“Retirement Light” for Water Industry

“Retirement Light” for Water Industry

Industry vet Matthew Wirth (45+ years in water treatment) recently dropped some wisdom in his article for WCP Online: "retirement light" might just be the new fountain of youth for the water treatment industry. As baby boomers start to retire, Wirth says companies are getting creative with "retirement light", a 1099 contractor arrangement that lets veteran water pros work part-time while passing down decades of invaluable industry experience. The setup makes business sense as companies save about 60% compared to full-time costs (no benefits or payroll taxes), while retirees get to keep one foot in the industry. Wirth notes the legal fine print and mentions that the IRS watches these arrangements closely, so these semi-retired pros need true independence (no clock-punching or direct supervision).

PFAS Contamination, Part 2

WCP Online, with the help of author Peter Cartwright, recently teamed up to release the PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water Supplies, Part 2. Among other topics, Cartwright explains that there are four proven technologies leading the way for drinking water treatment: granular activated carbon (GAC), anion exchange resins, reverse osmosis, and foam fractionation. GAC looks like the front-runner for municipal systems, thanks to its track record and lower costs (though it struggles with shorter-chain PFAS).

Cartwright explains that while we can effectively remove PFAS from drinking water (with 99%+ removal rates), actually destroying these "forever chemicals" is the next frontier. Scientists are testing everything from plasma technology to specialized bacteria, but complete destruction remains challenging due to PFAS's incredibly strong chemical bonds. The article also notes that as testing technology improves, we'll likely discover more contaminants in water at increasingly tiny concentrations.

Sponsorships on Local News

This week we spotted two water treatment dealers featured in sponsored segments on local news, both explaining how their water treatment solutions tackle specific regional water challenges:

• Vredevoogd Heating & Cooling, who have been serving residents since 1964, joined West Michigan’s FOX 17 to discuss how they install water filtration systems to ensure water is clean and clear

• H2O Concepts, who holds patented technology for hard water conditioning, joined ABC 15 Arizona to explain how their systems work and why they are a good fit for homes in the area

Houston’s Water General

Keller O'Leary from (you guessed it) WCP Online recently profiled Houston’s David Davies, talking about his background and how he jumped from international steel trading to water treatment. After starting as a RainSoft sales rep in the '90s, Davies built Aqua General into a major player serving five Texas counties. But that’s not all– Davies just received WQA's 2024 Regents Award for leading a successful fight against costly local regulations. His team got Houston to drop a rule requiring double check valves on residential softeners, which they say is a win that saves homeowners thousands in unnecessary inspection fees. Between running both residential and commercial divisions, exporting brackish-water membranes internationally, and maintaining what he calls "a family business," Davies proves that water dealers can come from unexpected backgrounds.

What else is happening:

• New testing shows Austin's drinking water contains 'little to no' PFAS chemicals

• In Australia, a $3.5M advanced mobile PFAS treatment system is being installed to remove PFAS after forever chemicals were found in Blue Mountains dams

• WQA Podcast is back with their Post-Election Report

• Mike Sheffield of NSF’s Global Water Filtration Division writes about the multistep process to convert ocean water into drinking water

• WCP Online posts an ad for a North Dakota-based water treatment business for sale