WaterBriefs: Black & Veatch picks Singapore for global water design centre

In other news below:
-- FEMA, DHS offer infrastructure protection course
-- TISP announces national infrastructure award recipients
-- ASHRAE members get energized in Dallas
-- Grundfos CBS announces new Houston distributor
-- Two Calif. DWR divers die on routine inspection mission
-- Rexnord LLC announces acquisition of Zurn Industries Inc.
-- EarthData renews focus on California market with $1 million mapping contract
-- SanAir Technologies adapts 'DNA sequencing' to ID environmental hazards
-- Open Energy completes SunCone CSP engineering design
-- Houlihan Lokey plans March industrial, environmental conference
-- McCrometer unveils new website
-- Bray S40 butterfly valves pass fire test with zero leakage
-- AEE presents 2006 Energy Award winners
-- EPA approves Hach m-ColiBlue24 E. coli test method for wastewater
-- Leonard to be next AWWA president-elect
-- Maxager survey reveals many operational metrics don't optimize corporate profitability

• Black & Veatch picks Singapore for Asia-Pacific headquarters, global water design centre -- SINGAPORE, Feb. 8, 2007 -- Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, joins a number of other companies who've recently picked Singapore for major research and development efforts, including GE Water & Process Technologies, Siemens Water Technologies, Marmon Water LLC, and Delft Hydraulics. Much of this has occurred since Singapore announced plans last summer to promote itself as a "Global Hydrohub" for water and environmental technologies.

Black & Veatch officially opened its Global Design Centre for water in Singapore yesterday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by S Iswaran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry. The Minister also presented Ralph Eberts, Managing Director of Black & Veatch's Asia-Pacific water business, with the Singapore Economic Development Board's (EDB) International Headquarters Award.

In a videotaped message played at the ceremony, Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's global water business stated: "We're pleased to receive this award in recognition of our development plans, which will see Black & Veatch's Singapore office expand significantly over the next five years. These five-year plans include doubling the number of our professionals in Singapore, as well as investing in a Global Design Centre and establishing a Centre of Excellence for Desalination today.

"The Global Design Centre operates as a key part of our integrated global workforce. Our Singapore office has expertise in implementing world-class engineering projects, which has proved to be valuable to our global clients," McCarthy explained. "The Global Design Centre will help us to apply our broad project expertise to further ensure we can continue to provide our clients with global solutions to their local challenges."

McCarthy added: "We are also seeing increasing use of desalination as a treatment process throughout the world. However, desalination is still constrained by high energy consumption and membrane lifespan. The Centre of Excellence in Desalination will focus on optimising the performance of plants and enhancing membrane life."

McCarthy also confirmed Black & Veatch's commitment to bring in top practice and technology leaders to provide advanced training of the company's local workforce in key water competencies, building up a base of highly skilled professionals to ensure their high standards as the company continues its rapid expansion.

Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director of the Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI) and Chief Executive of PUB, said, "We are pleased to have Black & Veatch as a committed partner and as a vital part of our environment and water industry. By anchoring more of its operations here, Black & Veatch's strategic investments highlight the remarkable progress made in this sector, underpinning Singapore's vision to be a Global Hydrohub."

Kenneth Tan, Executive Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Deputy Executive Director of EWI added, "To continue growing this vibrant industry, it is essential that we also develop and attract a pool of quality talent and manpower. Black & Veatch is dedicated to helping this cause through conducting intensive employee training programs here, as well as sending local employees for training in the U.S. In addition, Black & Veatch continues to engage in active recruitment of many scholars and top professionals for their operations here. All this adds to the growing talent pool in Singapore's water industry."

These new developments follow the announcements Black & Veatch made in December 2006, when it stated plans to make the Singapore office a key hub for its global water infrastructure business, including more than doubling the number of water professionals it employs in Singapore.

"There is excellent talent in Singapore," said Ralph Eberts, Black & Veatch's Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific water business. "Through our integrated global workforce, we are already utilizing these resources on projects in Australia, the United States and Europe, as well as bringing together resources from around the world to benefit our clients.

"It is our plan that the Singapore office will play a larger role in our major projects. We continue to strengthen our technical knowledge and management capacity," Eberts said. "By opening a Global Design Centre here, we will be able to attract more Singapore-based professionals who want to work on exciting global and leading-edge projects."

Black & Veatch (www.bv.com) is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915 and with over $2 billion in revenue, the employee-owned company has more than 100 offices worldwide and has completed projects in more than 100 countries on six continents. Its global water business provides innovative, technology-based solutions to utilities, governments and industries worldwide. Local project teams work with multinational water and wastewater treatment process experts to address site-specific challenges through a broad range of consulting, study, planning, design, design-build and construction management services.

