As the creation of sustainable and resilient buildings becomes a greater priority, especially over the past year, one critical component will be to ensure our buildings are water efficient. 

The new standard will provide guidance for implementing RVI for energy code compliance and for energy and water efficiency performance.

designing a wastewater system requires careful consideration of a range of factors to ensure efficient and compliant operation.

As more and more cities and states seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s clear that regulatory activity is clearly driving the push to electrification and decarbonization.

The increase in population and the associated trash continues to increase the need for clean water. These problems are not going to improve until we decide to work for that progress.

Here's what you need to know about venting for tankless water heaters and how you can approach it for the least cost and best results.

The plumbing industry is evolving with a focus on sustainability. Heat pump water heaters (HPWH) present an opportunity for contractors to stand out and meet changing client needs, contributing to environmental conservation and demonstrating leadership in a dynamic market.

Nestled within a 20-year-old home deep in the heart of Klein, Texas, the Stansifer family encountered a common homeowner problem: a painfully long three-to-five-minute wait for hot water whenever they turned on a faucet.

A. O. Smith, celebrating 150 years in 2024, began in 1874 as a metal components supplier for baby carriages and bicycles. Arthur O. Smith designed a lightweight pressed steel car frame and became a major supplier to car manufacturers like Packard, Cadillac, and Ford.

AWWA M22 is a manual of water supply practices that covers the basic principles and methods of water distribution system design and operation.

The Sofitel Quiberon resort in France offers thalassotherapy treatments using the power of the ocean to heal, with the help of sophisticated technology and corrosion-free valves from GF Piping Systems.

Tankless water heating technology has proven to be a great success for Wedgworth's, a custom blender of dry and liquid fertilizers for agriculture, sod, nursery, and golf-course applications in Florida.

NASCAR legend Ward Burton installed a Premier AL Smart Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater in his 1999 home, saving up to $300 monthly on electric bills. Homeowners can save 75% or more on energy costs with this unit.

The IAPMO Water Demand Calculator has faced challenges due to exclusions from its documentation and calculations, causing difficulties for engineers in luxury apartment buildings.

Nine individuals have been indicted on a total of 42 counts related to a series of alleged actions and inactions that created the historic injustice of the Flint Water Crisis.

The American Supply Association (ASA) recently joined the Alliance for Water Efficiency in its appeal to the United States Department of Energy related to allowable flow-rate changes for multi-head showers, and the subsequent negative affects it will have on business operations for ASA members, as well as overall negative water-efficiency consequences that will result.

Abacus Plumbing's whole-house carbon water filtration, softener and reverse osmosis equipment can dramatically reduce water contaminates.

“Water quality has grown 300% across the U.S. since the pandemic began,” says Glen Blavet, founder and CEO of HALO Water Systems. “People are at home, and they’re looking to improve their quality of life and their health, so they’re looking at the water they’re drinking out of the tap.”

Puronics is a residential and commercial water treatment products and services provider operating four company-owned service centers.

Lead contamination in drinking water poses serious health risks, and even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent cognitive, academic and behavioral difficulties in children.

The Drinking Water Treatability Database presents an overview of different contaminants and possible treatment processes to remove them from drinking water.  

Disinfection byproducts (DBP) are becoming a matter of renewed concern in the regulatory and scientific world. It is necessary for all of us to understand the reasons and facts behind such new activity in this field. 

Installing a reverse osmosis (RO) system for a homeowner is not a once and done event. Just like any other kind of water treatment technology, RO systems require regular maintenance.

There’s no doubt about it, concern over water quality is becoming more prevalent. One just had to walk the trade show floor during the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) to see plenty of new water filtration and management systems, some even dispensing sparkling water by user preference.

When you talk about water scarcity and the lack of clean drinking water, most people think about third-world countries. They don’t realize that there’s a growing threat to clean water right here at home in the United States. Look at the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, where a fire forced the controlled release and burn of toxic chemicals to avoid an explosion. The resulting contamination killed thousands of fish in nearby streams and ignited concerns over soil and water quality.

A proposed series of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that set maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other so-called ‘GenX chemicals’ are set to go into effect in the fall.

Check out the ways in which these companies are getting involved, making changes and learn how you can too.

