Winter layup of cooling towers can create an environment susceptible to growth and incubation of corrosion causing bacteria. Cooling tower cleaning and maintenance prior to spring start-up is recommended by OSHA to remove biofilm and prevent Legionella bacteria, and by most cooling tower manufacturers to maintain system efficiency during the summer cooling season. Cleaning and disinfecting the cooling tower basin [...]
On March 22nd, the United Nations celebrates the importance of global access to clean water and sustainable freshwater resource management through the annual celebration of World Water Day . 2019’s message, Water for All, demonstrates that whoever you are, wherever you are, water is your human right. At U.S. Water, we use this day to reflect on the importance of clean water and sustainability throughout the [...]
Maintenance is vital to the success of treatment plants across all industries. External filter inspection on a regular basis will keep your plant running optimally and promote system longevity. Consistent inspections will catch minor repairs that when fixed in a timely manner, do not become bigger, more expensive repairs and also prevents a full plant shutdown. When inspecting filter exteriors, there a few things you [...]
U.S. Water Area Manager Kevin Brown recently received the 2018 International Water Conference (IWC) Paul Cohan Award for his 2018 presentation titled, Decreasing Filterable Iron Levels in an Air-cooled Condenser at a Combined Cycle Power Plant. IWC will present Kevin with his award during the 2019 conference in Orlando, Florida. Each year IWC recognizes the author of the most precise and innovative presentation in [...]
Corrosion in industrial and commercial water treatment continues to be a major concern as companies strive to reduce costs while maintaining their assets. The need to protect heat exchange equipment and associated piping is vital in minimizing operational costs and preventing downtime. Traditionally, copper and carbon steel have been the metallurgies of choice for comfort heating and cooling heat exchange equipment. [...]
Galvanized coatings for cooling tower systems (cooling towers, evaporator tube bundles, etc.) have been used in the industry since the 1950s due to their relatively low cost and long service life. The galvanizing process bonds a layer of zinc metal to steel. When properly applied and passivated, the zinc coating works as a non-permeable sacrificial anode to prevent corrosion of the underlying steel structure. White [...]
ALLETE Inc. (NYSE: ALE) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell U.S. Water Services Inc. to Kurita Water Industries Ltd., a leading international water management company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The transaction is expected to close by end of the first quarter 2019 upon the receipt of regulatory approval. “Kurita is a well-respected global enterprise, and this agreement [...]
The City of Miamisburg made the decision to expand their current filtration system to add softening treatment. Tonka Water, a U.S. Water brand (Tonka Water), was the basis of design on the project, having previously worked with the engineer. Tonka Water worked with the engineer to design a new treatment system to best meet the needs of the city. The chosen process for softening is a complete Tonka Water integrated [...]
A methanol manufacturing facility in the Texas Panhandle needed a water treatment plant designed, manufactured, and installed during the construction phase of their operation. The equipment needed to satisfy rigorous water criteria, be modular for plug and play installation, meet Class I Div. II Explosion Proof requirements, and fit into two, customized 53-foot shipping containers. The manufacturing company [...]
As industrial facilities continually look for ways to reduce capital costs and decrease installation timelines associated with water treatment and other systems, the practice of containerizing equipment has become more prevalent. A containerized system offers many benefits of lower costs than comparable field erected buildings, faster timelines and lower field installation requirements. However, once site building [...]
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a plant’s water supply and the technology’s capabilities. The final article of this three-part series will address RO system operation and maintenance best practices. Section one and two [...]
Graf Creamery, a Midwestern butter and cream production plant, was experiencing issues with the fat and grease build-up in their holding cell retention pond. The fat build-up was restricting their ability to manage the wastewater leaving the plant and the solids had the potential to fill up the ridge and furrow absorption wastewater process. Due to the fat build-up, they were also losing treatment capacity (maximum [...]