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Among other recent headlines:

• FEMA, DHS offer infrastructure protection course -- WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 8, 2007 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security unveiled new training available from its Office of Infrastructure Protection. Introduction to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) (IS-860) is a web-based course developed jointly by the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute. It provides an orientation regarding the key concepts of the NIPP and is designed to meet the training needs of a wide range of government and private sector security partners involved in implementing infrastructure protection programs. The course is available free of charge and may be accessed through the EMI Independent Study Web site at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp (select course number IS-860). The course can be taken for certificate credit or for information purposes only...

• Infrastructure Security Partnership announces its 2007 national award recipients -- Recognition of improving public safety by improving infrastructure resilience focus of TISP honors -- RESTON, VA, Feb. 8, 2007 -- Ensuring resiliency in the nation's critical infrastructure against the adverse effects of natural and man-made disasters takes exceptional leadership. The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) recognizes such leadership with its annual Distinguished Leadership in Critical Infrastructure Resilience Awards. The recipients of the 2007 TISP Leadership Awards are Public Sector representative Brig. Gen. Robert Crear of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Private Industry representative Kevin Morley of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The awards will be presented during a luncheon at TISP's Sixth Annual Congress on March 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. For the full list of honorees, see Feb. 6 entries at the ASCE news webpage by clicking here...

• ASHRAE members get energized in Dallas -- ATLANTA, GA, Feb. 8, 2007 -- The adage that everything is bigger in Texas proved true for the 2007 ASHRAE Winter Meeting held last week in Dallas. ASHRAE can boast of a large turnout for overall meeting attendance, record attendance at social events, and high attendance at the International Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating (AHR) Exposition cosponsored by ASHRAE and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). The ASHRAE meeting had a total attendance of 2,634, an increase of nearly 200 over the 2006 Winter Meeting in Chicago. Registration for social events, also up over previous years, was more than 800 for the Welcome Party; more than 600 for the president's luncheon; and 557 for the Members' Night Out...

• Grundfos announces new distributor for Commercial Building Services in Houston -- OLATHE, KS, Feb. 8, 2007 -- Grundfos CBS Inc. announced today that Delta T Equipment is the new representative and distributor for the Grundfos pumps brand in the Houston metropolitan area for the newly formed Grundfos Commercial Building Services business unit (Grundfos CBS).Grundfos CBS is comprised of two veteran U.S. pump companies -- PACO Pumps of Houston, TX, and Grundfos of Olathe, KS. As the newly joined companies find synergies in their distribution network and product line, distributors such as Delta T Equipment will pave the way for future success, according to Jack O'Connor, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Grundfos CBS Inc...

• Two Calif. DWR divers die on routine inspection mission -- SACRAMENTO, CA, Feb. 7, 2007 -- Two Department of Water Resources (DWR) employees died this morning during a routine underwater mission at the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant in Merced County. The certified and experienced divers were at the intakes of the pumping plant about 10 miles south of Los Banos in Merced County. When they failed to come up on schedule, a search was begun. Their bodies have been located and pulled from the water. DWR officials are working with authorities to determine the cause of the accident. Names were withheld pending notification of family. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs...
Also see:
-- "New Delta Study Bolsters Governor's 'Delta Vision'"
-- "Second Water Education Foundation Delta Vision Workshop Set for March 16"
-- "LADWP Calls for Proposals to Build $176 Million in Green Power: Renewable energy developers invited to Bidders' Conference set for Feb. 13"
-- "Academic Stars on 42 Teams from 27 High Schools Compete for LADWP Science Bowl Regional Championship: LADWP teams have won four national titles in U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl Program; 15th annual event set for Feb. 24"

http://www.rexnord.com/press_room/
• Rexnord LLC announces acquisition of Zurn Industries Inc. -- MILWAUKEE, Feb. 7, 2007 -- RBS Global Inc., the parent company of Rexnord LLC, today announced the acquisition of the plumbing products business ("Zurn") of Jacuzzi Brands Inc. for a cash purchase price of approximately $942 million, including transaction costs. With this acquisition, Rexnord, a leading manufacturer of highly engineered power transmission, aerospace and other precision motion technology products, adds a new strategic water management platform. Zurn is a leader in the multi-billion dollar non-residential construction and replacement markets for plumbing fixtures and fittings. It designs and manufactures plumbing products used in commercial and industrial construction, renovation, and facilities maintenance markets in North America, and holds leading market positions across most of its product lines. Hitt noted that there will be minimal integration work for Rexnord as this acquired business will operate as a separate platform of the company, with facilities located in seven states. Marini, and the existing Zurn management team, will continue to run the company, providing leadership continuity...
Also see:
-- "Nearly 500 Falk workers back on the job after explosion: Company resumes production on limited basis"
-- "Support fund started for families of men killed in Falk tragedy: Rexnord starts fund with $100,000 contribution"

