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WWIgloA4_wtrRM_130315 1 3/18/13 10:33 AM
FLYING
HIGH
October-November 2013
Heathrows Reed Bed
Treatment Takes Off
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5
Colombia spearheads UV
changeover in Latin America
SWCC to make Saudi Arabia
king of solar desalination
Does China hold the answer to
Jamaicas leaky water assets?
1310WWI_C1 1 11/6/13 4:38 PM
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1310WWI_C2 2 11/6/13 3:15 PM
RAINWATER HARVESTING 20
With the right collection and treatment, rainwater is being
used to supplement potable supplies. Heres how.
ULTRAVIOLET TREATMENT (UV) 25
Tolu, Colombia is to take delivery of the countrys frst open
channel UV system for municipal wastewater treatment. Will
this be enough to change a region historially set on chemical
treatment?
INDUSTRIAL WATER MANAGEMENT 30
TOCs away for reed bed treatment: major UK airport
Heathrow demonstrates how upgrading its wetlands is
helping to treat challenging stormwater.
GROUNDWATER 33
Kenya made the headlines when over 200 billion cubic metres
of water was discovered using advanced mapping software.
What could this mean for water scarcity across Africa?
T E C H N O L O G Y R O U N D U P
PUMPS, MOTORS & DRIVE SYSTEMS 50
Clear bromine feeder from Neptune; repeat order for NOV
Monos EZstrip pump at AB Produce; Blue-White Industries
introduces single layer injection molded PVDF diaphragm
for metering pumps; updated MEC-MG pump range from
Caprari and single stage coupled process pump from Sulzer.
P R O D U C T R E V I E W
ION EXCHANGE & FILTRATION SYSTEMS 51
UF membranes from GE for SWRO pretreatment; RO/ion
exchange showcased by LANXESS in Amsterdam; hollow
fer product line launched by Koch Membrane Systems and
modular, pre-engineered UF membrane system launched by
Siemens Water Technologies.
R E G U L A R S
EDITORS NOTE 4
NEWS 6
TECHNOLOGY ROUNDUP 50
PRODUCT REVIEW 51
DIARY /AD INDEX/WEB PROMO 52
U P F R O N T
LEADER FOCUS 10
SWCCs governor, H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim speaks
exclusively to WWi magazine about the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabias plans to increase solar powered desalination.
THE BIG QUESTION 16
Following the launch of Canadas and Europes nutrient
recovery facilties, we ask a panel of experts: What operational
benefts and political motivation could help persuade utilities
to instal nutrient recovery systems?
R E G I O N A L S P O T L I G H T
JAMAICAS WATER - FAR FROM A RUNAWAY SUCCESS 36
Despite boasting some of the worlds top athletes, Jamaicas
water sector is far from record breaking. Heres why.
WIFIA: A BRIDGE OVER THE US FINANCIAL GAP? 40
With the US requiring billions of dollars to fx leaking
infrastructure, could WIFIA funds be the needed stimulus?
FRACKING: WASTEWATER CHALLENGES 44
With water heavy hydraulic fracking expanding across the
US, are centralised treatment sites the answer for treatment?
THE RESOURCE RECOVERY MOVEMENT 47
An EPA blueprint could help turn traditional wastewater
plants into a new generation of nutrient recovery centres.
CONTENTS OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
10
25
30
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 1
T E C H N O L O G Y C A S E S T U D I E S
1310WWI_1 1 11/6/13 3:25 PM
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1310WWI_2 2 11/6/13 3:25 PM
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1310WWI_3 3 11/6/13 3:25 PM
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013 4
EDITORS NOTE
RESOURCE RECOVERY:
A REVOLUTION OR RISK?
Following Canada and the US in the summer, Europe is set to open its
frst resource recovery facility. What will it take for other utilities to
make the jump and turn water plants into fertilizer production centres?
Tom Freyberg, Chief Editor
Follow on
he start of the winter months here at WWi HQ has not only brought with it a furry
of customary terrible weather, but a manic travel schedule for most of our team.
From Bangkok, Thailand, to Tianjin, China and next Amsterdam in the Netherlands
the show season really has woken up and kicked in from its summer lull.
For those of you who attended the IDA World Congress in Tianjin, you may agree
that the event reaffrmed the potential opportunities in Asias economic dragon
but also highlighted the dangers. As you can read from the analysis (page eight),
membrane manufacturers are being cautious. The government has mandated
that within its planned network of desalination plants, 70% of the equipment
(membranes, pumps etc) used must be manufactured domestically.
Moving on quickly before we delve too deep into a China-based conversation,
WWi has reported on the use of reed beds in Hungary and an Oman installation
to treat oil-polluted water. The UK is not being left behind. As you can see from
the cover, in this issue we look at how Heathrow airport is seeing the benefts of
upgrading its existing wetland treatment systems (page 30).
Nutrient recovery is one phrase were hearing more of in the industry. At the
time of WWi going to print, what was being classed as Europes frst full nutrient
recovery plant was opened. Utility Thames Water is expected to save 200,000 a year
which it formerly spent on chemical dosing to clear struvite at the Slough site. The
announcement follows the opening of the Canadas frst nutrient recovery plant in
Saskatoon in the summer.
I believe that the understanding of a potential looming phosphorus crisis is
becoming wider known. A key ingredient in fertilizer, phosphorus, is crucial to grow
food. Yet forecasts suggest that mineable reserves of phosphorus, in countries like
Morocco, the US and China, could be depleted in 100 years. Some experts believe a
peak for phosphorus could occur as early as the mid-2030s.
Therefore the new nutrient recovery facilities in Canada and the UK are a
welcome relief to take nutrients such as phosphorus from the very wastewater
we produce. Yet they raise one question: if nutrient recovery saves utilities money,
and cuts expensive overseas supply of fertilizer to grow our crops, why arent more
doing it? If technically its possible, and fnancially worthwhile, whats the hold up?
WWi brought four experts together (page 16) for this issues Big Question to try
and fnd out more.
Ultimately, water supply and treatment is still a public service. Utilities be can
risk averse as they are dealing with public well-being. Robust, reliable technologies
are always going to be preferred. Yet, the City of Saskatoon and Thames Water will
hopefully show that risk is not always a bad thing and can pay off in the long-term.
T
IF TECHNICALLY
ITS POSSIBLE AND
FINANCIALLY
WORTHWHILE
WHATS THE
HOLD UP?
1310WWI_4 4 11/6/13 3:25 PM
1310WWI_5 5 11/6/13 3:25 PM
NEWS
GEORGIA, US
Siemens and Texas A&M AgriLife have signed agreements for research and
development into effcient and cost effective technology to remove heavy
metals from water and wastewater. A&M AgriLife is said to have developed
a single process unaffected by temperature or pH-levels which can remove
selenium, mercury, zinc, copper, chromium and other heavy metals, as well as
metalloids to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System limits.
WORLD NEWS
INDIA
Xylem has won a contract for
the installation of a biological
wastewater treatment system
in the Indian state of Gujarat.
The company said that it
will be responsible for the
new installation as well
as providing on-going
service and maintenance
for the 700,000 m
3
/day
wastewater treatment plant
for the Jamnagar Municipal
Corporation.
CHILE
Black & Veatch has been selected for a major desalination project at
worlds largest copper mine in Chile. The $3.43 billion Escondida
Water Supply (EWS) project will provide water to support expansion
of mineral production. Black & Veatch explained that its role is
leading the engineering design, procurement, feld inspection and
pre-commissioning for the marine and desalination elements of
the EWS project. Once complete the project will deliver 2.5 m
3
/sec
of water to the mine, which majority-owned and operated by BHP
Billiton.
1
1
4
3
3
BANGLADESH
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
has approved a $250 million loan to
expand the coverage and quality of
water supplies to nearly 11 million
people in Dhaka, Bangladeshs fast-
growing capital city. According to the
ADB, Dhaka has been drawing heavily
on groundwater, but the current rate of
extraction is no longer sustainable with
the water table falling by 2 to 3 metres
a year. In total the project is expected
to cost nearly $675 million and be
completed by December 2019.
5 ISRAEL
IDE Technologies has
completed work on the
624,000 m/day Sorek
seawater reverse osmosis
plant in Israel, which is now
fully operational. Located
to the south of Tel Aviv, IDE
said that the $400 million
plant is currently supplying
540,000 m/day to Israels
water distribution system.
6
NEW JERSEY
Work is underway to develop
a renewable energy facility at
Middlesex Water Companys
water pollution control plant in
the Village of Ridgewood, New
Jersey. The facility will feature
an anaerobic digester that will
produce biogas for energy
generation. There will also be
the potential to co-digest food
waste.
2
2
1310WWI_6 6 11/6/13 3:25 PM
NEWS
CHINA
NanoH2O is to build a 10,000
m
2
manufacturing facility
in Liyang, China at a cost of
around $45 million.
The El Segundo, California
based manufacturer of RO
membranes for seawater
desalination, said that the
facility in China will allow
it to take advantage of the
growing domestic market.
The company added that
China represents 20% of the
worlds population but just
6% of the global fresh water
supply, and plans to increase
its SWRO capacity three-fold
by 2015.
PHILIPPINES
An upgraded wastewater
treatment facility has been
opened in Quezon City,
Philippines. The US$6.15
million facility was funded
by a US$1.32 million grant
under the World Banks
Global Environmental Fund.
The new facility is said to
be able to discharge up to
2,640 m
3
/day of treated
wastewater.
UNITED KINGDOM
In a recently published White Paper, analysts at Bloomberg New Energy
Finance claimed that increasing wastewater charges from 70 to 80 per
year, as proposed by Thames Water to pay for its new 4.1 billion super
sewer, could correspond to a 24% post-tax return on equity invested - more
than three times the average return in UK water assets. The analysts noted
that the project has been controversial environmentally and also because of
the need to raise water bills to fnance it.
BELGIUM
Water pollution caused by
nitrates has decreased in
Europe over the past two
decades, but agricultural
pressures are still putting
water resources under strain,
according to a new report on
the Nitrates Directive by the
European Commission.
However, the research went
on to caution that while the
overall trend is positive,
nitrates pollution and
eutrophication the excess
growth of weeds and algae
that suffocates life in rivers
and seas are still causing
problems in many Member
States.
4
9
9
5
6
VIETNAM
Municipal authorities in
Ho Chi Minh need to issue
policies encouraging private
investment in wastewater
recycling, delegates at a
recent seminar in the city
were told. According to a
report in the Vietnam News,
the city releases a total of
around 1.7 million m
3
/day
of domestic and industrial
wastewater directly into
rivers and canals, badly
polluting the environment.
7
7
SYDNEY
A$10.4 million upgrade to Smeaton
Grange wastewater system in Sydney,
Australia is almost complete. Utility
Sydney Water began construction in
October 2012 with the replacement of
wastewater pumps to increase pumping
capacity of the station. Additionally, a
large emergency wastewater storage
tank was fnished in June this year and
the installation of the new wastewater
pressure main is currently underway
and expected to be completed by the
end of this year.
8
8
12
12
10
10
11
11
1310WWI_7 7 11/6/13 3:25 PM
NEWS
ANALYSIS
MEMBRANES IN CHINA:
BOOM OR BUST FOR INTERNATIONAL
MANUFACTURERS?
A
head of the IDA World
Congress in Tianjin, there was
an air of excitement about the
desalination markets future growth in
China.
After all, in February 2012, Chinas
State Council announced its 12th Five-
Year Plan (FYP) for desalination. In this,
it established a higher than expected
target of 2.2 2.6 million m
3
/day of
online capacity by 2015. This compares
to less than 1 million m
3
/day today.
And such excitement continued
through the week, with multiple
suppliers and OEMs holding back key
news until the event in China.
Californias Nano H20 kicked
things off by announcing a $45 million
investment into a manufacturing
facility in Liyang, China a city in the
Yangtze River Delta, 250 km west of
Shanghai.
Yet caution continued to remain
over what could be a game-changing
footnote in the FYP. Despite the high
target set by the State Council, a goal
stipulating that 70% of all equipment
used in desalination plants should be
produced in the country is perhaps more
relevant to global suppliers. Potentially
all equipment such as membranes and
pumps in a Chinese desalination plant
will come from China.
Writing in WWi magazine, Khoo Teng
Chye, former CEO of Singapore utility
PUB, believes such a move does not
come as a surprise.
He said its a policy similar to that
used to build up the countrys wind
energy industry a few years ago. In fact,
besides the similarity to the wind energy
industry, the aim of the governments
plan for the Chinese desalination seems
similar to what was achieved in the
areas of rail and aviation.
Surprise or no surprise, the message
is clear: China wants its water produced
by Chinese equipment. By putting its
peg in Chinese soil and establishing a
local manufacturing presence, Nano
H20 has clearly responded to this strict
demand.
Other membrane companies remain
guarded on Chinas potential.
Brett Andrews, president and CEO
of Hydranautics, told WWi: I think
business in China will get more and
more competitive. There are many
Chinese manufacturers coming onto
the scene - some of them are going
international. There are literally
hundreds in China.
The Chinese latest Five Year
Plan calls for an increase in local
membrane technology. So this points
to local competitors and maybe even
shutting out the market in the future
for international players. This is a big
danger for us.
Speaking to WWi magazine, Dr
Graeme Pearce, membrane expert
said: Only one or two [Chinese
membrane manufacturers] have got
into exporting their products. But the
largest membrane makers of China are
quite substantial given the large size of
the Chinese market....I think the system
integrators should be pleased as it
creates another supplier for them.
Western suppliers will fnd that
the technology at these companies
is becoming on a par with the best
technology from the west that day
is fast approaching and has probably
dawned.
On the positive side, the remaining
30% market share for non-domestic
desalination equipment is still a
lucrative amount given the predicted
size of the Chinese market.
IP challenges and competition to
one side, the original intrigue and
skepticism of the Chinese desalination
market remain. And with Chinas
South-North Water Diversion Project
under construction utill potentially 2052;
clean, potable supplies provided by
desalination could be a faster solution to
Chinas water woes.
1310WWI_8 8 11/6/13 3:25 PM
INDUSTRY NEWS
EUROPES FIRST NUTRIENT
RECOVERY FROM WASTEWATER
PLANT OPENS IN UK
WAVE POWERED SWRO PILOT
MOVES FORWARD IN AUSTRALIA
IN BRIEF
Utility Thames Water in
collaboration with Canadian
frm Ostara has opened a 2
million nutrient-recovery
reactor at a wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) in
Slough, Berkshire.
It is expected to produce
150 tonnes a year of Crystal
Green fertilizer from
effuent entering the works
rich in struvite, a nutrient
compound containing
ammonia and phosphorus.
If left unchecked struvite
settles as a rock-like scale
on pipes at the sewage
works until it clogs them
completely. The reactor forces
phosphorus to settle in the
form of struvite, turning
it into crystalline fertilizer
pellets.
Thames Water is expected
to save up to 200,000 a
year, which it has until now
spent on chemical dosing
to clear pipes of struvite at
Slough. The utility claimed
the operation could help
reduce the UKs reliance on
international imports.
All 138,000 tonnes a year
of the phosphate fertiliser
used in the UK is currently
imported from abroad,
Thames Water said.
Mineable reserves of
phosphorus, in countries
like Morocco, the US and
China, are predicted to be
completely depleted in 100
years, according to some
experts. Others say peak
phosphorus will occur
as early as the mid-2030s,
after which it is expected to
become increasingly scarce
and expensive. Struvite is
know to have scaled pipes as
far back as 300BC.
Wave energy developer,
Carnegie Wave Energy has
completed the Detailed
Design of its wave powered
desalination pilot plant.
The desalination pilot
plant will be integrated
into Carnegies Perth Wave
Energy Project on Garden
Island, Western Australia.
One of the aims of the
pilot is to demonstrate the
production of both power
and freshwater from the
ocean.
The detailed design of
the desalination plant has
been carried out by global
engineering frm GHD, local
Perth-based desalination
manufacturer Mak Water
Industrial and Carnegies
technical team.
The design integrates
operation of Carnegies
CETO technology offshore
with standard reverse
osmosis desalination
technology onshore.
The high pressure pump
of a standard containerised
reverse osmosis (RO) circuit
is driven by a variable
displacement hydraulic
motor installed within the
hydraulic system of the
wave energy facility. When
in operation, the mechanical
energy provided from the
hydraulic circuit of the
wave energy plant is hoped
to reduce or eliminate the
electrical power required for
the high pressure pump in
the RO circuit.
The desalination pilot
project is supported by
AUS$1.27 million in Federal
Government grant funding
from AusIndustrys Clean
Technology Innovation
Program of which $320,000 of
this grant funding has now
been received.
