As the year comes to a close, we take a look at some of the most popular stories on mswmag.com. If you missed any of these, now is your chance to catch up. Enjoy this look back at 2020.
10. Offering a Sump Pump Amnesty Program Can Open Doors for Inspection
Utilities face complex challenges identifying and eliminating inflow and infiltration. One of the most formidable is gaining access to private properties to address improper sump pump discharges. Here’s how an amnesty program can help.
9. How Anti-Sprawl Policies May Harm Water Quality
A Penn State researcher claims policies that aim to reduce urban sprawl may be increasing water pollution. One of the ways those policies can lead to more water pollution is by encouraging higher-density development that has more impervious surfaces, such as concrete.
8. How Likely Is Infrastructure Spending Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak
Back in April, Municipal Sewer & Water took a look at the likelihood of additional infrastructure spending as part of the next COVID-19 relief bill. Now here we are in December and this is again a big topic in the news.
7. Study Finds Harmful Microbes On Sewer Pipe Walls
A Rutgers study examined the microbe-laden “biofilms” that cling to sewer walls, building a simulated sewer to study the germs that survive within. It could lead to better disinfection methods and understanding of coronavirus and other risks.
6. Expert Panel Finds Low Risk of Coronavirus for Wastewater Workers
In August, a blue-ribbon panel of experts convened by the Water Environment Federation to evaluate safety of wastewater workers during the coronavirus pandemic concluded that occupational risk of infection is low.
5. London Sewer Cleaning Program Removes 700 Tons of Fatbergs, Debris
Giant masses of fat, wet wipes and even solid concrete weighing more than three blue whales were cleared from London’s sewers in the last year. Read about it here.
4. How to Find and Train a Leak Sniffing Dog
In this article, we talked to dog trainers Tracy Owen and Carrie Kessler, who offered insights into the process they used to to find and train a leak-sniffing dog that has proven to be a useful asset for Central Arkansas Water.
3. Big Tex to Bore 5-Mile Tunnel to Alleviate Dallas Flooding
A tunnel-boring machine named Big Tex is up for the challenge of digging a 5-mile drainage tunnel 170 feet below Dallas, Texas, to mitigate the city’s significant flooding and runoff problems.
2. There’s a Perfect Pipe for Every Wastewater Project
Aging infrastructure is a prime concern in the water and wastewater world. With many pipes nearing the end of their lifespans, we thought it would be a good time to examine the strengths, weaknesses and uses for the most common types of pipe material.
1. Water and Wastewater: No Industry Is More Essential
This is an appropriate article to call our year’s best, because pandemic or no, we’ve always known you’re essential workers. We’re thankful for your hard work this year during such an uncertain time.
