Water Desalination ReporT

The international weekly for desalination and advanced water treatment since 1965
Volume 54, Number 4 29 January 2018

Reuse
AWWA event focuses on Potable Reuse
Last week, the AWWA’s International Symposium on study of Tangent’s first Watercycle installation at Western
Potable Reuse attracted 280 delegates to Austin, Texas, to Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC) headquarters, east of
cover the complete gamut of reuse-related issues, ranging Cleveland, Ohio.
from microbiology and monitoring to technology innovation
The study of the 2,000 gpd (7,570 L/d) DPR installation
and public engagement.
was supervised by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
The topics covered included case histories and research and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH), which
updates from some of the world’s most interesting potable resulted in its acceptance as a “transient, non-community
reuse projects, beginning with the opening plenary session private water supply”, and its continued use as the facility’s
which included a review of Water Reuse in Texas by Texas primary water supply.
State University’s Robert Mace and a review of Fifty Years of
When the WRLC facility was to be expanded, the organi-
Pipe-to-Pipe DPR: The Windhoek Reclamation Experience,
zation faced several water-related challenges: its existing well
by Pierre van Rensburg from the Windhoek City Council in
had an insufficient yield and produced poor water quality,
Namibia.
and the area’s clay soils would necessitate a much larger
The second day’s plenary session provided an overview of septic system and leach field. These issues, together with
potable reuse’s past, by John Gaston (see story in this issue), the Conservancy’s sustainability doctrine and commitment
reuse’s present, by OCWD’s Mike Markus, and reuse’s to water and resource stewardship, led to a partnership with
future, by the University of Texas’ Desmond Lawler. Tangent, as it was developing the Watercycle concept.
The event’s planning committee, which was co-chaired by Schmidt explained that WRLC’s existing septic system was
Arcadis’ Brent Alspach and CH2M’s Paul Swaim, did a replaced with an underground MBR system to biologically
superb job of organizing the 1.5-hour sessions into three, pretreat wastewater prior to the advanced treatment unit,
20-minute presentation slots followed by a 30-minute slot which includes an integrated, NSF 61 compliant UF/RO/
for a facilitated discussion on the session’s theme. GAC/UV and post-treatment processes housed within a
This week, WDR will take a closer look at two of the papers single cabinet located in the building’s basement. Following
presented during the Symposium. chlorination, the purified water was held in a storage tank for
a minimum of three days before being distributed through
the building.
Ohio
Residential-scale direct potable reuse During the project’s first phase, which began in April
2013, the purified water was diverted to the septic tank as a
Imagine a residential wastewater treatment system that
precautionary step. This allowed a virtually risk-free, proof-
consists of an underground biological treatment unit and
of-concept period to demonstrate the Watercycle’s ability to
a refrigerator-sized effluent polishing ‘appliance’, which
reliably and consistently produce safe, potable water.
produces potable water that could be directly reused on-site.
That’s a thumbnail sketch of Watercycle™, an on-site direct Winter Fest + World Record Attempt
potable reuse (DPR) treatment unit that integrates a multi- California’s Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanita-
barrier, advanced treatment process developed by Ohio- tion District are hosting a Winter Fest to commemorate the 10th
based Tangent Company. anniversary of the Groundwater Replenishment System. In addition
to plant tours, food and music, the 100 MGD (378,500 m3/d) GWRS
Last week, Philip Schmidt, a Tangent technical consultant,
facility will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most waste-
presented a paper titled Findings and Practical Implications water purified to drinking water standards in a 24-hour period. For
of an On-Site DPR Pilot Study in Ohio: 2013-2016 and information, visit [Link]
Beyond, which reviewed the results of a four-year pilot

Tom Pankratz, Editor, P.O. Box 75064, Houston, Texas 77234-5064 USA
Telephone: +1-281-857-6571, [Link]/wdr, email: tp@[Link]
© 2018 Media Analytics. Published in cooperation with Global Water Intelligence.
WATER DESALINATION REPORT – 29 January 2018 Page 2

