Removing Iron, Manganese in Michigan

In February 2008, AdEdge Technologies, Inc. was selected by Sun Communities, a nationwide owner and operator of mobile home communities, to supply an iron and manganese treatment system for the Meadow Lake mobile home community in White Lake, Mich. The site consists of two wells that serve potable water to 430 connections and a population of 1,063.

Several options were considered based on the need to remove iron from 0.90 parts per million to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. An AdEdge AD26 oxidation/filtration system was selected as the best approach to simultaneously remove the iron and manganese from the community’s water supply. The system uses an NSF 61-certified manganese dioxide media that is excellent for co-contaminant removal.

The technology was selected based on overall cost, the small footprint and simplicity of operation. The permit was granted in April 2008 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The raw water quality of the combined wells is shown in the table to the right.

Treatment System

The arsenic treatment train consists of a completely integrated, packaged treatment system with six vessels (two triplexes) in parallel to treat up to 750 gal per minute (gpm). A design filtration rate of 9 gpm/sq ft is nearly three times higher than conventional greensand filtration, offering high efficiency removal with smaller vessels and lower cost. The AD26 automated system equipped with a PLC, automated butterfly valves and control panel is integrated with chlorine addition and monitoring for process control and disinfection purposes. The system is pre-engineered, pre-piped and skid mounted for ease of installation and operation. A continuous free chlorine monitor on the system allows the operator to maintain desired disinfection residual in the distribution system.

Performance Results

Installation was completed and the system was officially started up in 2008. Since operations began, the system has consistently removed iron and manganese to well below EPA maximum contaminant levels. Iron and manganese in the treated water have been recorded consistently below detection. Monitoring and periodic sampling of the system are performed by the site’s certified operator in accordance with the MDEQ permit.