World’s First Biological Drinking Water Treatment Facility for Perchlorate Removal Water / Wastewater Treatment


Envirogen Technologies (USA) announces that it has begun construction on a first-of-its-kind biological drinking water treatment plant in collaboration with West Valley Water District (WVWD) and the City of Rialto, California. The new plant, which will be installed at WVWD headquarters in Rialto, will treat perchlorate (as well as nitrate) from groundwater at District Well No. 11 and Rialto Well No. 6, producing up to 3 million gallons per day (MGD) of quality drinking water for area residents. The plant represents a significant move toward addressing the clean-up of a major perchlorate plume that has threatened the Rialto-Colton Basin’s water supply since its detection in 1997. It also represents the culmination of over a decade of technology research and development by Envirogen and a lengthy collaborative process by WVWD and the City of Rialto to secure funding for the project.


The new facility will consist of Envirogen’s fluidised bed bioreactor (FBR) followed by a typical surface water treatment plant to polish the effluent to potable water standards. Using naturally occurring microorganisms on a fluidised media bed, the Envirogen system will simultaneously reduce influent perchlorate concentrations as high as 300 parts per billion (ppb) and nitrate at 20 ppm to non-detectable levels. The end products of this treatment are innocuous nitrogen gas and sodium chloride (salt). Unlike physical-chemical processes commonly used for the removal of these contaminants – that simply involve a phase transfer of the perchlorate – the FBR treatment system is “green” in that it is a destruction technology, requires low energy inputs, and does not produce hazardous by-products. The technology is ideally suited for efficiently handling high levels of perchlorate and nitrate at low cost, and will offer new options for communities and water utilities across the United States faced with treating this contaminant.


According to Dr. Todd Webster, Director, Western Region for Envirogen and a key developer of the FBR technology, the Rialto plant utilises proven technology but will be the first of its kind to produce drinking water. “In Rialto, we’ve taken a ‘mature’ technology to its next logical step -- the production of quality potable water from heavily perchlorate-laden groundwater


via biological means,” Dr. Webster explained. “Envirogen has invested more than a decade in optimising this technology, and we’ve gained superior capabilities along the way in biomass control and online analysis. With our successful pilot demonstration at a Rialto wellhead in 2008 leading up to the construction of this full-scale plant, we have shown that this technology is safe, effective and can do the job at a lower cost,” he added.


Since its detection in 1997, the perchlorate plume affecting the Rialto-Colton Basin has continued to grow and move through the aquifer, resulting in the shutdown of nearly a quarter of the City’s 22 wells. Extensive efforts have been made by the City of Rialto, WVWD and the State of California to arrive at a remediation strategy, first identifying the FBR as a best available technology (BAT). This was followed by a cooperative effort by all parties to secure funding for the project that resulted in the obtaining of funds from California’s Proposition 84 legislation and various federal and regional authorities.


“Envirogen was instrumental in moving this project forward, in both the development of FBR technology and proving its efficacy to the State DPH. They also helped us acquire Proposition 84 grant money from the State. State officials selected our FBR treatment approach from more than 100 competing applications for grant money – which shows the quality of the concept,” said Tom Crowley, Assistant General Manager West Valley Water District. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of a new era in drinking water treatment and to be developing new sources of high quality drinking water for the community we’re serving,” he added.


Perchlorate is a highly soluble salt anion that is used in the manufacture of solid rocket fuel, fireworks, road flares and several other products. Perchlorate also occurs naturally in some areas of the southwestern United States and in certain fertilisers. Currently, only two states have established maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for perchlorate: Massachusetts (2 ppb, 2006) and California (6 ppb, 2007). Other states, including New Mexico, New York, Arizona, Nevada and Maryland, have set advisory levels ranging from 1 to 18 ppb. In October 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a preliminary determination not to regulate perchlorate on the federal level, but its final decision on the matter is still pending. There are reportedly 33 states that have perchlorate in their groundwater supplies. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment recently proposed a new public health goal of 1 ppb for perchlorate; a proposal that is currently under public review. The type of biological treatment represented by Envirogen’s FBR technology will be able to meet even this very stringent regulation should it come into effect.


