How Donner Summit PUD Cut Backwash Water Use By 45% With Ultrasonic Algae Control

Harmful algal blooms present a recurring challenge for drinking water utilities, clogging filters, driving up chemical consumption, and forcing treatment plants to waste millions of gallons of finished water on routine backwashing. Addressing source-water algae before it enters the intake stream mitigates operational strain and protects plant infrastructure. By deploying targeted, low-power ultrasonic sound waves within raw water reservoirs, facilities can suppress cell buoyancy and prevent excessive growth without rupturing cells or releasing internal toxins into the supply.

This proactive control strategy drastically lowers raw water influent turbidity and reduces filter cleaning requirements. Managing raw water quality directly at the source leads to substantial reductions in backwash water volume, lower operational overhead, and optimized plant throughput throughout peak bloom seasons. Read the full case study to explore complete performance metrics and operational savings.