Friday, May 7, 2010

Naturally Occurring Groundwater Uranium Treated in S. Lake Tahoe Community

In early March, 2009 after an evaluation period, AdEdge Technologies was selected among other alternatives and contracted by Elk Point Country Club Community (EPCCHOA) to provide a packaged treatment system for uranium removal that complied with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) regulations. The EPCCHOA is located on the South East side of Lake Tahoe at Elk Point, Nevada, and this community is served by a well, which initially had a flow rate of 120 gpm. The flow of the well pump was modified to obtain the specified 60 gallons per minutes (gpm) design flow rate with an average uranium concentration of 40 µg/L, exceeding the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 30 µg/L. Water quality is shown below. AdEdge worked closely with EPCCHOA’s engineer to provide techical support, drawings and final design of a uranium-treatment solution for the community that satisfied the NDEP drinking water regulations.

The regenerative AdEdge AD92 IX ion exchange approach was the preferred and most cost-effective option for this site, and this technology has been designed to provide high efficiency removal of naturally-occurring uranium from groundwater supplies. The AD92 IX media is a strong base-anion exchange resin used to selectively remove naturally-occurring uranium from groundwater. The AD92 IX media can selectively remove the negatively charged uranium anion to below the State and Federal MCL of 30 ppb. As uranium passes through the bed, it is removed allowing the chloride and bicarbonate ions to be exchanged for the uranium. In addition, AD92 IX resin provides superior regeneration efficiency and greater resistance to organic fouling.

The AdEdge AD92 pre-engineered, and packaged system provided for Elk Point Country Club is composed of twin 30-inch diameter vessels with a design flow of 60 gpm in a parallel configuration. The system is controlled during normal operation, backwash, and on-site regeneration using the Programmable Logic Controller PLC with a control panel. The system was furnished complete with a regeneration/brine system to regenerate the IX resin periodically on demand. A sodium chloride (brine) solution is used to regenerate the anion resin. The brine module is a separate system composed of a single polyethylene brine tank with valves, flow restrictors and rotometers which work during the automatic cycle operation, service, backwash, brining, slow rinse and fast rinse cycles.

The complete system was packaged and delivered for site installation in September of 2009 and was placed into full operation in early January of 2010, processing about 6,000 to 8,000 gallons per day. Water samples of the treated water were taken in February of 2010 and results from a State Certified Lab reports excellent performance with uranium levels of less than 0.001 mg/L or (1 ug/L).

AdEdge Treatment System Solves Arsenic Issue for Indiana School


AdEdge was selected in 2007 by the U.S. EPA and the host site in the Round 2a Arsenic Demonstration Program to implement a turnkey arsenic treatment for the Clinton Christian School in Goshen, IN. The Clinton Christian School water system is served by one well with a design flow of 25 gpm. The well provides potable water for the school with a population of 130 students / staff members. The treatment system receives water on the well side of the storage tanks with an elevated iron level of 0.81 mg/L, high manganese of 0.10 mg/l and an arsenic level of 29 ppb, above the EPA MCL of 10 ppb. AdEdge was contracted by U.S. EPA to provide and manage all aspects of the project including permitting with IDEM, design, and fabrication, installation, and startup activities. The system was AdEdge’s 11th full scale EPA demonstration project.

AdEdge proposed and installed a hybrid style treatment system designed to reduce iron, manganese and arsenic concurrently to below primary and secondary MCLs. The system utilizes an AD26 Oxidation/Filtration pretreatment technology followed by granular ferric oxide adsorption deploying Bayoxide® E33 GFO media. The design also includes a backwash management system capable of removing residual chlorine from the periodic backwash water to comply with the site’s NPDES discharge permit. The packaged modular system features a triplex 13-inch diameter composite filtration package plumbed in a parallel flow prior to the dual 24-inch composite module containing AdEdge Bayoxide® E33 adsorption media. The system is placed after a pre-chlorination module for oxidation of iron and manganese, as well as arsenic (III) species. The modular treatment system is equipped with automatic controls, backwashing features, switches, gauges, flow meters, and sample ports for a complete functioning unit.

