AMS

Aigües de Barcelona has systematically addressed the complexities of managing DBPs in its extensive distribution network by adopting AMS’ DaaS technology to monitor its water quality, provide process control and ensure regulatory compliance analysis. The introduction of THM-100™, an online THM and THM Formation Potential analyzer with > 98.5% data availability and uptime, and subsequent process optimizations have led to significant achievements. THM levels at the treatment plants saw an 86% decrease, with a parallel 53% reduction throughout the distribution network. These improvements have also translated into a substantial economic benefit, saving the utility an estimated 30,000€ monthly in operational costs, minimizing energy costs and reducing carbon emissions.

The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) regulation will rely more heavily on using lead and copper testing and monitoring apparatuses. These apparatuses have issues around sampling constraints and lack real-time data on water corrosivity to anticipate the risk of lead/copper corrosion before it happens in homes/schools/daycares. This is where the benefit of real-time lead and copper monitoring in drinking water systems can significantly contribute to a water system’s compliance with the proposed lead and copper action levels outlined in the LCRI. The automatic, unattended online MetalGuard™ analyzer from AMS provides high-frequency, timely, and accurate predictive data to stakeholders on their exposure to lead or copper contamination risks.

To reduce dependence on imported bulk chemicals, minimize carbon footprint and ensure final effluent discharges are within regulatory limits, wastewater treatment facilities can benefit from the SafeGuard™ H2O phosphate removal system. The novel technology, manufactured by AMS, generates a ferrous/ferric reagent in-situ via an electrolytic process, providing a sustainable and effective approach to phosphate removal. SafeGuard™ H2O has been proven in multiple bench-scale demonstrations to have repeated success removing phosphate.

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With increasing concerns about the quality of bulk reagents such as bulk ferric chemicals that are widely used in the water treatment industry, utilities are seeking alternative, more carbon neutral, and environmentally friendly treatment methods. AMS’ SafeGuard™ H2O technology is a sustainable alternative that responds to that need. SafeGuard™ H2O has numerous advantages over traditional coagulation processes that depend on bulk ferric chloride. The system’s on-site generation of a ferrous/ferric reagent requires a smaller footprint, and it offers greater reliability to utilities looking to reduce GHG emissions. SafeGuard™ H2O also has a 30 – 50% lifetime cost advantage, considering the cost of purchasing bulk chemicals, manual process supervision, and waste disposal. SafeGuard™ H2O is poised to replace the use of hazardous bulk reagents since it does not compromise the quality of drinking water, harm the environment and it can be produced using renewable energy sources and stored for later use when these are unavailable.

A SafeGuard™ H2O demonstration system with a capacity of 3 gpm (150 mL/minute) was installed onsite for testing at the City of Banning’s Facility Well C2 from June-September 2022. The scope of this demonstration focused on the safe, reliable reduction of Cr6 to Cr3 using SafeGuard™ H2O electrogenerated stannous reagent.  The demonstration validated the effectiveness of the SafeGuard™ H2O technology to treat Cr6 and Cr(T) below 10 ppb, granting it conditional acceptance from the California SWRCB Division of Drinking Water for use of the technology by public drinking water systems to treat Cr6 contamination.

A recent demonstration at the City of Banning, California, validated the effectiveness of the AMS SafeGuard™ H2O technology to treat Cr6 and Cr(T) below 10 ppb, granting it conditional acceptance from the California SWRCB Division of Drinking Water for use of the technology by public drinking water systems to treat Cr6 contamination. SafeGuard™ H2O generates a non-toxic stannous reagent on demand via an electrolytic process, offering utilities of all sizes an affordable, effective and sustainable Cr6 remediation solution.

Concerned with its reliance on bulk chemicals to meet the current or future arsenic MCL, the City of Alamosa evaluated the SafeGuard™ H2O arsenic removal treatment system to replace the use of bulk ferric chloride. The bench-scale test characterized the efficacy of the technology and the coagulation filtration requirements. The demonstration was initiated to show the ability of SafeGuard™ H2O to provide effective and reliable arsenic removal below the MCL, evaluate the purity of the in-situ generated ferrous reagent compared to bulk ferric chloride, and study the impact of both reagents on UF membrane health.

The SafeGuard™ H2O arsenic removal treatment system has been evaluated by the City of Alamosa to replace the use of bulk ferric chloride. The evaluation was completed via bench-scale testing and subsequent pilot demonstration; showing the electrogenerated ferrous reagent to achieve reliable arsenic removal below 5 ppb with a ferrous dose of 6.5-8 mg/L. The validation of SafeGuard™ H2O technology to generate a ferrous reagent in-situ via an electrolytic process shows great promise for utilities looking to remove arsenic to low levels and eliminate reliance on hazardous bulk chemicals.

The Athens Water Supply & Sewerage Company S.A. (EYDAP) installed the online THM-100™ analyzer to the drinking water reservoir outlet of the Galatsi Water Treatment Plant for a three-month evaluation period, providing EYDAP with continuous online analysis of THM values. The real-time THM data helped EYDAP to understand how the total THM (TTHM) concentration and THM speciation composition are affected by changes in raw source water quality and chlorine contact time. With the help of the reliable data provided by the THM-100, EYDAP was able to better mitigate the presence of harmful THMs across the service area.

The Bilbao Bizkaia Advanced Water Treatment Centre (CATABB) in Etxebarri, Bizkaia, Spain, is an open platform for innovation and research in water treatment that was designed and built by the Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium (BBWC) in 2018. To aid CATABB in a study to better understand the adsorption and desorption process of their GAC filters, an online THM-100™ analyzer was installed at the facility to quickly deliver accurate and reliable data on THM levels. According to BBWC, thanks to the online THM-100™ analyzer, staff in the CATABB facility has been able to quickly detect variations in the THMs concentration and have a greater control of the water quality. In addition, the online THM-100™ analyzer has become a very useful tool for current and future research in the study of the generation of disinfection by-products, and it will enable the opening of new lines of research and collaboration at CATABB.