Recent research used a neural network approach to measure the energy efficiency of water services provided by several water utilities in England and Wales.
The study revealed varying levels of energy efficiency across water and wastewater services. Combined utilities—those providing water and wastewater services—had better energy performance compared with water-only companies.
Recommendations from the study include updating water infrastructure, conducting energy audits of water systems, and providing incentives to utilities and the public to adopt energy-saving practices.
{"title":"Water Service Energy Efficiency: Water Companies in England and Wales","authors":"Maria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70023","DOIUrl":"10.1002/awwa.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Recent research used a neural network approach to measure the energy efficiency of water services provided by several water utilities in England and Wales.</p>\u0000 <p>The study revealed varying levels of energy efficiency across water and wastewater services. Combined utilities—those providing water and wastewater services—had better energy performance compared with water-only companies.</p>\u0000 <p>Recommendations from the study include updating water infrastructure, conducting energy audits of water systems, and providing incentives to utilities and the public to adopt energy-saving practices.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"118 1","pages":"48-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146148172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p>I was nine years old. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We walked onto the showroom floor where my uncle, a freshly minted college graduate, was selling TVs and, partly because he was my mother's brother, we were going to buy one.</p><p>It was the early 1970s and color TVs were the latest technological breakthrough. We bought a “big” RCA model—the screen was maybe 25 inches, or about the size of a present-day computer monitor. It was from watching that TV that I learned about the Vietnam War and Watergate from Walter Cronkite, known as “the most trusted man in America.” (I admit, while I watched the news carefully—as carefully as a fourth grader could—I thought the news about Watergate was about a river and a broken water gate.)</p><p>TVs like that are obsolete now, replaced by “smart” TVs, which really are not TVs at all. They are more like a computer monitor populated with apps from which you can select a massive number of viewing options. And for an extra payment, your smart TV can connect you to ABC, CBS, NBC—something that was standard, at no additional cost, with our RCA. The good, or bad, reality, depending on your opinion, is that smart technology has surpassed the traditional TV experience and has won the battle of how we watch “TV” and are enticed to pay more.</p><p>Telephones, as I knew them growing up, have also become obsolete. But don’t think for a moment that they did not have technological breakthroughs—because they did. In fact, the avocado green, rotary-dial phone that hung on our kitchen wall allowed me to replace the short cord connecting the handset to the phone base with a 10-foot cord. With the technological change, I was freed up to make a call and get something to drink from the fridge at the same time—my phone was mobile. What more could I want?</p><p>However, even with enhanced mobility, landlines could not keep up with cell phones. And in the end, as we all know, landlines were doomed to become household relics. Ultimately, cell phones have won the battle of how we text each other (calling is so 1900s) even if a new iPhone costs $2,000.</p><p>One thing that has not been made obsolete is tap water. Sure, water has had to change over the years—but still, it has kept its value and largely its market position. While TVs and phones are important, water is more important. And while the cost of water has gone up over time, the price increases are nothing compared with what we are willing to pay for smart TVs and cell phones.</p><p>The utility that provides water for my house is a perfect example. From 2006 to 2024, its residential customer base increased by 13%, and the total amount of water provided to these customers moved in the opposite direction, dropping 25% (let's hear it for a community promoting conservation of our most vital resource). That sort of change—more customers using less water—is not unusual in the US West. Also, in the case of my water utility, over those 18 years an average monthly bill almost
