Pentair Engineering Senior Director Arnold (Arnie) Sdano was recently honoured by the Hydraulic Institute with its 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award.
With a career spanning more than four decades, including the past 24 years with Pentair, Sdano continues to be a pioneer in the pump industry through his leadership, engineering expertise and volunteerism.
As an engineering leader at Pentair, Sdano has directed many of Pentair’s most complex and technologically advanced projects including at the world’s largest pumping station—the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West (GIWW) Closure Complex in New Orleans.
Following Hurricane Katrina, Pentair custom-designed 11 pumps to help protect New Orleans from future storm surges. Each pump weighs approximately 140 000 pounds, stands about 50 feet tall, and pumps up to 750 000 gallons of water per minute. Today, the pumping station helps protect the city’s 1.2 million residents by pumping overflow canal water back into the Gulf of Mexico at up to a maximum rate of over eight million gallons of water per minute.
“Arnie’s work embodies Pentair’s commitment to delivering smart, sustainable water solutions for life,” said Dr Phil Rolchigo, EVP and chief technology officer, Pentair. “This recognition by the Hydraulic Institute is a testament to the footprint Arnie has left not only on the industry, but on millions of people that are protected daily thanks to his work. We are proud to have him on the Pentair team, and congratulate him on this significant achievement.”
Sdano has chaired multiple American National Standards Institute committees to develop standards that help to assure safety and the protection of the environment. Additionally, Sdano serves on numerous committees and work groups for the Hydraulic Institute and is an active member in other industry associations including the Submersible Wastewater Pump Association, the American Water Works Association and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Sdano was named the Member of the Year by the Hydraulic Institute in 2012.