Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 02:17 PM
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with protecting the environment, and utilizes public awareness and education as two methods to achieve this goal. The organization has just released a new software tool that provides important information about pollutants that are released into local waterways. It is called the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool, and it brings together millions of records and allows for easy searching and mapping of water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector, and pollutant. Americans can use this new tool to protect their health and the health of their communities.
Environmental and Energy-Conscious Movements Around The World
The Richborough Cooling Towers have dominated the Kent skyline east of London since the 1950’s. The massive hourglass shaped towers are a regional landmark, piercing the 
horizon (see photo), and serving as a constant reminder of the area’s rich, industrial traditions. However, in the coming months, the famous towers that once cooled coal and oil burning power stations will be torn down to make room for a “green” energy park.
Traditional methods of cooling need be updated in order to stay competitive as new green technologies continue to grow. In both new constructions and older ones, proper filtration is an excellent way to increase the efficiency of cooling tower systems. Not only does filtration keep cooling towers operating in the “greenest” way possible, they also save energy, water, and money.
Environmental Agency Saves Water and Energy With Filtration On Their Cooling Tower
Perhaps no organizations are more concerned with keeping their operations environmentally friendly than the government agencies which oversee compliance with environmental regulations. One of the largest of these agencies recently faced escalating costs for cooling tower operations at a laboratory in Texas. Inefficiencies due to dirt and particulate accumulation in the cooling tower basin were causing major problems. They wanted a solution that was effective but also friendly to the environment.
They decided to install an automated cooling tower basin cleaning system, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
Download the FREE Case Study Today!
Download the full case study with all the details and color photos of this green installation. See how proper filtration can turn your HVAC nightmare into a water, energy, and money saving system.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Tue, Dec 06, 2011 @ 01:46 PM
Groundwater Innovation Moves Forward
Water in itself doesn’t seem new and exciting. It hasn’t changed much since the Garden of Eden. But the process in which we treat this precious resource is constantly evolving to be faster, cleaner, and more efficient. Groundwater plays an increasingly important role in ecosystems across the globe, so new technology and forward thinking are necessary to keep it clean for generations to come.
TwistIIClean Filter A Winner in Product of the Year Competition
Each year the organizers of the World Ag Exposition select their Products of the Year. Yesterday they made their selections for 2012, and the TwistIIClean sediment filter from LAKOS has been named to their list! The newest filter from the most trusted name in separator filtration eliminates cleaning hassles and keeps sand out of residential water supplies. The TwistIIClean will be on display at the World Ag Exposition in Tulare (California) on February 14-16, 2012, along with many other LAKOS Groundwater and Agricultural filtration products. The TwistIIClean received a Top-10 Honorable Mention in the competition.
Homeowners and Installers Alike Praise the TwistIIClean Filter
The World Ag Expo team of judges are not the only ones who have been impressed by the effectiveness of the TwistIIClean. Read some comments and testimonials from people who have already tried this product.
- "Once again LAKOS has come up with a functional and easy-to-use product. The TwistIIClean not only efficiently traps sand and sediment, but with a simple turn of the handle to flush and clean the unit, maintenance is a snap. From a company that always listens and responds to its customers, I would expect nothing less."
- " ...The fact that the TwistIIClean filter can be purged and cleaned without shutting down the pump, makes this filter the best I have used without doubt!"
The innovation that can be found in the TwistIIClean carries over into all of the LAKOS products, including separators that prevent sand damage to pumps and valves in water wells.
Pump Protection Separator Saves City Water Well
One city in Illinois desperately needed some filtration innovation at one of their municipal water wells that was supposed to provide clean water to residents.The well was so contaminated with sandstone grains that it had to be shut down. It seemed like their only option was to go through a rehabilitation process that could cost the city upwards of $150,000.
A LAKOS Pump Protection Separator (PPS) was installed in order to save the well that had been previously deemed unusable. For a fraction of what a complete rehabilitation would have cost, LAKOS successfully removed the sandstone grains that were infiltrating the city’s water.
Download The FREE City of Rochelle Case Study
Get the whole story on how LAKOS saved the City of Rochelle’s municipal water well from expensive well rehabilitation. Download the full case study with color photos here and quotes from the customer.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Nov 10, 2011 @ 10:35 AM
Over a year ago, we noted here how farmers and ranchers were embracing the latest communication technology in their normal work day. Thanks to the ever expanding digital world that we live in, agriculture technology has come a long way since that time.