那时我九岁。我记得那天就像昨天一样。我们走进展示厅，我的叔叔，一个刚毕业的大学毕业生，正在卖电视，部分原因是他是我母亲的兄弟，我们打算买一台。那是20世纪70年代初，彩电是最新的技术突破。我们买了一台“大”的RCA型号——屏幕大概有25英寸，和现在的电脑显示器差不多大。正是通过看电视，我从被称为“美国最值得信赖的人”的沃尔特·克朗凯特那里了解了越南战争和水门事件。（我承认，当我像一个四年级学生那样仔细地看新闻时，我以为关于水门事件的新闻是关于一条河和一个破裂的水门的。）这样的电视现在已经过时了，取而代之的是“智能”电视，而智能电视根本不是电视。它们更像是一个电脑显示器，里面塞满了应用程序，你可以从中选择大量的浏览选项。只要付一笔额外的钱，你的智能电视就可以连接ABC、CBS、nbc——这是我们的RCA的标准功能，不需要额外的费用。现实是好是坏，取决于你的看法，智能技术已经超越了传统的电视体验，并赢得了我们如何观看“电视”并被诱使支付更多费用的战斗。在我成长的过程中，电话也已经过时了。但是不要认为他们没有技术突破——因为他们有。事实上，挂在厨房墙上的牛油果绿色旋转拨号电话，让我可以用一根10英尺长的电话线代替连接手机和电话基座的短线。随着科技的进步，我可以自由地打电话，同时从冰箱里拿点喝的——我的手机是移动的。我还想要什么？然而，即使机动性增强，固定电话也跟不上手机的速度。最后，我们都知道，座机注定要成为家庭的遗物。最终，尽管一部新iPhone要花2000美元，但手机还是赢得了我们互发短信的方式之战（打电话是20世纪初的事）。有一样东西没有被淘汰，那就是自来水。当然，随着时间的推移，水不得不改变，但它仍然保持着它的价值，在很大程度上保持着它的市场地位。虽然电视和电话很重要，但水更重要。虽然水费随着时间的推移而上涨，但与我们愿意为智能电视和手机支付的价格相比，这根本不算什么。为我家供水的公用事业就是一个很好的例子。从2006年到2024年，它的住宅客户增加了13%，而提供给这些客户的总水量却相反，下降了25%（让我们听到一个促进保护我们最重要资源的社区的声音）。这种变化——更多的客户使用更少的水——在美国西部并不罕见。此外，就我的水费而言，在这18年里，我每月的平均账单几乎翻了一番，从24美元增加到48美元，虽然乍一看似乎很多，但每年的账单还不到4%。我很有信心，智能电视和智能手机的价格涨幅远不止于此。具有讽刺意味的是：虽然技术推动了电视和电话的发展，但需要水来推动技术的发展——坦率地说，这将是一个很大的提升。如果您在水中工作，那么您很可能已经听到了有关数据中心的新兴技术需求及其对水的依赖的嗡嗡声。数据中心是包含数千台服务器的物理建筑物，用于支持大规模数据处理和存储。一些大型数据中心每天使用高达500万加仑的水来冷却（Shannon Osaka, The Washington Post, April 25, 2023）。从自来水公司的角度来看，可以把数据中心看作是自来水公司的新客户，而且可能是意料之外的、计划外的客户，他们对水（和电）有巨大的需求，以支持他们的冷却操作和每个人对技术的需求。虽然数据中心对自来水公司的影响还有很多未知因素，但很明显，水不会很快被淘汰。这一次，水可能会以一种奇怪而意想不到的方式改变技术。您可以从AWWA最近发布的报告《冷却云：数据驱动世界中的水务公司》中了解更多关于数据中心及其对水和水务公司的影响。你可以在我们的网站awwa.org上找到它。正如克朗凯特曾经说过的，“事情就是这样。”
{"title":"Water's Not Obsolete","authors":"David B. LaFrance","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>I was nine years old. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We walked onto the showroom floor where my uncle, a freshly minted college graduate, was selling TVs and, partly because he was my mother's brother, we were going to buy one.</p><p>It was the early 1970s and color TVs were the latest technological breakthrough. We bought a “big” RCA model—the screen was maybe 25 inches, or about the size of a present-day computer monitor. It was from watching that TV that I learned about the Vietnam War and Watergate from Walter Cronkite, known as “the most trusted man in America.” (I admit, while I watched the news carefully—as carefully as a fourth grader could—I thought the news about Watergate was about a river and a broken water gate.)</p><p>TVs like that are obsolete now, replaced by “smart” TVs, which really are not TVs at all. They are more like a computer monitor populated with apps from which you can select a massive number of viewing options. And for an extra payment, your smart TV can connect you to ABC, CBS, NBC—something that was standard, at no additional cost, with our RCA. The good, or bad, reality, depending on your opinion, is that smart technology has surpassed the traditional TV experience and has won the battle of how we watch “TV” and are enticed to pay more.</p><p>Telephones, as I knew them growing up, have also become obsolete. But don’t think for a moment that they did not have technological breakthroughs—because they did. In fact, the avocado green, rotary-dial phone that hung on our kitchen wall allowed me to replace the short cord connecting the handset to the phone base with a 10-foot cord. With the technological change, I was freed up to make a call and get something to drink from the fridge at the same time—my phone was mobile. What more could I want?</p><p>However, even with enhanced mobility, landlines could not keep up with cell phones. And in the end, as we all know, landlines were doomed to become household relics. Ultimately, cell phones have won the battle of how we text each other (calling is so 1900s) even if a new iPhone costs $2,000.</p><p>One thing that has not been made obsolete is tap water. Sure, water has had to change over the years—but still, it has kept its value and largely its market position. While TVs and phones are important, water is more important. And while the cost of water has gone up over time, the price increases are nothing compared with what we are willing to pay for smart TVs and cell phones.