U.S. EPA Categorically Approves Water Main Automatic Flushing Devices For Green Project Reserve Funding
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now given categorical approval to portable and permanent water main Automatic Flushing Devices for Green Project Reserve funding. Automatic Flushing Devices help the environment by conserving water (50% less water usage) when flushing to raise chlorine residual levels and/or remove disinfectant by-products(DPBs) on water main dead-ends as oppose to manual flushing.
Automatic Flushing Devices help save water by reducing the total amount of water flushed to keep water "safe" for consumers on water main dead-ends, as well as, time and money by reducing the need to send crews out to manually open hydrants to flush "stale" water. The EPA's recent approval of these devices fits well into their current focus on reducing overall water and energy usage in the United States. By designating these devices as categorically approved, the EPA eliminates the burden for utilities to provide a business case in the approval process in order to apply for funding. This makes the process for utilities to update their entire systems with Automatic Flushing Devices and improve water quality and save water much easier.
A typical water utility with 50 water main dead-ends can save over 22 million gallons of water the first year and as much as 112 million gallons over a 5 year period. This equates into substantial cost savings as well, estimated to be as much as $50 thousand for the first year and as much as $770 thousand over a 5 year period using the same scenario as above. "CUD saw immediate water quality improvement and these units paid for themselves in no time at all" said Bill Dunnill, Assistant General Manger Consolidated Utility District of Rutherford Co. Murfreesboro, TN, one of many utilities that use a combination of The Kupferle Foundry Company's portable and permanent Automatic Flushing Devices.
Additional information on the EPA's Green Project Reserve and Automatic Flushing Devices as well as cost-benefit and water saving calculators can be found at www.hydrants.com/envirogreen. Utilities can download a list of local drinking water state revolving fund (DWSRF) contacts by state to obtain more information on how to apply for funding through the EPA's Green Project Reserve funding program in order to obtain Automatic Flushing Devices for their systems. Additional information on different types of Automatic Flushing Devices can be found at The Kupferle Foundry Company. For more information, visit: www.hydrants.com.
SOURCE: The Kupferle Foundry Company