Smart Phones and Mobile Apps On The Farm
It’s no secret that smartphone usage is on the rise. According to one Nielsen report, as of July 2011, 40% of mobile phone usage was with smartphones, and mobile data traffic has doubled in the last 12 months. Another stunning report shows that in the first six months of 2011 alone, Americans sent and received 1.138 trillion text messages. For farmers and ranchers, development of mobile applications running on these smart phones is also on the increase. Today there is a wide variety of mobile phone "apps" to choose from, including: seed selection tools, irrigation management, news and weather. Many more may be on the way, as recent trends indicate 2011 may end with 8 billion Android app downloads and 6 billion for the Apple Iphone. The two combined for 4 billion downloads in 2010. The modern farmer can carry all this technology around conveniently in his pocket. Together with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), this technology is changing the way farming is done.
For many in rural areas, utilizing the web through smartphones, tablets, and laptops is faster, cheaper, and more convenient than more traditional methods of communication. In the last 10 years, Internet access on farms has grown nearly 20%.
Cattle Ranchers Also Doing Things Differently
Technology is also changing life on the ranch -- and today's modern cattleman does things quite differently than Ben, Hoss, and the other Cartwrights did years ago (watch a rerun of Bonanza if you don't recognize those names). For instance, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips inserted into cattle ear tags help track their movements and determines how often they have been to a feeding area or other areas on the ranch. Electronic Identifcation readers (EID) mounted on posts and other locations read the tags as the cattle pass by (much like a bar code wand can read a bar code in a physical goods inventory). Other pedometry tools measure cow leg activity as a predictor of preferred breeding times.
One family-run dairy farm that has been in operation since 1783 recently installed fiber optics lines, web cams, and wireless internet throughout their new, state-of-the-art barn. Now they can remotely keep an eye on a pregnant cow, or even know when one in the herd might be sick. Computers track the milk production of each cow, and when averages are low, it can indicate an illness.
Other Innovative Agricultural Products
Innovation is not limited to improved communication devices, but includes other products used on the farm as well. Many farms and ranches rely on wells for fresh water to feed crops and cattle, and with that can come unwanted sand and contaminants in the water supply. Sand can clog or damage the impellers and bearings in submersible and turbine pumps. Filtration solutions can prevent this from occuring. As an alternative to filtering the sand before the water leaves a well, solutions also exist to deal with sand as it enters a residence. A new filtration combination can be the answer to dirty water problems at homes and on farms and ranches throughout the world.
One family in Arizona was facing a severe sand problem in their residential water supply. They found the answer to their water dilemma in a powerful centrifugal separator and sediment filter. They installed a LAKOS SandMaster Plus alongside a TwistIIClean sediment filter, with each handling a different part of the problem. Together that combination saved countless dollars by preventing sand damage to home appliances and other equipment repairs.
Download the Latest Case Study Details NOW!
Click Here to download your FREE copy of this new case study - complete with color photos and installation details - to see how the LAKOS SandMaster Plus and TwistIIClean saved the day for this Arizona family!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 01:11 PM
A photograph of a LAKOS PPS Pump Protection Separator being installed for the City of Rochelle, IL Water Utility is the latest Grand Prize Winner in our “Where in the World is a LAKOS Solution?” Photo Contest. The winning 
photographer -- Dick Milaeger -- took the winning photo and won a new Ipad2. Mr. Milaeger not only took a great photograph, but also explained in detail how the LAKOS PPS was being installed to prevent sandstone pitting and other damage to the high flow submersible pump used on one of the city's main water wells.
Photo Program Guidelines
Monthly finalists are selected from all submissions that month, based upon the (a) quality of the photograph and (b) details of the installation provided by the photographer. The monthly finalists compete against each other in the quarterly contest for a chance to win our Grand Prize, an iPad2. The contenders for this Grand Prize covered entries received from July through September. Photo entries ranged from a LAKOS HTH Separators installation in Abu Dhabi, to an ILB Separator installed at a resort in the Bahamas, to a JPX Separator system in Boise, Idaho.
Finishing 2nd and 3rd in the contest were two photographs of different LAKOS residential filtration products, including:
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2nd Place: Photographer Tim Regello with his picture of a SandMaster Plus installed near a home in San Marcos, CA. It is used to filter irrigation water from a residential irrigation well.