Franklin Water Treatment provides products, services, and system solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment products, in a wide variety of markets and applications.

Water scarcity is a growing issue globally. Some regions are adopting water reuse and rainwater capture solutions. Onsite water reuse can help save money, reduce water demands, and manage stormwater flows. With onsite water reuse, you can reuse up to 95% of a building's wastewater.

Leading up to the SDWA anniversary in December, AWWA will continue to recognize the Act’s significant contributions to improving and protecting water quality and emphasize the need for continued investment and scientific evaluation to address emerging challenges.

Builders often overlook local water chemistry when selecting materials. Water chemistry and plumbing materials require more attention.

Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection isn't just about public health; it's also an essential engineering strategy in modern water systems, tackling waterborne diseases by ensuring safe drinking water directly at the point of consumption.

NSF International Standard 53 is internationally recognized as the benchmark for water filtration systems’ effectiveness in reducing specific health-related contaminants. 

Appendix M of the IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code, or the Water Demand Calculator, was integrated into the California Plumbing Code on July 1. It provides a new method for sizing water pipes in residential buildings. For Villara Corp., a leading plumbing and HVAC contractor in Northern California, it remains business as usual, having used the calculator for over five years to construct over 5,000 single-family homes.

The product launch also includes a new size, the EZ71 (photo left). All three EZ Series models, including the popular EZ98DV and the EZ111DV, will continue to carry a 25-year warranty on both their primary and secondary stainless steel heat exchangers. 

Boiler systems are essential for residential heating and hot water. Their efficiency and longevity depend on good water quality. Poor water quality causes corrosion, scale buildup, and higher costs. Maintaining high water quality ensures smooth operation and durability.

This facility marks NSF's first laboratory within continental Europe, offering in-house certification testing for NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 (Drinking Water Chemicals – Health Effects) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects) standards.

Xylem, in conjunction with its Goulds Water Technology brand, is engaged in regular water well initiatives to provide secure water access to rural areas, striving to increase public awareness of the challenges surrounding lack of water access.

n addition to supporting established customer partnerships in retail channels, RectorSeal will add the PF WaterWorks product line to its plumbing wholesale channel, building on its brand-preferred retail presence. 

My technical boiler books all use the “lessons learned” theme, and the following are the lessons I have learned about boiler water treatment.

Niagara’s Shadow 0.8 GPF with Stealth Technology is an award-winning toilet that is WaterSense certified and has a MaP Premium Score of 1000g.

Government planners, taking their queues from politicians and advocacy organizations, have steered the future of energy supply away from fossil fuels and toward renewably-sourced electricity. It’s happening on every level from the feds right down to local city councils.

I attended a conference hosted by the Building Performance Association and presented on air-to-water heat pump systems. Many professionals were interested in heat pumps, especially ductless air-to-air systems. One person mentioned the difficulty of finding qualified installers for air-to-water heat pumps and noted the higher cost compared to ductless air-to-air systems.

Air-to-water heat pumps and water-to-water geothermal heat pumps provide warm water for space heating, domestic water heating, and chilled water for cooling. Switching a hydronic heat pump system from space heating to cooling and vice versa seasonally is relatively simple. The system operating mode is changed at the thermostat or a dedicated system mode switch with heat, off, and cool settings.

A little water conservation can go a long way.

And as the second-most visited space in commercial buildings — just behind the lobby — the restroom and its water-saving fixtures can help lead the way when it comes to cutting back consumption.

The Keltech acquisition will also begin a new partnership between Bradford White and Bradley.

Domestic hot water recirculation system design is a hot topic in our industry, for good reason. 

The demand for energy-efficient commercial appliances continues to grow — especially as government initiatives continue to promote the use of energy-efficient solutions.

Water heater manufacturer Rinnai America Corp. has been working for the last three years with a state department of corrections to upgrade the water heating systems in five prison facilities.

As natural gas rates increase and the push for more sustainable energy sources intensifies, heat pump water heaters appear poised for massive growth. States such as California and Massachusetts already have regulations prohibiting or disincentivizing gas water heaters in new construction, and New York City recently enacted similar restrictions for new construction. So, are heat pump water heaters the future of the water heating market? Maybe or maybe not — but some industry experts certainly think so.