The water industry provides drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food and wastewater Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations. In the most common usage, it refers to the municipal wastewater services (including sewage treatment Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants. Its objective is to produce a waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid) to residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy. The water industry includes manufacturers and suppliers of bottled water Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass containers. The dominant form is water packaged in new Polyethylene terephthalate bottles and sold retail. Another method of packaging is in larger high-density polyethylene plastic bottles, or polycarbonate plastic bottles, often used with water coolers. Water privatization Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and sanitation, although more rarely it refers to privatization of water resources themselves. Because water services are seen as such a key public service, proposals for private sector participation often evoke strong opposition. Globally, more by companies in the water industry is becoming an issue as water security Water security is the capacity of a population to ensure that they continue to have access to potable water. It is an increasing concern arising from population growth, drought, climate change, oscillation between El Nino and La Nina effects, urbanisation, salinity, upstream pollution, over-allocation of water licences by government agencies and threatens the global community.[1]
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Overview
The modern water industry operates sophisticated and costly water and wastewater networks and sewage treatment plants Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants. Its objective is to produce a waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid, and typically consumes 1-2% of GDP The gross domestic product or gross domestic income (GDI) is a measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. It is often positively correlated with the standard of living, though its use as a stand-in for measuring the standard of living has. It is generally a natural monopoly Natural monopolies arise where the largest supplier in an industry, often the first supplier in a market, has an overwhelming cost advantage over other actual and potential competitors. This tends to be the case in industries where capital costs predominate, creating economies of scale which are large in relation to the size of the market, and, and as a result is usually run as a public service Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus (usually expressed through democratic elections) that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income. Even where public by a public utility A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies. Common arguments in favor of regulation include which is owned by local or national government. In some countries, notably France France is a founding member state of the European Union and is the largest one by area. France has been a major power for several centuries with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and in the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America; during the 19th and early 20th, the UK The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land and the Czech Republic The Czech Republic (pronounced /ˈtʃɛk/ chek; Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen), short form Česko [ˈtʃɛskɔ]) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The Czech Republic, the water industry is regulated Regulation is "controlling human or societal behavior by rules or restrictions." Regulation can take many forms: legal restrictions promulgated by a government authority, self-regulation by an industry such as through a trade association, social regulation , co-regulation and market regulation. One can consider regulation as actions of but services are largely operated by private companies with exclusive rights In Anglo-Saxon law, an exclusive right is a de facto, non-tangible prerogative existing in law to perform an action or acquire a benefit and to permit or deny others the right to perform the same action or to acquire the same benefit. Which is a "prerogative" is in effect an exclusive right, the term is restricted for use for official for a limited period and a well-defined geographical space.
Organizational structure
There are a variety of organizational structures for the water industry, with countries usually having one dominant traditional structure, which usually changes only gradually over time.
Ownership
- local government Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state. The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government. "Local government" only acts within powers delegated to it by - the most usual structure worldwide
- national government A national government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other national emergency - in many developing countries, especially smaller ones
- private ownership Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other property. Private property can take the form of real estate, homes, factories, automobiles, capital, patents and copyrights. It is distinguished from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, - relatively few examples outside England and Wales England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland, England and Wales follow the legal system known as English law, and the two form the constitutional successor to the former Kingdom of England
- co-operative A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit. Cooperatives are defined by the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity as autonomous associations of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and ownership and related NGO structures
Operations
- local government operating the system through a municipal department, municipal company, or inter-municipal company - the most usual structure worldwide
- local government outsourcing Outsourcing or sub-servicing often refers to the process of contracting to a third-party. While outsourcing may be viewed as a component to the growing division of labor encompassing all societies, the term did not enter the English-speaking lexicon until the 1980s. Since the 1980s, transnational corporations have increased subcontracting across operations to the private sector - an increasing trend since around 1990; around 10% of the industry (see also water privatization Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and sanitation, although more rarely it refers to privatization of water resources themselves. Because water services are seen as such a key public service, proposals for private sector participation often evoke strong opposition. Globally, more)
- national government operations
- private sector operating a system it owns
- BOTs - private sector building parts of a water system (eg wastewater treatment plant) and operating it for an agreed period before transferring to public sector ownership and operation.