Modern Water partners
with Beijing Green
Beijing Green Science and
Technology will distribute
Modern Waters water trace/
heavy metal and toxicity
monitoring products across
mainland China, Hong Kong
and Macau.
Biosensors developed to
detect endocrine disruptors
A spin-off of the National
Museum of Natural History
in Paris, WatchFrog,
has developed a tool to
identify the presence
of endocrine disrupters
(such as thyroid, estrogen
and adrenocorticotropic
hormones) in wastewater.
Gates invests into FCC
Spanish water treatment
company Aqualias parent
frm, FCC, has had 6% of
its shares bought by a fund
linked to Bill Gates. FCC
is currently undergoing
a corporate revamp and
divestment of 2 billion euros
worth of assets under its new
CEO Juan Bejar.
Desalitech goes to the wire
Desalitech will supply its RO
system to Mid American Steel
and Wires Madill, Oklahoma
facility, to recycle 227 m
3
/day
of wastewater for reuse.
Dr Al-Alshaikh takes over as
new IDA president
Dr. Abdullah Al-Alshaikh,
Deputy Governor for
Planning and Development
of Saline Water Conversion
Corporation (SWCC) in Saudi
Arabia, has been named
President of the International
Desalination Association
(IDA) for the 2013-2015 term.
He has taken over from Dr
Corrado Sommariva from ILF
Consulting Engineers.
NEWS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 9
For more news visit us at wwinternational.com
1310WWI_9 9 11/6/13 3:25 PM
LEADER FOCUS
Saudi Arabia is responsible for 18% of the worlds desalination capacity. Behind this amount and 28
desalination plants is the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC). Governor of the organisation,
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim, speaks exclusively to WWi magazine about plans to increase current solar
powered desalination capacity by ten times and privatisation progress.
Tom Freyberg reports.
SUN SHINES ON SAUDIS
RENEWABLE DESALINATION
SWCC Governor to Spearhead
Solar Energy Movement
T
ianjin, China may well have
played host for this years IDA
(International Desalination
Association) World Congress yet there is
a clear infuence from the Middle East.
Minister of Water & Electricity in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E.
Abdullah A Al. Hussayen delivers a
keynote address highlighting stark
statistics regarding water scarcity and
the sanitation crisis across the world.
He says that building better
desalination plants could help bring
water to the masses and help avert
world catastrophe.
Calling for a new award to recognise
water conservation, H.E. Al. Hussayen
then focuses his efforts on energy
demands of desalination. One facility
in Jeddah used to consume 9.8 kilowatt
hours per cubic metre (kWh/m
3
) but
today consumes less than 3 kwh/m
3
, he
says.
Not long after the keynote address,
the IDA announced its new president
for the 2013-2015 term. Dr. Abdullah Al-
Alshaikh, deputy governor for planning
and development of Saudi Arabias
Saline Water Conversion Corporation
(SWCC) is to take over the role from
Dr Corrado Sommariva from ILF
Consulting Engineers.
As well as engineering and service
providers from Saudi Arabia exhibiting
in Tianjin, SWCC was clear to send out a
strong message about its single handed
contribution to the global desalination
industry. In total, the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia (KSA) is responsible for between
18-20% of desalination supply globally.
The organisation is responsible for 28
plants along the west and east coasts, as
well as other independent and private
production plants such as Shoebah 3,
Shiqiq 2 and Jubail plants.
In the 2012 annual report, SWCC says
that total water export rose by 7.8%
compared to the previous year and total
water volume averaged 955 million
cubic metres.
The man responsible for all of this
capacity and ultimately, the production
of drinking water in the largest
desalination market worldwide is H.E.
Dr. Abdulrahman Bin Mohammed
Al-Ibrahim, governor of SWCC. WWi
magazine had a chance to speak with
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim, governor of SWCC, says progress in RO pre-treatment
has improved opportunities for membrane desalination in Saudi Arabia
1310WWI_10 10 11/6/13 3:26 PM
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1310WWI_11 11 11/6/13 3:26 PM
LEADER FOCUS
H.E. during the IDA World Congress.
Below is an extract from the interview
with the full, exclusive video interview
available online.
Water and Wastewater International
(WWi): Congratulations on SWCCs
deputy governor for planning and
development, Dr Abdullah Al.
Alshaikh being elected as the new
IDA president. What does this signal
for KSAs desalination capacity
worldwide?
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim
(AA-I): We possess many desalination
capacities in the Kingdom compared to
worldwide. Currently we possess more
than 18-20% of the worldwide capacity
of desalination. We are number one in
that regard.
However, we do not produce
technology that is equivalent to that
kind of capacity available. Our ultimate
goal is to be able to reach a time where
we will be able to export technologies
equivalent to our capacities that we
possess in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
We should be able to join hand
to hand with international elite
organisations such as the IDA. With my
colleague Dr Al. Alshaikh as the new
president and previous board member -
we will be able to use this platform as a
vehicle towards providing information
to all desalination members.
The driver for our industry is not
limited to not just supply the needs of my
peoples water demand. It goes beyond
that. We believe in Saudi Arabia that
water is needed for every living species
in the world. We would love to have the
information of how we should desalinate
water effciently, effectively and wisely
for it to be made available for every
human being and creation on earth.
To export the technology, to export
the know-how, to tell people what the
effcient way of how we should operate
and how we need to be operating our
plants today and the future is part of
our mandate in Saudi Arabia as the new
Saline Water Conversion Corporation.
Dr Abdulrahman obtained his B.Sc in Mechanical
Engineering from the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah
1310WWI_12 12 11/6/13 3:26 PM
LEADER FOCUS
WWi: What desalination lessons can
be learned in China from the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia?
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim:
After 30-40 years of experience in Saudi
Arabia of operating the plants, limiting
our scope to just producing water for the
people is extremely ineffcient. Currently
we are doing huge integration for the
whole chain of operation, including
the distribution centre, including the
reuse sector and including the industrial
sector.
In Saudi Arabia we are no longer
interested in importing black boxes.
This is my recommendation for China.
They should not import black boxes to
operate inside of China. They need to
rely on their industry to have a major
share of how they should build the
desalination industry. Not only that but
also it goes beyond the construction. It
involves the operation, maintenance and
skills of operators.
WWi: Since youve been Governor,
youve set out ambitions for SWCC in
terms of improving effciencies. Tell us
what you have achieved so far?
There have been multiple ambitious
and strategic goals that we were able to
improve since the day I was able to join
the SWCC. I came into an elite and very
hard working environment. We realised
we had to improve the effciency of
our operation. I can name one specifc
project in that regard.
The Yanbu 3 project took a while to
be awarded with a specifcation that
didnt have much attention to energy
effciency. With the awarded contractor
and consortium we managed to increase
the effciency by 10% with a very
small amount of premium investment
required. That 10% has caused a saving
nationwide more than the capital
cost that we made for the contractual
agreement.
WWi: On the topic of energy savings,
KSA is spearheading a move to
integrate more renewable energy into
its desalination plants?
The other achievement that we were
able to proceed with further is the
introduction of renewable energy in
the desalination industry, across the
Kingdom. We believe that the whole
desalination industry is meant for a
sustainable development. Part of the
sustainable development element is to
be able to look at sustainable fuel. We do
have an abundance of renewable energy
available in the Kingdom, as well as
geothermal.
Part of the programme for
implementing renewable energy in
desalination is currently with the
National Research Institute of Saudi
Arabia in King Abdulaziz City for
Science and Technology (KACST). We
are collaborating with them on a plant
that will see 30,000 m
3
/day desalinated
water produced and powered by
photovoltaic cells. We want to go
beyond that 10 times that value
300,000 m
3
/day renewable. We can go
for thermal, we can go for photovoltaic,
we can go with wind, and we can go
with geothermal as well. So multiple
opportunities are available to enrich our
energy portfolio across KSA.
WWi: What about water
conservation?
As part of the integration with the
distribution sector we need to put
SWCCs H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim tells WWis Tom Freyberg that his organisation is aiming to increase effciencies to
operate like a private company. He said privatisation is a roadmap and is a long procedure
1310WWI_13 13 11/6/13 3:26 PM
LEADER FOCUS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 14
our hands together. As much as we can
become more effcient and produce
more water, we need to work with
the distribution sector on the way we
manage the water.
There has been a tremendous amount
of efforts in this regard. For example a
campaign to give distribution saving
kits in every household, industry and
all the commercial sector. We are able to
preserve the amount of water that has
been ineffciently utilised. Data has been
provided to all as a benchmark to show
people how effcient they were.
We went also beyond potable water
when we were able to convince the
government that we were able to also
rationalise the utilisation of water for
other resources, like industrial and
agricultural. .
WWi: A typical arrangement of
desalination in the Middle East is
a combination of power and water
plants. SWCC is responsible for 28
desalination plants, with the majority
thermal. What are the opportunities
for membranes and will there be
more of an adoption into RO (reverse
osmosis)?
With the more mature environment
of our electricity sector and the more
advancement in our technologies we
are looking more carefully that our
speciality has to be effciently produced
water, as well as producing electricity.
Were shifting gears towards selecting
a technology that is able to obtain both
factors: energy effcient and therefore
the membranes are catching up.
The other factor is the reliability we
need to have the membrane or thermal
plant that is reliable, and able to produce
in the Gulf Area the water is not as
clear as it is in the North part of the Red
Sea area. Tremendous obstacles are faced
with RO.
Efforts from my team with pre-
treatment experience have meant we
have seen advancements. At any rate,
membrane technology is catching up in
Saudi Arabia.
Our ultimate goal is to be able to
produce more water for less, and more
reliable water. Therefore I can see that
membrane technology is catching up. If
we decide to go for thermal we need to
be very wise and need to go with very
advanced technology.
WWi: Tell me about the privatisation
progress of SWCCs assets?
Privatisation is a strategic choice that the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adopted 10
years ago.
It was decided that water was
one of the sectors that needed to be
privatised. After fve to six years of
privatisation progress, there was a more
comprehensive evaluation on why
we should privatise and what is the
ultimate goal.
Our ultimate conclusion is that
privatisation is a vehicle towards a more
sustainable department. The ultimate
goal is sustainability. Sustainability
is not limited to my area of water
development but a comprehensive
sustainable Kingdom.
Therefore we are ultimately going
towards what is called a more effcient
operation, more easy and more reliable
operation as well as more attractive
environment.
Our current efforts are to change the
Saline Water Conversion Corporation
from a government entity into a more
corporatized entity, comparable with
the private sector. This is a migration
Partnerships for progress: SWCC is implementing a renewable powered
desalination programme with KACST, the governor told WWi magazine
1310WWI_14 14 11/6/13 3:26 PM
LEADER FOCUS
towards a more advanced state than we
are currently in. This is part of why we
have developed our strategic plans are
now we have our policies and we have
our KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
We have our targets that need to be
achieved and know exactly where we
stand now and what we need to achieve
at the end of the year 2013 and even till
2015. Privatisation is a roadmap - its a
very long procedure.
WWi: So the idea is customers are
feeling the beneft of private sector
effciency and operation but from a
government entity?
Its not the prospective of looking at
privatisation for someone else to take on
the burden. Its a partnership between
the government and the private sector
towards a more advanced venture.
WWi: As part of that journey to
privatisation, what opportunities exist
for companies such as pump suppliers,
membrane manufacturers, pipes and
valve companies?
H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim: I
would recommend that the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, specifcally in the
desalination sector, and the water sector,
and the power sector have changed
a lot during the past 10 years. Were
extremely eager to have partnerships in
our operation.
Were not interested in whats called
hit and run companies coming over
for a specifc project and then going
back. We want to have a long-term
partnership. I always tease companies
that come to my offce looking for an
opportunity. I always ask them do you
have a return ticket? If they say yes,
then I say you have no more business
with me. You need to have a one-way
ticket. You need to live in the country.
You need to be able to grab the future
and we reap the beneft together instead
of a short-term project.
Currently we have opened the doors
to our plants to all investors. We say
ok, even though that we are currently
operating ineffciently, we can put hands
together as an energy company and look
at opportunities how we can conserve
our energy and be able to utilise this
current energy to produce more water
and more energy or utilise it for other
purposes.
By changing the mind of only
producing water, now we have assets
that we can utilise more.
Tom Freyberg is chief editor of WWi
magazine. For more information on the
article and SWCC, email: tomf@pennwell.
com. The full video interview will appear on
www.waterworld.com/world-regions.html
I ALWAYS ASK COMPANIES DO YOU
HAVE A RETURN TICKET? IF YOU SAY
YES, YOU HAVE NO MORE BUSINESS WITH
ME. YOU NEED TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY.

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1310WWI_15 15 11/6/13 3:26 PM
EXECUTIVE TECH COMPARISON NUTRIENT RECOVERY
The Big Question: What operational
benefts and political motivation
could help persuade utilities to install
nutrient recovery systems?
WWis technology comparison series continues with the topic of nutrient recovery solutions. With excess
nutrients leading to Harmful algae blooms (HABs) and eutrophication, ultimately affecting utilities is now is
the time for the adoption in modern technologies?
U
tilities are looking for
sustainable wastewater
treatment solutions.
Increasingly, utilities are implementing
nutrient recovery systems to address
environmental concerns and economic
challenges, both with political impact.
Nutrient pollution is a matter of a
dislocated resource: we need nutrients
to grow the food we eat, but nutrients
in the water environment cause oxygen
defciency and hypoxia (dead zones).
Nutrient recovery systems prevent
nutrients from being discharged into the
water environment by recovering and
returning them to the agronomic cycle.
From an operational point of view,
nutrient recovery is essential to help
a utility meet its effuent phosphorus
limits. When biological phosphorus
removal is combined with anaerobic
digestion, a natural phenomenon occurs.
This returns most of the phosphorus
removed in the activated sludge process
back to the treatment plant in the solids
handling liquid side stream. A vicious
cycle occurs where phosphorus is
removed, released, and returned.
Nutrient recovery breaks this cycle,
replacing it with a virtuous cycle where
phosphorus is removed, released, and
recovered.
Closing the loop
Steve Wirtel, senior vice president, Ostara

UTILITY APPLICATION: CITY OF SASKATOON
When Saskatoons H.M. Weir Wastewater Treatment Plant upgraded to bio-
phosphorus removal, the plant experienced two critical problems: excessive struvite
scale in their lagoon supernatant return pipeline and struvite build up in their
digesters as grit, according to Ostara. Eventually, the supernatant return line
became completely plugged with struvite, isolating the lagoons from the treatment
plant. In August 2013, the City built an Ostara Pearl Nutrient Recovery facility
with the waste activated sludge stripping process (WASSTRIP) to recover internal
phosphorus , solve the struvite problem and restore plant reliability. The process
has reduced struvite build-up and plant maintenance issues; resulted in lower
operating and maintenance costs; and, improved effciency and reliability. The
facility features a Pearl 2000 reactor, which has the annual production capacity of
730 tonnes of fertilizer.
In addition, nutrient recovery
avoids the use of costly, unsustainable
chemicals.
Without nutrient recovery, a utility
must add metal salts to tie up the
dissolved phosphorus in the solids
handling liquid side stream when
biological phosphorus removal is
combined with anaerobic digestion.
Instead of adding chemicals, nutrient
recovery captures phosphorus and
nitrogen in the side stream, converting a
problem into a solution by producing a
high value, slow release fertilizer.
In fact, utilities across North America
are seeing the benefts of nutrient
recovery and bringing millions of
revenue dollars into their facilities. But
more than just seeing the monetary
value, they are closing the loop on
a non-renewable resource that is in
limited supply and is essential to all
forms of life, specifcally farming and
food production.
Without phosphorus, nothing grows,
but too much negatively impacts water
quality. Nutrient recovery allows
utilities to address water quality
challenges and upcycle an essential
nutrient for the highest benefcial re-use.
As utilities move away from
wastewater treatment and disposal
towards the more sustainable approach -
used water recycling - nutrient recovery
is becoming a key component of
resource recovery facilities.
1310WWI_16 16 11/6/13 3:26 PM
Reducing discharge fees
Dr Christian Kabbe, KompetenzZentrum Wassser Berlin

F
ocusing on phosphorus recovery
from the wastewater stream, water
utilities play a key role. Various
technologies have been developed over
recent years and a few of them have
already made it to full-scale application,
or are at least planned to start operation
in the coming years.
Looking behind the scenes, these
technologies not only provide recyclable
phosphorus products like struvite, they
also have some operational benefts,
which are more or less the reason for
installing such units.
