resulted in an unobtrusive facilitythat blends into and preserves theexisting rural environment.

The new plant, which cannot beseen from the road and does nothave any signage, has a total foot-print of about 2000 m2. It was alsodesigned to be easily extended atthe rear, without affecting theplant’s unique aesthetics.

For more information, contact:Zenon Environmental Inc, 3239 DundasStreet West, Oakville, Ontario L6J 4Z3,Canada. Tel: +1 905 465 3030, Fax: +1905 465 3050.

Small communities useOsmonics’ systemsOsmonics Inc has been awardedcontracts for four municipalwater treatment systems in citiesthroughout the USA, generatingover US$1 million in sales for thecompany.

The systems will be used to puri-fy water for Clara City, Minnesota;Todd Creek, Colorado; Hennessy,Oklahoma; and The Village of Golfin Florida.

According to the company, eachof the cities had different reasonsfor choosing membrane technologyas the preferred treatment method,but to meet their needs all of themselected its MUNI Series platform.

Clara City needed nitrate andammonium removal, while ToddCreek desired an overall improve-ment in the aesthetic quality of itsdrinking water. The city ofHennessy required treatment tomeet compliance for nitrate levels,and the Village of Golf wanted notonly pure water from its taps, butan additional source of low TDSwater for irrigation.

Osmonics claims that its wideselection of NSF 61-certified mem-brane types (on which the MUNISeries is based) met the needs ofeach community at a low overallcost of installation and operation. Itwill also provide the communitieswith operation training and ongo-ing system support throughout theservice life of the equipment.

Osmonics says that it is realizingcontinued growth in the municipal

market as US Environmental Protec-tion Agency regulations, consumers’heightened awareness of water quali-ty and diminishing potable watersources continue to drive demandfor its membrane-based municipalwater treatment systems.

For more information, contact:Osmonics Inc, 5951 Clearwater Drive,Minnetonka, MN 55343, USA. Tel: +1952 933 2277, Fax: +1 952 933 0141.

Cuno reportsrecord quarterlyresultsCuno Inc’s strong business mix andgeographic diversity enabled it toachieve record financial results inthe third quarter of fiscal 2002despite what it describes as contin-ued weak macroeconomic condi-tions in the USA and Japan.

For the third quarter ended 31July 2002 the company, which isbased in Meriden, Connecticut,USA, reported worldwide sales ofUS$68.9 million, up 9% fromUS$63.4 million, which it recordedfor the equivalent period in 2001.

Net income for the third quarterincreased by 16% to US$6.6 mil-lion, from US$5.7 million reportedin 2001. Fully diluted earnings pershare for the period were a recordUS$0.39, which is 15% higherthan US$0.34 that it posted for thecorresponding quarter of 2001.

The company says that strongPotable Water sales and increasedFluid Processing volume contributedsignificantly to its top-line growth. Aparticularly strong performance inEurope helped offset the effect ofweak market conditions in Japan. Inaddition, Cuno’s new products con-tinued to be well received, generatingabout 15% of total sales, and con-tributing to increased profitabilityduring the period.

Mark Kachur, the company’schairman and CEO, says that busi-ness conditions remain very chal-lenging and the near-term prospectsfor a rebound in the US economyappear uncertain. Nevertheless, heclaims that Cuno’s proven businessmodel should enable it to sustainstrong financial performance. Orderswere a record US$67.2 million in thequarter, and backlog remains strong.It estimates that earnings per share

for the full year will fall within therange US$1.33–1.36.

For more information, contact:Cuno Inc, 400 Research Parkway,Meriden, CT 06450, USA. Tel: +1 203237 5541, Fax: +1 203 238 8962.

Or contact: Cuno Ltd, 21 WokingBusiness Park, Albert Drive, Woking,Surrey GU21 5JY, UK. Tel: +44 1483735900, Fax: +44 1483 730078, Email:healthcare@cuno-europe.com.

Pall providesrelief to drought-stricken areasIn the USA, Pall Corp of EastHills, New York, reports that itsnew Septra CB (‘Crypto Barrier’)membrane water filtration systemis being used to provide an addi-tional 13–15 million litres (3.5–4million gallons) of drinkingwater a day to drought-strickenRoanoke, Virginia.

Crystal Spring, the city’s secondlargest water resource, had been outof service since May 2000, becauseit was under the influence of sur-face water. Pall says that its filtra-tion system, which is now in use,exceeds federally mandated stan-dards for the removal of protozoancysts such as Giardia andCryptosporidium from surface water.

Roanoke’s main water source,Carvin’s Cove Reservoir, is currentlyat 30% of its capacity – its lowestpoint in 55 years. To help conservewater, the city implemented manda-tory water restrictions, including aban on all outdoor watering.Despite these efforts, the water crisisgrew and officials sought alternativesources. According to Roanoke’sdetailed conservation plan, theCrystal Spring source was notscheduled to be back in service untilDecember 2002. Pall says that itssystem has enabled city officials tobring the facility back on-line fourmonths ahead of schedule.

Roanoke is not alone in its watershortage problems. The NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration (NOAA) released a recentstudy finding that 36% of the con-tiguous USA is experiencing severeto extreme drought. It says amongthe hardest hit are the RockyMountain communities, which are

NEWS

3Membrane Technology October 2002

I n B r i e fStuart Energy and UnitedTechnologies work together Canada’s Stuart Energy SystemsCorp is to jointly develop hydro-gen-generation products with asubsidiary of diversified manufac-turer United Technologies Corp,according to news agency Reuters.The products, for power-genera-tion, industrial and vehicle mar-kets, will be based on hydrogen-generation technology developedby the United unit HamiltonSundstrand Space SystemsInternational. Hamilton Sund-strand’s proton exchange mem-brane (PEM) water electrolysistechnology uses electricity to sep-arate water into hydrogen andoxygen. Stuart Energy’s chiefexecutive, Jon Slangerup, says thatthe agreement gives it the abilityto increase its product range. Thecompany will use the technologyin packaged hydrogen-generationproducts.

Coca-Cola’s RO water on saleat DisneyIn the USA, Walt Disney Co andCoca-Cola Co have expandedtheir multi-year agreement bywhich the latter’s ‘Dasani’ productwill be the featured bottled waterat Disney’s US Parks and Resorts.The water is produced by reverseosmosis (RO). Coca-Cola saysthat it is purified and enhancedwith minerals for a pure, freshtaste. The product is then pack-aged in recyclable, light blue-tint-ed bottles, and is availablethroughout the USA.

Aqua Care sees signs of recoveryUS-based Aqua Care Systems Incsays that it is beginning to seesigns of industry starting toimprove, based on its quote activ-ity in several key market segmentswhere its core products are used.Revenues for the six monthsended 30 June 2002 totalledUS$3.9 million, which representsa decrease of US$2.3 million or37.5% from US$6.2 million forthe corresponding six-monthperiod of 2001. The net loss forthe six months ended 30 June2002 was US$1.2 million, com-pared with a net loss of US$2.4million for the six months ended30 June 2001.