WaterBriefs: CULTEC stormwater chambers save time, money at shopping center site

In other news below:
-- Severn Trent Services facilities earn international safety awards
-- MWH awarded design contract to raise height of Calif.'s San Vicente Dam
-- Pumps.org website re-launched
-- Itron, SmartSynch partner to provide public wireless communications technology
-- Grundfos sponsors World Exhibition EXPO Zaragosa 2008
-- GE Fanuc helps utilities solve operational needs with Municipal Water Package
-- Purity International acquires Behrick Air Dryer Company
-- B&V-designed Longmont, Colo., WTP wins DBIA design-build award
-- Foster Wheeler nabs another CFB boiler design, supply contract by China's SINOPEC
-- Elster realigns business in North America
-- AMCO Water Metering Systems announces new executive management
-- Sims named International Code Council COO
-- ASHRAE looks to develop water conservation standard
-- ADAPCO unveils new product for wastewater systems at WEFTEC
-- Danfoss acquires Austrian market leader within biomass energy

• CULTEC stormwater chambers save time, money at shopping center site -- BROOKFIELD, CT, Oct. 24, 2006 -- When planning began for a new, 47-acre shopping center in Milford, CT, CULTEC Inc. stormwater chambers were strongly considered, as the decision-makers were already familiar with the products' design and benefits through previous projects. So, the company's plastic stormwater chambers were specified for Clean Water Act compliance, but offered several more advantages along the way. The future site of Milford Crossing is conveniently located off of Route 1 in Milford, Connecticut. The large complex will be anchored by Wal-Mart, with other large retailers such as Bob's Stores, HomeGoods, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks also on board. With an estimated completion date of early 2007, work began on the site in 2005. When completed, the shopping center will have nearly six acres of paved parking lots. Clean Water Act Phase II regulations require that these impermeable surfaces are counteracted by a stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) that can prevent stormwater runoff from polluting nearby water resources...
Also see: "Cultec Inc.'s Stormfilter aids in Temple-Villanova Pennypack Creek Stormwater Initiative"

• British Safety Council presents Five Star Safety Award to Severn Trent Services -- Three offices and one wastewater treatment facility operated by the company receive prestigious Five Star Safety Award; Severn Trent Water Ltd. facility also honored -- FORT WASHINGTON, PA, Oct. 24, 2006 -- Three Severn Trent Services offices and a wastewater treatment facility operated by the company have received an international health and safety accolade from the British Safety Council, the Five Star Health and Safety Audit Award, one of the world's leading occupational safety, health and environmental organizations, the company announced yesterday. In the United States, facilities receiving the award were the Severn Trent Services sales and manufacturing office located in Colmar, PA, with more than 100 employees; and the Glen Cove, NY, Wastewater Treatment Works, a treatment plant operated by the company. In the United Kingdom, award winners were the Severn Trent Services Ltd. sales and manufacturing office in Minworth, which employs 84; and Integra Utility Services in Derby, a meter installation division of Severn Trent Services, which employs 192. Also receiving recognition was the Strensham Water Treatment Works in the U.K. operated by Severn Trent Water Ltd...
Also see: "Severn Trent Services recognizes Daytona Beach's Ralph Brennan Water Treatment Plant for improving safety, cost-efficiency"

• MWH awarded design contract to raise height of Calif.'s San Vicente Dam -- SAN DIEGO, Oct. 24, 2006 -- MWH has been awarded a $19.5 million contract by the San Diego County Water Authority for design and engineering services for construction of the San Vicente Dam Raise Project. When completed, the project will be the largest raise of a concrete dam in the United States. The new project will raise the existing 220-foot high concrete gravity dam, completed in 1943, by 117 feet and add 152,000 acre-feet of water storage to the Water Authority's system. The increase in water storage addresses the Water Authority's need for both emergency and carry-over storage, which stores water during periods of normal and above-normal water availability for use during extended periods of drought. The raised San Vicente Dam and Reservoir is the final part of the Water Authority's $827 million, 10-year Emergency Storage Project (ESP) which increases the amount of water available in San Diego County during emergencies, such as a drought or a major earthquake. Overall, the ESP will add new reservoir storage in San Diego and will expand the existing transmission and distribution capabilities, thus providing a six-month supply of water in case of an emergency or natural disaster...

• Pumps.org website re-launched -- PARSIPPANY, NJ, Oct. 24, 2006 -- The Hydraulic Institute (HI) today announced the re-launch of the pump industry's popular website, www.Pumps.org. Visitors may access an array of free downloads, reference materials, pump definitions, pump diagrams, information on upcoming events and news. An online Supplier Finder allows users to search for manufacturers by a variety of criteria including product description, brand name, or market. Prospective members can learn more about the Hydraulic Institute and the services it offers in the Membership section. A membership brochure and application forms are available for download. Additionally, visitors can now access HI's extensive library of PumpFAQs^® -- a series of question and answer articles on a wide variety of topics published as a service to pump users, contractors, distributors, reps and OEMs on subjects of common technical concern...

