UK water technology group Biwater has been awarded a contract to design, supply and commission all process, mechanical, electrical and control components for a planned wastewater reuse demonstration project in California, USA.
Lead contractor on the advanced water treatment plant for Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Integrated Water Solutions (IWS) has selected Biwater to provide a turnkey project. The US$ 1.55 million demonstration project, will be funded from a US$ 3 million state grant, and will comprise an indirect potable reuse facility. The plant will include four water treatment steps – free chlorine disinfection, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis (RO) and ultraviolet (UV)/advanced oxidation.
The project will include It will include field pumps, a chlorine contactor, chemical dosing systems, ultrafiltration system, reverse osmosis system, advanced oxidation process system (using ultraviolet light (UV) and oxidation), programmable logic control and instrumentation, motor control centres and electrical panels. Colorado-based IWS will deliver civil engineering and construction work.
Following commissioning, the demonstration project will run for a one year during which it will treat secondary effluent from a wastewater treatment plant in the thee Padre Dam region. The treated water – some 0,5 Ml/d – will be used for demonstration and testing purposes to ensure it meets or exceeds the California Public Health Department’s draft regulations.
At the same time studies will assess the feasibility of extending the project to serve a larger customer base in California. Chief executive officer of Padre Dam. Allen Carlisle, said: “Living in California, drought is a real and regular condition. It is imperative that Padre Dam works to diversify our water supply and reduce our reliance on imported water.”
If the demonstration phase is successful, Padre Dam anticipates that it will expand the facility to a full-scale 50Ml/d producer of water for indirect potable reuse. This would entail injecting the treated water into the Santee groundwater basin where it would be filtered naturally and withdrawn to be treated again prior to distribution as drinking water.