Case Study: Gilbert-Summit Rural Water District - Gilbert, South Carolina

This radium removal pilot study was conducted for Gilbert-Summit Rural Water District in Gilbert, South Carolina. The raw water source for this pilot study was taken prior to any treatment, or the addition of any chemicals, and therefore operated only when the well was operating. Water from the well is treated with blended phosphate, fluoride and chlorine before it enters the distribution system. Naturally occurring radionuclides in the Gilbert- Summit Water District’s raw water source exceed current Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL’s) for combined radium.

Gilbert-Summit Rural Water District selected Water Remediation Technology’s (WRT) Z- 88™ Radium Removal Process as a possible cost effective solution for their radium problem. WRT provided a 1.5 GPM (gallons per minute) pilot plant, which was delivered and installed on May 24, 2005.

The purpose of this pilot study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment process on this water, establish design parameters for the full scale system and meet regulatory piloting requirements.

The pilot unit has successfully met radium compliance at all times during the pilot study. Based on the data received at the time this report was written, the pilot plant had been in operation for 119 days and effectively reduced the level of radium (Figure 1) to less than the MCL.