</p><p>The utility that provides water for my house is a perfect example. From 2006 to 2024, its residential customer base increased by 13%, and the total amount of water provided to these customers moved in the opposite direction, dropping 25% (let's hear it for a community promoting conservation of our most vital resource). That sort of change—more customers using less water—is not unusual in the US West. Also, in the case of my water utility, over those 18 years an average monthly bill almost","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/awwa.70010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p>As Congress turns its attention to 2026, few issues loom larger than expiration of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The landmark law provided nearly $55 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including historic levels of investment in lead service line replacement and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation.</p><p>IIJA also authorized core infrastructure programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) through fiscal year (FY) 2026. These programs provide utilities with low-cost, long-term financing for important projects, helping to improve infrastructure while relieving pressure on ratepayers.</p><p>Typically, programs need an active authorization before they can receive funding from congressional appropriators. Congress writes its own rules so therefore can waive them. But because unauthorized programs have become a target of congressional cost-cutting efforts, Congress should prioritize extending these authorizations past 2026.</p><p>According to the most recent surveys released by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), water and wastewater utilities need to invest nearly $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years just to repair, replace, and expand existing infrastructure. Drinking water utilities are also preparing to comply with new regulations that AWWA has estimated will require nearly $150 billion in additional funds. The need is staggering and, unfortunately, the number is trending in the wrong direction. When EPA released findings from the same surveys around 2012, the agency reported $580 billion in total need.</p><p>Federal investment in water infrastructure has remained relatively stagnant for decades. Adjusted for inflation, annual appropriations for the state revolving funds (SRFs) are lower now than at any point since 2009. Despite regular increases to the amount Congress authorizes appropriators to allocate to the SRFs, the programs have not received a nominal increase in funding since FY18. For example, Congress authorized $3.25 billion for the DWSRF in FY24, but congressional appropriators provided just $1.1 billion for the program. This leaves local communities on the hook for a larger percentage of the cost burden and exacerbates already growing affordability challenges.</p><p>Adding to the growing strain, Congress began diverting funds from the SRFs to pay for earmarked projects in FY22, further reducing support for state-administered programs. That year, lawmakers siphoned about 30% of the total funding for capitalization grants to pay for earmarks. By FY24, more than 50% of funds originally allocated to the SRFs were going to earmarks. States received their full capitalization grant allocations in FY25, but the lack of earmarks was due more to a technicality than a change of practice. We fully expect earmarks to return when Congress begins passing app
随着国会将注意力转向2026年，没有什么比《基础设施投资和就业法案》（IIJA）到期更重要的问题了。这项具有里程碑意义的法律在五年内为水利基础设施项目提供了近550亿美元的资金，其中包括对铅管线更换以及全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）修复的历史性投资。IIJA还授权了核心基础设施项目，如饮用水州循环基金（DWSRF）、清洁水州循环基金和水基础设施融资与创新法案（WIFIA），直至2026财政年度。这些计划为公用事业公司的重要项目提供低成本的长期融资，有助于改善基础设施，同时减轻纳税人的压力。通常情况下，项目在获得国会拨款者的资助之前需要获得积极的授权。国会制定了自己的规则，因此可以放弃这些规则。但是，由于未经授权的项目已经成为国会削减成本努力的目标，国会应该优先将这些授权延长到2026年以后。根据美国环境保护署（EPA）发布的最新调查，在未来20年里，仅仅是维修、更换和扩建现有基础设施，供水和污水处理公用事业就需要投资近1.3万亿美元。饮用水公用事业公司也在准备遵守新的规定，AWWA估计这将需要近1500亿美元的额外资金。需求是惊人的，不幸的是，这个数字正朝着错误的方向发展。当EPA在2012年左右公布同样的调查结果时，该机构报告总需求为5800亿美元。几十年来，联邦政府对水利基础设施的投资一直相对停滞不前。经通货膨胀调整后，国家循环基金（srf）的年度拨款比2009年以来的任何时候都要低。尽管国会授权拨款人分配给srf的金额定期增加，但自2018财年以来，这些项目的资金没有得到名义上的增加。例如，国会在24财年为DWSRF授权了32.5亿美元，但国会拨款者仅为该计划提供了11亿美元。这使得当地社区承担了更大比例的成本负担，并加剧了本已日益增长的负担能力挑战。雪上加霜的是，国会开始将srf的资金用于支付2022财年的专项项目，进一步减少了对州政府管理项目的支持。那一年，议员们抽走了资本拨款总额的30%左右，用于支付专项拨款。到2024财年，最初分配给srf的资金中有50%以上被用于专项拨款。各州在25财年获得了全部资金拨款，但缺乏专项拨款更多是由于技术上的问题，而不是实践上的改变。当国会再次开始通过拨款法案时，我们完全期待专款拨款的回归。根据基础设施融资当局委员会（Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities）的数据，由于专项拨款导致的资金减少导致33个州的年度联邦资金净损失。一些州已经使用IIJA的资金来填补缺口，当这些资金明年到期时，这可能会导致痛苦的财政悬崖。国会将在2026年面临一个重要的十字路口。近年来，众议院和参议院的微弱优势和日益扩大的分歧导致与历史平均水平相比，较少的法案成为法律。通过的法案越来越少，意味着主要优先事项成为法律的机会越来越少。尽管两党对srf和WIFIA的重要性达成了一致，但国会仍需克服政治惯性，重新授权这些项目并提供足够的资金。AWWA正试图通过一项名为“保持资金流动”（Keep Funds Flowing）的讲故事活动来告知对话。这项工作突出了AWWA成员公用事业公司在现实世界中的成功案例，这些公司利用联邦基础设施计划资助项目，直接使他们的社区受益。国会的拨款辩论常常围绕着难以理解的数字展开，这里几十亿，那里几十亿，看起来就像是四舍五入的误差。我们通过“保持资金流动”活动讲述的故事表明，联邦政府对水利基础设施的投资对全国各地的社区产生了实实在在的影响。从匹兹堡到伊利诺伊州斯普林菲尔德。到佛罗里达州的基韦斯特。在美国，公用事业公司正在努力应对这一时刻。国会也必须这样做，在2026年到期之前，重新授权和资助我们社区所依赖的核心基础设施项目。