According to Dr. Webster, the new system points up the potential value of collaboration between technology companies, water utilities and the communities they serve. “It’s been a long journey bringing this technology to bear on the serious groundwater contamination faced by residents of the Rialto-Colton Basin,” he said. “Thanks to the persistence and commitment of everyone involved, we’re now moving forward with an innovative solution to this critical regional issue. We believe this first installation will serve as a showcase to illustrate the exceptional efficiency of biological treatment to handle high concentrations of multiple contaminants in an economical, environmentally sustainable manner, and can light the way for other similarly challenged communities in the region, nation and worldwide,” Webster continued.


Reader Reply Card No 14


Unilever’s Ice Cream Factory in Holland to Derive Green Energy from Wastewater


New Ozone Wastewater Contract with the Beijing Drainage Group


Ozonia (China) has signed a new ozone contract with Beijing Drainage Group, the biggest wastewater company in China in terms of total assets (these amount to $2.9 billion) to reinforce the Bei Xiaohe Waste Water Treatment Plant. Beijing Drainage Group selected the Ozonia ozonator CFV-05 as the most efficient and cost effective solution from three invited bidders.


The 1st phase of the Bei Xiaohe Waste Water Treatment Plant ( WWTP) was built in the 1980’s with a capacity of 40 ML/d in order to cater for the Beijing Asia Games. The 2nd phase, with a capacity of 60 ML/d, was built in the 2000’s. In 2008, reclaimed water from the plant was utilised in the National Stadium and the Olympic lake during Beijing Olympic Games.


Since its creation, urbanisation has increased the demand on the plant and created the need to significantly upgrade the existing facility. The ozone treatment is aiming at the reclamation of secondary effluent which contains abundant organic substances and bacteria.


The Bei Xiaohe WWTP project is part of an overall upgrade of the 8 WWTP of Beijing and Ozonia China has already been selected to provide ozone disinfection system to 3 of those: Qinghe WWTP, Jiuxianqiao WWTP and Bei Xiaohe WWTP.


Ozone emerges as a very versatile solution offering the highest efficiency in the treatment of effluents. It allows the production of an effluent


with no micro-organisms, no color, no odor, low COD level and suitable for discharge into the environment, use in agriculture or return to the process. Moreover, there is a true destruction and not a displacement of the pollution.


Unilever, together with Paques (The Netherlands), started the construction of a bio-digester at its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory in Hellendoorn, the Netherlands. In the bio-digestion process, waste products that are released during the production of ice cream are converted into energy. The bio-digester from Paques will cover 40% of the ice cream factory’s green energy requirements. In addition, building the bio-digester fits in perfectly with the further implementation of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan aimed at reducing the production of waste and the consumption of water and energy. The bio-digester is expected to become operational mid 2011.


After a successful test period, Unilever has opted for a new type of bio-digester from Paques, the BIOPAQ®


AFR, in which natural


micro-organisms (in this case more than 24 billiard (24·1015) little bugs!) ‘eat‘ waste products and convert them into biogas. In this system, wastewater is purified by converting waste products from ice cream production such as milk, cream, proteins, syrups and pieces of fruit into biogas.


The BIOPAQ® AFR is an innovation in the field of purification


of fat-containing wastewater. What’s unique about it is that wastewater streams that contain fat and oil are treated/digested in one compact reactor, together with degradable particles, whereas in conventional systems this is only possible by going through a number of processing stages.


Reader Reply Card No 16


Unlike systems that only displace pollution by producing large amounts of sludge or by producing a concentrate of this pollution, ozone really eliminates the pollution and produces only a small amount of biological sludge. With these benefits, ozone has a considerable potential as the “green“chemical for all applications involving an oxidation process.


Reader Reply Card No 15


has been especially developed by AMT Water Care (Belgium) to offer consumers an effective solution and to reduce drastically the risk of water damage and complaints. The HYDRA-PIPE®


Prevent Water Damage & Prevent High Water Bills HYDRA-PIPE®


device can detect leaks and excessive water consumption and when doing so automatically closes the water main. It is a fully automatic operated unit that closes the central main water supply. HYDRA-


consists of 1 motorized central one-inch brass ball valve with manual override and a graphical LCD screen.


PIPE®


For the device only 3 parameters must be entered, the minimum flow, the maximum water flow time and the maximum flow of litres


The system comes with electric supply and has integrated long lasting rechargeable batteries as backup, will run self-tests, and features a special “Holiday” function for long periods of absence. Whenever there is any water leak or excessive water consumption, the main water supply will be disconnected. This way, consumers are assured of the best solution for protecting the house water mains by state-of the-art technology.


Reader Reply Card No 17


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www.pollutionsolutions-online.com • February / March 2011


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