Profile on Panda Water Systems

Profile on Panda Water Systems

WCP Online recently did a profile on Panda Water Systems, a water-filtration company based out of western New York formed by Dana and Patrick Hollingsworth. Their team is going after the region's 22 contaminants with a mix of free water testing, whole-home filtration systems, and some martial arts discipline (the whole family's got black belts). They're riding the increased demand for home filtration, becoming certified Kenai Collection dealers, and joining industry groups like Water Quality Association (WQA) and the Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce. The piece talks about the rise of women in water, and that Panda continues the growing trend of seeing female water professionals contributing to the industry.

How to Choose a Water Softener

Aquasana just dropped a guide on water softener selection and it's loaded with good insights. The article breaks down the ion exchange process that removes hardness-causing minerals like calcium and magnesium. It covers both salt-based systems (single and dual tank) and salt-free alternatives like electromagnetic descalers and water conditioners. The guide offers a practical formula for sizing softeners: daily water usage x water hardness (in GPG) = required grain capacity. It also delves into regeneration methods, comparing time-based and metered systems.

Parsons Lands PFAS Job for National Guard

Parsons Corp., a technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, was selected to provide PFAS treatment at the Burlington Air National Guard Base. More specifically, the company just secured a two-year gig to manage and optimize the base's groundwater treatment system. Using their high-tech Water Treatability Lab in Syracuse, Parsons aims to supercharge the existing granular activated carbon setup. With nearly 2,000 PFAS investigations under their belt and a track record of installing 7,000 PFAS treatment systems, Parsons is no small fish.

U.S. Farmers vs. PFAS

The growing PFAS problem for U.S. farmers is put under the microscope in an opinion piece from Investigate Midwest. The article highlights a lawsuit in Texas where ranchers are suing manufacturer Synagro, claiming their fertilizers weren't PFAS-free as expected. The EPA is also criticized for its slow response to regulating these "forever chemicals" in sewage sludge. The piece cites the Environmental Working Group's estimate that a whopping 20% of U.S. farmland (about 20 million acres) could be affected. With new EPA limits on PFAS in drinking water, some farms are at risk of closure due to contamination. While a bill to assist farmers is stalled in Congress, the situation shows a need for water treatment solutions in agriculture.

What else is happening:

• Samaritan's Purse deploys three water filtration systems, each providing up to 50,000 liters of clean water daily, to western NC to help with Helene aftermath

• A team of Vanderbilt researchers have developed novel technology called electrochemical ion pumping (EIP)

• H2O Innovation has acquired NextEra Distributed Water via a carve-out transaction after delivering and operating WaterHub® assets with them for several years

• WCP Online releases their 2024 State of the Bottled Water Industry; overall sales grew 6.5% and consumption of home and office delivery water rose 3.8%

• WCP Online (absolutely cooking this week) also release an article about illicit drugs in urban water

• Wisconsin and Minnesota-based Aquarius Home Services wrote an article on Kinetico water softeners vs. standard electric water softeners