In August 2014, Tangent received a variance permitting “The system is remotely monitored and managed, and we
it to modify the WRLC’s private water system, and would expect it to be serviced—the sensors calibrated and
commissioning the system. During this phase, the building’s membranes tested—on a monthly basis, and the sludge
plumbing was switched from the under-performing well to removal would be done annually,” said Arnold.
the recycled water supply, although initially, bottled water Dr Joe Cotruvo, a member of the independent expert panel,
was provided for drinking and cooking. This phase also considers the remote managing and management fail-safe
involved intensive sampling and challenge testing by the system to be Watersafe’s key element. He told WDR, “The
ODH, CCBH and an independent panel of experts. system of multiple barrier technologies is very comprehen-
Based on the results, the building was allowed to lift sive and the calculated log removals of microbials exceeds
cooking and drinking restrictions in December 2015. In May any guidance or standards by many orders of magnitude.
2016, the study was deemed ‘complete’, after which the Contaminant chemicals are also readily managed.”
Watercycle served as the facility’s permitted private water Excluding temporary or demonstration facilities, there
supply system, where it continues to operate. are now four DPR systems believed to be permitted and
Adam Arnold, Tangent’s process engineering manager, told in operation around the world: Windhoek, Namibia; Big
WDR that although the WRLC system has been operating Spring, Texas; Beaufort West, South Africa; and one humble,
at about 50 percent capacity, resulting in an 11 to 14 day residential-scale system recycling water in Moreland Hills,
cycle time, a ‘standard’ Watercycle system is designed for Ohio. This is a situation that Tangent is hoping to change.
residential use with a capacity of 500 GPD (1,892 L/d) with
a three-day cycle time and an overall reusable water recovery
greater than 90 percent. Kansas
1956: Five months of Direct Potable Reuse
“We have designed the first stage of the process to include
Windhoek, Namibia’s Goreangab Water Reclamation plant
primary and biological treatment tanks followed by an MBR
began reclaiming potable water directly from domestic
process, which is expected to produce a BOD of less than 10
wastewater effluent in 1968, and has been successfully
mg/L, a TSS of less than 5 mg/L and a nitrogen reduction of
practicing pipe-to-pipe direct potable reuse (DPR) ever
over 50 percent, in accordance with NSF 245. When coupled
since. However, there was a five-month period, between
with our advanced purification unit, we have demonstrated
October 1956 and March 1957, when the city of Chanute,
a 16-log reduction for virus and bacteria, in accordance with
Kansas, turned to DPR during an extended drought.
water quality goals for residential DPR,” he added.
He stressed the importance of process At last week’s Potable Reuse Symposium, John Gaston,
control and water quality monitoring, gave a presentation chronicling the Chanute experience,
noting that a programmable logic titled America’s First Foray into Potable Reuse. In fact, it
controller continuously logs and was probably the world’s first municipal DPR project.
interprets data from over 30 system Gaston retired from CH2M ten years ago and is now an
sensors, with instant implementation independent consultant. He explained that Chanute’s
of automated responses to a variety of 12,000 people relied on the Neosho River for its 1.4 MGD
process anomalies, and the delivery (5,300 m3/d) drinking water supply. However, the river also
of notifications and service requests served as the water supply and the receiving water body for
to Tangent’s off-site operator. wastewater plant effluent for nine upstream communities.
During a six-year drought that began in 1952, Chanute’s
Purification appliance water situation grew progressively worse, and industrial
service was discontinued. By the summer of 1956, the river
ceased flowing, and portable equipment was initially used to

Reuse Compendium
The US EPA has posted its 2017 Potable Reuse Compendium online.
The document provides information on reuse topics, including IPR and
Purification appliance DPR, reuse treatment technologies, system costs and seven case
Biological treatment Pure water storage tank studies illustrating potable reuse approaches. It may be downloaded at
[Link]
Tangent’s Watercycle residential direct potable reuse system
WATER DESALINATION REPORT – 29 January 2018 Page 3