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3rd Place: Photographer Mike Wiesenberg with his photo of a residential TwistIIClean installation in Orlando, FL. This sediment filter is used to pre-filter water as it enters a home and prevents the whole house filter from getting clogged.
October-November-December Contest Has Begun
The contest continues each month through the end of 2011, with monthly finalists selected at the end of every month. The October deadline is coming soon. Subsequent monthly winners will be chosen after November and December entries are judged. The next iPad winner will be announced in January.
Send Us Your Photo Today!
The October competition closes in just a few days, and time is running out to enter in 2011. Don't miss out on this chance ! To enter a photo of a LAKOS product into the competition, visit photo.lakos.com. You could be the next winner of an iPad2!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 09:45 AM
The best engineers in the HVAC industry have known for years that effective filtration is a smart move when it comes to working with cooling towers. Minimizing energy costs, keeping the entire water system operating at maximum capacity, and making water systems more sustainable are just a few perks that come along with proper filtration. Reducing health risks is also a benefit, as evidenced by repeated cases of Legionnaires’ disease around the world when these practices are not followed. Outbreaks of this dangerous type of pneumonia have been popping up all over the world in recent years, including the California State Capitol Building, hotels and hospitals in Miami and many more. Not even the Playboy Mansion has been immune. Most recently, the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
experienced an outbreak of the disease.
According to OSHA, every year in the United States there is an estimated 25,000 new cases of Legionnaires’ Disease, 4,000 of which result in death. Almost all of these cases are a result of exposure to the bacteria from the water system in a non-residential building water system, such as a hotel or hospital.
Legionella Prevention Should Include Centrifugal Separators
Frustrations that Legionnaires’ Disease continues to occur is reaching new levels. Fines have been levied on organizations that fail to take proper safeguards, including a recent case in Great Britain where an elderly man died after contracting the disease in a hot tub at one of Scotland’s top vacation resorts. On top of a £120,000 ($193,320 US) fine, the resort could be forced to pay the victim’s family up to £1 million ($1,611,000 US) in court.
The resort has plead guilty to a lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessments. Facility managers admitted to discounting the threat of Legionella because their water systems were part of a new installation.
New ASHRAE Standard Sets New Requirements for Legionella Prevention
New ASHRAE Standard 188P is currently up for public review and is expected to be approved and published soon. The publication will specify requirements for prevention of Legionellosis associated with building water systems. 188P is different from Guideline 12 in that the new standard outlines the practice of exactly what must be done with all those recommendations.
Compliance with the Standard requires facility managers and owners to take responsibility for controlling Legionella in their building water systems. Not only that, but they will be proactively complying with what will most likely be incorporated into local building codes. At the same time it acts as a defense against accusations of negligence in cases which are caused by unknown sources.
DOWNLOAD Our FREE Filtration Return On Investment Tool
Which LAKOS product is best for your cooling tower filtration, and how much energy and water can you expect to save by installing one? Download our Excel-based software tool and determine the Return on Investment (ROI) for different options. This ROI tool is a comprehensive guide to getting started on selecting the best option for you. See how effective filtration can pay for itself in energy and water savings in a very short amount of time and reduce health risks at the same time. Download it today!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 @ 02:05 PM
Each and every day, call and data centers around the world are handling increasing network activity and heavy service loads. The huge growth in smartphone usage, together with cloud computing and other communication technologies are feeding this increased demand. A recent data center census of key industry experts reported a projected 19% annual growth in data centers next year. Each of these centers can handle a large amount of traffic. In Ohio, for example, a particular call center for a major financial institution handles inquiries for over 15 million customers. With a job that big, this bank can’t afford to have operational problems in their support centers. Not with their computer systems, phone systems, and not with their heating and cooling water systems.
Computers generate large amounts of heat, and that heat can harm system components. State-of-the-art cooling systems are typically installed in data and call centers to save energy and keep the office (and these "server farms") operating at their highest efficiency.
Filtration Is A Key Component And Part of Best Practices
Companies requiring data and call centers have been developing their own set of Best Practices for data center design and operation. These include all that new technology has to offer, as illustrated in the one that
Facebook just built in Oregon. Through trial and error, many of these companies are reaching the inescapable conclusion that filtration of the water in the cooling system not only pays for itself in energy savings in a very short amount of time, but also minimizes wear on other system components. This results in increased sustainability and extends the life cycle of the entire system. Not to mention, minimizing liability risk (little or no maintenance) and risk of disease (Legionnaire's Disease, as one example).