- cooperation and NGO operators
Functions
- Integrated water system (water supply, sewerage (sanitation) system, and wastewater treatment) - by far the most common
- Separation by function (eg Dutch The Netherlands (pronounced /ˈnɛðɚləndz/ ; Dutch: Nederland, pronounced [ˈneːdərlɑnt] ( listen)) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in North-West Europe. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany system where sewerage run by city, water supply by municipal companies, and water treatment by water boards)
- Other separation (eg Munich Munich (German: München, pronounced [ˈmʏnçən] ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga) is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg. There are approximately 1.35 million people living within city limits, while the Munich Metropolitan, where separation into three companies for bulk water supply, water and wastewater network operations, and retail)
Standards
Whatever the ownership structure, water quality Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance can be assessed. The most common standards standards and environmental standards relating to wastewater are usually set by national bodies, such as (in the UK) the Drinking Water Inspectorate The Drinking Water Inspectorate is a section of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set up to regulate the public water supply companies in England and Wales and the Environment Agency The Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government. In the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language drinking water standards are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged to protect human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress. The EPA was proposed by President Richard Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970, when its establishment was passed (EPA). U.S. pollution control standards are developed jointly by EPA and state environmental agencies pursuant to the Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases to water of high amounts of toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human. For countries within the European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 upon the foundations of the European Communities. With over 500 million citizens, the EU combined generated an estimated 28% share (US$ 16.5, water-related directives A directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. It can be distinguished from regulations which are self-executing and do not require any implementing measures. Directives normally leave member states with a certain amount of are important for water resource Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water management and environmental and water quality Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance can be assessed. The most common standards standards. Key directives include the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 1992 (requiring most towns and cities to treat their wastewater to specified standards), and the Water Framework Directive The Water Framework Directive is a European Union directive which commits European Union member states to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies (including marine waters up to kilometer from shore) by 2015. It is a framework in the sense that it prescribes steps to reach the common goal rather than adopting the more 2000, which requires water resource plans based on river basins, including public participation based on Aarhus Convention The UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, usually known as the Aarhus Convention, was signed on June 25, 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus. It entered into force on 30 October 2001. As of July 2009, it had been signed by 40 countries and the European Union principles. See Watertime - the international context, Section 2. International Standards (ISO The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international-standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on 23 February 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary industrial and commercial standards. It has its headquarters in Geneva,) on water service management and assessment are under preparation within Technical Committee ISO/TC 224.
See also
- Water privatization Water privatization is a short-hand for private sector participation in the provision of water services and sanitation, although more rarely it refers to privatization of water resources themselves. Because water services are seen as such a key public service, proposals for private sector participation often evoke strong opposition. Globally, more
- Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 192 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They include reducing extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership (one of the MDGs is "Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water")
- National Rural Water Association The National Rural Water Association, with its affiliated state rural water associations, is the largest water and wastewater utility membership organization in the United States of America. The NRWA is a professional organization that supports rural and small water utilities throughout the nation. NRWA and its state affiliates are organized as a - Industry association supporting small and rural water and wastewater utilities in the United States.
- Water Services Regulation Authority The Water Services Regulation Authority is the body responsible for economic regulation of the privatised water and sewerage industry in England and Wales - UK water industry economic regulator
- American Water Works Association American Water Works Association is an international non-profit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of water quality and supply. Founded in 1881, it claims a membership of around 60,000 members worldwide as of 2009 - North American industry and standards association for drinking water
- Water Environment Federation The Water Environment Federation is an organization of engineers and industry related to wastewater, water, and water reuse. WEF, founded in 1928, was formerly known as the "Federation of Sewage Works Associations" and the "Water Pollution Control Federation (WPCF)." WEF members include experts and specialists in the fields of: - Professional association for ambient water quality research & pollution control
References
External links
- Lowi, Alvin Jr. Avoiding the Grid: Technology and the Decentralization of Water
- WaterWorld Magazine (see Water & Wastewater Industry Report e-newsletter)
- Industrial WaterWorld
- Water & Wastewater International
- Water Procurement Portal
- National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Major sewerage agencies in the U.S.
- EverythingAboutWater Magazine (Water & Wastewater Magazine)
- Industrial Doctorate Centre for the Water Sector
Categories: Sewerage Categories: Biodegradable waste management | Hydraulic engineering | Environmental engineering | Waste treatment technology | Public services | Hydrology Categories: Physical geography | Water | Structure of the Earth | Monopoly (economics) Categories: Market structure and pricing | Anti-competitive behaviour | Economic problems | Water industry Categories: Industries | Water | Water supply | Water resources management | Hydrology | Resource extraction | Food industry
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Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:36:33 GMT+00:00
Technologies Completes Acquisition of Austroflex GmbH, Austria MarketWatch (press release) Its expertise in a wide variety of water technologies enables it to be a comprehensive supplier to the water industry . Watts Water Technologies ...
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The bottled . water industry. pushes heavy advertising campaigns to the public, falsely boasting that bottled water is pure water containing natural minerals. It creates an image of their product as being the healthiest water to drink, ...
