Business News: Wrangler Surpasses Global Water Goal

Wrangler Surpasses Global Water Goal with More Than 7 Billion Liters Saved Since 2008

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Wrangler announced that its manufacturing has saved over 7 billion liters of water in the production of denim products, equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of almost 4 billion people. 

The savings surpasses the denim brand’s 2020 global year-end goal to save 5.5 billion liters and as a result, Wrangler plans to announce a new, more ambitious water conservation goal later this year, reported the press release. 

“From the cotton field to the finishing process, water is essential to creating your favorite pair of Wrangler jeans, and it’s also essential to local communities and future generations,” said Tom Waldron, EVP, global brand president, Wrangler. “We’re incredibly proud of reducing our ecological footprint through water efficiency and recycling, and are committed to continued conservation throughout our supply chain, while also prioritizing product innovation that finds new ways to use water responsibly and return it back clean to the communities who depend on it.”

Wrangler manufacturing achieved the water savings by increasing both water efficiency and water recycling in the denim finishing process since 2008. The brand’s manufacturing facility in Torreon, Mexico regularly recycles up to 85% of the water through sequential batch reactors, micro-filtration and reverse osmosis. At the brand’s other manufacturing campuses, efficiencies such as merging or removing finishing steps and enhanced enzyme technologies were able to reduce water use without compromising quality, according to the press release.

UTRWD Selects LAN for Lake Ralph Hall Conveyance System

The Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) has selected Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) to serve as general engineering consultant for the Lake Ralph Hall Conveyance System along with Plummer, Halff Associates and CP&Y. 

Lake Ralph Hall, named after the longtime congressman Ralph Hall from Rockwall, will be one of Texas’ newest lakes. The reservoir, one of the state’s biggest water supply projects in nearly 30 years, will be built in southeast Fannin County on the North Sulphur River, and will provide essential water for an area whose population is projected to increase nearly fivefold in the next 50 years. 

The $490 million project, once complete, will provide an additional 54 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water for the residents of Denton, Collin and Fannin counties, according to the press release. 

UTRWD is building a raw water conveyance system including: a raw water pump station; 32 miles of pipeline; and a new balancing reservoir. The raw water pipeline will stretch from Lake Ralph Hall to a proposed interconnection with existing infrastructure in Collin County. The first phase of the conveyance system, currently under design, will provide 42.5 MGD of raw water. 

“Lake Ralph Hall is an exciting project that will help meet the water demands of one of the fastest growing regions in the country,” said Justin Reeves, P.E., LAN’s vice president. “The lake has been in planning and development for more than 20 years and, once complete, will bring both environmental and economic benefits for the North Sulphur River area.”

Conceptual design of the first phase of the Lake Ralph Hall conveyance system will be completed later this year before advancing the project to final design early in 2021. Construction of various conveyance system elements is scheduled to begin in late 2022 with the lake planned to be operational in 2025.

ABB Accelerates Remote Connectivity 

ABB is working with customers to ensure the access to field operators and service engineers who cannot be on-site due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) by delivering: control room live streams, operational insights, process data and plant key performance indicators to users sheltering at home. 

“During the COVID-19 crisis, governments and companies are having to make difficult choices, balancing people’s safety with economic livelihood. ABB is committed to supporting both: protecting people, while helping businesses to stay operational during these challenging times,” said Peter Terwiesch, president industrial automation, ABB. “Remote services and digital solutions can make a major contribution to keep people safe, production running, and critical supply chains and economic livelihood preserved.”

To ensure continuous operations, customers can access a suite of ABB remote-enabled solutions, including: remote condition monitoring of critical assets; augmented reality maintenance support; online tools for training and spare parts stocking; and self-diagnoses that mitigate risk to assets, processes and security.

WSSC Water Commissioners Approve Phase Two Funding for Innovative Piscataway Bioenergy Project

WSSC Water Commissioners approved Phase Two funding to continue design and construction of the Piscataway Bioenergy Project. Located at the Piscataway Water Resource Recovery Facility in Accokeek, Prince George’s County, the innovative facility will transform sewage into renewable energy. 

The $228 million for Phase Two brings the total investment in the green-energy project to $271 million, according to the press release.  

“This is a huge milestone for WSSC Water and our customers, and I thank our Commissioners for their leadership and vision in approving this funding,” said WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Carla A. Reid. “Once completed, this facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help protect the Chesapeake Bay, create renewable energy and save our customers money.” 

At the heart of the project is how WSSC Water handles biosolids. Currently, WSSC Water’s five major water resource recovery facilities produce about 8,000 tons of Class B biosolids each month. 

With the addition of the green technology at Piscataway’s new facility, the amount of biosolids left over from the treatment process will be significantly reduced, reported the press release. The cost to haul and dispose of the product also will be greatly reduced and the need to use lime to control odor will be eliminated.

The remaining biosolids will be Class A and the new process will save WSSC Water customers more than $3 million per year by reducing WSSC Water’s operating costs. The approval of the Phase Two funding allows for construction of the anaerobic digesters and the purchasing and installation of the thermal hydrolysis equipment. 

PC Construction is WSSC Water’s leading partner on the project. Weather permitting, the entire project should be complete and the facility operational in summer 2024, according to the press release.

Koch Industries Increased Membrane Manufacturing Capacity 

Koch Separation Solutions (KSS) announced it is expanding the manufacturing capacity of its innovative PURON reinforced hollow fiber membrane technology by 50%.

“Expanding our PURON membrane manufacturing capacity represents the exciting growth we’re seeing at KSS and is a testament to our strength and the value of our solutions, which are essential in supporting many industries and business globally,” said Manny Singh, KSS president. “At KSS we are continually seeking to add greater value to our customers and this expansion increases our ability to offer our technology and know-how to businesses that operate in key economic sectors.”

Networking News

• Anue Water Technologies has hired Phani Peddi as Technical Services Manager and Avantika (Avi) as Applications Engineer.
• LSI welcomes Chris Harvey as Senior Controls Lead