New Logic Research announced the successful commissioning of a VSEP vibrating membrane system at a municipal landfill Quito, Ecuador. The reverse osmosis system takes landfill leachate from storage ponds and filters it to create clean water that is recycled and used as irrigation water. The water permeating from the system has only about 50 parts per million of dissolved solids, which is lower than the town drinking water.
Landfill leachate is a very difficult wastewater, created when rainwater trickles down through the garbage stored in a landfill. By the time this water reaches a liner at the bottom of the landfill cell, it has been significantly contaminated by the trash, picking up arsenic, heavy metals like mercury and lead, and many other undesirable contaminants along the way. This water is pumped out of the ground to keep the landfill stabilized preventing slippage and failure. While searching for a solution, El Inga landfill built 21 storage ponds to hold the wastewater temporarily.
The VSEP system installed uses a reverse osmosis membrane—like those used for seawater desalination—that allows very pure water to pass through while holding back the pollutants. While most membrane systems would foul rapidly processing such high strength wastewater, New Logic's patented VSEP system uses the power of vibration to keep the membranes clean. The VSEP filtrate is then fed to a secondary reverse osmosis system for further cleanup prior to discharge as irrigation water. This closed loop wastewater treatment system is part of a plan for sustainability at the landfill.
Until now, the Quito landfill has faced significant challenges treating its leachate, according to New Logic CEO Greg Johnson: "The El Inga landfill struggled for more than eight years trying six different treatment methods for treating the leachate that all failed. During this time, the landfill faced incredible pressure from the local community and spent a great deal of money trying to fix the problem. Now the landfill finally has a working sustainable solution to its leachate management issues. And thanks to our local partner Global Fluids providing support, we're confident that this system will provide many years of trouble-free service to the citizens of Quito."
Source: New Logic Research