We have heard all about the clogging
of pipes and aggregates with unwanted
struvite incrustation after the digestion
of sewage sludge. This can cause serious
trouble and additional maintenance
cost for the operation of wastewater
treatment plants.
Chemicals are available to avoid this
trouble but are also quite expensive. So,
why not opt for precipitating struvite
after digestion on purpose? Different
technology providers and plant
operators already run such units.
There are two hot spots for struvite
recovery at a wastewater treatment
plant with biological phosphorus
elimination and digestion of sludge:
directly subsequent to the digester
within the sludge matrix or
after dewatering in the process
water. In both cases, the
dissolved ortho-phosphate will
be recovered as struvite after
pH adjustment and addition of
magnesium salts.
In the frst case - prior
dewatering - additional benefts
like improved sludge dewatering
and reduced chemicals demand
for dewatering can lead to
reduction of sludge disposal
costs in big wastewater
treatment plants of several
hundred thousand euros.
So, the question arises, why
havent wastewater treatment
plant operators of these bio-
phosphorus plants installed
recovery systems?
The very frst point is the
fact that phosphorus recovery
is not essential for wastewater
treatment (elimination of
nutrients and pollutants).
Finally, all the unwanted
substances in the wastewater are
either degraded or transferred
into the sludge, which is only
a by-product or waste of the
treatment. It is not frst intention
of operators to produce another
product besides effuent water
meeting the legal requirements.
So, how to convince water
utilities to install phosphorus
recovery units, if they dont see
benefts? Here, reasonable incentives
and legal requirements come into
place to generate motivation or even
enforcement to do so.
Operators can be motivated by
reduced discharge fees for a limited
period when upgrading their plants or
recovery quotes can be introduced. Of
course, this should always be linked to
practicability and not only scientifc-
political enacted. Also a market for
recovered phosphorus will help. But this
will only work, if there were a demand
for recovered phosphorus.
This can also be triggered by legal
requirements like strict limit values for
Cadmium in fertilizers or a blending
quota for recovered phosphorus in
primary phosphorus products. A
positive side effect will be that the
existing distribution infrastructure
can still be used and the quota can
be increased according to growing
quantities (availability) of recovered
phosphorus.
It will also be a much cheaper solution
to meet strict Cd limits by blending with
pure recovery products instead to apply
decadmiation, which is rather expensive.
This will allow European companies to
buy cheaper low grade phosphate (rock)
and strengthens their competiveness on
the global market in the long term.
Of course, there is a lot more
experience out there waiting to be
discussed and applied. But this will
fnally only work, if all relevant
stakeholders from supply and demand
side work together.
OPERATORS CAN
BE MOTIVATED
BY REDUCED
DISCHARGE FEES
FOR A LIMITED
PERIOD
1310WWI_17 17 11/6/13 3:26 PM
Global phosphorus concerns
Cutting down on chemicals
Dr. Aleksandra Drizo, CEO, PhosphoReduc

Jean-Marc Philipot, chief technical offcer, Veolia Water

T
he need for nutrient capturing
and recovery technologies has
never been more apparent than
today. Harmful algae blooms (HABs)
and eutrophication caused by excess
nutrients loading from human activities
have become one of the major water
quality impairments.
Apart from being a major water
quality issue, phosphorus is also a key
component of fertilizers. There is a
growing concern regarding a decline in
phosphorus world reserves which are
estimated to reach their peak in the next
100 years.
The current regulatory requirements
for utilities are to reduce phosphorus
concentrations to 1-2 mg/L. However,
due to the exponential expansion of
HABs outbreaks and eutrophication, the
stringent phosphorus discharge limits
(to 0.5 mg P/L and/or lower) are being
considered in the most affected areas by
HABs and eutrophication.
Presently, phosphorus removal from
wastewater effuents at the utilities
can be achieved in two fundamentally
different ways: by physical-chemical
precipitation and by enhanced biological
removal. Both processes generate vast
quantities of sludge that needs to be
stored, dried and disposed of, imposing
signifcant additional costs on the
utilities.
Jiang et al (2005) developed capital,
operation/maintenance, and total costs
for the construction and operation of
plants removing between 20% and
99.3% of phosphorus with capacities
ranging between 1 and 100 million
gallons per day.
The analyses were made for four
different total phosphorus (TP)
discharge limits (2 mg/L, 1 mg/L,
0.5 mg/L and 0.13 mg/L). The
results showed that for all adaptation
confgurations, meeting the TP limit of 1
mg/l would require capital investments
of hundreds of millions of dollars,
excluding sludge storage and handling
costs.
Development and implementation
of cost-effective nutrient recovery
technologies for utilities could decrease
the fnancial burdens by generating
substantial cost-savings. Moreover,
they could create the new generation of
much needed high-value fertilizers and
in doing so offer an add-on value to the
utilities.
T
oday utilities face an ever-
tightening standard of effuent
discharge limits for wastewater.
With continued nutrient management
regulation changes, especially regarding
nitrogen and phosphorus levels,
many utilities are fnding that their
wastewater treatment plants may be in
need of an upgrade.
In the past, wastewater treatment
technologies focused strictly on nutrient
removal. Today, however, an emerging
trend is recovering and reusing the
nutrients from the waste stream.
Much value can be gained by
recovering these nutrients versus simply
removing them. Some operational
benefts from phosphorus recovery
include a reduced maintenance cost
by avoiding precipitation downstream
of the biosolids digestion, as well as a
reduced chemical consumption.
With an upgrade to a Biological
Nutrient Removal (BNR) system, ferric
chloride is no longer necessary in the
primary and secondary treatments. This
in turn allows the utility to reduce their
carbon footprint due to the lack of ferric
chloride in the process.
Perhaps the most valuable beneft is
that the recovered phosphorus by-
products can be converted into fertilizer,
which in turn can generate an income
stream for the utility. Once the initial
investment of the upgraded technology
is paid off, this new income stream may
help balance the operational costs of the
wastewater treatment plant.
This can be especially true for
industrial facilities that have high
phosphorus and nitrogen loads in their
waste streams.
Furthermore, recovering nutrients,
especially phosphorus, alleviates impact
on the environment. While phosphate
rock is a fnite resource, phosphorus can
be renewed through avenues such as
innovative wastewater treatment.
As the population continues to grow,
nutrient recovery will become more and
more essential.
UTILITY APPLICATION
In April 2013, two PhosphoReduc flters were constructed (10 m
3
volume each) to reduce phosphorus (P) and E.coli from a
combined raw sewage and urban run-off wastewater originating from favelas and thus prevent further eutrophication of
Tubaro Lagoons in Brazil. In the frst fve months of operation E.coli, total and soluble P were reduced by 99.9%, 96% and
98%, respectively. Up to date, the two flters retained approximately 8.8 lbs (4 kg) of P each, resulting in complete withdrawal
of algae and invasive species cover in the lagoons downstream. Once flters P removal effciency start to decrease, the spent
fltration media will be re-used as a sustainable, P rich fertilizer for use in forestry, horticulture and agriculture.
1310WWI_18 18 11/6/13 3:26 PM
Environment
Eco-
design
Energy
CSR
a
r
e
s
s
y
.
c
o
m

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1
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/
1
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2
In association with
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Contacts:
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The show for eco-technologies,
energy and sustainable development
3 > 6 DECEMBER 2013
Paris Nord Villepinte FRANCE
1310WWI_19 19 11/6/13 3:26 PM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES RAINWATER HARVESTING
Chao-Hsien Liaws rainwater harvesting
installations in Taiwan. Rainwater has now been
recognised in law as a water resource by the
Taiwan Water Resources Agency
THE RAINWATER
HARVEST SUPPER
1310WWI_20 20 11/6/13 3:34 PM
Rainwater harvesting involves the collection of precipitation for a wide range of agricultural,
commercial and domestic uses, from watering landscapes to fushing toilets. When properly
collected and treated, the method can also be employed to harness a valuable source of
potable water.
Andrew Williams reports.
W
ith the exception of a few
high profle examples, most
notably the Star City project
in South Korea, rainwater harvesting
systems have tended to be small-scale.
However, as a new initiative in Hawaii
begins to explore how the technique can
be used on a larger-scale, there are some
signs that this may be about to change.
For several years, people on many of
the remote islands of Hawaii have relied
solely on harvested rainwater for all
their potable and non-potable needs. It
is estimated that nearly one-third of the
homes in Hawaii County (commonly
known as the Big Island) currently use
catchment water for their own private
use.
Alongside these household-level
systems, the Hawaii State Department
of Health also regulates four large-scale
public water systems that depend on
and serve rainwater as their primary
source of water - including two national
parks, one military camp, and one
youth challenge facility.
In an effort to build on this
growing area of expertise, a new
partnership between the University
of Hawaiis Sea Grant Program and
the American Rainwater Catchment
Systems Association (ARCSA) has
been established to advance the
understanding and adoption of such
sustainable water practices across the
islands.
During August, the University
hosted a successful two-day workshop
on Oahu to provide training in all
aspects of rainwater harvesting - and
the partnership has ambitious plans
to conduct research and outreach
on practices and policies to ensure
Hawaiis coastal communities have
access to clean, fresh water now and for
generations to come.
According to Matthew Gonser, an
extension agent for the University of
Hawaii Sea Grant College Program,
rainwater harvesting has a big role to
play in the future provision of potable
water, not just in Hawaii but worldwide.
The technologies and competencies
exist today, and will only improve in the
coming years - rainwater harvesting is
not a new practice, it is something that
went out of vogue, and is now coming
back with improved technologies and
capacities, he says.
While costs may be a factor in some
cases, Gonsers view is that it is likely
that the greatest strides will need to be
made in the public desire for water
catchment, through increased education
and awareness of its benefts and
necessity.
Like wastewater reuse, this is a
social science and policy issue where
those involved in the research, design,
and maintenance felds can play a more
active role. In that sense it is also a
business and economics proposition,
he says.
TAIWAN
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, a recently
established green building rating system
stipulates that rainwater harvesting to
supplement water supplies is required
for all new public buildings - and
private buildings must also install
rainwater harvesting systems in order to
attain green building certifcation.
In the last year, rainwater has been
offcially recognised as an alternative
water resource and listed in the water
law by the [Taiwan] Water Resources
Agency, says Chao-Hsien Liaw,
Professor in the Department of Harbor
and River Engineering, National Taiwan
1310WWI_21 21 11/6/13 3:34 PM
Ocean University and President of the
International Rainwater Harvesting
Systems Association (IRCSA).
In the course of his work, Liaw
explains that he has designed many
rainwater harvesting systems for schools
and government buildings, as well as a
museum, an exhibition hall and public
attractions.
We have implemented rainwater
harvesting systems in Taipei city zoo for
over ten years. Nowadays, more than
50% of potable water is [provided] by
rainwater, says Liaw.
Other interesting examples of wide-
scale adoption include those in Gansu
Province, China, where more than
three million Shuijiao (water cellars)
have been used to provide people
with drinking water, and Bangalore
and Chennai in India. Each installed
several thousand rainwater harvesting
structures to replenish groundwater and
supplement surface water sources.
LARGE-SCALE ADOPTION
According to Srikantaiah Vishwanath, a
rainwater harvesting consultant based
in Bangalore, supportive government
policies can be very helpful in driving
large-scale adoption. He points out that,
when rainwater harvesting became
mandatory for new buildings, as well
as old buildings beyond a certain plot
size, a fourishing entrepreneur driven
market was created in the city.
Plumbers were trained and were
willing to offer services competitively,
he says. Large-scale innovation of
flters happened with more than 40
flters in the market, employment was
created for plumbers and well-diggers
and there was a boom in the water
economy.
For Vishwanath however, the single
biggest challenge is behaviour change
- and he warns that it is diffcult to
convince people that rainwater can be
drunk, especially if it has not been a
cultural practice.
The other challenge is the up-
front costs of these systems. While
maintenance cost can be negligible over
the lifetime of the system, the upfront
costs of installation deter people from
adopting it. Subsidized mains water is
another problem as it makes rainwater
harvesting economically unattractive if
people are connected to mains systems,
he adds.
Meanwhile, Liaw argues that,
although the technology already exists,
the main barriers to large-scale adoption
are fnancial feasibility and operation
and maintenance.
From a cost perspective, he also
agrees that it takes a long time to
recover the cost of installing a rainwater
harvesting system and he believes that
the establishment of a management
committee in charge of education,
planning, operation and maintenance
is the cornerstone to successful
implementation.
He also adds that the removal or
storage of large quantities of water from
a given location may be disallowed by
the authorities because it decreases the
amount of water available downstream.
This principle means that rainwater
may be viewed as a public resource
rather than [belonging] to the owner of
the land on which the rain falls, he says.
FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
According to Billy Kniffen, national
director and education program
chairman at the American Rainwater
Catchment Systems Association
(ARCSA), fear of the unknown
represents another challenge to large-
scale adoption - at least in the US.
We capture rainwater in lakes and
Green measures: rainwater harvesting to supplement water supplies is
required for all new public buildings in Taiwan
1310WWI_22 22 11/6/13 3:34 PM
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rivers and use it in potable systems
but once you put it in a container
the fear factor goes up. Or else the
big manufacturers, consultants and
authorities either do not want to change,
they fear it will take time and money or
take money away from them and there
is not the necessity to do anything as of
yet in most of the US, he explains.
Necessity is the driver. Also it
takes lot of roof and storage to supply
needed amounts, double piping, fear
of cross connection and costs involved.
If it is critical - as in many developing
countries - it could be implemented
now. But smaller systems are easier to
install and costs are spread out, adds
Kniffen.
LOOKING AHEAD
From a technological perspective,
Kniffen believes that microfltration
systems designed to remove cysts
easily and without much maintenance
will be a big help - and could be
implemented easier with large systems
Meanwhile, Jesper Skadhauge, global
product manager for domestic water
supply at Grundfos also points out that,
THIS PRINCIPLE MEANS RAINWATER IS
VIEWED AS A PUBLIC RESOURCE
RATHER THAN TO THE LAND OWNER
although it is more problematic to
install rainwater harvesting systems as
retro-ft, it is still absolutely feasible.
However, if buildings are designed
for rainwater usage from the start it is
very easy. The main driver for these
systems is still legislation as water is
still a relative low-cost resource in many
parts of the developed world, he says.
One additional, and equally
signifcant, beneft of these systems is
their ability to buffer heavy rainfall. This
buffer-effect means that the municipal
rainwater system is not being peak-
loaded as it otherwise would, reducing
the need for expensive expansion, adds
Skadhauge.
For Liaw, green building policies and
similar government mandates, which he
says are gaining in popularity around
the world, will continue to fuel the
large-scale implementation of rainwater
harvesting systems.
1310WWI_23 23 11/6/13 3:34 PM
In the future, he argues that integrated
rainwater management systems, which
necessitate the design of large-scale
systems, will become the new wave
of rainwater harvesting. Moreover,
although it has not yet been developed
specifcally for rainwater treatment, he
also sees much promise in emerging
membrane technology.
More broadly speaking , Gonser says
that an extensive review of measures
taken by other US states and territories
has revealed progressive legislation
that uses an array of strategies and tools
to encourage or mandate rainwater
catchment practices for both non-potable
and potable uses.
Specifc strategies and tools include
the creation of state-wide standards for
rainwater harvesting - including health
and safety standards for collection
and treatment of water intended for
drinking, cooking, or bathing - as well
as tax incentives and rebates to purchase
equipment and install catchment
systems and supporting grants for pilot-
projects
Rainwater catchment practices raise
concerns of water quality and public
health. That said, at the heart of the
practice is a concern for water quantity,
whether as conservation measure or for
survival, says Gonser.
It is a challenge for any government
body to add monitoring protocols and
training-services to already burdened
staff and budgets, but our research
provides some examples, including
economic tools, that may be of use for
the state and county governments of
Hawaii or elsewhere, if water catchment
practices and uses are identifed as a
priority, he concludes.
Andrew Williams is a freelance
correspondent for WWi magazine.
For more information, contact: tomf@
pennwell.com
The main driver for rainwater harvesting systems, as pictured above,
is legislation as water is still seen as a low-cost resource in many parts of the world
1310WWI_24 24 11/6/13 3:34 PM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES ULTRAVIOLET TREATMENT (UV)
LIGHTING UP
LATIN AMERICA
Historically suffering from failing
water treatment infrastructure,
Colombia has had to embrace
change. A look into the countrys
frst open channel UV system
for municipal wastewater in Tolu
and efforts from global OEMs to
change a reliance on chemical
treatment across Latin America.
Tom Freyberg reports.