{"title":"What IIJA's Expiration Means for Water Utilities","authors":"Nate Norris","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As Congress turns its attention to 2026, few issues loom larger than expiration of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The landmark law provided nearly $55 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including historic levels of investment in lead service line replacement and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation.</p><p>IIJA also authorized core infrastructure programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) through fiscal year (FY) 2026. These programs provide utilities with low-cost, long-term financing for important projects, helping to improve infrastructure while relieving pressure on ratepayers.</p><p>Typically, programs need an active authorization before they can receive funding from congressional appropriators. Congress writes its own rules so therefore can waive them. But because unauthorized programs have become a target of congressional cost-cutting efforts, Congress should prioritize extending these authorizations past 2026.</p><p>According to the most recent surveys released by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), water and wastewater utilities need to invest nearly $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years just to repair, replace, and expand existing infrastructure. Drinking water utilities are also preparing to comply with new regulations that AWWA has estimated will require nearly $150 billion in additional funds. The need is staggering and, unfortunately, the number is trending in the wrong direction. When EPA released findings from the same surveys around 2012, the agency reported $580 billion in total need.</p><p>Federal investment in water infrastructure has remained relatively stagnant for decades. Adjusted for inflation, annual appropriations for the state revolving funds (SRFs) are lower now than at any point since 2009. Despite regular increases to the amount Congress authorizes appropriators to allocate to the SRFs, the programs have not received a nominal increase in funding since FY18. For example, Congress authorized $3.25 billion for the DWSRF in FY24, but congressional appropriators provided just $1.1 billion for the program. This leaves local communities on the hook for a larger percentage of the cost burden and exacerbates already growing affordability challenges.</p><p>Adding to the growing strain, Congress began diverting funds from the SRFs to pay for earmarked projects in FY22, further reducing support for state-administered programs. That year, lawmakers siphoned about 30% of the total funding for capitalization grants to pay for earmarks. By FY24, more than 50% of funds originally allocated to the SRFs were going to earmarks. States received their full capitalization grant allocations in FY25, but the lack of earmarks was due more to a technicality than a change of practice. We fully expect earmarks to return when Congress begins passing app","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/awwa.70001","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Total Organic Carbon and Natural Organic Matter: Same Complexity, New Problems","authors":"David J. Pernitsky, Ann Malinaro, Jon Reuther","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70011","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":"61-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gary A. Burlingame, John Consolvo, Hunter Adams, Mandu Inyang, Mike Koza, Andrea McElroy, David Schultise, Susan Teefy, Alan R. Wong, Timothy A. Bartrand
Drinking water distribution systems may use chlorine or chloramines to maintain a secondary disinfectant residual all the way to customer taps.
