Desert Discussions

Desert Discussions

At the 8th Biennial Emerging Water Technology Symposium (EWTS) in Scottsdale, AZ, water pros gathered to chat about all things water conservation, quality, and scarcity. The event started with a bang, talking about Arizona's water woes and how linking conservation to clear goals is crucial. Did you know that grass yards and pools suck up over 70% of household water in Phoenix? Crazy, right? Yet, indoor water use is super efficient, with over 90% being treated and reused.

Another case study came from Goodyear, AZ, where they tackled a 15-year drought by partnering with Flume Water, a smart water data company. They handed out water monitors to residents, which led to a whopping 14.6% drop in water use—saving about 14,000 gallons per household each year. There were also talks on PFAS removal with insights into the largest ion exchange PFAS plant in the US and various treatment technologies. The event wrapped up with discussions on the risks of pushing water efficiency too far and ideas on how to incentivize conservation, like mortgage reductions or tax breaks.

New Culligan Slogan

Sounds like Culligan International is stepping up its game with a new marketing push! They’ve got a new Chief Marketing Officer who’s on a mission to make Culligan cool for younger folks. The new CMO, who used to work at SharkNinja, has come up with a new tagline for Culligan: “Water you love.” Now, Culligan is looking for media agencies to kick off their first global awareness campaign launching in Q4 later this year. Culligan is planning to spend big on this campaign—double what they usually spend regionally. This is part of their effort to stay relevant and grow, after ditching the old "Hey, Culligan Man!" slogan for something more modern.

Evidence for PFAS Home Filters

In a new Science X article published on phys.org, a water treatment expert dives into the tricky issue of getting rid of PFAS chemicals from Aussie drinking water. While the focus is on Australia, the advice is just as relevant for dealing with PFAS in America. There are four main ways to tackle these contaminants: activated carbon, ion exchange resins, reverse-osmosis, and distillation. Activated carbon filters are popular but only remove about 70% of PFAS. Ion exchange resins are more specialized and effective but still not perfect. Reverse-osmosis stands out as the top method, especially when paired with a dual-stage filter, almost completely removing PFAS. And finally, distillation, while one of the oldest methods, isn't reliable for PFAS.

2024 Water Report

Black & Veatch, an engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company, just dropped their 2024 water report which covers a survey of ~630 U.S. water industry stakeholders from U.S. water, wastewater and stormwater sectors. The report covers all the hot topics, like the ongoing issues with aging infrastructure and workforce shortages. Here's a quick rundown:

• Aging Infrastructure: 65% of industry folks say this is their biggest headache.

• Workforce Woes: 47% still struggle to find qualified staff.

• Funding Worries: 41% don't expect enough funding for infrastructure projects in the next 5-10 years.

• Sustainability Goals: 60% see sustainability as crucial, though that's a bit down from past years.

• Cybersecurity: Over 80% think investing in cybersecurity is just as important as physical security.

• PFAS Contamination: 42% have found these chemicals in their water supply.

What else is happening:

• Legislation which requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to study microplastics in both tap and bottled water (and establish testing standards) has passed the Assembly Health Committee.

• A new study finds that drinking water of almost a million Californians failed state requirements. Regarding drinking water supply, California is set for the future with the passing of Senate Bill 366.

• In more news from down under, scientists from Australia have designed a new method to degrade PFAS, saying “we're already one step closer to solving a widespread environmental problem”.

• IWC Innovations, a water safety company specializing in Legionella treatment, has grown from a small kitchen-table operation into a major player in water solutions.

• Atlantic Blue Water Services, the largest water treatment retail store in Maryland, released an article explaining how to get iron out of well water.