• Itron, SmartSynch partner to provide public wireless communications technology -- SPOKANE, WA, Oct. 24, 2006 -- Itron Inc. announced today that SmartSynch, a global leader in wireless technology for the energy industry, will provide public wireless communications technology for OpenWay™ , Itron's new advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) platform that is currently under development. SmartSynch's development efforts will enable wide-area network (WAN) connectivity to OpenWay CENTRON^® residential meters by providing an integrated, under-the-cover public wireless communications module for those utilities who intend to leverage networks like GPRS or Wi- Fi for transmission of all critical metering and event data from their meters . Like all other OpenWay network components, SmartSynch's public wireless communications module for the meter will support the ANSI C12.22 standard for communication of metering-based data over a network...

• Grundfos sponsors World Exhibition EXPO Zaragosa 2008 -- BJERRINGBRO, Denmark, Oct. 24, 2006 -- At a ceremony in Zaragoza in North East Spain representatives of the World Exhibition EXPO Zaragoza 2008 and the Grundfos Group today signed an agreement that will make Grundfos sponsor of the coming world exhibition. The agreement implies that Grundfos is entitled to use the EXPO Zaragoza 2008 logo in its marketing in the coming years. Grundfos will also be entitled to make customer arrangements and seminars in the exhibition area. Furthermore Grundfos will have its own stand of approximately 500m² with an exhibition of products and demonstration models. Finally Grundfos will be the preferred supplier of pumps and pump systems for the World Exhibition. The agreement was signed by Presiden Roque Gistau, EXPO Zaragoza 2008. General Manager of Grundfos Spain, Francesco Torres, and Group Senior Vice President of Grundfos Management A/S Kim Klastrup represented Grundfos...

• GE Fanuc Automation makes it easy for municipalities to solve water/wastewater operational needs with Municipal Water Package -- Global leader in HMI/SCADA technology provides products and solutions to address toughest monitoring and control issues -- CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, Oct. 24, 2006 -- GE Fanuc Automation, a global leader in HMI/SCADA technology, has announced a set of Municipal Water Packages specifically designed for the water/wastewater industry. Combining award-winning Proficy™ HMI/SCADA -- iFIX^®, Historian and Portal products together in a variety of sizes, GE Fanuc makes it easy for municipalities to obtain the solution they need for their water facilities. The packages address the needs of munipalities to perform the monitoring and control operations to gather and store operational data needed to gain insight and make the tough decisions regarding reducing energy and chemical costs...

• Purity International acquires Behrick Air Dryer Company -- PHOENIX, Oct. 24, 2006 -- Purity International, LLC, of Wickenburg, AZ, announces it has acquired certain assets and exclusive worldwide manufacturing rights of the Behrick Air Dryer Company of Vernon, BC, Canada. The Behrick Air Preparation Systems are available in three models that provide better than minus 50°C. dewpoint dry air to enhance the ozone production level of any ozone generator at up to 30 CFH (846 LPH) air flow. The systems are vacuum operated and require no compressed air. They provide full ozone system air preparation up to 99% relative humidity...

• Colorado water treatment plant earns design-build award -- KANSAS CITY, MO, Oct. 24, 2006 -- Black & Veatch announced yesterday that the Nelson-Flanders Water Treatment Plant, completed by the Black & Veatch-Western Summit Constructors Inc. joint-venture design-build team for the city of Longmont, Colo., earned a 2006 Design-Build Excellence Award from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) in the "water over $15 million" category. The new plant provides high-quality drinking water to meet the increased demands of a growing population and economy. Treatment works include a raw-water reservoir, two-stage flash mix, three-stage flocculation, high-rate lamella plate settlers prior to dual-media filtration, and chemical disinfection facilities. The design incorporates gravity-driven conveyance to maximize efficiency. The plant was designed and built not only to meet present needs but also to accommodate future development and regulatory requirements. The award was presented at the DBIA Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony held recently in Nashville, TN...
Also see: "Black & Veatch adds MJ Gleeson's water business to offer clients total project delivery"

• Foster Wheeler awarded another CFB boiler design, supply contract by SINOPEC in China -- HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 24, 2006 -- Foster Wheeler Ltd. announced today that two Chinese subsidiaries in its Global Power Group have been awarded contracts by a unit of the China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC) to design and supply three 100 MWe circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) boilers for SINOPEC Tianjin Company's ethylene complex in Tianjin City, People's Republic of China. The state-of-the-art, petroleum coke-fired boilers will be designed by Foster Wheeler International Engineering & Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited and manufactured in part by Foster Wheeler Power Machinery Company Limited at its facility in Xinhui, China. Commissioning of the Tianjin boilers is anticipated in 2008. The boilers will be similar in design to Foster Wheeler boilers currently in commercial operation at SINOPEC's Maoming refinery in China. The value of the contracts, which will be included in the company's third-quarter 2006 bookings, was not disclosed...

