Comparatively, the transportation sector shows equivalent impacts, with job creation estimates ranging between 13 and 20 jobs per $1 million invested. The most important areas that overlapped in both sectors were syphoned down to six categories: the economic role of water reuse, impact of water spending, benefit of water reuse investment, economic return on investment, impact of future scenarios for strategic planning, and online performance tracking. The framework developed is outlined, with specific impact measure questions that planners can refer to when evaluating their utilities: S Category 1: The economic role of water reuse. What is the role of current water supply facilities and services in supporting the local economy? What are the stakes associated with failure to continue to support them? S Category 2: Impact of water spending. How does ongoing and planned water spending affect the regional economy, and what is the income benefit from it? S Category 3: Benefit of water reuse investment. How does ongoing and planned spending on water reuse provide benefits for users of those facilities?
S Category 4: Economic return on investment. How will planned future capital investments affect the future competitiveness, productivity, and growth of the region’s economy? What is the payback from it? S Category 5: Impact of future scenarios for strategic planning. How will alternative scenarios for future water supply capital investments affect the future competitiveness and growth of the region’s economy? How can that information help identify investment gaps that require funding to allow economic growth? S Category 6: Ongoing performance tracking. How can the evaluation and selection of future projects incorporate economic impacts and benefit-cost relationships? How can this approach apply to integrated water resources planning? The water sector can learn from the transportation sector and better identify the indirect and induced impacts of a water project. By highlighting these impact measure categories that help drive economic growth, water reuse projects may have opportunities for additional allies in a region’s economic development initiatives, especially since water sector investments are
comparable to transportation investments on a job-creation and return-on-investment basis. The information provided in this article is designed to be educational. It is not intended to provide any type of professional advice, including, without limitation, legal, accounting, or engineering. Your use of the information provided here is voluntary and should be based on your own evaluation and analysis of its accuracy, appropriateness for your use, and any potential risks of using the information. The Water Environment Federation (WEF), author and publisher of this article, assumes no liability of any kind with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness of use for a particular purpose. Any references included are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any sources.
Marisa Tricas, MS, ENV SP, is manager, water resources, innovation, and policy, in the Water Science & Engineering Center at the Water Environment Federation. S
New Products The FerroCheck portable magnetometer from Spectro Scientific provides accuracy and convenience in measurement of total ferrous wear particulates in lubricating fluids. FerroCheck enables users to perform accurate measurements of ferrous wear particles, both in the field and in the laboratory, where it can be used to analyze gearbox, transmission, and other fluids in fleet and industrial maintenance applications. The product works by sensing disruption of a magnetic field that is generated due to the presence of ferrous debris, specifically iron, in the oil. Operation involves simply drawing the sample, placing it in the instrument, and using the touchscreen to complete the analysis and view the results. Nonlaboratory personnel can operate it with no solvents or sample preparation required. The lightweight unit weighs less than 5 lbs, is compact, and battery-operated for fast, 30-second testing of small samples. The magnetometer can detect particles from nanometers to millimeters in size and has a sensitivity range of 0-2500 ppm with a limit of detection of less than 5 ppm. Results are highly repeatable (+/- 5 ppm at concentrations of 0 – 50 ppm). Coupled with one of Spectro Scientific’s condition-based maintenance systems (MiniLab Series, MicroLab Series, and ViscCheck 3000 Series), FerroCheck is part of a comprehensive so-
lution that ensures asset availability and longevity. When performing measurements onsite, it eliminates the wait associated with laboratory-based fluid analysis and enables users to make immediate maintenance decisions that reduce unexpected downtime and costs, and eliminate potential catastrophic machine failures. (www.spectrosci.com)
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Fluid Conservation Systems has introduced the next generation of its popular Permalog leak noise logger. The PCorr+ continues to enable water suppliers to quickly locate leaks in a water network, now with advanced features such as remote leak noise sampling and listening, and correlation between loggers. The PCorr+ loggers are installed magnetically on pipe fittings throughout a distribution system, and continuously monitor for leak noise. If leak noise is identified, the unit immediately enters an alarm state, transmitting a radio signal to indicate a leak condition. Data from the loggers are gathered via drive-by data collection with the new Patroller 3 USB radio receiver, designed to work with both PC and handheld devices. The loggers have improved surveying speed, enabling fast radio download of new data, including a sample of the leak noise for secondary validation. The loggers also feature a correlation mode that
allows users to calculate the precise location of a leak without a separate leak noise correlator and are capable of permanent, semipermanent, or “lift and shift” rapid deployment and collection. The unit features a five-year battery life, and an automatic download of up to one month of leak noise history. (www.fluidconservation.com)
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Xylem is now offering the Flygt 3000 Series electric submersible pumps as a rental option, ideal for temporary bypass pumping projects at treatment plants and lift stations. The Flygt 3000 Series of small- and mid-sized pumps covers an extensive performance range and are classified as low-, medium-, or high-head pumps. The 3000 Series are nonclog pumps, ideal for handling solids-bearing liquids in a variety of applications. The vast horsepower range enables the customer to meet the requirements of virtually any application. For municipalities that need to engage in lift station repairs or plant upgrades, the 3000 Series submersible pumps are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly rental alternative that provides a quiet, efficient, and easy-to-install bypass solution for many applications. These pumps are now the go-to rental solution when space is a premium at the jobsite, and reducing footprint is required to complete the bypass setup. Continued on page 63
Florida Water Resources Journal • November 2016
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