C
hange is on the horizon for
Colombias wastewater sector.
As reported in the June-
July edition of Water & Wastewater
International (WWi), the countrys
new Bello wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP) will have a capacity of 5 m
3
/
second. Once complete, the Bello WWTP
will end up servicing more than three
million inhabitants and cover 95% of
water discharged in the Medellin River.
It is hoped the US$347 million project
from Spanish frm Acciona Agua will
change the perception of public-private
partnerships. More importantly, if
successful, it could help plot a modern,
state-of-the-art wastewater facility on
a landscape usually accustomed to
failing facilities plagued with structural
problems.
The supplied UV solution in Tolu will achieve effuent quality of less than 10 milligrams per litre BOD and TSS
X
1310WWI_25 25 11/6/13 3:34 PM
Such lagging infrastructure was
fagged up in February 2013 when
a technical report published by the
Colombian Superintendence of Public
Works (Superservicios) found that 89
plants investigated were not operating.
The regulator inspected 333 systems
59% of the 562 installed across 480
municipalities - in compliance with the
countrys National Development Plan
2010 to 2014. Problems found included
an inability to meet treatment standards,
lack of awareness of operation protocols,
lack of maintenance and susceptibility to
natural disasters.
A CHEMICAL DISINFECTION
MARKET
With chlorine and chemical
based disinfection widely used in
municipalities across Colombia and
Latin America, ultraviolet treatment
(UV) is still seen as a young
technology.
Currently many water and
wastewater treatment designs are
based on long established technologies,
primarily because engineering
contractors here tend not use or specify
younger technologies despite the fact
that they are proven, evidence-based
solutions, Juan Contreras, projects
manager for Xylem Colombia tells WWi
magazine.
Others believe the slow growth can
also be attributed to perceived cost and
required operating expertise.
Professor Joel Ducoste, member
of the board for the International
Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and
from North Carolina State University,
says: In terms of why UV hasnt really
penetrated the Latin American market, it
might stem from the fact that its a more
energy intensive technology, so there
would be more cost to it and it requires
more care in terms of operation and
maintenanceUV technologies require
a different skill set in terms of operation.
Its not very complicated but does
require a different level of skills from the
operators.
Speaking to WWi magazine, Wayne
Lem, municipal wastewater market
manager for Trojan Technologies, adds:
Colombia currently has relatively
weak enforcement of regulations
when it comes to disinfection of
municipal wastewaters. As such,
there are challenges in the market for
adopting UV for disinfection. This
is being addressed by educating key
stakeholders on how UV technology
works and the benefts it has over
chemical disinfection.
ODOUR ISSUES IN TOLU AND UV
SOLUTION
Public water supply and safety is
critical globally and even more so when
it comes to tourist destinations and
maintaining the wellbeing of visitors.
Colombia is one of a handful of popular
Latin America destinations that has the
tourist dollar income to protect.
One region heavily dependent on
tourism is Tolu, known as the jewel in
the crown along the east coastline. In
this respect, the region has to make sure
its water and wastewater treatment is
up to scratch so visitors will return and
provide repeated business.
However, the area in the past faced
challenges with odour from its water
treatment. When the current lagoons
discharge wastewater it travels near
to where the local population is living,
so any unpleasant odours left from
treatment potentially contaminates the
surrounding area, including the sea. As
Mature misconceptions: water treatment designs in Colombia and the region are based on long
established treatment processes such as chlorine as engineering contractors tend not to use
or specify what are perceived as younger technologies, such as UV [Image credit: Heraeus]
1310WWI_26 26 11/6/13 3:34 PM
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a result, many habitants living near to
the discharge zone complained about
unpleasant odors, which were amplifed
during warm weather spells.
Therefore the announcement in
summer 2013 of the countrys frst UV
installation for municipal use in Tolu
can be seen as an important one.
FIRST OPEN CHANNEL SYSTEM
Water treatment frm Xylem secured
a contract to install a secondary
wastewater treatment solution for
the Tolu Municipality. One of the frst
wastewater treatment systems to use UV
disinfection in Colombia, the supplied
solution will have a 400 square meter
footprint and will replace traditional
lagoons which have a 15,000 square
metre footprint.
Whereas closed UV systems for
industrial applications have been more
common in Colombia, this particular
UV solution from Xylem is the frst to
be installed in an open channel in the
country.
Supplied equipment as part of the
package will include an aeration system,
decanters, blowers, monitoring, controls
and instrumentation. Primary treated
water coming from Xylems Sanitaire
ICEAS is transported to an open channel
within which the Wedeco TAK UV
system is installed. The disinfection
process is then carried out by UV
amalgam lamps.
Speaking to WWi, Contreas says: UV
destroys contaminates within seconds
where chlorine needs an extended
contact time to meet disinfection
regulations. Chlorination systems also
have potential health and environmental
risks that require additional handling
and processing to protect workers and
the environment.

MEETING BOD AND TSS
REGULATIONS
Local regulations require effuent
quality of 50 milligrams per litre
1310WWI_27 27 11/6/13 3:34 PM
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
and 22 milligrams per litre Total
Suspended Solids (TSS). The supplied
Xylem Sanitaire ICEAS solution will
achieve effuent quality of less than 10
milligrams per litre BOD and TSS.
Boasting a reduced footprint and
an operational cost saving of 11%, this
raises the question of why has it taken
so long for UV technology to be used?
While UV is used in a limited
number of industrial applications
locally, it is an unknown technology in
municipal circles chlorine or chemical
based disinfection is widely used, says
Contreas.
However, we succeeded in
conveying the many benefts of UV
technology including the fact that
it is environmentally sound and that
it provides for the potential reuse of
wastewater - to the Tolu municipality
after developing a good working
relationship with them.
BRAZIL BREAKTHROUGH
Yet Xylem is not the only major player
seeing opportunity south of the US. At
the end of 2011 Canadian frm Trojan
Technologies was awarded a US$600,000
contract to supply UV systems to four
wastewater plants in the state of Espirito
Santo, Brazil. Collectively the plants will
treat 121,000 m
3
/day of wastewater.
It should be noted that at the time,
Trojan could also claim that it supplied
units into the largest UV wastewater
treatment installation in Latin America.
The Curitiba plant, located in the
southern Brazilian state of Parana, treats
up to 136,000 m
3
/day. Since then the
company has secured a US$1 million
UV project in the continent but didnt
disclose any further details.
While Lem admits that the region
has not been without its challenges
there have been a few installations not
operational or abandoned for various
reasons including closure of wastewater
treatment plants, Trojan is growing its
installation base.
The Canadian company has 250 UV
installations in Latin America treating
a total of 750,000 m
3
/day of water/
wastewater. Although less than 10% of
the companys global business comes
from the continent, it believes the
market is set for growth.
Disinfection to safeguard public
health typically requires a regulatory
driver, says Trojans Lem, before
adding: We believe UV has a very
bright future in Latin America for water
and wastewater disinfection.
UVS FUTURE IN LATIN AMERICA
Xylems Colombia projects manager is
optimistic about the future of UV in the
continent.
We see many opportunities for
business growth in Latin America, not
just in the municipal market but also in
the industrial sector, he says. Once
it is in operation it will be easier for
consultants, other municipalities and
the community in general to experience
and understand the benefts of UV
technology.
The IUVAs Professor Ducoste believes
regulation will be the key driver. Its
more of a regulatory driver than a cost
driver, he says.
Legislation in the US, he adds,
makes it challenging for some chemical
disinfections to be used due to apparent
disinfection by-products. Because of this
UV is being seen as a go-to technology
to achieve adequate disinfection with no
known by-products, he says. Technology
evolution will also help level the playing
Canadian frm Trojan Technologies installed UV system in Orange County, California.
The frm has supplied technology to four WWTPs in Espirito Santo, Brazil as well as what has been
claimed as Latin Americas largest UV installation: the Curitiba plant in Parana, Brazil which treats
up to 136,000 m
3
/day.
1310WWI_28 28 11/6/13 3:34 PM
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Ultraviolet light is energy-rich light with a wavelength of 200 400 nanometres (nm). The intensive UVC radiation, most
strongly in the wavelength range of 254 nm, reaches the microorganisms and impacts directly on their DNA. By changing the
DNA the cell division of the microorganism is interrupted it can no longer reproduce itself and thus loses its pathogenic effect.
UV technology manufacturers claim it is possible to destroy more than 99.99% of all pathogens within seconds.
The light necessary for UV disinfection is generated in special UV lamps. A watertight tube made of quartz glass which
allows the UV light to pass through surrounds each lamp. The liquid to be disinfected runs past the quartz tubing, being
irradiated by the UV light. The number of UV lamps employed vary according to amount, fow rate and transmittance of the
medium. Ultraviolet light is also suitable for oxidation and there-fore for the reduction of undesirable substances in water.
For example, UV light with a wavelength of 185 nm oxidizes hydrocarbons, chlorine, NDMA and reduces TOC values.
In combination with ozone and peroxide UV-light can additionally be used for advanced oxidation processes (AOP) for
degradation of persistent pollutants from drinking water or wastewater.
feld in the future when it comes to
competing with popular chlorine
treatment.
The cost of UV will come down
signifcantly, he says. There is a lot
of work being done in developing
LEDs. They have already transformed
the visible light industry by providing a
long-lasting, low cost, low energy light
source.
This is already making its way into
the UV wavelength. So at some point it
is going to be cost neutral there will be
very little difference between chemical
disinfectants and some of the new [UV]
technologies because of the cost of
the sources. The cost will come down
dramatically and technology will last
longer, reducing the O&M costs as well.
CLOSING REMARKS
The Superservicios report may have
fagged up Colombias poor performing
facilities but this might have not been
such a bad thing. Making headlines
around the world, attention has been
drawn on the countrys lagging water
sector.
This might have given Colombia the
necessary motivate to change, improve
and look to its Latin American siblings
such as Brazil hosts of the Rio 2016
Olympic Games and 2014 FIFA World
Cup respectively, for inspiration.
Should the Tolu installation catalyze
other municipalities to adopt UV over
chemical treatment in Colombia, then
the doors could open to the other global
suppliers. One thing is for sure: the
move from chemical to UV will not be a
quick one in countries like Colombia.
Tom Freyberg is chief editor of WWi
magazine. For more information on this
article, please contact: tomf@pennwell.com
1310WWI_29 29 11/6/13 3:34 PM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES INDUSTRIAL WATER
S
ay Heathrow and runways,
terminals and radar-topped control
towers come to mind but much of
its 1,200 hectare footprint is grassland,
landscaped areas and natural habitats.
Off-airport land is managed to
maximise biodiversity and minimise
the airports impact on nature with the
plan accredited by the Royal Society of
Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark
Award. That green ideal is set against a
backdrop of minimising the impact of
winter operations on the environment
and the inherent costs of storing and
treating the resulting wastewater
contaminated by deicing fuids
Arctic environments are consistent
in their harsh weather pattern whereas
Londons varies wildly. In the winter
of 2012/13, 25 events were forecast but
only fve delivered heavy snowfall.
These unpredictable weather patterns
make it diffcult to manage biomass
which is the critical success factor in
natural processes.
Increasingly severe winters of recent
years across Europe and America has led
airport operators to review their storm
water treatment strategies as part of their
Winter Operations plans to support fight
safety and schedule continuity.
The desire to avoid airport closures
and travel delays has fuelled a surge
in the use of deicing fuids - partly
due to an increase in severe winter
conditions and also due to the increased
concentration of the deicer used on
aircraft. Waste streams generated from
airports are typically from de-icing
activities, aircraft wash down, fre
TOCS
AWAY
Heathrow has embarked on a natural
way of storing and treating
heavily-contaminated storm water at
its Mayfeld Farm Treatment Facility
by upgrading to Forced Bed Aeration
(FBA). Initial data shows that, as well
as dramatically increasing its treatment
capacity, the airport has also enhanced
its environmental performance.
By Tori Sellers.
Heathrows Reed Bed
Treatment Takes Off
1310WWI_30 30 11/6/13 3:34 PM
THE PROPOSED REDESIGN WOULD USE
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH
INCLUDED RETRO-FITTING AERATION
SYSTEMS INTO THE WETLANDS
fghting training and the terminals
themselves. Airports have large areas
of concrete and tarmac which collect
rainwater which becomes contaminated
as it mixes with fuel and glycol residues.
The run-off from the southern
catchment of Heathrow airport had
been stored and treated by the Mayfeld
works, which included a constructed
wetland system installed in 2001. It
comprised 36,000 m
3
of storage: a
primary reservoir, a foating reed bed
section, a balancing lagoon and twelve
constructed wetlands, each 0.5 m deep.
The original treatment wetlands at the
airport were designed to remove deicers
containing glycols using anaerobic
processes with a design loading rate of
590kg (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)
per day (BOD/d).
After planting 80,000 reeds, Heathrow is on
track to meet its biodiversity action plan, as
well as process diffcult to treat wastewater
using natural methods
Heathrow evaluated the plants
treatment effciency and whether it
was ft for purpose. It was struggling to
cope with all the challenges of harsher
winters while maintaining optimum
output and discharge compliance. The
solution called for a step change in
treatment capacity.
EVALUATING AND OPTIMISING
Heathrow wanted to optimise its
existing treatment system which was
designed to store and treat much lower
contaminant loads based on data from
the 1990s. It was decided that it needed
a natural treatment system to attenuate
and treat the fow of storm water before
discharging to the local watercourse.
The old system was the right size
physically for the volume of water but
increased use of deicer over the past few
years had overloaded the system so that
oxygen and nutrient availability were
the limiting factors.
Coupled with the fact that the run-off
is nutrient-poor, this resulted in a low
microbial count in the system. This
meant it was struggling to maintain
treatment performance, leading to
effuent having to be tankered off-site
for treatment.
A Forced Bed Aeration (FBA) system
was recommended by ARM, following
results from an installation across the
Atlantic, at the Buffalo Airport in New
York. The $9 million, full-scale, airport
wastewater treatment system was next
to the runway but it had no risk of
bird strike (collisions between birds
and planes) as it had been planted
with grass and has no areas of open
water.
The proposed re-design of the
treatment works at Mayfeld would use
the entire, existing infrastructure which
included retro-ftting aeration systems
into the constructed wetlands. The
design target was to remove a minimum
of 3,500 kg of BOD/d.
GLYCOL REMOVAL TRIALS
Before an effective treatment system
could be implemented, a trial was set
up in the winter of 2009-10 to monitor
the contaminant load and to test the
constructed wetlands ability to remove
deicer components. Three of the existing
constructed wetlands were taken off-line.
Bed A was re-engineered and the
aeration system (FBA) retro-ftted and
switched on. Bed B was re-engineered
with FBA but not aerated. This was so
that it had the same level of disruption
as Bed A to ensure comparative results
and Bed C was the control bed so it
stayed as per the original layout.
All three beds received the same
storm water and were monitored to
show storage and treatment capacity in
the three systems.
Increasingly severe winters of recent years across Europe and America
has led airport operators to review their storm water treatments
1310WWI_31 31 11/6/13 3:34 PM
TRIAL, RESULTS AND START OF
TREATMENT WORKS
The trial demonstrated the wetland
system was dealing with an actual
load of 1,900Kg BOD/d which was
three times the original design load.
As a result, in October 2010 BAA
commissioned ARM to optimise the
Mayfeld Farm Treatment Facility
including retro-ftting aeration into the
existing wetland treatment systems.
Based on the results of the trial,
twelve beds at Mayfeld Farm were
retro-ftted with FBA technology. No
new assets needed to be built as the
existing infrastructure of lagoons and
constructed wetlands were re-used.
The data for the whole new system
is currently being collated but, even
with very harsh weather conditions,
Heathrow has improved its removal
rates by a factor of fourteen since using
FBA.

MANAGING THE SOLUTION -
ONLINE INSTRUMENTATION
Extensive research and development
into effective wastewater treatment
consistently shows that an integrated
system which is capable of adapting
to challenges - is the most effective
solution. However, even the most
effcient wastewater treatment system
will require management to ensure it
continues to effectively store and treat
contaminated run-off.
It will need to be adjusted - with
minimal time demanded from airfeld
operations staff - to meet varying
treatment demands as the climate
fuctuates so widely.
Natural wastewater treatment systems
require management of nutrient and
bacteria levels to ensure there is enough
biomass to treat the contaminants. At
Heathrows Mayfeld Farm Treatment
Site, online instrumentation and controls
were installed to help treatment process
integration.
GREAT POWER, GREAT
RESPONSIBILITY
Airports will need to commit to
integrated, sustainable, wastewater
treatment solutions to meet the demands
of best and worst deicing scenarios.