• Elster realigns business in North America -- RALEIGH, NC, Oct. 23, 2006 -- Elster announces that it's aligning three of its business units in North America. The move includes Elster Electricity, AMCO Water Metering Systems, and a new business unit called Elster Integrated Solutions (EIS). It results in three separate, but coordinated businesses serving markets in North, Central, and South America. Elster Electricity will continue to focus on providing metering and metering system technology to electric utilities. AMCO Water Metering Systems will continue to focus on and provide advanced metering products and meter reading solutions to water utilities. The focus of EIS will be in delivering AMR/AMI system solutions across gas, electricity, and water to multi-utility customers. EIS will lead the business transformation of operations technology utilizing information technology and intelligent networks with the existing Elster Electricity and AMCO Water Metering Systems business units. EIS will bring a common vision and integrated plan across gas, electricity, and water. Mark Munday, CEO and president of Elster Electricity, has been named executive vice president of the electricity and water businesses in North America. Another key appointment in North America is Sharon Allan, named president of EIS. AMCO Water Metering Systems continues under the leadership of president Blake Snider...
Also see: "Sharon Allan named president of Elster Integrated Solutions, a new business unit of Elster in North America"

• AMCO Water Metering Systems announces new executive management -- OCALA, FL, Oct. 23, 2006 -- AMCO Water Metering Systems Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Bruce Gordon to its AMR/AMI solutions executive management team under the leadership of president Blake Snider. As new senior vice president of sales and marketing, Gordon has held key leadership roles in marketing and sales management at companies including Allegro Development and Viterra Energy Services. Most recently with 4Datalink, he helped launch a South American-based utility platform to allow data linking between departments. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Maryland. Joining AMCO in April 2006 as president, Snider brings significant experience in the water metering market including all areas of management, business development, and operations. He holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas as well as an MBA from Texas A&M University...

• Elster Group launches worldwide energy saving solution -- LUXEMBOURG, Oct. 23, 2006 -- Elster Group, the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of metering and utilisation solutions to the gas, electricity and water industries, has today launched a smart metering solution that will help address the issues of climate change and energy costs. A new business unit, Elster Integrated Solutions (EIS) based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, will drive global programmes to help utilities worldwide adopt the very latest smart metering systems. Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) are designed specifically for gas, electricity and water utility customers. These smart meters can help with some of the most pressing current environmental issues. According to the Berg Insight M2M Research Series 2006, shortening the link between consumption and billing makes consumers, domestic as well as industrial, more price-responsive and therefore more economical with their energy use patterns...

• Sims named International Code Council COO -- FALLS CHURCH, VA, Oct. 23, 2006 -- Dominic Sims, C.B.O., has been named chief operating officer of the International Code Council. As COO, Sims will be responsible for the organization's day-to-day operating activities, financial performance, short- and long-term planning and strategic business activities. Sims, who previously served as Deputy COO, was promoted by newly-named CEO Rick Weiland. Prior to joining the International Code Council and SBCCI, Sims was executive director of the Palm Beach County (FL) Planning, Zoning and Building Department. He has served on numerous committees, including as vice chairman of the Florida Governor's Building Code Study Commission and was vice mayor of Jupiter, FL. Sims earned a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management from Palm Beach Atlantic University...

• ASHRAE looks to develop water conservation standard -- ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2006 -- Requirements regarding the amount of water used to operate HVAC, plumbing and irrigation systems would be established under a proposed standard from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The proposed standard, Conservation of Water Use in Building, Site and Mechanical Systems, would provide baseline requirements for the design of buildings, landscapes, and mechanical systems that minimize the volume of water required to operate HVAC systems, plumbing systems, and irrigation systems. The standard would address water use efficiency through water conservation measures implemented during design and construction of residential, commercial, institutional and industrial projects. It would not apply to storm water management...

• ADAPCO unveils new product for wastewater systems at WEFTEC -- Vulchur™ tackles odor and corrosion concerns while saving systems money -- SANFORD, FL, Oct. 23, 2006 -- Officials of ADAPCO Environmental Solutions (AES) announce the introduction of Vulchur™, a new product for the wastewater industry. Unveiling this week at the Water Federation's annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Dallas, Vulchur is the only product on the market with the ability to control both odor-causing bacteria and corrosion in wastewater systems. According to AES General Manager Jerry Davis, Vulchur removes hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and mercaptans from wastewater systems -- two elements that cause serious odor, safety and equipment maintenance issues...

• Danfoss acquires Austrian market leader within biomass energy -- NORDBERG, Denmark, Sept. 27, 2006 -- Danfoss has signed and closed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Nopro Wärmesysteme. The takeover will be economically effective on January 1, 2006. Nopro is based in Austria and markets substations and automatic controls for biomass based district heating systems. The company has 35 employees and a turnover in 2005 of approx. 5 million EUR. The market for biomass based district heating systems is mainly concentrated in Austria, Southern Germany, and Northern Italy, and it is expected to grow by more than 15 percent p.a. during the coming years. In the future, Nopro's headquarters in Katsch will be the Danfoss competence centre for solutions and systems for biomass based district heating, and at the same time Danfoss will gather the district heating sales organisation in Austria under one umbrella. Nopro's general manager, Hugo Zeiler, will continue in his current position...

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