Advanced Oxidation Process to be Tested in Ontario to Remove Micro Pollutants from Waste Water

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Administrator

The province of Ontario is assisting the York region develop solutions to protect and to provide safe, reliable clean drinking water. The new Showcasing Water Innovation program supports projects with innovative and cost-effective ways to improve drinking water, waste water and storm water systems. Ontario has the highest standards for clean water in North America and has gone on to develop water technologies that are used around the world. The Regional Municipality of York is a recognized leader in environmental initiatives.

Water Innovation Project funding in York includes the Lake Simcoe/The Regional Municipality of York Pilot Plant, which will include pilot testing of advanced oxidation for removal of micro pollutants from municipal waste water in collaboration with the University of Toronto. Advanced oxidation technologies have been shown to effectively remove various micro pollutants from water including pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides.

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Ozone Applications in Food Processing

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Administrator

Ozone is approved by the FDA and has been successfully used for food processing applications including surface decontamination to extend the shelf life of cheese and fresh produce. It is also used for decontamination of food packaging materials, disinfecting of process water and cleaning processing equipment and food storage areas. Ozone is also used extensively as a disinfectant for bottled water. It is approved for use on meat and poultry products. A number of seafood processing plants use ozone to rinse fresh seafood.

While ozone has been successful use in water treatment for well over 100 years, it is not widely used in the food industry yet. This may be changing as the efficacy of ozone is proven out in commercial applications and alternative biocides fall out of favor.

To date, ozone treatment within the food processing industry has been carried out for decontamination of whole fruits and vegetables either by gaseous treatment or by washing with ozone containing water. Water containing ozone has been applied to the fresh cut vegetables for sanitation purposes reducing plate counts and extending the shelf-life. specific applications for ozone water treatment include reduced bacterial content in shredded lettuce, blackberries, grapes, black pepper, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes. A reduction of bacteria can result in a significant reduction in spoilage and potentially pathogenic species and most commonly associated with fruit and vegetable products.

Ozone treatment in the gas phase can be used to reduce the levels of either biological or chemical contaminants in grains. Applications include treating smoke damaged grain. Ozone has also been used in grain tower to drive away insects and other pests that can contaminate or damage the grain,

Despite success in a number of applications there is a lack of scientific and case studies on the use of ozone for food processing. This is likely to change as more food processors begin evaluating ozone for their specific applications.

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San Clemente Upgrading to Ozone Water Treatment

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Administrator

San Clemente is requesting residents, businesses, and homeowner’s associations to reduce their water use while a regional water treatment facility in Yorba Linda is shutdown for maintenance.

During the shutdown the Metropolitan Water District’s Diemer Filtration Plant will undergo a series of operational upgrades and improvements related to a new ozone water treatment system.

Ozone water treatment for drinking water is increasingly being used to reduce contaminants in water, improve disinfection and improve the taste and appearance of drinking water.

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York, UK to Add Ozone Drinking Water Treatment

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Administrator

A complete ozone drinking water system will be part of a new £16 million treatment works being built in York, UK.

The Acomb Landing project will provide water to the residents of York from early 2013 and replaces the aging current water treatment works which have provided drinking water to residents of York since 1846. The new treatment works will be able to treat more water, around 9 MGD, and will exceed current water quality standards, supplying improved drinking water.

Ozone will be used to remove pesticides from the water at the new works. The package includes ozone generators, control systems, measuring tools, dissolution mixing systems, static mixers and ozone destroyers. It will be delivered in January 2012.

Water treatment with ozone is effective and environmental safe when compared to treatment with chemicals such as chlorine. Oxidation by ozone kills microorganisms and cleans, treats, and disinfects water. It can also be used to control the taste, odor and color of water.

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Manchester Upgrades Drinking Water Plant with Ozone Treatment for Taste and Odor Control

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Administrator

The Manchester, CT water treatment plant was officially opened on Dec. 14 to mark completion of a $12.5 million improvement project. The major upgrades to the Globe Hollow Water Treatment Facility were a switch from gaseous to liquid chlorine and the installation of an ozonation system to improve the taste and odor of the water.

Ozone, a form of oxygen, also works as an added barrier against viruses. A new building had to be erected to house ozone contact chambers, and half the cost of the total project went to the ozonation system. Switching to liquid chlorine will boost plant safety. Chlorine gas is an effective disinfectant, but also a highly dangerous chemical. The project also included new, Olympic swimming pool-sized filters that use granulated activated carbon and sand, replacing filters that used sand and anthracite.

The plant, which went online in 1985, produces about 5.5 million gallons of potable water daily and serves most of the town.