Saudi Arabia
Nine Red Sea SWROs get go-ahead
pump water from upstream pools. Unfortunately, area water In a Twitter posting, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment,
wells had poor yields and highly mineralized water, and Water and Agriculture said that the Saline Water Conversion
hauling wasn’t practical. Corporation (SWCC) will proceed with procuring nine
Recirculation of the effluent from a secondary wastewater SWRO plants on the country’s Red Sea Coast. The project
treatment plant was the only option, and it was noted that was ordered in a royal decree from King Salman.
the effluent from the trickling filter plant had a concentration The plants will have a combined capacity of 240,000 m3/d
of coliform organisms considerably lower than normally (63.4 MGD) and are valued at SR2 billion ($534 million).
found in the Neosho River at the city’s water intake. Most Eight of the plant locations have been identified, and are,
important, very little construction was required, and the plan from north to south: Haql, Duba, Wajh, Umluj, Rabigh, Lith,
could be implemented almost immediately. Qunfudhah and the Farasan Islands.
In October 1956, a valve was opened and treated sewage Procurement details have not yet been announced, but the
began flowing into a river channel that provided about a plants are expected to be completed in 18 months.
17-day detention time, and which fed the water treatment
plant, where it underwent lime softening in solids contact Russia
clarifier, recarbonation, rapid sand filtration and chlorination, Refinery WWTP combines MBR, EDR, RO & IX
resulting in a total detention time estimated at 20 days. One of Russia’s largest oil complexes has commissioned a
Two months later, the State Board of Health found out new 84,000 m3/d (22.2 MGD) treatment plant that integrates
that reuse was being practiced at Chanute, and additional three membrane processes to reclaim up to 97.3 percent of
chlorination and increased sampling was initiated as a the wastewater produced by the refinery and other industrial
further precaution. And, in January 1957, the US Public enterprises in the area. Suez Water Technologies & Solutions
Health Service started a monitoring program. furnished the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim Treatment Plant,
which is located in Ufa, the capital city of the Republic of
In late March, 150 days after the recirculation of wastewater
Bashkortostan.
effluent began, rainfall ended the drought.
Chris Jeffery, Suez’s UK-based vice president of global
Although it was not possible to measure adverse impacts
sales, told WDR that the combined wastewater typically has
because of the short duration of the reuse period, there were
a COD of 450 mg/L and a BOD of 135 mg/L, which must be
no known cases of waterborne disease or other adverse health
reduced to 30 mg/L and 3 mg/L or less, respectively. The raw
impacts reported, and the tap water met the Drinking Water
water TDS is approximately 1,500 mg/L, and up to 2,200
Standards for bacterial quality during the entire period.
m3/d (0.58 MGD) of plant concentrate can be deepwell
However, the water’s chemical quality became progressively injected at a TDS that does not exceed 22,500 mg/L.
worse during recycling. The treated water had a pale yellow
Based on a pilot study conducted in 2012-2013, Suez
color, an unpleasant musty taste and odor, and frothed when
selected a treatment system that employs its ZeeWeed
agitated. Gaston noted that because of its poor aesthetic
MBR, electrodialysis-reversal (EDR), RO and ion exchange
quality, it’s probable that few actually drank the water.
treatment processes.
Recycling did impact the chemical analysis and the chloride
“The system will consist of nine [8+1] EDR units to remove
content increased from 63 mg/L before reuse to 520 mg/L,
the sulfates and chlorides from the MBR effluent, and a four-
while the sodium increased from 59 to 379 mg/L and the
train [2+2] RO to further concentrate the EDR concentrate
TDS went from 305 mg/L to 1,139 mg/L.
before its disposal via deepwell injection. Ion exchange is
The increased chloride content did impact one industrial used for heavy metals polishing of the EDR effluent using
user: a local cement plant had to haul in 20 million gallons ion selective resin before it can be reused or discharged
(75,700 m3/d) of lower chloride water over a nine-day period to the river,” explained Jeffery, who also noted that
at a cost of $100,000. MACarrier—a powered activated carbon-like product—is
Even though they rejected drinking the recycled water, added to the MBR’s mixed liquor to improve the removal
Chanute residents accepted the situation, indicating that the rate of recalcitrant organics, and to meet the 30 mg/L COD
episode was a reasonably successful test in public relations, effluent requirement and 0.001 mg/L limit on phenols.
displaying the citizens’ confidence in the public water supply Suez will also service and maintain the plant under a 15-year
profession. contract.
WATER DESALINATION REPORT – 29 January 2018 Page 4