Improvements are needed to ensure accurate, reliable, user-friendly field measurement methods for monitoring chloramine species.
Establishing a robust baseline of system data on free chlorine and chloramine species is key to managing residual disinfectants.
{"title":"Improving Measurement of Chloramine Residuals in Water Distribution Systems","authors":"Gary A. Burlingame, John Consolvo, Hunter Adams, Mandu Inyang, Mike Koza, Andrea McElroy, David Schultise, Susan Teefy, Alan R. Wong, Timothy A. Bartrand","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Drinking water distribution systems may use chlorine or chloramines to maintain a secondary disinfectant residual all the way to customer taps.</p>\u0000 <p>Improvements are needed to ensure accurate, reliable, user-friendly field measurement methods for monitoring chloramine species.</p>\u0000 <p>Establishing a robust baseline of system data on free chlorine and chloramine species is key to managing residual disinfectants.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":"6-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Carrying a Legacy Forward: Insights From Abel Wolman Fellowship Recipients","authors":"Sheldon V. Masters","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":"22-28"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lowering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in the long term requires more than end-of-pipe treatment and expensive infrastructure upgrades.
A continuous-improvement framework can serve as a guide for active communication and engagement with upstream industrial dischargers.
Measurement and monitoring, source reduction, management, and workforce development form essential pillars for effective PFAS management.
{"title":"Using a Continuous-Improvement Approach for Industrial PFAS Management","authors":"Naushita Sharma, Subodh Chaudhari","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lowering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in the long term requires more than end-of-pipe treatment and expensive infrastructure upgrades.</p>\u0000 <p>A continuous-improvement framework can serve as a guide for active communication and engagement with upstream industrial dischargers.</p>\u0000 <p>Measurement and monitoring, source reduction, management, and workforce development form essential pillars for effective PFAS management.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":"40-49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
<p><b>Having recently been named an associate editor of the AWWA Water Science editorial board, Naras Rao answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer</b>.</p><p><i>Naras Hanumanth Rao is a senior associate in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney</i>.</p><p><i>Naras and PhD student Daisy Chu visited a brewery to understand how different water treatment processes are applied in practice—e.g., microfiltration to remove yeast and proteins, sedimentation to clarify the beer, and other steps that influence quality and stability</i>.</p><p><i>Naras and undergraduate chemical engineering students visited a desalination plant in Sydney. The students saw how a large-scale facility operates, learning how processes like screening, disinfection, and reverse osmosis work together</i>.