Koch Membrane Systems Selected To Treat Iron And Manganese At Hayward Street Water Treatment Plant In Franklin, Massachusetts
On April 13th, R.H. White broke ground on a new building that will house the water treatment system. In addition to the membrane system, the plant will consist of static mixers; ozone feed equipment, a detention tank, chemical storage and feed equipment, several pumps, a clear well, instruments and controls. The Hayward Street plant was designed by Tata and Howard of Westborough, Massachusetts. The project, which is funded in part by the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust through a low interest loan, will cost $4.7 million and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2005.
Two membrane manufacturing companies were considered for this project, but Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) was chosen because of superior performance during pilot testing. This is not the first time that Tata and Howard designed a water treatment plant for a Massachusetts town that needed to remove iron and manganese from its drinking water supply. In the mid 1990's Tata and Howard designed a membrane plant using ozone pretreatment for the Town of Littleton to treat ground water under the influence of a nearby lake. In 1997 the town installed a KMS ultrafiltration system which has operated virtually trouble free for the past 7 years.
According to the Director of the Department of Public Works for the Town of Franklin, William Fitzgerald, Jr., Littleton's experience with the KMS system was a major factor in the decision to purchase an ultrafiltration system from KMS. "Getting a positive recommendation from a well respected peer was key," said Fitzgerald, referring to Savas Danos, General Manager of the Electric Light and Water Department in Littleton. "I was impressed with the way clients of Koch Membrane Systems have been supported in the past, and the way the company is continuing to invest in the technology," remarked Fitzgerald in a recent telephone interview.
In pilot testing conducted during the summer of 2002 the KMS system reduced the iron levels from 0.5 mg/liter to an average of 0.0067 mg/liter and it reduced the manganese levels from 0.4 mg/liter to about 0.001mg/liter. The color units were reduced from 100 PtCo (platinum-cobalt method) in the feed water to undetectable levels in the pilot unit permeate. These levels are significantly below the EPA's National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations of 0.3 mg/l iron, 0.05 mg/l manganese and 15 PtCo color units.
The ultrafiltration system will feature a newly developed 10-inch diameter membrane cartridge, which offers numerous advantages over earlier KMS designs. The new cartridge can process much more water than the cartridges used in Littleton and elsewhere, allowing for a more compact system and a less costly installation on a dollar per gallon basis.
For more information on Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. and its full line of membranes and accessory products, visit www.kochmembrane.com.
Source: Koch Membrane Systems, Inc.