Changing Water Conditions Dictate ‘A Shift That Is Here To Stay'

When it comes to potable water, the biggest problem is that there isn’t enough available — at least not in the drought-ridden Western states of the U.S.

Tonka Water specializes in potable water problems and solutions of all type, explains Tonka’s Rick Mann in this interview with Water Online Radio, but it was the experience at Fountain Hills Sanitation District in Arizona — an advanced wastewater treatment facility — that was a recent highlight of the company’s capabilities.

The ultrafiltration (UF) facility is unique in that it does not discharge into open water, but instead is restricted to aquifer recharge or irrigation. The facility was also outdated and unable to handle the growing population and capacity requirements. Instead of a simple retrofit, Tonka and Carollo Engineers executed a design-build project that increased capacity from 2 MGD to nearly 5 MGD, yet maintained the current footprint.

“We were able to [more than] double the amount of water that they could treat, for the same amount of money that the competition was saying they needed just to do the module replacement,” said Mann.

He notes the importance of water conservation and understanding/communicating the value of water, and also the evolved view of water and wastewater as a single resource that needs to be managed and protected appropriately. Hence the occasional wastewater project for the traditionally clean water-focused company.

“It's really going to become one stream,” Mann notes, “and we are gearing ourselves to look at that market in a more focused approach.”

Click the Radio Player below to earn more about Mann’s thoughts on water supply and scarcity, treatment solutions, and which drinking water regulations to look out for.