Business News Round Up - Oct. 26

Editor's Note: Each week, Water & Wastes Digest will post an aggregate of business news briefs and networking news items to keep you informed on facility openings, business mergers and purchases, changes in personnel and award notifications, among others in the water and wastewater treatment industries. If you have business news briefs you would like included in this weekly round up, please email the press release, photo and a link to the post on your website to [email protected] with the subject line "Business News Round Up." One news item per company per week will be posted.

Aqua America Announces Agreement to Acquire Peoples

Aqua America Inc. announced it will acquire Peoples in an all-cash transaction that reflects an enterprise value of $4.275 billion, which includes the assumption of approximately $1.3 billion of debt. This acquisition marks the creation of a new infrastructure company that will be positioned to have a impact on improving the nation’s infrastructure reliability, quality of life and economic prosperity.

Peoples consists of Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC, Peoples Gas Company LLC and Delta Natural Gas Company Inc. The multi-platform entity brings together the second-largest U.S. water utility and fifth-largest U.S. stand-alone natural gas local distribution company and will serve 1.74 million customer connections, which represent approximately 5 million people. In 2019, the new company will have approximately $10.8 billion in assets and a projected U.S. regulated rate base of over $7.2 billion.

Aquarian Group Creates New Products & Equipment Division

Aquarion Group has established a new Products and Equipment Division. The division called Aquarion Products, will be run as a standalone entity, enabling the company to market its products and equipment directly to OEMs and end-users around the world.

Headquartered in Vienna, the organization houses a robust portfolio of acquired technologies such as a range of Circular Disc modules and low footprint TOVEKO Sand Filters, as well as other high performance products and systems developed through in-house research & development such as the high rate clarifier FLOCOPAC flocculation and precipitation reactor as well as containerized biofit.

U.S. EPA Awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) announced that fourth-grader Asvini Thivakahran won a President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). Asvini is being honored for creating battery recycling program at her school and community in Round Rock, Texas. Her efforts have kept more than half a ton of batteries from going to landfills. 

“We are very proud of Asvini for seeing a problem and creating a solution through passion and dedication,” said Anne Idsal, Regional Administrator.“Her hard work has benefited the environment, her school, and her community.”

The U.S. EPA also announced that eighth-grader Madhalasa Iyer from Plano, Texas, also won a PEYA. Madhalasa is being honored for working to protect farmers in India from harmful effects of incorrectly applied pesticides.

“Through ingenuity and perseverance, Madhalasa has made a real difference in the lives of many people,” Idsal said.“We are honored to recognize her scientific and humanitarian work.”

The agency also announced a $100,000 environmental education grant to the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to increase environmental awareness for students and teachers in the Richmond Public Schools with an emphasis on how stormwater issues affect the Chesapeake Bay.

“It is encouraging to see groups like the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay developing a program that will teach and inspire students and teachers about the importance of protecting the Chesapeake Bay,” said Cosmo Servidio, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. “Environmental education begins in our own backyards and classrooms. This project is intended to increase public awareness so communities can make informed decisions.”

Veolia Water Technologies, Inc. Awarded

Veolia will provide a pre-fabricated six mgd Actiflo Package System to the Jenny Lind Water Treatment Plant. The source for this facility is the Calaveras River that is prone to spikes in NTU and TOC from wildfire ash washed down during wet weather events. It is during these spikes in influent conditions that the current plant struggles to maintain production. The system will operate as pretreatment to the existing plant, produce settled water with ≤ 10 NTU especially during upset conditions, and enable the water treatment plant to maintain operation over a wide variety of influent conditions.

The system includes a High Concentration Sludge system that will aid in reducing the volume of sludge produced. With over 1000 installations worldwide, the technology has a proven track record, not only effectively clarifying turbid water, but also treating a multitude of different water pollutants. The compact footprint, cost-efficient maintenance and high degree of operational flexibility of the system will give the Calaveras County Water District a clarification technology that can meet and adapt to all of its drinking water treatment needs for years to come.