Bank Uses Filtration to Solve Dirt Problems
At a call center in Idaho, the facility was experiencing solids accumulation in their cooling tower basin, which was leading to downtime and fouling of their heat exchangers. This led to higher energy costs as well as interruptions in service in parts of the facility. Several different possible solutions were considered. The final decision was to install a LAKOS cooling tower filtration system. The TowerClean filtration system was selected after evaluating the different requirements for this particular installation. Within 24 hours a significant amount of solids and particulates had already been removed.
By installing the TowerClean filter, the call center's water treatment system is now able to operate at optimum performance levels once again. Their operations team is now free to focus on other parts of the service facility, as well as customers, while the filtration system keeps them worry free.
FREE Download - Case Study
Download our FREE Call Center Case Study containing all the details of this particular filtration solution, along with photos of the installation. Read why the lead engineer who manages the system says "I would recommend this product to everyone!"
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Mon, Sep 19, 2011 @ 02:44 PM
From Arizona to Dubai, dust storms all over the world have wreaked havoc on unsuspecting residents, even turning deadly. For plant operations in these areas, these storms are a serious problem by frequently causing production to halt so cooling towers and basins can be cleaned of sand, dirt, and grit.
It’s a serious question: industrial cooling towers are designed to keep facilities like power plants and their surrounding communities safe. But what’s protecting the cooling towers? By design, cooling towers flush contaminates into their own systems where solids then stick to heat exchange surfaces, leading to micro-organism growth and slowing down efficiency. In order for cooling towers to operate at maximum efficiency, it’s important to remove those contaminants through filtration.Middle East Beverage Company Has Found The CureCompanies like Aujan Industries in the Gulf Cooperation Council having been dealing with these extreme sand storms for years, and expect them to get worse. Aujan, which has been operating since 1905, is one of the largest and oldest privately owned juice and beverage manufacturers operating in the Middle East today. With their well-established drink brands like Rani and Barbican present in over 50 countries, Aujan can’t tolerate any manufacturing downtime or sales and profits will decline.At their plant outside of Dubai, Aujan installed a LAKOS cooling tower filtration system to combat the unrelenting sand storms that plague the area. Now instead of halting production, the filtration system cleans their basins and cooling water within 4 hours of the storm, and allows production to continue without stopping for maintenance. The increase in productivity due to reduced shut down has paid for the filtration unit over and over again.Installing a filtration system is key to safe and efficient cooling tower practices. Keep your cooling towers running efficiently and safely by adding a filtration system to keep out the sludge.The NEW JCX Systems for Industrial Cooling TowersLAKOS has long manufactured centrifugal separators and complete packaged systems for cooling towers, but they were only for “comfort cooling”. Industrial cooling towers require a heavier duty solution, and that solution is the NEW JCX Filtration System. Comprised of a JPX Separator mounted on a heavy duty steel skid, along with:
- Centrifugal pump and premium efficiency motor
- Basket strainer
- Purge option: (a) Automative Ball Valve or (b) Solids Recovery Vessel
- and much more.
Download your FREE Industrial Cooling Tower Filtration BrochureMake sure you’re not caught in a storm without proper filtration. The NEW JCX packaged filtration system by LAKOS is the complete solution for industrial cooling tower filtration. Download your free JCX brochure TODAY to take the first step towards efficient filtration and improved production.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Tue, Sep 13, 2011 @ 01:08 PM
Tuesday, September 13 has been designated as "Protect Your Groundwater Day" by the National Groundwater Association (NGWA). This is a day in which to think about ways we can protect our groundwater, since we all have a stake in maintaining its quality and quantity.
How Important Is It To Protect The Groundwater Supply?
Just how important is groundwater to our everyday activities? Consider these 
facts:
- Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of groundwater per day, including 53.5 billion used in agriculture
- 43.8% of Americans rely on groundwater regularly as their main source of drinking water
- Some 2.78 million trillion gallons of groundwater, 30.1 percent of the world's freshwater, are estimated for the entire planet of Earth
- California's groundwater usage accounts for about 20% of all groundwater extracted throughout the entire United States
With groundwater playing such a large role in our ecosystem, it is clearly important that we take care of this precious resource! Do your part.