Heathrow has raised its game by
reducing the airports environmental
impact and will cut operating costs for
many years to come. Since installing
FBA, three major benefts can be noted
at Heathrow. The frst is that by re-using
the original wetland treatment facility,
Heathrows only needed to upgrade the
system.
Secondly, the airports environmental
team is able to control and monitor the
systems performance remotely using a
SCADA system, requiring minimal on-
site intervention.
Finally, after planting 80,000 reeds,
Heathrow has made a huge contribution
to meeting its biodiversity action plan
by maintaining habitats for birds, bats
and the insects on which they feed.
As Heathrows environmental
operations manager, Russell Knight,
says: This facility allows us to continue
fulflling our commitments to running
Heathrow responsibly and effciently.
And when it comes to an airport
thats in charge of hosting 70 million
passengers arriving and departing each
year, responsibility is one matter where
Heathrow cannot afford to cut corners.
Tori Sellers
is director at ARM Group. For more
information on the installed system, visit:
www.armgroupltd.co.uk.
W The original treatment wetlands at the airport were designed to remove deicers
containing glycols using anaerobic processes with a design loading rate of 590kg BOD/d.
T Plane deicing: Waste streams generated from airports are typically from de-icing
activities, aircraft wash down, fre fghting training and the terminals themselves.
HEATHROW HAS RAISED ITS
GAME BY REDUCING THE
AIRPORTS ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT AND WILL CUT
OPERATING COSTS FOR
MANY YEARS TO COME.
1310WWI_32 32 11/6/13 3:34 PM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES GROUNDWATER
O
ut of Kenyas 41 million people,
17 million lack access to safe
water. Kenya is classifed among
the most water scarce countries in the
world. The region of Turkana is one of
the hottest, driest and poorest parts of
the country and devastating droughts
are not uncommon. With many of the
regions inhabitants being nomadic
herders, the lack of rain and water has
a huge impact on day-to-day activities
where water is followed to sustain life.
Facing such severe challenges, Kenya
was one of fve countries including
India, Morocco, South Africa and
Tanzania selected for studies into the
management of groundwater sources.
The results were published in a 2011
World Bank report titled Kenya
Groundwater governance case study.
It did not however make for positive
reading. Aquifers that do exist and were
actively being used in the country were
criticized for not being managed
properly.
And one major scheme designed
to project the Nairobi aquifer system
was slammed for completely failing
to achieve this objective. The report
concluded that despite its importance,
the value of groundwater is not
appreciated, nor is its vulnerability
understood.
The study attributed the weak and
ineffective groundwater management
to a perception that groundwater is an
inexhaustible resource.
It went onto say that: This perception
is caused by poor knowledge of
groundwater resources, general
weakness in institutional capacity,
limited technical capacity that is not
appropriately deployed, poor funding
and weak political commitment at the
senior policy-making level.
Such a prognosis wouldnt not have
been welcomed in any country, let alone
one where every drop of water really
counts.
AQUIFER DISCOVERY
Fast forward two years and more
positive news about Kenyas aquifers
positive made headlines around the
world. Findings from a UNESCO
project backed by the Government of
The discovery of over 200 billion
cubic metres of water in Kenya has
made headlines around the world but
what technology was used to fnd this
miraculous amount of water? What
could the technology mean for water
scarcity across the rest of Africa?
by WWi magazine
LIFE
U N D E R G R O U N D
Mapping Additional Groundwater Supplies in Kenya
1310WWI_33 33 11/6/13 3:37 PM
Japan were announced in capital city
Nairobi. Under the GRIDMAP project
(Groundwater Resources Investigation
for Drought Mitigation in Africa
Programme), two new groundwater
sources were identifed and proven
following drilling.
First up was the Lotikipi Basin
Aquifer, located west of Lake Turkana,
the worlds largest permanent desert
lake.
Second was the smaller Lodwar Basin
Aquifer, which was touted to serve as a
strategic reserve for the development of
Lodwar, capital city of Turkana County.
Situated a short distance from Turkanas
oil reserves, the second reserve is fed
by the perennial Turkwel River and has
an estimated reserve of 10 billion cubic
meters.
Judi Wakhungu, cabinet secretary
of the Ministry of Environment, Water
and Natural Resources, said at the time:
The news about these water reserves
comes at a time when reliable water
supplies are highly needed. This newly
found wealth of water opens a door to a
more prosperous future for the people of
Turkana and the nation as a whole. We
must now work to further explore these
resources responsibly and safeguard
them for future generations.
So what do these discoveries mean
in numbers? The study found that
Turkana hosts a minimum reserve of
250 billion cubic meters of water, which
is recharged mainly by the rainfalls of
the Kenyan and Ugandan highlands at a
rate of 3.4 billion cubic meters per year.
The water source alone is said to be
twice the amount Kenyans consume
today and could boost the countrys
share of water by 17%. Considered to be
the same size as the US state of Rhode
Island, the aquifer replenishes at a rate
of 1.2 billion cubic meters a year.
With experts around the world
warning that natural groundwater
sources are being depleted by industrial,
agricultural and human needs, such an
enormous discovery of water in an area
in such dire need, could not have come
at a better time.
MAPPING TECHNOLOGY
With such impressive amounts of water
discovered, this raises two questions:
why were they not discovered before,
considering the region suffered from
such severe drought and what process
was used to locate the aquifers that
differs from current methods?
The company behind the system used
is France-based Radar Technologies
International (RTI).
RTIs remote-sensing and geophysics
based water exploration technology,
otherwise know as the WATEX System,
was used in the Turkana project. The
technology combines remote sensing,
seismic and conventional groundwater
information to explore and map
groundwater occurrence over large areas
in short periods of time.
Satellite and radar imagery is
combined with geographical surveys,
climate maps and seismic data to give
what could be likened to an MRI scan
(magnetic resonance imaging) of a
human being.
Rather than being used to diagnose
health conditions affecting organs, tissue
and bones on a person, this instead
system detects the porous geological
formations, or materials that are likely to
hold water wells on land.
Maps generated by WATEX are
claimed to have a 6.25-meter surface
accuracy and RTI claims can locate
underground water with over 94%
certainty in many areas.
Prior to the UNESCO project in
Kenya, the system had been used for
international aid agencies and foreign
governments, most recently in Ethiopia,
Angola, Chad, Darfur and Afghanistan.
Importantly, WATEX works without the
need for drilling boreholes a practise
which in the past, solely by itself, has
been criticised as inaccurate.
Airborne electromagnetic surveys
(AEMs) of land to map groundwater
have been common in the past,
particularly in Nebraskas Ogallala
area in the US, where water depletion
issues are serious. To obtain this data
helicopters fy 30 metres above the
surface, sending electromagnetic rays
into the earth, measuring the resistance.
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS AND
CHALLENGES
In its fnal technical report, RTI says
that the large Lotikipi Basin Aquifer
System will no doubt play a vital role
in the economic security of the country.
An annual replenishment rate of 1.2
km
3
represents 6% of the nations total
renewable resources (20.2 km
3
/year).
RTI says: The importance of the
fndings of this study as a scientifc
advancement cannot be understated;
both in terms of the potential impact
these fndings may have on future
human development and in terms of
their contribution to hydrogeological
science in Kenya and the region.
Discovering new water sources is one
thing, but the next stage is assessing
quality and putting in the right
infrastructure for distribution.
Karen Villholth, senior researcher
in groundwater management in
the southern African offce for the
International Water Management
Institute (IWMI), told National
Geographic that there still needs to be
more study before the water can be
used.
Local area chief, Mrs Elamach, undertakes rapid quality assessment at the test pumping site in Napuu Borehole
1310WWI_34 34 11/6/13 3:37 PM
Some of these areas are inficted
with civil unrest between different
populations or ethnic groups, which
could slow down or even impede
immediate development, she
reportedly said.
Oil has also been detected in
the Turkana region, showing that
integrating the development of these
resources will be crucial.
Furthermore, although the multi-
billion cubic metre aquifer source has
been heralded by the worlds media a
potential answer to Kenyas water woes,
challenges could remain in making sure
the countrys farmers had access to it.
Tapping into groundwater requires a
major shift in irrigation practices, says
the IWMI, not only requiring tangible
equipment such as pumps and pipes,
but policies and strategies to catalyze
change.
Interestingly, the IWMI says that
only 3% of sub-Saharan Africas
groundwater resources are used for
irrigated agriculture. In a special edition
of Water International journal, scientists
from the institute including Villholth
set out to answer the question of why
groundwater is underused?
Coming back to the World
Bank report, the issue of effective
management is again brought up.
Governments have to realize
their dual role as facilitator as well
as regulator in the development of
groundwater irrigation in SSA and
across relevant sectors, says Villholth.
Understanding the groundwater
resources and its users are managing
them require up-front attention and
integration into policy and decision
making. This becomes more critical as
larger shares of groundwater are being
taken for agriculture.
GAINING A RESPECT FOR WATER
The discovered 250 billion cubic metre
water reserve found in Turkana is
enough to warrant calling it a larger
share of groundwater. The challenge
lies in conducting further studies
into water quality and whether the
source can be appropriately managed
and distributed in a region where
management and respect for water has
historically been lacking.
This article was written by WWi
magazine. For more information, please
email: tomf@pennwell.com
A drilling technician positions the drilling bit onto the
expected geo-coordinates with precision
A water bowser providing water necessary for mud-drilling
1310WWI_35 35 11/6/13 3:38 PM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT US/CARIBBEAN
F
or many merely to mention the
Caribbeans ffth largest country
is to conjure up images of water.
And not without some justifcation.
For Jamaicas indigenous people,
the Taino, once referred to the island
as Xaymaca - the land of wood and
water. Which prompts one to wonder
what on earth their ancestors might
make of the fact that despite there
being rivers in virtually every one of its
fourteen administrative parishes - water
shortages remain a grim but regular
feature of Jamaican life.
In fact earlier this year Water, Land
and Climate Change Minister Bobby
Pickersgill went so far as to warn his
fellow countrymen that they should
brace themselves for drought conditions.
This rather unimpressive water
management hand is certainly not all
attributable to poor planning. Jamaica
is heavily dependent on agriculture
and being situated within the tropics
means that it is dependent on more
than one rainy season. But some of it
undoubtedly is.
To the extent that even if the island
proves resistant to privatisation, the
countrys Prime Minister, the formidable
Portia Simpson-Miller, has already
briefed her ministers that they should
busy themselves looking to partner with
Chinese companies on a wide variety
of water-related projects, a message
which has been both well-received and
acted upon in Beijing. There might well
be an absence of agreed-upon criteria
as to what makes a country developing
rather than developed. But Jamaica
nevertheless features on each and every
list of less-developed countries. Which
is not to imply, of course, that it is new
to issues of water and sanitation. On
the contrary, one of the frst ever piped
water supply systems in the whole of
the western hemisphere happened to
originate in Jamaica - in the town of
Falmouth, to be precise.
With the Martha Brae River as its
source, the Falmouth Water Works
Company was established way back in
1799, its objective to supply both the
local townsfolk and visiting ships.
Today its the NWC (National Water
Commission) which rules the roost,
supplying more than two million people
with water services daily and more
than half a million of those people with
wastewater services too. A statutory
body, it operates under the auspices of
Bobby Pickersgills Ministry.
FACTS AND FIGURES
The facts and fgures seem impressive
enough: the NWC produces more than
90% of Jamaicas total potable water
supply from a network of more than 160
underground wells, 116 river sources
and 147 springs. It operates more than
1000 water supply and 100 sewerage
facilities across the island.
Its facilities include of 4000 km
of pipelines and more than 500 km
of sewer mains across the island.
Altogether it supplies over 190 million
While the Caribbean Island of Jamaica
benefts from its tropical setting and
bountiful fresh water supplies, the
nations water infrastructure is creaking
at the seams. Having once boasted
one of the western worlds frst ever
piped water supplies, a lack of private
investment combined with poor
planning has led to the prospect of
drought conditions. Could the Chinese
have the answer?
Jeremy Josephs reports.
JAMAICAS WATER SECTOR
NOT A RUNAWAY SUCCESS
Jamaicas image as a popular Caribbean tourist
destination belies the many water challenges it faces
1310WWI_36 36 11/6/13 3:38 PM
gallons (720,000 m
3
) of potable water
daily.
The NWCs PR machine has not been
backwards in coming forward when it
comes to the supply of convincing prose
- its vision is for the NWC to be the
number one water services utility in the
Caribbean.
Its mission is to contribute positively
to national development and its core-
values inextricably bound up with issues
of honesty, integrity, transparency,
accountability, professionalism and self-
suffciency.
Fine words undoubtedly. But
do they tally with what is actually
happening on the ground, in the real
world which affects the lives of real
people? And to which the answer has to
be, alas, not really.
The fact of the matter is that access
to adequate sanitation stands at just
80%. This means that the poor - and
notably the urban poor live in the
islands numerous (last offcial count:
595) squatter settlements in conditions
which are both extremely unhealthy
and unsanitary and where the risk of
contracting a waterborne disease is
high indeed. It is estimated that 10% of
Jamaicas 2.7 million people live in such
settlements - thats well over a quarter of
a million.
And the very best of luck to the water
technician who is prepared to venture
into certain of these settlements - some
are highly-dangerous no-go areas
where rival gangs jealously guard their
patch of territory - a fact which has
undoubtedly contributed to Jamaica
now having the ffth highest murder rate
in the world. This again demonstrates
that issues of water management cannot
be assessed in isolation, as if cut off and
apart from broader economic and social
factors at play.
UNDER PRESSURE
For those homes fortunate enough to
receive water, they often do so at low
pressure. Most rural communities
receive water that is not (or only
irregularly) chlorinated. But perhaps
most worrying of all is that a recent
census revealed that 69% of Jamaicas
households receive untreated drinking
water.
Non-revenue water (NRW) runs at
around a massive 66%. And the last
offcial fgures available reveal an even
more depressing fact - that of the 277
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million m
3
of water produced, only 103
million m
3
were consumed.
The NWC might well aspire to be the
model for the whole of the Caribbean,
but a World Health Organization
(WHO) report reveals that it in fact has
the second-lowest rate of drinking water
coverage in the region.
The inability of the islands
administrators to properly manage
issues relating to agriculture has also
resulted in the pollution of water due
to soil erosion, deforestation and the
over-use of chemicals in the agricultural
sector.
The United Nations Environmental
Program (UNEP) examined these very
issues in Jamaica and concluded that
in order to protect its water supply,
the island had to develop legislative
standards such as water quality norms
and land use laws.
If you contact the NWC and the
Ministry they will inform you that they
are on to the case. Which perhaps they
are. And no doubt with the very best of
intentions.
Yet again, when it comes to their
implementation on the ground there
clearly remains much work to be
done, the islands problems being
compounded, of course, during the
hurricane season which invariably
provokes further service interruptions
and increased incidences of water-borne
diseases.
It would appear, then, if one may
be so bold as to paraphrase Gilbert
and Sullivan, that when it comes to
water management issues in Jamaica,
the islands lot is not a happy one.
S Jamaicas Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has been
looking towards China for partnership
1310WWI_37 37 11/6/13 3:38 PM
PRIVATISATION?
While privatisation has become a
common currency in developed western
economies, this isnt the case in Jamaica.
At least not in respect of its water
utilities.
For in truth privatisation did come
to the island as part of a more distinct
strategy of liberalisation and private-
sector led growth. It hit the sugar
industry in Jamaica with a vengeance
and despite signifcant preparatory
work it was considered to be a failure.
Jamaicas privatisation of the
telecommunications industry, however,
was generally hailed as a success. But
the water sector, for better or for worse,
somehow managed to remain above the
fray. Until recently, that is.
For Jamaicas The Gleaner newspaper
(which can hardly be described as a
local rag on the grounds that it was
established in 1834) recently called
for the divestment of the NWC. Why?
Because the simple fact is that, as it
now stands, the Jamaican Government
cannot afford the NWC.
APPROXIMATELY
189 MILLION CUBIC
METRES A YEAR OF
WATER IS NOT PAID
FOR. MOST OF IT
LEAKS AWAY IN OLD,
ROTTEN PIPES
It then proceeded to make a withering
assault on the NWC. The Government
is currently negotiating with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for
an economic-support agreement. We
need that agreement because Jamaica
has amassed a Greek-style debt, the
servicing of which consumes over half
the Governments budget. Then there is
the NWC itself.
By its last published accounts,
that company has a debt of more than
J$10 billion ($96 million), which is a
contingent liability of the Government.
