Biwater And NeoTech Aqua Solutions Leverage Latest Technologies To Combat California Drought At Padre Dam Municipal's

New Water Purification Demonstration Plant

Biwater and NeoTech Aqua Solutions have been selected for Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s new water reuse demonstration plant. The plant will leverage state-of-the-art ultraviolet (UV) technologies for a safe, reliable, drought-proof and environmentally sound solution to the region’s water woes. The facility is designed to explore the expansion of an Advanced Water Purification Project to treat ten million gallons per day of wastewater to potable water quality standards for select communities in San Diego, California. The plant will utilize free chlorine disinfection, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and NeoTech Aqua’s ultraviolet technology in conjunction with advanced oxidation.

According to Richard White, Senior Vice President of Biwater’s Desalination and Membrane Sector, “The use of NeoTech Aqua Solutions’ newly validated UV technology is a perfect example of how Biwater continues to provide the most advanced water treatment technologies available. We are leveraging the latest in UV technology, providing our clients with the smallest possible footprint, the lowest possible energy consumption and the highest level of reliability.” Biwater and NeoTech Aqua Solutions are working in conjunction with engineering firms Trussell Engineers, Kennedy Jenks, and Brown & Caldwell on the project.

A key element in the Padre Dam Advanced Water Purification Project is its Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) which utilizes NeoTech Aqua’s high-efficiency UV technology in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide to destroy contaminants. NeoTech Aqua Solutions’ UV technology includes a patented chamber that reflects more than 99% of UV, as compared to approximately 23% for conventional systems. According to Stephen Dunham, NeoTech Aqua’s President, “by reflecting nearly every generated UV photon back into the treated water, fewer lamps are required, translating to substantially less power consumption, less equipment footprint and less maintenance for the UV system. The economic, operational and reliability advantages of NeoTech Aqua’s UV offering are game-changing.”

The Western United States is suffering one of the most severe droughts in decades and after multiple declared emergencies by California Governor Jerry Brown, water agencies are aggressively seeking solutions. According to Allen Carlisle, Padre Dam’s CEO and General Manager, “With the current drought situation and Padre Dam being 100 percent dependent on imported water, it is extremely important that we find a way for East County to diversify its water supply. I am confident and hopeful that the demonstration plant will be successful.”

In addition to NeoTech Aqua’s UV technology, Biwater is installing the latest ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis units, including the programmable logic controller (PLC) and plant instrumentation to support the project’s daily testing requirements. Padre Dam represents an exciting opportunity for both San Diego residents and water treatment experts globally who are interested in state-of-the-art water treatment technology. Padre Dam’s CEO and General Manager Allen Carlisle sums it up, “Padre Dam is thrilled to be utilizing the latest in UV technology offered by NeoTech Aqua Solutions and Biwater in this important demonstration plant.”

About NeoTech Aqua Solutions
NeoTech Aqua Solutions specializes in the development, manufacturing and sales of high-efficiency UV systems for disinfection and TOC reduction in water treatment applications. Since 2002, the company has secured multiple patents on UV technologies which reduce power consumption, space requirements and operational costs by up to 90% compared to standard UV systems. For more information, visit neotechaqua.com.

About Biwater
Biwater provides large-scale water and wastewater solutions for clients across the world. Since its inception in 1968, Biwater has gained recognition for its innovative approaches aimed at overcoming the world’s most pressing water-related challenges. Throughout its history, the company has grown to meet the demands of many waterstressed countries and their burgeoning populations. It has a successful record of accomplishment, having completed over 25,000 projects in over 90 countries – financing, consulting, process engineering, designing, constructing, operating, maintaining and owning water facilities – in both rural and urban environments.