud’s real-time data analysis solves water problems on-the-spot [News Release]
Monday, April 3, 2017 – It’s now possible to keep drinking water safer and industrial and wastewater systems running more smoothly with real-time analysis of routine sampling data using the new LuminUltra Cloud™ platform, officially launching today. “The traditional approach to microbiological problems is to solve them in a reactionary way,” says Pat Whalen,… Read More
World Water Day Turns 24
Back in 1993 the United Nations created World Water Day to draw attention to water-related issues that people around the world were facing. The biggest issue the UN wanted to address was the daily crisis that many people face when it comes to finding clean drinking water. Today, the UN estimates that 663 million… Read More
[Technical Paper] Biomass Evolution in Full-Scale Drinking Water Filters
After nearly two-years of work, we could advance our understanding of ATP measurement in drinking water biofilters. I will describe some of the background and key results from the study below – more information is provided in the Journal AWWA December 2016 article. Background of the Study. Amina Stoddart, a PhD student at… Read More
Developing a Culture of “Revulsion”: Singapore Tackles Water Wastage
Singapore is an interesting place. As a city-state it occupies a very small amount of land area, about 700 square kilometers. Packed into this space are 5.6 million people working in one of the world’s strongest economies. A big part of the economy is based on manufacturing and oil refining. Both of these sectors… Read More
Latest Ransomware Threatens Municipal Water Treatment
Ransomware seems like it’s everywhere in the news lately. Ransomware is software that installs itself on a computer, often when the user opens a seemingly harmless email attachment. Once installed, the ransomware blocks access to critical files and data until the user meets the demands of the person remotely controlling the ransomware. This usually… Read More
Water Security – A Growing Issue with No Easy Fixes
From editor: The issue of water security – access to enough quality water to make it possible to live safely – is a growing concern for many, just ask the communities of Flint and Corpus Christie. The problem is exacerbated when communities and companies come face-to-face over access to water supplies. Wouldn’t the nice idea… Read More
How John Snow Changed the Way We Look at Water Supply Systems, Microorganisms, and Infectious Diseases with Data Mapping.
From editor: Hearing the name ‘Jon Snow’ may bring Kit Harington’s face to the forefront of many people’s mind as an important character in ‘Game of Thrones’ but, for water treatment and public health professionals, there is another iconic ‘John Snow’ that may come to mind. Dr. John Snow, an English physician born in… Read More