It has accumulated a defcit of J$17
billion ($164 million), to which another
J$3 billion ($24 million) will be added
this fscal year, continued The Gleaner.
That, of itself, is bad enough. But the
situation is likely to get worse. Nearly
70%, or approximately 50 billion gallons
(189 million m
3
) a year, of the water
produced by the NWC is not paid for.
Most of it leaks away in old, rotted
pipes.
It would make sense, therefore,
to transfer the responsibility for the
overhaul of the NWC infrastructure, and
the cost of doing so, to the private sector,
as the Government is being forced to do
with other state companies, argued the
paper.
CHINESE DELIVERY SERVICE
So far those siren voices calling for
the privatisation of the water sector
in Jamaica have not been heeded. But
that does not mean that there is not
movement in the air.
For the NWC has itself been looking
for partners for water projects. But not
looking towards the UK, the former
colonial power and, one could be
forgiven for thinking, its most natural
ally, but out towards the East and
Beijing.
For it was no less a fgure than
the countrys Prime Minister, Portia
Simpson-Miller (known locally as
Mama P) who led discussions with the
China Development Bank this summer
with a view to implementing a number
of critical water and sewerage projects
worth billions of dollars.
The Prime Minister has said that
based on current plans, it is estimated
that US$1 billion is required to increase
coverage, reliability and effciency
of potable water systems across the
country with a further US$1 billion
required to install new central sewerage
systems in no less than sixteen major
towns.
The government is proposing to go
the route of Public Private Partnership
(PPP) arrangements, using the Build,
Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT)
approach, to implement one or more
of the required three potable water
treatment plants.
This is not to suggest, however, that
home-grown projects have been put
on hold. For just a few weeks ago the
S A global icon of Jamaicas runaway success: world record holder in 100m and 200m Usain Bolt
S But behind the idealized image of Jamaica as a tourist
destination great poverty is not diffcult to detect.
1310WWI_38 38 11/6/13 3:38 PM
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ground was broken for the US$12.6
million Lucea Pipeline Replacement
Project.
Although only a six month project,
it is set to provide employment for
over 100 workers, and will facilitate
the construction of a new 20 inch (508
mm) transmission pipeline through
Lucea, to allow water from the Great
River Treatment Plant to better supply
all areas along the corridor leading into
Negril.
Minister Pickersgill was out
and in fne form, boasting that the
project represents the governments
commitment to employing the necessary
technology and resources to monitor,
model, map and manage the nations
surface and groundwater resources far
better than we have ever done in our
history.
This happens to dovetail with the
Jamaican governments Vision 2030
Jamaica National Development Plan.
Vision 2030 Jamaica plans to
ensure the development of world-class
transport, telecommunications, water
supply and sanitation infrastructure that
can contribute to the competitiveness
of Jamaican producers and improved
quality of life for the Jamaican people.
More fne words? Possibly so only
time will tell.
BOLT FROM THE BLUE
Of course no country profle of Jamaica
would be complete without mention of
its global icon Usain Bolt. Eight times
world champion, six times Olympic
champion and the worlds fastest man.
And what might all that have to do
with water issues? Well, everything, as
a matter of fact. At least according to a
certain Jamaican gentleman by the name
of Daryl Vaz from Buff Bay, Portland
and who recently wrote this to the editor
of that august journal The Gleaner. Few
would argue that he has a point.
THE EDITOR, SIR:
I read with interest and amazement
a headline Falmouth to get statue of
Usain Bolt and, whereas I have no issue
with that, it brings to mind that Usains
birthplace, Sherwood Content, still after
his rise to fame, continues to have major
water woes.
I would have thought that with all he
has done for our beloved country, and
continues to do, his home town and its
residents would have fnally got a water
supply.
This would be far more appreciated
Im sure by Usain and his family.
Im am really hoping and praying
that the promise of water becomes a
reality in light of the billions of dollars
spent every year and the Governments
announcements of the billions of more
dollars to be spent under the National
Water Commissions programme.
Lets hope that with all the glory
and fame that Usain has given Jamaica
another Olympics and IAAF World
Championships would not have come
and gone without the residents of that
community getting piped water.
Over to you Members of Parliament,
Minister of Water, and Prime Minister.
Over to you, indeed. It all leads one
to conclude, unfortunately, that when
it comes to Jamaicas water, it has been
anything but a runaway success.
Jeremy Josephs is a freelance
correspondent for WWi magazine. For more
information, contact: tomf@pennwell.com
For more information, enter 15 at wwi.hotims.com For more information, enter 16 at wwi.hotims.com
1310WWI_39 39 11/6/13 3:38 PM
W
ater and wastewater
infrastructure in US currently
faces a long list of issues.
Aging infrastructure, increasing
regulations, energy costs and funding
are all issues which the country needs to
address.
According to Tami Ray, director
at Black & Veatchs management
consulting division, while many
US utilities are incorporating asset
management and sustainability
measures in an effort to decrease cost,
there remains a fnancing gap for capital
projects.
The US EPA estimates a total of
more than $632 billion of infrastructure
investment needs in water and
wastewater up to the year 2028. Other
organisations, such as the US Conference
of Mayors, estimate investment needs
by 2028 to be upward of $2.8 trillion.
While traditional fnancing venues
remain, there is a desire to bridge the
gap between necessary infrastructure
improvements and available funding,
explains Ray.
The American Water Works
Association (AWWA), Water
Environment Federation (WEF) and
Association of Metropolitan Water
Authorities (AMWA), have undertaken
their own research on the situation
and the likely effects of this massive
infrastructure funding defcit.
The fruit of their labours has been
the creation of a Water Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Authority
(WIFIA), modeled on the successful
Transportation Infrastructure Finance
and Innovation Act (TIFIA), to resolve
these issues.
Accessing funds from the Federal
Treasury at long-term Treasury rates,
WIFIA funds would be used to provide
loans or other kinds of credit support
to major - $20 million plus projects
or State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
wanting to increase their capital. Loan
repayments, with interest, would
fow back to WIFIA and thence to the
Treasury, so WIFIA would have no net
long-term effect on the federal budget,
the organisations argue.
AWWAs director of legislative affairs,
Tommy Holmes, explains that the
fnancial option represented by WIFIA
is something we came up with after
study. I like the way we did it. The
studies pushed us in the direction of
The USs drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure is in deep
trouble the US Environmental
Protection Agency estimates that at
current levels of expenditure, the gap
between actual and needed levels of
investment in water infrastructure will
be in excess of $300 billion over the
next 20 years.
WWi investigates.
Is WIFIA the Answer for US Water Diffculties?
MIND
THE
GAP
1310WWI_40 40 11/6/13 3:38 PM
WIFIA.
Water and wastewater infrastructure
is paid for by local rates and charges,
so we were driven to look for the
lowest cost, but still doing the job
right. The most cost effcient way was
WIFIA, which will provide low-cost
fnancing and flls the gap in existing
Federal programmes to fnance water
infrastructure, he continues.
Holmes adds that while the SRFs
have done good things, most states
are unable to fnance projects over $20
million and a tool to fnance these larger
infrastructure projects is needed.
SRFs tend to be prioritised at what
is the most immediate threat to public
health. So if you are a utility safely in
compliance but wanting to rehabilitate,
you go to the bottom of the list. We want
to rehabilitate infrastructure before its a
problem an engineer can fx anything
with enough money, its just a lot more
expensive to fx after its broken, says
Holmes.
WIFIA EXPLAINED
The way that WIFIA would work is
critical to understanding the benefts of
this fnancing approach. Under US law,
a federal entity can only provide credit
assistance to the extent that Congress
annually appropriates budget authority
to cover the subsidy cost of a loan
that is, the net long-term cost of the loan
to the Federal government, which is
based on the risk of default.
In the case of TIFIA the leverage
ratio is around ten to one every
$1 in subsidy supports $10 in credit
assistance, a fgure that may be even
higher for the water sector, Holmes
believes.
Every dollar from WIFIA will result
in $33 being loaned out, he estimates.
Historically, US water utilities have a
loan default rate of 0.04 per cent, and most
of these are resolved in a couple of years.
Holmes goes on to explain that WIFIA
will be housed within the US EPA.
When a loan application is made, the
regulator will evaluate the project and
its creditworthiness and make a loan.
Another beauty of the project is that it
is long-term budget neutral. The era of
grant programmes is over, he adds.
The Water Environment Federations
government affairs expert Tim Williams
notes that: in the environment we are
in at the moment, a programme that can
provide funding without a cost to the
Treasury is attractive.
The need for funding is far greater
than the money available through the
SRF regardless of its limitations, he
notes. The numbers are very large,
says Williams. A lot of pipes and plants
were built at the time they passed the
original environmental laws in the
1970s, and these are now at the end of
their replacement life in many cities.
There are still pipes in the ground that
are 100 years old. It is a replacement era
we have to fnance.
WIFIA provides the sort of low
interest, direct-fnance funding for larger
sums that can be combined with other
sources of revenue to fund projects
that would otherwise struggle to get
suffcient fnancing, he notes.
According to Williams the
entire industry and the states and
municipalities themselves, with big
responsibilities to fulfll and pressured
by having been through the worst
fnancial downturn in 30 or 40 years, are
also anxious for solutions.
There are various proposals such as
a trust fund or a national tax that would
go into a fund to pay for local projects.
WIFIA is one tool in the toolbox on its
own it will not solve the gap, but it will
solve the shortcomings of the current
programme, which does not fund larger
projects, he adds.
STORMY WATERS AHEAD?
According to AMWAs director of
legislative affairs, Dan Hartnett, US
drinking water infrastructure requires at
least $384 billion worth of rehabilitation
and upgrades over the next two
decades.
WIFIAs affordable low-interest
loans will help communities pay the
bill, while its leveraging structure and
loan-payback requirements will avoid
burdening the federal government with
new debt, he explains.
Investing in our water infrastructure
is good for the economy, good for
communities, and good for public
health. WIFIA will be a win-win for local
water ratepayers and federal taxpayers,
concludes Harnett.
The frst House of Representatives
hearing on the bill occurred on 19
September.
CH2M HILL vice president for
federal affairs, Matt Chiller explains
that the Senate overwhelmingly passed
its version of the Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) in a bi-
partisan show of support, and that the
House of Representatives Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure
has now fnalised its version of the bill.
However, he also cautions of worrying
news.
Their bill does not include WIFIA.
This is nuanced the House supports
WIFIA, and the people on the
Committee support it as well, but they
didnt want the bill to get too far into
issues around the Clean Water Act and
the US EPA, he explains.
This fear of possible controversy does
not mean WIFIA is dead, however.
According to Chiller once the House
Bill has been debated a number of
representatives from both the House
and Senate will then be chosen for the
Conference stage.
We are very hopeful that the House
will accept WIFIA. We are hopeful they
will because they support it in concept.
We are going to advocate it, and many
water industry-related people in
Washington will as well.
INDUSTRY SUPPORT
According to Mike Matichich, frm-wide
practice area lead for fnancial services
at CH2M HILL, a number of water
industry associations have been putting
W
Dawn Kristof-Champney, president of
WWEMA, believes WIFIA would lead to a
true form of public-private partnership
WW
CH2M Hills Mike Matichich says WIFIA is
an important resource to private fnancing
WW W
1310WWI_41 41 11/6/13 3:38 PM
out position papers and making known
their support, for which there has been
keen interest.
Matichich explains that WIFIA is seen
as an important resource in addition
to leading-edge approaches to private
fnancing such as the West Coast
Infrastructure Exchange, which brings
together the states of California, Oregon,
Washington and British Columbia in a
framework agreement.
Black & Veatchs Tami Ray notes
that fnancing is a diffcult issue at the
current time.
Todays economic concerns have
delayed many critical infrastructure
projects and created a post-recession risk
aversion in the municipal bond market,
says Ray.
Chiller adds that the 2011 Budget
Control Act brought in pretty strict
budget caps over the next ten years that
mean the Federal governments scope
to provide funding for major projects is
limited. Large infusions of capital will
have to come from elsewhere.
STRUGGLE STATES AND
BANKRUPT CITIES
With California having struggled to
pass its budget and the bankruptcy of
Detroit, Matichich observes that states
and municipalities are looking for new
ways to deliver fnance, such as PPPs or
design-build-operate-fnance packages.
Bundling projects, as in the West
Coast Infrastructure Exchange, provides
the sort of scale ($150 million plus) that
many such groups are interested in.
Most large municipal projects, while
larger than SRF funding could support,
are between $30 million and $75 million
and therefore too small in themselves to
be attractive, Matichich adds.
He also notes that WIFIA is an
important element of the solution
because the impact on consultants
and other project delivery groups such
as construction contractors follows the
interests of clients. If the pipeline of
needed projects is stalled, the need for
consulting and contractor support to
advance projects slows in relation.
Chiller meanwhile adds that one of
the attractions of WIFIA is its broad
array of eligibility - projects as disparate
as desalination, rehabilitation, energy
effciency and food control could all be
funded.
Water and Wastewater Equipment
Manufacturers Association (WWEMA)
president, Dawn Kristof-Champney
notes that given the funding gap and
trying economic times, WIFIA is a
creative option that provides [larger
cities] access to lower-cost capital from
the US Treasury with limited to no
impact on the federal budget as funds
are repaid to the Treasury with interest.
It is a true form of public-private
partnership that is warranted if we are
to protect public health by ensuring the
integrity of our nations water supply
and wastewater treatment systems.
She explains that the current situation
is having a grave effect on equipment
manufacturers. Without access to
affordable capital, our municipalities are
unable to maintain or upgrade existing
projects or invest in new ones. This has
had a crippling effect on the water and
wastewater equipment market, viewed
by many these days as in the toilet.
With the exception of a few pockets
driven by regulatory mandate such
as nutrient removal or combined sewer
overfow reduction and the occasional,
though increasingly frequent,
distribution system malfunctions,
business for the most part is fat
or contracting, with little cause for
optimism anytime in the immediate
future.
The majority of projects that do
exist involve small orders for spare
parts. The few big projects attract
swaths of competitors bidding at
rock-bottom prices in order to sustain
their businesses during this economic
slump, adds Kristof-Champney.
WIFIA, she feels, is the shot in the
arm that the industry needs. WIFIA
provides a means for resuscitating
the market and moving projects
forward. This will beneft all sectors
of the industry, including municipal
employees, consulting engineers,
contractors, equipment manufacturers,
sales representatives and most
important the consumer, who benefts
from the life-sustaining services our
industry provides.
CONCERNS
However, she does issue a warning:
The one aspect of this legislation that
gives us grave cause for concern is
the prospect of requiring compliance
with Buy American as a condition of
receiving these funds. The readership of
Water and Wastewater International is
undoubtedly aware of the unintended
consequences associated with restrictive
domestic procurement rules that limit
competition, increase costs, delay
projects, add administrative burdens,
and put equipment manufacturers
at risk of being locked out of foreign
markets as other countries replicate
such practices in their government
procurement and public works
projects.
WWEMA is also working to advance
the Sustainable Water Infrastructure
Investment Act, which Kristof-
Champney believes has the potential
to bring $5 billion annually in private
investment in water and wastewater
infrastructure projects.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the clear need and enthusiasm for
WIFIA, the need for a clear rationale for
projects must remain, cautions Tami Ray.
Many utilities continue to struggle
with needed capital improvements that
may not be supported by signifcant
business case. These projects need a
small degree of public assistance to
become viable and affordable at the local
level, she says.
Consideration must be given to
affordability and effectiveness when
planning for projects that address our
nations water security and safety. A
criterion has been established by the
US EPA to weigh these considerations
and provide fnancial assistance to
encourage these projects. It is important
the same considerations be addressed by
WIFIA, concludes Ray.
This article was written by WWi magazine.
For more information, contact: tomf@
pennwell.com
WIFIA IS A SHOT IN THE ARM THAT
THE INDUSTRY NEEDS. WIFIA CAN
HELP MOVE PROJECTS FORWARD
1310WWI_42 42 11/6/13 3:38 PM
The leading
water/wastewater
event in Russia, CIS
and Eastern Europe
3-6 June 2014
Russia, Moscow
IEC Crocus Expo
visit
www.ecwatech.com
to register and for information
updates
Follow us on nd us on
1310WWI_43 43 11/6/13 3:38 PM
44
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT US / CARIBBEAN
With the already signifcant
fracking industry set for further
rapid expansion in the US, the
demands on fresh water supplies
are mounting, as is the need to
process the large volumes of
produced wastewater. Centralised
treatment of wastewater is
emerging as a viable solution for
long-term effciency in managing
water sourcing and wastewater
treatment in hydraulic fracturing.