</p><p>My current projects are based in Australia, where I am developing multifunctional polymers designed to both inactivate harmful cyanobacteria and improve their removal through flocculation. Alongside this, I am working on recyclable, bio-based polymers that provide more sustainable options for water treatment. These projects are progressing well, supported by the ARC and close collaboration with industry partners. It has been encouraging to see the industry take an interest in testing these, as they could provide practical and environmentally responsible alternatives to conventional treatment chemicals. The work is still at an early stage, but the results so far are promising and point to scalable solutions that can reduce costs and environmental impact for the water sector.</p><p>Recent work has highlighted the potential of multifunctional polymers not only for cyanobacteria control but also for broader applications in resource recovery, biotechnology, and even mining. Similarly, our efforts to better characterize natural organic matter have raised questions about how climate-driven changes in catchments will affect long-term treatment strategies. I am particularly interested in how we can integrate predictive monitoring tools with treatment optimization, moving from reactive to proactive management of harmful algal blooms. Another area of exploration is developing more sustainable, bio-based materials that align with circular economy principles. These directions could broaden the impact of water treatment innovations while addressing environmental and operational challenges.</p><p>What I enjoy most is the combination of fundamental science with direct industry relevance. On one hand, I get to work with advanced analytical techniques and develop new materials; on the other, I see those findings tested in treatment plants with immediate feedback from operators. This bridging role of translating discovery into practice is both challenging and motivating. I also enjoy working with students and early career researchers, mentoring them as they find their own pathways in the field. Water research brings
最近被任命为AWWA水科学编委会副主编的Naras Rao回答了该出版物主编Kenneth L. Mercer的问题。Naras Hanumanth Rao是悉尼新南威尔士大学化学工程学院的高级研究员。Naras和博士生Daisy Chu参观了一家啤酒厂，了解不同的水处理工艺如何在实践中应用。微滤去除酵母和蛋白质，沉淀澄清啤酒，以及其他影响质量和稳定性的步骤。Naras和本科化学工程专业的学生参观了悉尼的一家海水淡化厂。学生们看到了一个大型设施是如何运作的，学习了筛选、消毒和反渗透等过程是如何协同工作的。我目前的项目在澳大利亚，在那里我正在开发多功能聚合物，旨在灭活有害的蓝藻，并通过絮凝改善它们的去除。除此之外，我还在研究可回收的生物基聚合物，为水处理提供更可持续的选择。在ARC的支持下以及与行业伙伴的密切合作下，这些项目进展顺利。令人鼓舞的是，该行业对测试这些技术感兴趣，因为它们可以提供实用且对环境负责的替代传统处理化学品。这项工作仍处于早期阶段，但迄今为止的结果很有希望，并指出了可扩展的解决方案，可以降低水务部门的成本和环境影响。最近的工作强调了多功能聚合物的潜力，不仅在蓝藻控制，而且在资源回收，生物技术，甚至采矿更广泛的应用。同样，我们为更好地描述天然有机物质所做的努力也提出了一个问题，即气候驱动的流域变化将如何影响长期的治疗策略。我特别感兴趣的是如何将预测监测工具与处理优化相结合，从被动管理到主动管理有害藻华。另一个探索领域是开发更可持续的、符合循环经济原则的生物基材料。这些方向可以扩大水处理创新的影响，同时解决环境和运营方面的挑战。我最喜欢的是将基础科学与直接的行业相关性相结合。一方面，我可以使用先进的分析技术并开发新材料；另一方面，我看到这些发现在处理厂进行了测试，并得到了操作员的即时反馈。这种将发现转化为实践的桥梁作用既具有挑战性，又具有激励作用。我也喜欢与学生和早期职业研究人员一起工作，指导他们在该领域找到自己的道路。水资源研究汇集了工程师、经济学家、金融分析师、化学家、生态学家和政策专家，我发现这项工作的协作性和多学科性质特别有益。最大的挑战之一是协调这些领域的不同优先事项和时间框架。科学研究可以是详细的和渐进的，而工程解决方案通常需要扩展和快速实施。公共卫生需要社区可以信任的明确、及时的结果。将这些因素结合在一起，意味着要平衡对有力证据的需求与现实世界决策的紧迫性。沟通有时也是一个挑战。我们必须在不失去科学准确性的前提下，以与决策者和公众产生共鸣的方式解释复杂的过程。尽管存在这些障碍，但这些领域的整合是必不可少的，因为水问题从来不会整齐地放在一个盒子里。它们总是同时影响人、系统和环境。我最喜欢的一个项目是澳大利亚水研究，研究藻类对澳大利亚水工业的影响。这项研究意义重大，因为它量化了有害藻华给全国公用事业带来的经济负担。该项目汇集了研究人员、作业者和政策制定者，强调了对更好的预测工具和管理策略的迫切需求。对我来说，看到研究如何提供科学见解和经济证据，从而影响了行业和政府的讨论，我感到很满意。它重申了开展工作的重要性，这些工作不仅能增进知识，而且能影响国家层面的决策。在研究之外，我是一个充满激情的飞行员，持有个人飞行员执照，这给了我清晰的思维和独特的视角，从上面看风景。我出身于一个经济学家和银行家的家庭，我也是一个金融极客，我喜欢阅读世界各地公司的年度报告，密切关注市场和行业趋势。
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Water systems operate in a world of increasing complexity. From safeguarding public health to protecting the environment, a water utility's core mission is rooted in understanding and minimizing risk. Yet risk itself is multifaceted, often difficult to understand and even more difficult to communicate.