Research
Membrane research grants awarded The Northwest Membrane Operators Association will
Four graduate students have been awarded research grants hold a membrane operators certification for membrane
of $11,750 to continue their work in development of novel bioreactor (MBR) systems on 13-15 February in Woodinville
membrane technologies, under the American Membrane (Seattle), Washington. For information, visit [Link]
Technology Association (AMTA) and Bureau of Reclamation com/ybygyklh.
Fellowship award program.
The Water Environment & Reuse Foundation Endowment
The award recipients, all PhD candidates, are: for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research is seeking
• Mackenzie Anderson, University of California at nominations for its Paul L. Busch Award for innovative,
Los Angeles – A novel thin-film lift-off method for ongoing contributions to water quality advancements.
fabricating polyamide membranes to produce solvent Nominations must be received by 1 June. Recipients are
and chemical resistant NF/RO membranes for desal rewarded with a $100,000 grant to continue their work,
and industrial applications. take risks and explore new directions. For information, visit
• Carlo Alberto Amadei, Harvard University – A chem- [Link]
ically resistant, polymer-free, fully carbon membrane The Southeast Desalting Association (SEDA) will hold
for water reclamation with an upper layer with a workshop on membrane theory and operations in Cape
macroscopic porosity and a lower, carbon nanotube Coral, Florida, on 20-22 February. For information, visit
layer. [Link]
• Alma Beciragic, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill – Evaluating the impact of disinfectants on This week is the last chance to submit nominations for
RO/NF membranes and the mechanism for formation the 2018 Global Water Awards. Nominations will
of halogenated organics byproducts. remain open through this Wednesday, 31 January at www.
[Link]. An expert panel will then prepare a
• Mengyuan Wang, University of Colorado Boulder –
shortlist, from which the winners will be chosen by GWI and
Evaluating the gel-liquid interfacial polymerization
WDR subscriber votes cast through 1 March. Winners will
process in TFC membrane manufacture to achieve
be announced at the Global Water Summit in Paris, France,
better control of membrane properties.
on Monday, 16 April 2018.
Recipients will present their research at the 2019 AMTA-
AWWA Membrane Technology Conference in New Orleans.
People
In brief Chris Owen has been appointed the director of water and
reuse innovation for Hazen and Sawyer. She was formerly
Australia’s Victorian Desalination Plant (VDP) was fi-
the senior manager for regulatory compliance at Tampa Bay
nally called into service in 2016, four years after it was
Water, and will remain in Tampa, Florida, where she may be
completed, and an order was placed for it to deliver one-
contacted at cowen@[Link]. 
third of its production capacity over a 14-month period.
However, when the plant was being restarted, it encountered
significant electrical problems, which caused delays. Jobs
The water was finally delivered more than one month Gradiant Corporation is seeking candidates for two
late, subjecting AquaSure, the plant owner/operator, to positions – a sales engineer for its US Boston office and a
government penalties. The AquaSure partners now claim sales manager for its India office (location flexible). The ideal
that the substation and SCADA system provided by Siemens candidate would have 5+ years of technical sales experience
was defective and not fit for purpose. They are reportedly in industrial water treatment, proposal development and
seeking unspecified damages from Siemens for the costs to assisting sales teams in solving customer challenges. Email
repair the damage, arrange an alternative power source and resumes to kmadhavan@[Link].
any/all other damages.

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