• EarthData renews focus on California market with $1 million contract for lidar mapping -- FREDERICK, MD, Feb. 7, 2007 -- EarthData's push to increase its presence in California gained hold this week, having signed a $1 million contract with URS Corp. for aerial lidar surveys over the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Covering 1,600 square miles, the project calls for 1-meter post-spacing lidar data, hydrographic breaklines, and 1' contours. California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) will use these datasets to evaluate levee stability under various flooding scenarios as part of its Delta Risk Management Strategy. Not only do the levees ensure water supply and water quality for the state, the levees safeguard 700,000 acres of land and millions of residents from the threat of flooding. Key infrastructure like highways, railways, and pipelines also depend on levee stability.The detailed lidar elevation data from this project will help DWR identify areas where levees need repair, as well as areas requiring additional levee structures to protect recent urban developments...

• SanAir Technologies adapts 'DNA sequencing' to help identify environmental hazards -- POWHATAN, VA, Feb. 7, 2007 -- SanAir Technologies Laboratory Inc. announced today that it has added state-of-the-art "DNA sequencing" technology to its traditional scientific methods of identifying environmentally harmful microorganisms such as molds and bacteria including Legionella. Based near Richmond in Powhatan County, Virginia, SanAir is a full-service environmental testing laboratory that partners with business, industry and government agencies to identify and isolate potentially dangerous microorganisms in public venues such as shopping malls, hotels, hospitals and schools. DNA sequencing utilizes recent advances in molecular biology to enable highly sophisticated and accurate identification of potentially harmful microorganisms at the species level. It works by isolating and matching specific bacterial genes to known genetic sequences to determine a match...

• Open Energy completes SunCone CSP engineering design -- Company expects to issue RFQ's for first commercial unit in March of 2007 -- SOLANA BEACH, CA, Feb. 7, 2007 -- Open Energy Corp. announced today it has completed the engineering drawings and performance criteria for a commercially viable Suncone concentrating solar desalination system. This initial design is primarily geared toward decontamination of drinking water in remote, off-grid locations. The engineering team anticipates that it will be coupled with off-the-shelf membrane filtration or multi-stage flash distillation hardware, depending upon the specific water input sources to be treated. This same design can be used to supplant conventional thermal power system applications, such as pre-heating steam for turbine electricity. Potential applications of this invention range from water desalination to supplying process heat for power generation...

• Houlihan Lokey releases latest newsletter, plans industrial, environmental conference -- LOS ANGELES, Feb. 7, 2007 -- The most recent publication of the Industrial & Environmental Technologies Quarterly Newsletter from Houlihan Lokey is now available at the website of the international investment bank that provides a range of services, including mergers and acquisitions, financing, financial opinions and advisory services, and financial restructuring. The newsletter features financial statistics, market information and M&A activity for individual sectors that include Air & Water Treatment, Test & Measurement, Flow Control, Automation & Control, Diversified and Environmental Services. The company also will host its 2nd Annual Basic Industrial Conference on March 13 at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Conference information is included in this edition of the newsletter. For additional information, click here...

• SAWS trustees assert aquifer protection takes top priority -- Board denies request for mulch fire water -- SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 6, 2006 -- San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees today voted unanimously to deny a contract with Oil Mop, Inc. for construction of a 16-inch water main to provide water for firefighting efforts on the Helotes mulch fire. In concert with that decision, the Board passed an alternate resolution instructing staff to: 1. Immediately discontinue the use of water directly on the burning mulch pile; 2. Increase water testing and well monitoring, and evaluate additional wells that might provide an earlier warning for SAWS' public water systems; 3. Continue to work with TCEQ to explore alternative methods to fight the fire without using water directly on the burning mulch pile. The Board expressed that their actions were out of concern for the protection of San Antonio's primary water source...
Also see:
-- "SAWS accepts national water conservation award in D.C.: San Antonio recognized for reduced water use despite booming growth"
-- "City crews slipline trenchless sanitary pipe project in San Antonio"

• New McCrometer website features automated application, product search features -- Easy navigation, new on-demand keyword searches, application case studies, automated local sales rep search, customer support options among advancments -- HEMET, CA, Feb. 6, 2007 -- McCrometer announces the release of its new web site, optimized with an innovative on-demand keyword search to help process, plant, municipal water and agricultural engineers find the most up-to-date flow meter information. McCrometer's re-launched website features a total re-design with completely fresh content and an added 'what's new' section on the home page highlighting breaking news and the latest flow meter technologies. Re-vamped, efficient top navigation and side toolbars make it easy for flow measurement professionals to locate their target information in one to two clicks. The new site also features completely revised Customer Service/Support options such as quickly finding local McCrometer sales representative contacts with the improved automated search, requesting a price quote or asking a technical question. The web site now facilitates factory contact options for order inquiries, return authorization, questions, and sending orders...