The water industry faces risks such as microbial and chemical threats to water quality, aging and outdated infrastructure, climate-driven extremes, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Each of these unknowns demands a tailored response, grounded in robust assessment and adaptive management. And while tools like quantitative microbial risk assessment, multi-hazard frameworks, and machine learning models can quantify and prioritize risks, technical solutions alone aren’t enough.
Risk communication is just as critical. Poor communication can erode trust or provoke unnecessary alarm. Utilities must engage proactively, fostering transparency and credibility before risks can materialize. Early dialogue, acknowledgment of uncertainty, and inclusive decision-making help build consensus—especially for major investments like infrastructure upgrades or new water supply projects.
Even when technical findings are met with skepticism, utilities that communicate openly and respectfully can still be seen as trustworthy. This is vital for an industry in which risk tolerance is—and should be—low. Unlike other industries, water utilities cannot afford to accept risks that might lead to public health crises or ongoing service disruptions.
Risk management is not about eliminating uncertainty but navigating it wisely. It involves comparing relative risks, evaluating likelihoods, and making informed choices about what water systems should address now versus later. These decisions are inherently subjective and vary by utility, community, and context. But the goal remains the same: to protect people and resources through thoughtful, resilient, transparent approaches.
AWWA Water Science is joining with the journal Risk Analysis to co-publish a topical collection of peer-reviewed research articles. This collection aims to bring together interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of risk in water systems—from infrastructure resilience and public health protection to climate adaptation and decision-making under uncertainty. By integrating rigorous risk assessment methodologies with applied water science and practice, this collection aims to foster innovative solutions and cross-sector collaboration to address emerging threats and opportunities in the water industry.
Please consider submitting your research for peer review in this special collection on risk, and likewise, please consider writing an article for Journal AWWA to share your experiences with risk management in the water industry by contacting me at [email protected].
水系统在一个日益复杂的世界中运行。从保护公众健康到保护环境，水务公司的核心使命是植根于了解和最小化风险。然而，风险本身是多方面的，往往难以理解，更难以沟通。水行业面临着微生物和化学物质对水质的威胁、老化和过时的基础设施、气候驱动的极端事件以及网络安全漏洞等风险。每一个未知因素都需要量身定制的响应，以可靠的评估和适应性管理为基础。虽然定量微生物风险评估、多危害框架和机器学习模型等工具可以量化和优先考虑风险，但仅靠技术解决方案是不够的。风险沟通同样至关重要。糟糕的沟通会侵蚀信任或引发不必要的恐慌。公用事业必须积极参与，在风险成为现实之前提高透明度和可信度。早期对话、承认不确定性和包容性决策有助于建立共识，尤其是在基础设施升级或新的供水项目等重大投资方面。即使技术发现受到怀疑，公开和尊重地交流的实用程序仍然可以被视为值得信赖的。这对于一个风险承受能力很低的行业来说是至关重要的。与其他行业不同，水务公司无法承担可能导致公共卫生危机或持续服务中断的风险。风险管理不是要消除不确定性，而是要明智地驾驭它。它包括比较相对风险，评估可能性，并就现在和以后的供水系统应该解决什么问题做出明智的选择。这些决策本质上是主观的，并因效用、社区和环境而异。但目标始终如一：通过周到、有弹性和透明的方法保护人民和资源。AWWA Water Science正与《风险分析》杂志合作，共同出版一本同行评议研究文章的专题合集。该系列旨在汇集跨学科的研究，以提高我们对水系统风险的理解，从基础设施的恢复能力和公共卫生保护到不确定条件下的气候适应和决策。通过将严格的风险评估方法与应用水科学和实践相结合，该系列旨在促进创新解决方案和跨部门合作，以应对水行业的新威胁和机遇。请考虑将您的研究提交给本期风险特刊的同行评审，同样，请考虑为AWWA杂志写一篇文章，通过[email protected]与我联系，分享您在水务行业风险管理方面的经验。
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{"title":"Industry News","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/awwa.70014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.70014","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14785,"journal":{"name":"Journal ‐ American Water Works Association","volume":"117 10","pages":"65-67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145476403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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