Since full time operation began in February, 2008, the system has effectively reduced iron, manganese, and arsenic well below primary and secondary MCLs. Over 95% of iron and manganese and 85% arsenic reduction is being accomplished with the AD26 pretreatment technology. Arsenic in the final treated water following adsorption has consistantly been < 2 ppb. Approximately 2,500 gallons per day is being processed through the system on average. The site’s operator performs the routine sample collection and reporting associated with the U.S. EPA’s Demonstration Program requirements with quarterly reporting of the data by EPA’s contractor Battelle. A EPA summary report is publically available on the EPA website.

AdEdge AD26 System Treats High Iron & Manganese Levels in Georgia Community


In June 2009, the Stewart County Water Company selected and began working with AdEdge Technologies to assist with the design and implementation of an Iron and Manganese treatment system to serve the water supply for Stewart County in Louvale, Georgia. The site has one existing groundwater supply well that provides drinking water for approximately 225 connections with high levels of Manganese (Mn) and Iron (Fe) that exceed the secondary drinking water standard Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) and resulted in poor water quality being served to the community. The well produces approximately 45,000 gallons per day (gpd) during a typical 8 hours of well pump operation. The treatment system was designed for 100 gallons per minute (gpm) with an approximate iron concentration of 1.16 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and manganese levels of up to 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L). AdEdge assisted Stewart County Water Department with the necessary drawings, submittals, and technical documents for obtaining the necessary permits to install and operate the new treatment system.

AdEdge recommended an AD26 oxidation/filtration treatment system to reduce these parameters to below MCLs. The proposed integrated AdEdge AD26 iron and manganese treatment system for Stewart County included a pH adjustment module, (existing) pre-chlorination module, and backwash recycle module with integrated controls. The system consisted of a skid mounted model AD26-3660CS-S-2-AVH in parallel configuration, with a Programmable Logic Controller module (PLC) which regulates the automated control valves. System features also includes differential pressure switch, central control panel and local gauges, flow sensors and totalizers, including sample ports for a complete functioning package. Each vessel contains the catalytically active AD26 Manganese Dioxide media. In addition to the treatment system, the integrated water treatment system includes a Soda Ash feed injected prior to the filtration system to raise the raw water pH which is less than 5.5 to approximately 7.5 for enhancing contaminant removal. The treatment system also features a zero discharge backwash recycle module consisting of a backwash recycle pump skid and control panel, bag filter, and a vertical polyethylene storage tank that allows nearly 99% reuse of the backwash water, eliminating the need for discharge permits.

The system was successfully started up and commenced operation in December, 2009. The system throughput is based on a utilization of approximately 7-8 hours per day, with approximately 100 gpm (7.0 gpm/SqFt) being consistently treated for high manganese and iron levels that exceed the MCLs. To date the system’s performance is excellent and consistently achieving MCLs (over 9% removal) for these contaminants with no down time. Independent testing provided by Professional Water Services of Albany, GA, indicates non-detect levels of iron and manganese in the effluent of the treatment system.

AdEdge H2Zero Recycle Backwash Systems Save Water and the Environment

Developed by AdEdge, H2Zero Recycle/Backwash Systems conserve water by storing and treating residuals in backwash water from filtration and treatment systems. Nearly all water filtration-related processes that remove target contaminants generate some liquid or solid residuals that need to be subsequently managed.

AdEdge H2Zero systems can be customized and designed for most manufacturers' adsorption, oxidation and filtration systems, whether backwashing is infrequent or performed one or more times per week and can be retrofitted into already installed treatment systems.

Key features include a vertical polyethylene or a steel tank for holding the backwash water, a reclaim pump skid, integrated controls, particle filtration, as well as information data for solids management.