Industry Insights

Chemical Feed Skid Considerations for the Oil and Gas Industry

Chemical feed skids offer reliable and consistent dosing of chemicals into process applications. When designed correctly, chemical feed skids have the ability to increase system productivity by maximizing operating costs and reducing chemical costs. Available in hundreds of configurations, U.S. Water's chemical feed skids are customized to meet each facility's unique application and specifications. There [...]

Caring for Your Pre-Treatment Equipment: RO Membrane Cleaning

As water and energy costs increase, government regulations tighten and environmental stewardship initiatives progress, facilities must continue to enhance their system efficiencies. Reverse Osmosis (RO) equipment is becoming more common in water treatment systems. Unfortunately, even with high quality feed water, RO membrane scaling and fouling is inevitable. Regular cleaning and servicing of your RO system and its [...]

The Internet of Things and its Benefit to U.S. Water Customers

There is a lot of talk in the technology market about the Internet of Things (IoT). But, what does that mean and how does it affect water treatment technologies? As people living in a modern world, technology is the center of nearly everything we do. Human nature constantly drives us to improve our “things” through newly engineered technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) is about using technology to [...]

U.S. Water’s Unique Sulfur Control Solutions

Let's start with the scrubber. Aldehydes, primarily acetaldehyde, in fermentation gas are considered to be “hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)” by EPA. Aldehyde control is often based on sulfites, which react with the aldehydes, making them “scrubbable”. If you use more than required sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas can freely pass through the final stages of distillation and dehydration and [...]

FSMA Regulations and Their Impact on Water Treatment Chemistry for the Ethanol Industry

In 2011, the FDA was given a new mandate to require comprehensive, science based preventive controls across the food supply. These regulations, collectively called the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), apply to food for both human and animal consumption. While there have been rules governing food additives and safety for many years, these new rules further refine the requirements around control plans. The new [...]

How Does Piping Design Affect Bacteria Growth in Water Systems?

Q&A with U.S. Water’s Project Manager, Jason Mitchell   What is high purity water, and where is it used? High purity water, also referred to as ultrapure or deionized water, must comply with quality requirements to sustain specific production goals and standards. It is used in a variety of industries where bacterial contamination is strictly regulated such as biopharmaceutical, [...]

Reverse Osmosis Membrane Advancements

Every day consumers research and identify what goods and services are available in the market for the particular area they are looking for. They buy based on the features they value and the price they are willing to pay. It's not very common that a consumer will buy without some level of evaluation. Contrast that with decisions in the industrial world and many times that level of evaluation doesn't take place. [...]

The Pursuit of a Green Carbon Steel Corrosion Inhibitor: Laying the Groundwork - Part 2

Abstract Many inhibitors considered for use in an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor program are organic in nature and may be subject to oxidation. This paper aims to expand on previous studies to determine acceptable green corrosion inhibitors for use in open system cooling waters by examining the effect of oxidizing biocide on their performance. Pilot-scale corrosion testing is used to generate results [...]

The Pursuit of a Green Carbon Steel Corrosion Inhibitor: Laying the Groundwork - Part 1

Abstract Corrosion control of carbon steel heat exchange components is becoming more important as energy costs rise and the demand for environmentally friendly chemicals is on the water technology forefront. This article explores the effectiveness of various inhibitors in open system cooling tower water that is both corrosive and scaling. Part 1: Laying the Groundwork gives an overview of the inhibitors tested and [...]

Why Should I Lay-Up My Cooling Tower?

Each year we get many of these questions from people, all stemming back to the central question of what is cooling tower lay-up and why do we do it? If any of these sound familiar to you then you may want to read on. “We wait to punch tubes until spring.” “I just drain the tower piping to the roof line.” “We leave the tower filled ‘just in case.'” “I [...]

Trends in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

U.S. Water’s Technical Manager, Gary Engstrom provided insight into wastewater trends for Flow Control Magazine. The article, written by Matt Migliore, appears below. As the scarcity of water becomes a more pressing issue worldwide, the drive for industry to reclaim and reuse wastewater grows more important. Moreover, industry faces increasingly stringent state and federal requirements regulating [...]

Reduce Operating Costs Using Industrial Cooling Tower Automation

Efficiency, sustainability and conservation are all topics that must be considered in today’s business regardless of the industry. At the core of many businesses utility operations are cooling requirements that call for the use of a cooling tower. If allowed to operate in an uncontrolled environment, the water and energy efficiencies in cooling towers can be costly. Furthermore, an uncontrolled cooling tower [...]