Jeff Easton reports.
T
he number of hydraulic fracturing
(fracking) shale oil and gas
wells in the US, and worldwide,
continues to increase. The Bakken
Shale formation alone, located in
North Dakota and Montana, is home to
upwards of 15,000 hydraulic fracturing
wellheads, with another 20,000 planned.
The US has vast reserves of oil and
natural gas which now are commercially
reachable as a result of advances in
horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing technologies. But as more
hydraulic fracturing wells come into
operation, so does the stress on surface
water and groundwater supplies from
the withdrawal of large volumes of
water used in the process needing up
to one million gallons (3,780 m
3
) of fresh
water per wellhead to complete the
fracking process alone.
Equally important is the growing
volume of wastewater generated from
fracking wells, requiring disposal
or recycling. Up to 60% of the water
injected into a wellhead during the
fracking process will discharge back
out of the well shortly thereafter, as
fowback wastewater. Thereafter, and for
the life of the wellhead, it will discharge
up to 100,000 gallons (378 m
3
/day) of
wastewater. This wastewater needs to be
captured, and disposed of or recycled.
Because water is the base fuid and
biggest component used in hydraulic
fracturing, its importance remains
a critical factor in the operation
and economics of shale oil and gas
production. But signifcant and growing
water management challenges are
impacting hydraulic fracturing.
Fresh water and wastewater operating
procedures which have been in place
since the late 1990s are experiencing
increasingly stiffer governmental
regulations on water availability and
disposal limitations. These factors are
prompting oil and gas executives to
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
Process of mixing water with fracking fuids
to be injected into the ground.
FRACKING
WASTEWATER
MANAGEMENT
Is Centralised Treatment the Way Forward?
1310WWI_44 44 11/6/13 3:38 PM
reassess their current water utilization
activities regarding fracking, and
adopt a more unifed, and longer-range
perspective on their water life-cycle
management.
SOLUTIONS
One solution that promises a truly
comprehensive approach to integrating
all aspects of fresh water and
wastewater management in shale oil and
gas production, while optimising the
utilisation of water resources throughout
the entire lifecycle of well production, is
a centralised approach to the treatment
and reuse of wastewater.
Centralisation not only provides
treatment and reuse of fowback
wastewater from a large number of
wellheads when the wells are fracked,
but also provides treatment and reuse
of the produced wastewaters for the
long-term, full lifecycle of the wells
which represent the vast majority of
wastewater fowing from wellheads.
Furthermore, a centralised system can
more easily access and use alternative
water sources, such as from municipal
wastewater facilities, which otherwise
would be highly unlikely to be accessed.
Inherently, wellheads providing shale
oil and gas production are long-term
processes, typically exceeding 20 year
terms, but conventional solutions in
play for handling fresh water resources
and wastewater are geared towards the
short-term.
Impounding wastewater for
evaporation in surface ponds, trucking
water over long distances to deep-well
injection sites, and treating fowback
wastewater for reuse at the wellhead
are all short-term options which do
not address critical long-term issues
impacting of the industry such as
diminished water sources, increasing
regulations limiting wastewater
disposal, and growing safety and
environmental concerns from
government and the public.
The centralised wastewater
management concept is gaining
momentum. In North America, well
over a dozen centralised wastewater
treatment facilities servicing shale oil
and gas drilling are now either up and
producing, or in development.
DIMINISHING OPTIONS FOR
WATER SOURCING
Fresh water supplies for use in hydraulic
fracturing are becoming more expensive
harder to obtain.
Relatively recently, the Army Corps of
Engineers mandated against the long-
standing policy of acquisition of water
from the Missouri River watershed
for use in shale oil and gas fracturing.
This diverted fracking operators to
purchase pond and well water at higher
rates from local landowners. Now
these landowners are running out of
water. The 2013 water usage in Bakken
formation fracking wells is expected to
reach six billion gallons (2.27 million
m
3
). Today, water sourcing is the main
fracking challenge in the Bakken.
In Texas, where hydraulic fracturing
wells work the Eagle Ford, Barnett Shale
or Permian Basin formations and deal
with the constant threat of drought,
fracking operators compete with farmers
and ranchers for their share of fresh
water. As with North Dakota, water
sourcing is the main fracking challenge
in Texas. In both of these areas, there
does not exist an indefnite supply
of water for expansion of hydraulic
fracturing operations.
Even in Pennsylvania, and
throughout the Marcellus and Utica
Shale formations, where water is more
accessible, with the increase in numbers
of well sites water sourcing is becoming
more tightly controlled. According to the
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
(SRBC), hydraulic fracturing a
horizontal Marcellus well may use four
to eight million gallons (15,150 m
3
to
30,300 m
3
) of water, typically within
about a one week period.
However, the Commission states,
some Marcellus wells may need to
be fractured several times over their
productive life (typically fve to twenty
years, or more). These large water
withdrawals may come from streams,
rivers, privately-owned lakes and
ponds, or groundwater, and could affect
availability of nearby drinking water
sources and other uses, increasing the
potential for conficts between water
users.
WASTEWATER DISPOSAL
LIMITATIONS
Many fracturing wells operating in the
Bakken formation in North Dakota and
Montana, and those functioning in the
Eagle Ford, Barnett Shale and Permian
Basin formations in Texas, use surface
ponds to store hydraulic fracturing
fuids (fowback and produced
wastewater) for evaporation, or until
arrangements are made for disposal.
Almost 50% of the wastewater
generated from hydraulic fracturing
in these states is diverted and stored
in surface ponds. Within the past 24
months however, Pennsylvania has
completely eliminated the use of surface
ponds for wastewater storage.
But the future use of surface ponds
is sure to become more regulated. The
EPA is currently evaluating industry
practices and state requirements, and
is considering the need for technical
guidance on the design, operation,
maintenance, and closure of surface
ponds under the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) in order
to minimise potential environmental
impacts.
DEEP-WELL INJECTION
In many regions of the US, including
Texas, North Dakota and Montana,
deep-well underground injection is
a popular method for the disposal of
fracking fuids and other substances
from shale oil and gas extraction
operations. Pennsylvania however,
outlawed the use of deep-well injection
some time ago.
Fracking companies operating in
Pennsylvania, desiring to deep-well
inject their wastewater, must have it
trucked to Ohio for deposition. This
opens another set of potential issues
relating to transporting large volumes
of wastewater. Municipalities are
concerned about the safety of high
numbers of trucks traveling on rural
roads and through small towns, and the
safety implications for local residents.
Another consideration is the impact of
feets of heavy trucks traveling on these
roads.
To help offset this issue, some local
governments in Pennsylvania require
fracking companies to post bonds to
cover road repair and maintenance.
Issues with trucking wastewater from
fracking wells to deep-well injection
sites are not isolated to Pennsylvania.
The costs for hauling away
wastewater for deep-well injection
ranges between $3 and $7 per barrel
($0.35 to $0.85 per cubic metre). For a
newly fraced well, the cost could reach
$100,000 for transporting over 14,000
barrels (1,670 m
3
) of fowback water
levels produced from each basin, and
45 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
1310WWI_45 45 11/6/13 3:38 PM
46
indeed, each wellhead can vary. Plus,
an additional potential 3400 barrels (405
cubic metres) each day of transported
produced wastewater, at $20,000 per
day.
To haul water off-site for disposal over
the 20 year life of a hydraulic fracturing
well-project, it was estimated to cost
$160 million (includes trucking costs,
water disposal costs and labour).
WELLHEAD WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
Wastewater associated with shale oil and
gas extraction can contain high levels of
total dissolved solids (TDS), fracturing
fuid additives, total suspended solids
(TSS), hardness compounds, metals,
oil and gas, bacteria and bacteria
disinfection agents, and naturally
occurring radioactive materials.
These contaminants are partially a
combination of chemicals and agents
inserted deep into the well (9,000 feet
and deeper) which facilitate fracking
by modifying the water chemistry to
increase viscosity, carry more sand and
improve conductivity. Effectively, the
fracking process is pushing the water
down into the rock formation, trying
to wedge the rock cracks open. The
sand flls in between the cracks that the
hydraulic fuid has propped open.
Once the fracking is done, much of
the water comes back up the well as
fowback wastewater. Along with it
comes bacteria and characteristics of the
geologic formation, including minerals,
radioactive materials and oil and gas.
Some drilling operators elect to
re-use a portion of the wastewater
to replace and/or supplement fresh
water in formulating fracturing fuid
for a future well or re-fracturing the
same well. Re-use of shale oil and gas
wastewater is, in part, dependent on the
levels of pollutants in the wastewater
and the proximity of other fracturing
sites that might re-use the wastewater.
This practice has the potential to reduce
discharges to surface ponds, minimise
underground injection of wastewater,
and conserve and reuse water resources.
Mobile solutions to treat wastewater
at the wellhead enable recycling and
reuse of fowback without the need
for storing wastewater in surface
ponds on-site, or for trucking fowback
wastewater for disposal at off-site
deep-well injection locations. Recycled
wastewater is treated specifcally for a
different well site frac. The treatment
is customised for the geology of that
specifed well site.
The drawback of wellhead mobile
solutions is that they do not provide
continuous processing to handle
produced wastewaters, which would
need to be processed for potentially 20
years following fracking.
CENTRALISED WATER
MANAGEMENT
Centralised treatment of wastewater
is emerging as a viable solution for
long-term effciency in managing water
sourcing and wastewater treatment
in hydraulic fracturing. Centralised
treatment facilities handle both the
fowback wastewater and produced
wastewater from oil and gas wells
within a region, at a radius of 40 to 50
miles. Pipelines connect all wellheads
directly with the central treatment plant.
Wastewater received by the plant is
identifed as originating from a specifc
well. The targeted usage requirements
for that wastewater are specifed and
the wastewater is then processed to
meet that usage. Once processed, the
wastewater is then piped directly to the
targeted well site.
Central wastewater treatment facilities
processes can include:
- Irimary llroo-plaso soparalion lo
remove dissolved natural gas, foating
gel, oil, sand and suspended solids,
followed by storage for equalisation of
chemical composition and fow
- Socondary soparalion uliIising
dissolved air or gas fotation for removal
of a wide variety of contaminants
including polymers, oils and suspended
solids. Bactericide is added to control
bacterial growth
- RomovaI of molaIs by procipilalion,
and removal of salts by reverse osmosis
- SIudgo managomonl for dovaloring
collected solids.
Such centralised plants can be
integrated with alternative sources of
water to supplement fresh water needs
for fracking, such as from abandoned
mines, storm water control basins,
municipal treatment plant effuent, and
power plant cooling water.
Such initiatives are in alignment with
mandates from Pennsylvanias SRBC
and its Department of Environmental
Protection, which emphasise future
trends in water use for oil and gas
drilling should represent more reuse
of water for fracking, and more use of
other waters, such as treated wastewater
and acidic mine drainage, in the
hydraulic fracturing process.
CRITICAL IMPORTANCE
The development of an integrated
infrastructure for water management
in shale oil and gas production has
lagged behind improvements in drilling
technology, which have been successful
in spearheading this industry into recent
national prominence.
In the face of increasingly constricting
traditional water sourcing options
and tightening wastewater treatment
regulations, the need for an industry
initiative to develop this infrastructure
network to deal with these water related
issues is of critical importance if oil
and gas producers are to effectively
manage their frack well operations and
maximise profts.
Centralised water management
allows wastewater processing to be
implemented on an economy of scale
that has not before been realised in the
shale oil and gas production industry.
Reduced capital costs for treatment
and distribution systems, lower
operating costs, and a more favourable
position to garner public and
governmental acceptance are the key
benefts of this centralised approach to
water management.
Jeff Easton
is principal process engineer at WesTech
Engineering, email: jeaston@westech-inc.com.
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
Hydraulic fracturing the Marcellus well may use four to
eight million gallons of water per week
1310WWI_46 46 11/6/13 3:38 PM
I
n its most recent infrastructure
report card, the American Society
of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave
the state of US water infrastructure,
encompassing dams, levees, wastewater
and drinking water infrastructure, an
average grade of a D.
According to the report, as of 2008
the US has approximately 14,780
wastewater treatment facilities and
19,739 wastewater pipe systems.
Although access to centralised
treatment systems is widespread, the
condition of many of these systems is
reported to be poor, with aging pipes
and inadequate capacity leading to the
discharge of an estimated 900 billion
gallons (3.4 billion cubic metres) of
untreated sewage each year.
The US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) estimates that the cost
of the capital investment required to
maintain and upgrade drinking-water
and wastewater treatment systems
across the US in 2010 was $91 billion.
However, only $36 billion of that was
funded, leaving a capital funding gap of
nearly $55 billion.
BLUEPRINT FOR INNOVATION
In March this year the EPA published
its Blueprint for Integrating Technology
Innovation into the National Water
Program.
The Blueprint highlights the EPA
Offce of Waters plans to advance and
promote technology innovation across
various water programs.
Technology innovation can accelerate
progress toward our goals of clean and
safe water. EPA and many stakeholders
will strive to support technology
innovation to solve water resource
problemscheaper, faster and using less
energy, explains Nancy Stoner, acting
assistant administrator for water at the
EPA.
To this end, the blueprint notes that
the 150,000 drinking water and 15,000
wastewater facilities nationwide account
for as much as 4% of the countrys
electricity consumption - approximately
56 million MWh at a cost of around $4
billion. As such, energy conservation
and recovery are said to hold
signifcant promise for reducing energy
consumption and treatment costs, while
With funding for wastewater
treatment infrastructure in the US
increasingly stretched, the idea of
recovering valuable nutrients and
even precious metals such as silver
is gaining momentum. In addition
to the recent EPA blueprint
aimed at encouraging the
integration of such technologies,
scientifc organisations such as
the Water Environment Research
Foundation are working to bring
such technologies to commercial
fruition.
by Carrie W. Capuco
WERFs energy program aims to support net energy neutrality at all wastewater treatment facilities,
starting with those that treat fows of 18,900 m
3
/day or more
WASTE NOT
WANT NOT
The Rise of Resource Recovery
1310WWI_47 47 11/6/13 3:38 PM
certain technologies may even turn
some of these facilities into net energy
producers.
WASTED NOT WASTEWATER
According to the EPAs blueprint,
wastewater facilities in the US process
approximately 9.5 trillion gallons (36
billion cubic metres) of wastewater per
year. However, the agency says that
due to a combination of drought and
increasing water demands, wastewater
should be viewed through a new
paradigm - as water that is wasted.
With this in mind, the blueprint
explains that there are signifcant needs
for technologies and approaches that
foster substantially greater water reuse,
which in turn can reduce pollution and
conserve energy. Further to the potential
to reduce the energy consumption of
certain wastewater treatment processes,
as well the as ability to recover energy
from others, the blueprint also notes
the impact being felt from nitrogen
and phosphorus pollution, which
is threatening surface water quality
and drinking water supplies. New
techniques are needed to reduce
nutrient pollution at substantially less
cost and with reduced carbon footprint.
To this end the agency also highlights
a number of emerging technologies
which can recover nutrients, such as
phosphorus and nitrogen, from water/
wastewater for use/reuse elsewhere.
RESOURCE RECOVERY
With wastewater being increasingly
recognised as a valued source of
renewable resources, the EPA is urging
wastewater treatment facilities, which
treat human and animal waste, to
be viewed as Renewable Resource
Recovery Facilities that produce clean
water, recover energy and generate
nutrients.
This view is backed by not-for-proft
organisation, the Water Environment
Federation (WEF), which believes that
wastewater treatment plants are not
waste disposal facilities, but rather
water resource recovery facilities that
produce clean water, recover nutrients.
Such facilities, it argues in a position
statement, have the potential to reduce
the nations dependence on fossil fuels
through the production and use of
renewable energy.
The potential to transform these
facilities exists because wastewater
contains potentially marketable
products. However, technical, social,
and economic challenges remain before
treatment plants can realise the full
potential of nutrient recovery from
wastewater.
Numerous individual products can be
recovered from wastewater treatment
plants, including biodegradable plastics,
adhesives, and enzymes useful in
biomedical applications. Additionally,
several carbon based materials such
as biopolymers, PHAs and others, are
present in domestic wastewater and
perhaps biosolids.
There are however, lingering
questions about the quality, product
yield and technological requirements,
as well as the practicality of recovering
these products at a municipal facility.
Markets value and demand for these
products are also not well understood.
In addition, there is a need to better
understand the relevant trade-offs and
consequences, including those that
may directly affect discharge permit
compliance.
RESEARCH NEEDED
Many scientifc papers have been
published on the availability of these
products in wastewater. However, the
industry needs to get an objective and
unbiased view of the value and current
and future demand for these products.