• Bray Controls S40 butterfly valves pass fire test with zero leakage -- HOUSTON, TX, Feb. 6, 2007 -- Bray Controls announces that its Bray/McCannalok Series 40 High Performance Butterfly Valves have passed the new BS EN ISO 10497:2004 Second Edition fire test with zero leakage, both through-seat and externally. This test, which is more demanding than all previous fire safe tests, was performed by Lloyd's Register. Three-inch and eight-inch Class 150 Series 41 lug-style butterfly valves with a RPTFE/Silicon energized seat and Inconel 718 secondary seat were used in the test. The body material was nickel aluminum bronze and the stem packing was flexible graphite. In normal service, the fire safe seat assembly contacts the disc with both the resilient seat material and metal seat. During and after a fire, when the resilient material has been partially or completely destroyed, the metal seat provides a positive seal by remaining in constant contact with the disc in either direction of line media flow...

• Association of Energy Engineers announces 2006 Energy Award winners -- ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2006 -- The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) presented a full slate of winners of its 2006 Energy Award at its website. Among the recipients, Robert Taylor accepted the Environmental Project of the Year honors for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, serving Maryland's Montgomery and Prince George counties. The first phase of its Two-Phase Energy Performance Project undertaken included a multitude of upgrades at the 30MGD and 6 MGD wastewater treatment plants, such as the installation of a 1000 kW back-up/peak-shaving engine-generator. Cheryl L. Gomez, P.E., director of energy & utilities for facilities management at the University of Virginia was named Energy Engineer of the Year for an energy saving plan that included changes in lighting, cooling tower water use, and central chiller plant cost avoidance. By nearly halting the rate of increase in the consumption of electricity; aggregating power supply through University-owned substations; reducing the University's water usage; and exceeding the efficiency goal at the main heat plant, Gomez's programs resulted in savings of over $12 million for the fiscal year 2003-2004...

• EPA gives pre-publication approval of Hach m-ColiBlue24 E. coli test method for wastewater -- Many entities with NPDES permits may soon be required to begin monitoring for E. coli in wastewater and will find this a cost-effective tool that will streamline the testing needed to comply. -- LOVELAND, CO, Feb. 6, 2007 -- Hach Company announced in December that its Hach m-ColiBlue24^® analytical method has received pre-publication approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for monitoring of Esherichia coli (E. coli) in wastewater. The Hach m-ColiBlue24 method is an easy, fast way to identify and enumerate bacterial populations in treated or natural waters. In September 2006, the EPA pre-published the Final Rule (under 40 CFR part 136) of new analytical test procedures for enumeration of E. coli and enterococci in wastewater and fecal coliforms and Salmonella in sewage sludge. The addition of these new procedures may require entities with NPDES permits to begin monitoring for these microbiological pollutants within 30 days of the final rule being published, which is expected sometime in 2007. Under these amended regulations, four methods for monitoring E. coli in wastewater have been approved, including two membrane filtration (MF) and two multiple tube fermentation (MTF) methods...

• Leonard to be next AWWA president-elect -- DENVER, Feb. 6, 2007 -- Mike Leonard, water operations manager in Roswell, GA, was elected to the American Water Works Association officer line Jan. 21 at the winter meeting of the board of directors. Leonard will assume the office of president-elect in June during the AWWA conference in Toronto when current President-Elect Nilaksh Kothari becomes president of AWWA. Leonard began his 36-year career at the Atlanta Water Bureau working in various positions. He has served as drinking water chief for the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region IV, general manager for the Atlanta-Fulton County (Ga.) Water Resources Commission, and client technical services manager for the consulting firm Brown and Caldwell...
Also see: "Degen, Stevens named AWWA vice presidents"

• Maxager survey reveals many operational metrics don't optimize corporate profitability -- Time-based metrics considered important, yet manufacturers still use a variety of metrics which do not maximize ROA -- SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2007 -- Maxager Technology, the original provider of velocity-driven enterprise profit optimization solutions, today announced results from a recent survey, which revealed that while many manufacturers believe that it is important to measure the speed at which products are made, very few have systems in place to do so. The survey conducted in Q4 2006 polled executives and managers at chemicals, metals, electronics and other complex manufacturers and found:
-- 92% of respondents felt that the ability to analyze the speed with which the organization produces the most profitable products or serves profitable customers and markets was very to somewhat important.
-- 71% do not have software or systems in place to analyze combined margin and production run-rate data.
-- Only 5.7% of respondents use profit per minute to measure profitability.
Although respondents overwhelmingly (92%) believe that analyzing the speed with which they produced profitable products was important, 71% don't have software or systems in place to do so. The result is that very few manufacturers (5.7%) have the ability to use a metric that is aligned with ROA...

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