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The latest in water and wastewater news

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PPI Announces Winners of Projects and Members of the Year Program

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) announced the winners of its Projects and Members of the Year program during its annual meeting held on May 5, 2020. A Project of the Year and a Member of the Year were selected for each of the five PPI divisions: Building and Construction, Drainage, Energy Piping Systems, Municipal and Industrial plus Power and Communications.  The meeting was conducted on-line due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, reported the press release.  

“This year was a little different for us because it was the first time we could not physically congratulate each winner,” said PPI President David Fink in the press release. ”But just as in years past, the nominated projects in each of our five divisions were remarkable and the winners exceptional. It was a healthy competition, and that must be very satisfying to the winners.”

The association’s annual awards program recognizes projects and members for exceptional contributions to the industry. The submissions in the association’s divisions are reviewed, evaluated and voted upon by the PPI members.

The PPI winning projects and members are:

PPI Building & Construction Division Project of the Year

PPI Drainage Division Project of the Year

PPI Energy Piping Systems Division Project of the Year

PPI Municipal & Industrial Division Project of the Year

PPI Power & Communications Division Project of the Year

PPI Member of the Year Winners

Building & Construction Division Member of the Year: Jim Paschal, Aquatherm, Lindon, Utah  

Paschal has been chair of the PPI’s Polypropylene Pressure Pipe Steering Committee since its inception in 2017.  

Drainage Division Member of the Year: TJ Leason, Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company, Newport Beach, California

Leason is concluding his term as Management Committee Chair where his leadership broadened membership engagement on many levels.  

Energy Piping Systems Division Member of the Year: Dell Doyle, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan

Doyle has continually helped the division gain new members, and in 2019, due to his efforts, seven companies joined. 

Municipal & Industrial Division Member of the Year: Mary Houston, Pipeline Plastics, LLC, Westlake, Texas

Houston has served PPI and the Municipal and Industrial Division for many years on task groups, committees and chair positions.  

Power and Communications Division Member of the Year: Tom Stewart, Dura-Line

As the Power and Communications Division’s Research and Development Committee Chair, Stewart has been instrumental in the smooth transition between staff engineers. 

Plastics Pipe Institute Lifetime Achievement Award: George Zagorski

Zagorski, who recently retired from PPI-member company Blue Diamond Industries, served on the PPI Board of Directors from 2011 to 2017 as vice chair, chair and past chair.  

Blue-White Develops Temporary Ventilator

Huntington Beach, California asked Blue-White to quickly develop and build temporary ventilators that met multiple specifications and requirements. 

“Although the request was outside the scope of the products that Blue-White has manufactured for more than 60 years, we jumped at this opportunity to be of service,” said Blue-White’s engineering team, led by President and CEO Rob Gledhill.

“The initial design parameters called for us to automate the manual process of squeezing a manual valve bag (Ambu Bag) in emergency conditions to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients having difficulty breathing,” he added. “This process is meant to be used as a temporary measure, lasting from a few hours to three days, to sustain a patient until a long-term ventilator becomes available.”

Blue-White’s ventilator is currently in long-term testing and is being submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval. In the meantime, Blue-White’s team is busy developing a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack so the ventilator can be portable, reported the press release.

Grundfos Marks 75 Years of Pioneering Together

Grundfos marks its 75 year anniversary.

“We celebrate the pioneering and socially responsible spirit that has driven Grundfos since the beginning and continues to drive us today. We carry that mindset forward with a profound commitment to fight the imminent climate and water challenges affecting all of us,” said Mads Nipper, Group President and CEO, Grundfos.

The official anniversary date was May 12, 2020, where employees celebrated digitally. 

Cheyney University Selects Inframark to Operate Its Wastewater Facilities

Inframark, LLC announced that Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has chosen the company to effectively manage all operations and maintenance (O&M) of its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that serves the entire campus.

The three-year contract went into effect May 1.

Inframark will be responsible for O&M of the University’s sequential batch reactor WWTP that is designed for nutrient removal. Additional responsibilities include environmental compliance and coordination of the biosolids management program and lift station operation, according to the press release.

“We are excited to welcome Inframark as a new business partner to the University,” said James T. Lewis, Executive Director of Operations and Facilities Management at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. “Our wastewater treatment plant is critical to the successful operation of campus safety and compliance. Inframark is a recognized leader in water infrastructure operations and we look forward to working with them.”

“We are proud that Cheyney University is the first Pennsylvania college we will be serving,” said Inframark’s Regional Manager Mike Wolgemuth. “We will ensure that we provide the University the same excellent service and expertise that we offer all of our clients.”

In performing disease cleanup and disinfection, the companies:

Read more about the contract in the press release here.

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IWSH Supports DigDeep Emergency Water Delivery Effort on Navajo Nation

The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) announced a donation to DigDeep’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, potable water to the Navajo Nation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DigDeep is distributing 248,000 gallons of bottled Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water to approximately 16 different sites across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, provided as emergency relief to the Navajo Nation by Nestlé Waters North America, according to the press release.

IWSH’s donation will be used to support local delivery teams and volunteers who have stepped up to help transport water to elders, those infected and under quarantine, as well as people without personal transportation.

"It has been a big transition for us to go from doing long-term water access projects to relief work, but we are still committed to carrying out our mission of getting drinking water to families on the Navajo Nation, which is one of the most critical needs during this pandemic,” said Emma Robbins, DigDeep Navajo Water Project Director. “Receiving this generous donation from IWSH will allow us to continue this work and will go a very long way toward keeping those on the Nation safe and healthy. We are fortunate to partner with IWSH once again, and with all the on-the-ground public health workers, volunteers, and the tribal government to make this happen." 