This will help the industry to position
for the both the medium and long term
in its attempts to become energy neutral
and environmentally and economically
sustainable. One of the critical
knowledge gaps is a comprehensive
technical and economic review of
existing and emerging technologies
which can produce carbon-based
and/or non-nutrient products from
wastewater or wastewater by-products.
The Water Environment Research
Foundation (WERF) hopes to support
projects that can fll these vital
knowledge gaps while also providing
practical information for water utilities
interested in expanding their investment
in resource recovery.
WERF is seeking answers to resolve
several resource recovery questions
with its current funding research on
the recovery of three resources: macro-
Nutrients, Energy and Water. The
organisation has also funded research
on appropriately treated sewage sludge
(biosolids), as a resource in the form of a
nutrient rich soil amendment.
The overarching goal of the Resource
Recovery program is to transition the
wastewater treatment industry to one
focused on resource recovery (starting
with nutrients) with the vision that
most, if not all, materials in wastewater
can be commoditised.
In the area of energy, WERF is seeking
to advance processes/practices with
potential for energy recovery/effciency
or which address barriers to energy
recovery in the wastewater treatment
process. The overarching goal of
WERFs Energy program is to develop
information that will support net energy
neutrality at all wastewater facilities
starting with those that treat fows of
fve million or more gallons per day
(18,900 m
3
/day).
TRANSITION
To initiate a transition toward nutrient
recovery, in 2012, WERF selected
a global research team to begin to
understand and guide the acceptance
and implementation of nutrient recovery
from wastewater. This research (WERF
project # NTRY1R12) also focuses on
extractive macro-nutrient recovery
technologies for phosphorus.
In the last few years, the potential
to recover phosphorus has increased
dramatically. This represents an
emerging frontier for utilities to address
both nutrient load limitations and to
develop alternative revenue streams.
The international team, led by Hazen
and Sawyer, has collaborated with other
consulting frms, utilities, technology
providers, and academic experts to
achieve three main objectives:
r $IBSBDUFSJTF GBDUPST JOVFODJOH UIF
adoption of resource recovery systems
(primarily on macro-nutrients, nitrogen
and phosphorus)
r 1SPWJEF B HVJEBODF UPPM GPS UIF
PRODUCTS CAN BE RECOVERED FROM
WWTPS, INCLUDING ENZYMES FOR USE
IN BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
1310WWI_48 48 11/6/13 3:38 PM
implementation of resource recovery
technologies for water resource recovery
facilities (previously known as WWTPs)
- ExporimonlaIIy ovaIualo
phosphorus recovery technologies.
Tlon, WERI's novosl rosoarcl viII
build upon the prior and on-going
research by focusing on additional
resources: value-added commodities or
groups of commodities that are likely
to be used by utilities (e.g., methanol or
other specialty chemicals or precursors,
carbon-based compounds, etc.).
It will also focus on commodities that
can be produced in quantities that can
be effectively marketed and/or used
rogionaIIy - sucl as lydrogon poroxido,
ligl-quaIily 'dosignor' biosoIids
products with specifc N-P-K ratios, or
other products that can be sold, etc.
Additional commodities that could
be recovered may also be studied if
they are determined to be economically
viable, such as metals including
silver, micro-nutrients, biodegradable
plastics/polymers, etc., while having no
detrimental impact in the overall fnal
effuent quality.
This effort seeks pioneering research
that will advance knowledge and
understanding on the generation or
recovery of a particular commodity,
or group of commodities, that can be
recovered from wastewater. It will
compIomonl WERI's ongoing inilialivos
in evaluating and demonstrating new
technologies to accelerate the adoption
of innovative treatment technologies
RATIONALE
This research is needed because as
various new technologies and processes
that could be used to recover potentially
valuable commodities intrinsically
present in wastewater are currently
being researched and developed. Water
Rosourco Rocovory IaciIilios (WRRIs)
that would beneft from these new
technologies need a scientifcally sound
view of the new technologies that can
be adopted as part of their standard
processes.
Il is lopod WERI's rosoarcl rosuIls
will help the Water quality community
position itself for both the medium and
longer term in its strategic attempts to
lransform WRRIs lo bo onorgy noulraI,
environmentally, and economically
sustainable.
Ultimately, in order to promote
WRRIs as producl rocovory faciIilios,
the water quality community must
demonstrate that these facilities can
generate or produce high quality
value-added products. These must
be able to be used to either enhance
facility operations and economics or
more generally meet the needs of our
communilios and oconomios. WERI's
newest portfolio of research seeks to
accomplish that task.
CONCLUSIONS
Water and wastewater treatment
infrastructure is facing a signifcant,
and growing, funding gap in the US.
The prospect of reducing the cost of
treatment, or increasing the revenue
generated through the production of
additional marketable energy, nutrients
and commodities is an appealing one.
The idea of recovering valuable
products from wastewater may once
have seemed fanciful, but encouraged
by the noises coming from federal
govornmonl, il's a prizo llal many in llo
water quality community are working
towards.
Of the wide variety of innovative
projects underway not all will succeed,
but those that do may just hold the key
to plugging the funding gap for US
wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Carrie W. Capuco
is director of communications at WERF.
For more information on resource recovery,
email: ccapuco@werf.org.
Despite the promise of abundant products in wastewater,
market value and demand are not well understood
1310WWI_49 49 11/6/13 3:38 PM
Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) has launched its MegaPure hollow fber product
line, designed for high-solids water and wastewater applications. With an average
continuous solids tolerance of up to 250 mg/L, the MegaPure hollow fber system
has been designed for high solids applications such as surface water treatment, high
TOC water treatment, RO pre-treatment and tertiary wastewater treatment.
The MegaPure ultrafltration system features a single-potting cartridge design which
KMS said allows air scouring to penetrate the fber bundle more completely and release
accumulated solids to the bottom where they are easily drained away. The cartridge employs
the same reinforced fber as seen in the companys PURON submerged hollow fber product line.
www.kochmembrane.com
50 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP PUMPS, MOTORS & DRIVE SYSTEMS
For more product news and reviews visit us at wwinternational.com
Hollow fber system from KMS sets out to eliminate clarifer
UF membranes introduced by GE for SWRO
RO/ion exchange range showcased in Amsterdam by LANXESS
Chemicals company LANXESS used the Aquatech Amsterdam event to showcase
ion exchange resins from its Lewatit range together with reverse osmosis (RO)
membrane elements from the Lewabrane range. The following RO product types are
currently available from LANXESS:
- HR (Higl Rojoclion) oIomonls vill ligl saIl rojoclion for oplimaI pormoalo quaIily
- HI (Higl IIov) oIomonls for oplimaI baIanco bolvoon ov ralo and saIl rojoclion
- IR (IouIing Rosislanl) oIomonls vill spociaI foodspacor lo provonl fouIing
- IE (Iov Enorgy) oIomonls for saving onorgy using Iov-prossuro oporalion and
oplimaI saIl rojoclion.
LANXESS said: Depending on the respective conditions, combining the two
methods [ion exchange and RO] can be an effective option.
www.lewabrane.com
UF system launched for industrial and municipal markets
Siemens Water Technologies has introduced the MEMCOR CP II modular, pre-engineered ultrafltration
mombrano syslom incIuding MEMCOR IVDI mombrano loclnoIogy. Ip lo 28 I4ON-lypo mombrano
modules can be combined on a single MemRACK unit, which integrates feed, air, fltrate and waste
headers into one assembly. The fully assembled, self-supporting racks are then manifolded together. Piping
connections on the ends of the racks further facilitate easy installation.
Tlo MomRACK array's dosign aIso oplimizos lydrauIics for minimaI prossuro Ioss lo improvo uid
dislribulion rosuIling in moro slabIo hIlralion, according lo Siomons. Tlo coro of llo CI II syslom is llo I4ON
mombrano moduIo. Tlo I4ON usos llo famiIy of MEMCOR uIlrahIlralion mombrano hbors, vlicl foaluro
more than double the surface area of previous MEMCOR modules. Introduced in 2010, the N fber delivers
enhanced abrasion resistance and better performance to end users. www.water.siemens.com
GE las Iaunclod nov prossurizod and submorgod uIlrahIlralion (II) mombranos dosignod for pro-
treatment of feedwater for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) systems. The new technology includes
GEs ZeeWeed 1000 and ZeeWeed 1500 hollow-fber membranes. GE claimed the new ZeeWeed
seawater membranes offer a reduction in cost greater than 25% and a reduced footprint of 10% to
25. GE's immorsod ZooWood 1OOO II mombranos aro dosignod for Iargor lroalmonl sysloms and an
immorsod dosign is said lo loIp llo moduIos aIign voII vill dissoIvod air olalion loclnoIogy and
directly coupling to SWRO. In a statement the company said: The advancements in the ZeeWeed
1000 product results in one of the industrys lowest installed costs for membrane technology.
www.gewater.com
1310WWI_50 50 11/6/13 3:38 PM
PRODUCT REVIEW
51 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM
Neptune Chemical Pump Co has launched
its Model CLR-25 and CLR-50 Clear Bromine
Feeders designed to feed solid biocide or
other corrosive water-treatment chemicals into
closed-loop systems in cooling towers. Other
design features of both the CLR-25 and CLR-50
models include: a clear PVC body that allows
the bromine to be viewed without opening
the cap; two threaded bottom inlets and drain
connections; 15.2 cm (6 in.) top opening with
threaded, O-ring enclosure; maximum pressure
to 8.6 bar (125 psi); maximum temperature to
38C (100F) and standard pressure relief valve
set at 8.6 bar (125 psi).
www.neptune1.com
Blue-White Industries has introduce a
Single Layer Injection Molded PVDF
Diaphragm for the Chem-Pro Series C2
and C3 Metering Pumps. Manufactured
100% in-house, this new single piece,
longer lasting diaphragm design does not
consist of multiple layers like traditional
diaphragms.
The pump head consists of only one
material, PVDF, in order to reduce chemical
compatibility issues of the wetted parts.
Patent Pending, the design is available in
three various sizes. New PVDF Diaphragms
retro-ft onto current ProSeries Chem-Pro
pumps.
www.blue-white.com
Single layer injection molder
PVDF diaphragm introduced
Italian pump manufacturer Caprari has
updated its MEC-MG series of pumps to
include the new MEC-MG125 HT - HI
TORQUE size. The pump includes a new
coupling system for the impellers, with
precision spline profle leading to an optimal
load distribution on shaft and hub.
The manufacturer said the drive coupling
key can be eliminated with the use of a
shrink disc with tapered clamping bush
(keyless), leading to total elimination of stress
concentration on the shaft. Caprari said: The
product addition also features a stainless
steel shaft with high yield point and excellent
fatigue strength.
www.caprari.com
New MEC-MG HT pumps
from Caprari
Sulzer Pumps has launched its AHLSTAR
end suction single stage close coupled process
pump series developed for applications in oil
and gas, hydrocarbon processing, chemical,
pulp and paper, general industry, power
generation and water & wastewater industries.
The pump is equipped with Sulzer EnerSave
impellers according to types of pumped liquid
and applications.
It is designed with a patented Rotokey impeller
mounting and an externally adjustable side
plate fxing. Balancing holes in the impeller are
said to guarantee the right fow and pressure
condition in the whole shaft seal area.
www.sulzer.com
New MEC-MG HT pumps from
Caprari
Xylem has launched a system specifcally
for pump station applications called the
Flygt MultiSmart, which sets out to enable
operators to maximise the effciency of their
facility. Xylems Flygt MultiSmart can control
up to six pumps. The controllers default
settings can be easily adapted to suit the
requirements of individual pump stations
while a remote control feature reduces the
frequency of site visits. The controllers
intuitive interface is designed to be user
friendly and a setup wizard guides simple,
step-by-step installation.
Based on feld tests carried out at a pump
station in London, UK, Xylem claimed the
system can reduce the energy consumption
of a pump station by up to 35%. A built-
in pump reversal feature is designed to
prevent clogging while the controller can also
clean out the well by removing foatables on
a regular basis. An alarm feature prompts the
operator to carry out necessary maintenance
to prevent problems occurring in the system.
Patrik Stolpe, monitoring and control
manager for Xylem, said: The controllers
advanced capabilities ensure that a pump
station is run as effciently as possible, saving
valuable time as well as operational costs.
www.xyleminc.com
Pump station controller aims to
cut energy consumption by 35%
A major supplier of prepared vegetables
to the UK food industry has recently taken
delivery of another EZstrip cake pump
from NOV Mono. Measham-based AB
Produce trialled an EZstrip cake pump
before installing its frst unit a year ago. The
delivered Mono EZstrip cake pump features
a specially designed feed chamber, which
can be disconnected to provide access to the
rotor and screw conveyor assembly. The rotor
can then be separated from the conveyor,
allowing removal of the rotor and stator
while in-situ, with no need to disconnect any
of the suction or delivery pipe work.
www.mono-pumps.com
EZstrip cake pump delivered to
UK food supplier
Clear bromine feeder
from Neptune
1310WWI_51 51 11/6/13 3:39 PM
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
November 5-8, 2013
Aquatech Amsterdam, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
www.aquatechtrade.com/amsterdamen/
Pages/default.aspx
November 10-13, 2013
North Carolina AWWA/WEA
www.ncsafewater.org/events_education/
conferences/ac2013
November 13-15, 2013
Urban Drainage Group (UDG) Au-
tumn Conference, Nottingham, UK.
www.ciwem.org/events/events-
calendar/2013/nov/13/udg-autumn-
conference--exhibition.aspx
December 1-3, 2013
Saudi Water & Power Forum 2013,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
http://ksawpf.com/
December 2-4, 2013
Water Expo China + Water Mem-
brane China, Beijing, China
www.waterexpochina.com
December 3-6 2013
Pollutec 2013, Paris Nord Villepinte,
France
www.pollutec.com
January 9-11, 2014
11th EverythingAboutWater EXPO,
Delhi, India
http://www.eawater.com/expo
January 20-22, 2014
International Water Summit, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
http://iwsabudhabi.com/portal/home.
aspx
January 29-31, 2014
InterAqua 2014, Tokyo, Japan.
www.interaqua.jp/eng/
March 10-13, 2014
AWWA/AMTA Membrane Technol-
ogy Conference & Expo, Las Vegas,
Nevada, US
www.awwa.org/conferences-education/
conferences/awwa-amta-membrane-
technology.aspx
March 26-28, 2014
GLOBE 2014, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
www.globeseries.com/
April 8-9, 2014
Water & Environment 2014:
CIWEMs Annual Conference, Royal
Geographical Society, London, UK
www.ciwem.org/events/annual-
conference.
April 13-16, 2014
International Conference on
Desalination, Environment & Marine
Outfall Systems, Muscat, Oman
www.idadesal.org/wp-content/
uploads/2013/06/Brochure_First-
announcement.pdf
April 14-16, 2014
WETEX 2014, Dubai International
Convention and Exhibit Centre,
Dubai
http://www.wetex.ae/
April 29 May 1, 2014
Ozwater14, Brisbane, Australia
www.awa.asn.au
5-9 May, 2014
IFAT, Messe Munchen, Munich,
Germany
www.ifat.de
May 11-15, 2014
Desalination for the Environment:
Clean Water and Energy, Limassol,
Cyprus
http://www.desline.com/congress/Cy-
prus2014/home.shtml
June 1-5, 2014
Singapore International Water Week,
Singapore
www.siww.com.sg/
October 5-8, 2014
Saudi Water & Power Forum, Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia
www. ksawpf.com
Analytical Technology, Inc. C2
Auma Riester GmbH & Co. KG 23
Blair Rubber Company 39
Blue-White Industries 37
Burkert Fluid Control Systems 27
Cantoni Motor 12
Caprari S.P.A. 2
ECWATECH 2014 43
ESRI 11
Fluid Components International 24
GEFCO (The George E. Failing Company) 15
Grundfos Management A/S C4
Membrana 5
National Water Company - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
C3
Pollutec Horizons 2013 19
Reed Manufacturing Company 21
Swan Analytische Instrumente AG 29
WWI Reprints 39
Zoeller Waste Systems Ltd 3
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Advertiser Page Advertiser Page
A selection of events related to the water and wastewater industry in 2013 and 2014 can be found here.
For a full list, visit: www.wwinternational.com and click on the Events tab at the top of the page.
CLASSIFIED
1310WWI_rev_52 52 11/7/13 4:16 PM
1310WWI_C3 3 11/6/13 3:15 PM
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1310WWI_C4 4 11/6/13 3:15 PM

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