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Ozone Used for Wastewater Treatment at Canadian Fish Processing Plant

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Administrator

A $1.1m upgrade to Mainstream Canada’s Pacific National Processing facility has improved ocean water quality for residents of Tofino and for the West Coast of Vancouver Island, according to the company. Mainstream Canada completed an upgrade of the waste water treatment system in its processing plant. The system has been in operation since this spring.

The plant produces 200m3 of waste water per day. The waste water contains solids, blood and other compounds common to both farmed and wild salmon processing facilities. Until early 2011, the waste water flowed through the District of Tofino sewage system and was discharged to the marine environment with minimal treatment. Mainstream Canada had been actively looking for ways to further reduce this waste.

They built a pressurized ozone system that treats the processing water before it is passed on to the District of Tofino’s system. The waste water system uses a series of processes to separate solids from liquid. Those solids are shipped away and recycled into compost. The remaining liquid is sent through the ozone system for disinfection. Once the ozone treatment is completed, the effluent passes through ultraviolet light to destroy any remaining ozone before the effluent is sent to the district.

The system makes insures the waste water coming out of our plant is clean and free of any materials which could have a negative impact on the ocean environment.

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Safety of Reclaimed Water Discussed in Flagstaff, AZ

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Administrator

A panel was gathered at Northern Arizona University DuBois Center to answer questionsabout wastewater treatment techniques and the safety of using or drinking reclaimed water. Flagstaff plans to sell reclaimed water to an Arizona sledding facility for snow making.

The panel included Shane Snyder of the U of Arizona, Chuck Graf of the Arizona DEQ and Guy Carpenter, a water reuse proponent and engineer. Dr. Snyder indicated that there is no litmus test to say for sure of the water is safe and that a risk analysis needs to be done. Mr. Graf felt that the risk was minimal. Mr Carpenter noted that there has been no evidence to date that reclaimed water is causing problems.

The application discussed at the meeting, snow making only creates casual human contact. Studies with mice and other mammals indicate that there is no apparent risk from this use.

Last year, Flagstaff got about 40 percent of its total water supply from Lake Mary, another 40 percent from underground wells and about 20 percent by treating waste water. That waste water is used for golf courses (the biggest consumer), manufacturing and construction, but the majority of this water is sent down the Rio de Flag in central Flagstaff and east Flagstaff, where it ultimately becomes part of the groundwater supply.

A University of Minnesota study finding one of the more advanced sewage treatment plants in the country was releasing material found in drug-resistant bacteria that can sometimes be fatal for people, including Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). No live bacteria were found, however. Public health experts said the finding from Minnesota was noteworthy and that few facilities nationwide were subject to testing that would detect the so-called “superbugs.”

It seems likely that the use of reclaimed water will likely require additional testing and more sophisticated treatment in the future. New treatment will likely involve the use of advanced oxidation processes and ozone to insure that micro pollutants and super bugs do not reach people. Studies of these techniques indicate that they are indeed effectively in cleaning up the water.

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Napa Adopts Ozone Treatment of Drinking Water

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Administrator

Twenty-four percent of Napa residents don’t drink the city’s tap water. Most people indicated that it’s because of a chlorine smell or taste. The chlorine is in the water to make sure it stays safe to drink as it travels through pipes leading from the treatment plant to taps.

In the spring, the city improved water quality by starting to use ozone at its largest treatment plant in Jameson Canyon, Costello said. Water treated with ozone has better taste and odor. The improved quality is expected to lead more people drinking tap water. Consuming tap water reduces the need for plastic water bottles. Other cities that have gone to ozone, as can be seen in past posts, have found consumer satisfaction rise. In fact, in blind tastings, the tap water often beats the bottle water.

While ozone offers many benefits for water treatment such as improved disinfection, reduction of disinfection byproducts, and improved clarification, taste and odor improvements are one of the main reasons why drinking water facilities adopt ozone. In fact, most bottled water is ozonated prior to bottling.

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Seattle Super Green Building Looks At Ozone Water Treatment

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Administrator

By late next year, Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood will be home to a new six-story office building that strives to be the greenest commercial building in the world. The new structure will hold the offices of the environmentally-focused Bullitt Foundation. The Bullitt Center was designed to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, and if it passes a self-sufficiency test after its first year, it will receive Living Building Status.

The criteria for a “living building” are determined by the International Living Future Institute, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to changing green building standards. The ILFI’s standards are considered to be the world’s hardest to meet. So far, only three buildings have been fully certified as Living, though about 100 other projects are in the works.

The building’s design aims to have net-zero emissions, meaning the building was designed to produce just as much energy as it uses. The roof of the building will be topped with photovoltaic panels that will produce enough energy in the summer to offset wintertime deficits and break even over the course of the year. The Bullitt center is expected to use less than one fourth of the energy of a normal building of its size.

