AUMA Electric Actuators for Water Distribution and Wastewater Treatment

Drinking water abstraction and distribution, as well as sewage disposal and purification, are basic prerequisites for community infrastructure development. Security of supply is crucial for any modern water industry.

Piping of different lengths and nominal diameters must be automated with a multitude of valve types. From potable water production and distribution, to sewage treatment, to water treatment systems, AUMA actuators automate valves of any size and design. AUMA has been building electric actuators and valve gearboxes for over 50 years, and is one of the leading manufacturers in the water industry. AUMA is well implanted due to their broad product portfolio including multi-turn, part-turn, and linear actuators. In combination with high corrosion protection, they guarantee a long service life, low in maintenance.

For more information about AUMA electric actuators in water distribution and wastewater treatment, contact Instrument Specialties. Call them at 407-324-7800 or visit their site at https://isisales.com

Coronavirus is Proving We Need an Early Warning System to Test Wastewater

Wastewater testing coronavirus
Wastewater testing, or “wastewater quality indicators” are broad descriptions for the various test methodologies to measure water quality.  These tests analyze the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of wastewater.

As countries and individual healthcare organizations work to arrest the spread of Covid-19 and to care for those who are infected, officials in some geographic locations are using wastewater testing as a possible method for identifying levels of Covid-19 in their communities.  The testing goal is to detect evidence of the Covid-19 genetic material, ribonucleic acid (RNA), in fecal matter in sewage and wastewater.

The novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, is the virus that causes Covid-19. It is known to invade the GI (gastrointestinal) track in some patients, and so the virus is extracted in their fecal matter. 

Looking at the amount of viral matter in waste water from a community could uncover the level of Covid-19 spread in the population.  This information can then be a trigger for the required mitigation initiatives and response plans, such as testing individuals, contract tracking, and quarantine. It also allows for information to be gathered on a cross section of the population, allowing for a way to monitor public health solutions for large groups.  

Scientists from around the world are setting up pilot programs to test waste water.  The Netherlands has successfully performed a Covid-19 test for waste water and additional programs are launching in Singapore, Zurich, Lausanne,  Milan, Rome, Australia, and in parts of the US, such as Colorado, Ohio, New York, and Wyoming.  Scientists in these regions have been able to identify the novel Coronavirus at low concentrations in waste water, pointing to an early warning systems for communities.  

In April, 2020, the scientific journal, Nature, listed that over a dozen groups around the globe were doing research analyzing waste water for Covid-19, and that evidence of the virus was already found in the United States, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Teledyne ISCO is paving the way with use of water samplers in the effort to identify the virus evidence in sewage.   Their automatic sampler readings analyze the characteristics and presence of the Coronavirus in parts per million quantities and can be laid against the population numbers of a geographic area to ascertain the existence and amount of virus existing in the waste water. 

For more information about the use of Teledyne ISCO water samplers for SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in wastewater contact Instrument Specialties, Inc. Call them at 407-324-7800 or visit their website at https://isisales.com.