The two main ways to save groundwater is:
- Protecting it from contamination
- Using water wisely
Filtration can help save water in both ways.
Proper filtration can protect groundwater from all sorts of solids, including sand, silt, grit and algae. Wells are especially susceptible to contaminates that can directly affect the end user if proper safeguards are not in place. Residential filtration can play a vital role in protecting water wells. The right separator or filter can eliminate build-up in hot water heaters, ice-makers, toilet tanks, washing machine screens, and other water appliances.
As an added bonus, filtration not only cleans water; it can also save water and energy. With no moving parts, a separator cuts down on energy use and maintenance costs. A clogged sprinkler in the open position can cause over watering. Using a separator or other type of filter ensures that your sprinklers are free and clear of debris.
With groundwater playing such a large role in our ecosystem, it’s clear that it’s important to take care of such a precious resource! Do your part to protect groundwater by following the best practice by installing proper filtration.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Prevent Sand Damage To Your Submersible Pump!
The first step to protecting groundwater begins in your own backyard. Keeping your water well operating at maximum efficiency is hard to do if sand is present in the well. Pump impellers spinning at high speeds will cause pitting and decreasing pump performance, eventually resulting in pump failure. Make sure you have the right separator or filter installed to prevent pump damage and keep your clean groundwater flowing efficiently. Download the FREE SUB-K Pump Protection Brochure today and see how this can be prevented.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 @ 01:59 PM
We know that everyone who understands the value of water filtration is already a winner, but sometimes there are a few standouts who should be recognized.
Annual Winners Announced for Ben Everson Scholarship
Claude Laval Corporation (LAKOS) and Laval Underground Surveys have each announced their winners of the 2011 Ben Everson Scholarship. This year’s winners are Louis Vaught and William Pearson, who are each planning to focus on water-related studies and will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Vaught plans on majoring in Civil Engineering at The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, after which he plans to continue his family’s business of rehabilitating water wells.
Pearson is majoring in Geological Engineering at Michigan Technical University in Houston, Mich. He hopes to one day design systems that can help renew contaminated groundwater in order to provide clean drinking water for developing countries.
We hope these two ambitious collegians experience continued success in their studies, and help us all solve some of the challenges facing the water industry.
LAKOS Announces July Finalists in Photo Contest
The “Where in the World is a LAKOS Solution?” Photo Contest has created a lot of buzz, and has brought in some amazing photos of filtration solutions from around the world. The July finalists follow this trend, and were recently selected -- and are now eligible to win an iPad2 at the end of this quarter. The finalists' photos are posted on our Facebook page and include:
Congratulations to these finalists who will go head to head with the finalists from August and September for a chance to win an iPad2!
There is still time to submit your photo before the August deadline, so get your photos in today!
DOWNLOAD Your FREE Scholarship Application Here, or Submit a Photo !
We are accepting applications for the 2012 Ben Everson Scholarships, and students and their families looking towards the future can apply now. Make sure your children are taking advantage of this generous offer. Complete rules and the application form can be found at the Ben Everson Scholarship website at www.BenEversonScholarship.com.
To submit your photo of a LAKOS product and have a chance to win an iPad2, visit the LAKOS Photo Contest entry page and ENTER today!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Wed, Jul 20, 2011 @ 12:34 AM
Energy savings resulting from using one product or another are easy claims to make. Often much harder to prove. The same is true when claiming reduced water usage in commercial heating and air conditioning systems.
But when it comes to cooling tower filtration, the benefits of installing an effective filtration system can be measured in actual dollars. And those cost savings can be HUGE. If you systematically consider the local kilowatt hour costs, labor costs, water costs, decreased labor time saved by automating the filtration process (instead of manual basin cleaning), number and size of chillers, etc, and other factors, the actual costs and savings can be determined. 
And by factoring in the cost of an automated filtration solution, a Return On Investment can be accurately calculated.
And that is not even taking into account the other benefits of effective cooling tower filtration, which include:
- Reduced risk of Legionella growth
- A GREENER facility with higher sustainability
A spreadsheet capturing all of this information has been developed and is available for download. It includes industry standard fouling factors for chillers, typical replacement time and costs to manually clean heat exchangers, and other cost and energy use assumptions based upon U.S. Department of Energy published standards.
What about YOUR cooling towers and chillers?
How much $MONEY would YOU save by installing such a system?
Download our energy savings and ROI calculator and find out today !