The building also must supply and treat it’s own water, using a 50,000-gallon underground storm water cistern. One problem reported in the piece was regarding water treatment. Currently, the plans for the center show that it will collect rainwater for showers, sinks and drinking fountains, then filter the used water though a lower level green roof and landscaping. The raw sewage will be composted and sanitized before it’s shipped offsite to be converted into fertilizer. The problem, however, is that Washington State’s Department of Public Health requires public use buildings like this one that get water from anything other than the city, to chlorinate it.

Chlorine is on the prohibited list of the Living Building Challenge. The building’s designers are petitioning for ozone purification, which is a less toxic method. A number of green buildings have used or are considering the use of ozone as a green alternative to treating rain water or grey water in such applications. Ozone is made from oxygen in air and after use, ozone decomposes to back to oxygen leaving no disinfection by products. In addition, since it is made from air, there is no need to buy or store chemicals on site.

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New Standards to Impact the Use of Hypochlorite for Drinking Water

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Administrator

Changes to NSF/ANSI Standard 60 may impact the use of sodium hypochlorite in drinking water systems. New rules are being considered for the contaminates bromate, perchlorate and chlorate, all of which can be traced to sodium hypochlorite.

US drinking water systems are concerned about disinfection products that might contaminate the water either from contaminants that are in the chemicals used in the treatment or develop in the treatment process. Many of these contaminants have been identified by researchers and regulators and are regulated under the NSF/ANSI Standard 60. Changes to Standard 60 are always under consideration and new changes that can impact the disinfection process are anticipated to be effective in the year 2013.

Standard 60 covers the chemicals used in the treatment of water, including the disinfection chemicals, in general, and sodium hypochlorite and chlorine, in particular. Although there may be other changes to Standard 60, those effecting bleach are of importance to the industry. The changes relate to sodium hypochlorite and the contaminants in hypochlorite. These contaminants are bromate, perchlorate and chlorate.

Bromate

Bromate is a potent human carcinogen.. It can come from two separate sources in drinking water. The first is in the hypochlorite manufacturing process itself. Sodium hypochlorite is generally produced for bulk use by the reaction of chlorine gas with sodium hydroxide or can be produced on-site by the electrolysis of brine (salt) solutions. The compounds used in bulk production (chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide) can contain bromine (chlorine gas) or bromide (sodium hydroxide).

The bromine in the chlorine gas and bromide in sodium hydroxide are converted to bromate at the pH level of the sodium hypochlorite solution produced by the reaction. The addition of this hypochlorite to water in the disinfection process adds bromate to the finished water. Brine is used to feed on-site generation which also produces hypochlorite with bromate contamination.

Bromide ions can be present in the raw water supply, surface or ground water. When water containing bromide ions is exposed to disinfection using the ozonation process, the reaction of bromide with ozone will produce bromate ions. Most water system, however do not contain sufficient levels of bromide ions to make this a serious problem.

Perchlorate

Perchlorate affects the ability of the thyroid gland to take up iodine. This would affect the functions of the thyroid gland and its performance in the body. Perchlorate is a product of sodium hypochlorite decomposition. The longer hypochlorite is kept by the utility before use, the more likely the significant increase in perchlorate.

Chlorate Source

Chlorate can affect the health of certain population groups such as senior citizens, children, etc. Chlorate is included in the contaminant candidate list and will probably be included in the unregulated contaminant mandatory rule. Chlorate is formed when sodium hypochlorite decomposes in a bleach solution. Thermal decomposition of bleach is the primary source of chlorate.

Regulatory Considerations

The following are the current or proposed regulatory actions or regulations for each of the three contaminants or byproducts mentioned above:

1. Bromate – The maximum level of bromine allowed in sodium hypochlorite is expected to be reduced by January 2013 to around a level of 39 ppm. Currently, 69 ppm of bromate is the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) allowed in sodium hypochlorite.

2. Perchlorate – Several states have established regulatory limits for perchlorate in drinking water. Standard 60 is expected to have a perchlorate limit established by January 2013. The EPA has an advisory of 15 ppb of chlorate per liter of water but there is no deferral regulation for perchlorate in drinking water at this time. California has a maximum level of 6 ppb and in Massachusetts the maximum allowable is 2 ppb for perchlorate. New Jersey has a proposed MCL of 5 ppb.

3. Chlorate – Limits are being considered for addition to Standard 60 with a target date of January 2013. No current Federal regulations have been issues for chlorate. Currently Canada has guidelines established for drinking water for a MAC of 1 ppm.

The selection of a primary and secondary disinfectant is governed by both the requirements for pathogen inactivation and the production of disinfection byproducts. The choice between ozone and other agents such a hypochlorite with respect to bromate formation will depend on source water bromide levels. In areas where bromide levels are low and disinfection requirements are high, ozone will likely be the choice of more drinking water treatment facilities

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