Visit www.iwsh.org for more information or read the full press release here. 

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group Acquires NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 Accreditation

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) announced that it received the first NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 accreditation in the world for its chemical metering hose pumps for drinking water supply.

“In a critical sector like drinking water supply, utilities and municipalities need to know that the equipment they are using is safe and fit-for-purpose,” said Rick Balek, sales manager, Watson-Marlow Inc in the press release. “The NSF mark provides assurance that our products have been tested by one of the most respected independent certification organizations in existence. Our commitment to quality, compliance and safety is company-wide and we share our customers’ priority in ensuring that safe supply goes beyond treatment and disinfection and right up to the tap.”

Models in WMFTG’s Bredel and APEX ranges are the first chemical metering hose pumps to achieve NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certification. Other Watson-Marlow products, including Qdos peristaltic chemical metering pumps, also carry the certification.

Once certified, products are entitled to carry the NSF mark and are listed on the organization’s website. Products must be re-tested and facilities audited each year to demonstrate compliance.

Expanded CR Range Wins Product of the Year Award

The expanded range of Grundfos’ CR vertical inline multistage pump range was selected as one of the Product of the Year Award winners in the Fluid Handling category by Plant Engineering. 

The program honors the best innovations of 2019, as voted by the magazine’s audience.

The new, expanded generation of Grundfos CR pumps is a more efficient, robust addition to the CR pump range, according to the press release. The CR 95, CR 125 and CR 155 feature a new hydraulic design that improves everything from impeller and guide vanes to inlet, discharge port, sleeve and diffuser. 

“We’re proud to receive this recognition,” said Jonathan Hamp-Adams, president and general manager of Grundfos USA. “The expanded CR range is a water-moving marvel. With efficiencies greater than 80%, offering more than 1,000 gpm and 1,000 feet of head, the vertical multistage pump is a product without peers.”

120Water Announces Partner Program

120Water announced the formation of a partner program to deliver comprehensive solutions for safe drinking water programs. 

The 120Water Partner Ecosystem includes: best-of-breed companies delivering technology solutions; hardware and devices; professional consulting; and laboratory services to help government officials and water quality professionals to more easily implement and maintain safe drinking water initiatives.

Newly formed partnerships within the 120Water partner program include:

Daupler, a Kansas City, Mo.-based listening platform for utilities. 

Noah Water Quality Maintenance System, an installed system on water taps and fountains that automatically flushes every three hours to avoid water stagnation that can lead to water quality issues and corrosion.

KHAFRA Engineering, one of the nation’s largest minority-owned engineering consulting companies with offices throughout the country. 

“The goal of these partnerships is to provide our joint customers the information and automated solutions they need to ensure a quality drinking water supply, and to stay compliant with water quality regulations,” said Megan Glover, CEO of 120Water. “We are building out an entire ecosystem of partners, each of whom shares our mission of streamlining and modernizing complex drinking water initiatives.”

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Victaulic Adds Virtual Access

Victaulic is now offering free virtual courses from its accredited and award-winning Victaulic University program to construction professionals around the world.     

"The launch of Victaulic University’s virtual platform is another successful result of collaborating with customers to help solve their challenges," said Eric Luftig, vice president, Victaulic. "We are pleased to introduce an innovative and convenient way to support the industry’s need for high-quality education."  

Victaulic's 45+ piping technology courses are available at no cost in two virtual formats: live, instructor-led webinars and self-paced courses, which are available on-demand at any time, reported the press release. 

Courses are taught in English, Spanish, and German, with new languages being added regularly, and cover several industries, including:

CEUs or Professional Development Hours (PDHs) are immediately available upon completion of applicable courses, added the press release.

For more information or to register, please visit www.victaulic.com/learn.

Badger Meter Awarded Recertification 

Badger Meter announced it was awarded ISO 27001 recertification and successfully conducted a SOC 2 (Service Organization Control) Type 2 examination of its Information Security Management System (ISMS). Since 2015, Badger Meter has completed an annual ISO 27001 certification and SOC 2 Type 2 examination, reported the press release. 

The ISO 27001 audit analyzes how to appropriately operate, monitor and maintain an ISMS, whereas the SOC 2 Type 2 examination assesses companies based on five trust service principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. The Badger Meter ISMS allows the company to effectively manage sensitive data and infrastructure found within the BEACON Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) and ensure customer data is not compromised.

Grundfos' Jim Swetye Added to Board of Hydraulic Institute

On Feb. 29, 2020 Philip A. Thompson officially retired as President of Enviro-Care. 

“As the former President/Owner of Hycor Corporation, Phil knows how to grow a company.” stated Steve Rioux, the new President of Enviro-Care. “It has been a great learning experience working with him for the past 5 years.”

Itron Deploys IoT Wastewater Management Solution with Miami-Dade

Itron, Inc. announced that it has completed the first phase of its deployment of a wastewater management solution with its customer Miami-Dade County Water & Sewer Department (WASD). Taking advantage of Itron’s developer program, Itron, Utility Systems Science & Software (US3) and The Avanti Company created an IoT solution for wastewater management that enables Miami-Dade to mitigate regulatory issues, prevent sewer overflows, improve water quality and ensure safety for the public.

“With enhanced visibility into our operations, this solution equips us to better serve Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department customers by ensuring our sewer collection system meets regulator standards, improving level of service and in the future, assisting in identification of sewer overflows and mitigation of Inflow and Infiltration into our Wastewater Collection System,” said Kevin Lynskey, director of WASD.

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