World Water Day Series #7 - Clean, Safe Drinking Water is a Basic Human Right

By Richard J. Cavagnaro, Marketing Coordinator

Welcome to our blog series in honor of World Water Day on Friday, March 22^nd! The United Nations declared 2013 as the “International Year of Water Cooperation.” The employees at AdEdge have a passion for clean water and providing safe drinking water for people throughout the world. Over the next week and half, we will be exploring some of the ways AdEdge is making a difference in helping the global water crisis.

A little less than two years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to the Navajo Nation in Arizona with Helping Hands for Water, a non-profit group started by a group of employees at AdEdge. I spent three days in the remote desert along with two other members of the non-profit doing a site visit for a community we are working with to provide a uranium treatment system. In order to fully understand the problem with the drinking water and how it influences everyday life in this community, we decided to fully immerse ourselves into the Navajo lifestyle. We toured abandoned uranium mines, visited several wells contaminated with arsenic and uranium, but the most impactful part of the experience was talking with the members of the community to get their perspective on the water crisis. Some people on the reservation travel over an hour to fill up containers of water and unfortunately, for many of these people, the only option is contaminated water.

It’s reported that this well is causing congestive heart failure, cancer and kidney failure among those who depend upon it as their primary water source. One woman I met with goes to a funeral every month because of a water-related death. Another woman informed me that her seven-year-old daughter had a ten-pound tumor removed from her thyroid earlier in the year. Generations of Navajos have lived on the same land for decades and many are worried this generation may be the last.

The sad thing is this community is not alone. Tens of thousands of communities throughout the world only have access to water that is contaminated. That is their only option. In 2013, it should be a basic human right to have access to clean and safe drinking water. We at AdEdge are continuing to do our part to ensure every single person on this planet can have drinking water free of contamination so generations can grow up healthy.

Rid Your Water Supply of Uranium

Uranium Treatment System

Uranium is a tricky contaminant. It doesn’t have a unique scent, like hydrogen sulfide, and it doesn’t turn your clothing and water fixtures red, like iron and manganese. But while it may be odorless and colorless, uranium is far from harmless. Over time, exposure to uranium in drinking water can damage the kidneys due to the high metal content.

The only way to know if your supply is contaminated is to take a sample and test for this sneaky contaminant. And you don’t necessarily need to live near a nuclear reactor to have uranium in your drinking water. Uranium occurs naturally in rocks and soil, where it can creep into the groundwater and finally make its way into your drinking water.

If you find that your water supply has a high level of uranium, AdEdge can help. Using the AD92 IX anion exchange media, you can safely and effectively remove uranium without going over budget.

AdEdge offers two performance options for the AD92 IX media, which can change based on the requirements of your site.

If your site has a sewer discharge, leach field or another method of wastewater discharge, AdEdge offers a regeneration option for the AD92 IX. The spherical resin beads are passed through a sodium chloride brine, removing the uranium and allowing the media to be reused for several years. The result is a non-hazardous liquid product that can be easily disposed of. This is also the most cost-effective solution, as your site can take care of disposal without using an outside facility.

For sites without a method of wastewater discharge, the media itself can also be discarded. While the life cycle of the media in this scenario varies based on water quality and uranium concentration, one batch can last from one to five years before replacement is needed. Samples are typically taken quarterly to test the uranium concentration of the resin, and once the media is ready to be replaced AdEdge will work with the site operator to dispose this low-level radioactive waste at an appropriate facility.

Don’t let this stealthy mineral sneak up and attack your water supply. Regular testing can help spot a uranium contamination and AdEdge can help eliminate it.

Click here to see how AdEdge removed uranium from the water supply of a California casino.

AdEdge System Treats Excessive Uranium, Iron and Manganese. Relieves Village Residents of Reliance on Bottled Water.

by Joseph Naylor

Imagine getting notice that the water you and your family have been drinking has excessive uranium levels, and is unsafe to drink.  And then, having to become reliant on bottled water that you have to drive to town to get to use for drinking, cooking, coffee, ice, etc...you get the picture.  Now imagine having to do it for nearly 7 years.  

Recently, AdEdge Water Technologies completed a water treatment project for the Village of Clarks, located in central Nebraska. In 2000, the village was alerted that the water from their public drinking water system contained high uranium levels of over 200 ppb, which far exceeded the proposed EPA Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCLs) of 30 ppb.  In 2005, the Village received an Administrative Order from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for non-compliance with the new uranium MCL.  As a result, free, bottled water was provided to Village residents.  In order to comply with the State of Nebraska drinking water regulations, the Village of Clarks needed to enhance their existing water system to remove the uranium, as well as  high iron & manganese levels which were also present in the water. Today, residents see and taste clean water, right from the tap.

To treat the excessive uranium, iron, & manganese levels, AEdge engineers designed a 200 gpm packaged treatment solution that included an AdEdge Model AD26 oxidation / filtration system featuring AdEdge AD26 media, followed by an AD92 uranium removal system featuring AdEdge AD92 IX media. 

The system was started up on January 11, 2012.  A report of the first four (4) weekly effluent samples indicate the source water influent Uranium levels were being treated to below the Minimum Detection Level, taking almost all of the Uranium out of the source water.  A letter from the Monitoring and Compliance Section of the Nebraska Public Drinking Water Program was recently sent to Village board members stating the Village may immediately cease providing alternate water for the purposes of drinking and cooking.  For more information about AdEdge Water Treatment Systems, contact AdEdge Water Technologies.    info@adedgetechnologies.com   1-866-823-3343

A Recent Trip to a Remote Navajo Village Reminded Me Why Clean Water Matters

By Richard Cavagnaro

Clean water is the body’s most essential nutrient. Water is necessary for the human body to work efficiently. Water regulates the body’s energy, digestion, blood pressure, respiration and joints and we can see our bodies start to deteriorate if we go without water for more than three days. So, what happens then if you are getting the adequate amount of water, but that water is contaminated? A recent trip to a remote well in the high desert of Arizona was eye-opening.


In early June, I travelled to the Navajo Nation with Helping Hands for Water, a non-profit organization founded by a group of employees at AdEdge. I spent three days in the desert along with two other members of the non-profit doing a site visit at the Box Springs well. We decided the way to fully understand the problem with the drinking water in that area was to completely immerse ourselves into the Navajo lifestyle. And we did just that.

We toured abandoned uranium mines, visited several wells contaminated with arsenic and uranium, but the most impactful part of the experience was talking with residents of the area to get their perspective on the water crisis. We had the opportunity to stay at a house on the reservation; however, this house had neither electricity nor running water. The only water source for these people is a well contaminated with arsenic and uranium which people travel up to 75 miles to access.

It’s reported this well is causing congestive heart failure, cancer, and kidney failure among those who depend on it as their main water source. One woman I met during my stay told me she goes to a funeral every month because of a water-related death. Another woman informed me her seven year old daughter had a ten pound tumor removed from her thyroid earlier in the year. Generations of Navajo have lived on the same land for decades and many are worried this generation may be the last.

Missionaries and other groups bring cases of bottled water to residents once a month; but a more permanent solution is required. Every drop of water is sacred to the residents. The few drops of water at the bottom of a bottle of water are used to clean a table.

As the trip progressed, I realized to take for granted clean drinking water. I also came to the conclusion that I waste an enormous amount of water on a daily basis. I let the shower run a little long in the morning. Run the dishwasher with it only being half full. Throw away a glass of water if it sits out a little too long.

AdEdge Water Technologies, LLC is partnering with Helping Hands for Water to provide a uranium treatment system for the people of Box Springs because we believe clean water should not be a privilege, it should be a right. A right that everyone in this world has access to.

Adedge Technologies, Water Treatment Systems

Quoted from http://www.adedgetech.com/ion_exchange.html:

Adedge Technologies, Water Treatment Systems

Ion Exchange Technology

Ion exchange (IX) is a method of removing undesirable metallic salt ions dissolved in an aqueous stream by exchanging them with other ions attached to a media, such as a synthetic resin.  This  reversible chemical process occurs because ions have differing affinities for the resin and will replace those ions with less affinity or attraction as they flow over the media.  The ions that are most often used as the exchange ions are sodium and chloride.  Some of the ions that may be removed are calcium, magnesium, iron, uranium, nitrate, bicarbonate, carbonate, sulfate, and hydroxide.  Eventually, the resin will be saturated with the undesirable ions.  Depending on the application, the resin may be regenerated on site, regenerated at a central regeneration facility, or be replaced and disposed.  Water softeners use ion exchange to remove the hardness ions, such as calcium and magnesium, and replace them with sodium or potassium ions to make the product water less likely to form scale on pipes, appliances, and fixtures.

AdEdge Technologies has systems for uranium reduction using AD92 IX resin.  This resin has a very high capacity for uranium removal and is not as susceptible to organic fouling as other resins.  It is easily and effectively regenerated with sodium chloride on site which provides a cost-effective way to extend the effective life of the media, reducing operating costs. Frequently Asked Questions: Uranium Removal

Nitrate removal systems using AD IX are also available from AdEdge for drinking water systems or industrial waste streams that need to reduce the nitrate level to comply with EPA standards.  This resin is designed specifically for removal of nitrate ions and is regenerated with sodium chloride on site to minimize costs.

AdEdge AD92 Anion Exchange media: AD92 IX

Ion Exchange technologiy can also be used for Radium removal applications.

Let us design a system for you. Just complete the online site profile form below and we will provide a design and quote. Fill Out A Site Profile Form

Water Treatment system for Uranium a Success in Village of Marshfield, Vermont

Following a very successful pilot test, AdEdge Technologies Inc. (AdEdge) was selected in 2007 by the Village of Marshfield, VT and the site’s engineer, Forcier Aldrich & Associates (FA&A), to supply and install a full scale uranium treatment system using its AD92 regenerative Ion Exchange (IX) Technology. Given the high naturally occurring uranium of 76 ug/L (nearly 3X the acceptable level), the municipal system had not utilized the two supply wells for several years. Bottled water was being provided to residents in the interim awaiting a solution. The affected wells serve a portion of the town and can produce up to 80 gpm with an expected average daily demand of 28,500 gallons per day. AdEdge was contracted to fabricate and install the treatment system by FA&A and the Village. The AdEdge team prepared the design documents to install a twin vessel parallel treatment system to reduce the high uranium levels to below MCLs. Both regenerative and throw away options were explored with the conclusion that the regenerative AD92 IX approach was the preferred and most cost-effective option for this site.

Designed to provide high efficiency removal of naturally-occurring uranium from groundwater supplies, the packaged, pre-engineered AdEdge AD92 system featured a twin vessel configuration flowing 160 gpm in parallel or 80 gpm per vessel. The system came complete with a manual regeneration/brine system to regenerate the IX resin periodically on demand. The complete system was packaged and delivered for site installation in July of 2007. AD92 IX media is a specialty strong base anion resin with high capacity for uranium removal. It provides superior removal efficiency for uranium and greater resistance to organic fouling than other media. The negatively charged uranium species binds to the anion resin as it passes through the bed and is periodically regenerated with salt brine solution periodically as the resin reaches a certain loading level. The system was permitted by the Vermont Water Supply Division and utilizes a local discharge permit for the periodic wastewater.

The system was placed into full time operation in early July, 2007 processing 80 gpm through the system. Initial results reported by the site’s State Certified Laboratory and reported to the State of Vermont Water Supply Division show excellent uranium reduction from 75 ug/L of uranium to below 2 ug/L (non-detectable) in the treated water. The system will be monitored regularly according to the terms of the operating permit.

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).