Treatment System Delivers Gift of Clean, Arsenic-Free Water

April 3, 2018

Reducing contaminant levels, new treatment system protects Argentine community's health

AdEdge Water Technologies LLC recently delivered a water treatment system to San Antonio de Los Cobres, a village of 5,000 residents in Argentina's Andes Mountains, to reduce a challenging arsenic concentration of 290 parts per billion (ppb) to below the maximum contaminant level (MCL) set by the World Health Organization of 10 ppb.

His Heart Missions, a non-profit organization dedicated to international community service projects, met with AdEdge in 2006 to begin planning and fundraising for the project. The village had a history of higher than normal incidences of cancer, heart failure and other health issues. A team from AdEdge traveled to San Antonio de los Cobres in November 2011 to start up the system and train the local system operators.

Combat Mode

The treatment system design features a two stage system: The first stage uses AdEdge GS+ coagulation filtration media with an iron augmentation module, and the second uses granular ferric oxide adsorption media. An existing sodium hypochlorite chemical feed module was integrated with the system.

Both treatment systems are modular and manually operated to accommodate the design flow of 200 gal per minute. The water system is served by a springhead that passes raw water through a series of existing sand filters, which reduce the arsenic level from 290 to 222 ppb, and the pre-treated water flows into a catch basin. From the catch basin, an underground pipe brings the pre-treated water to the treatment systems before being distributed to the end users in the community.

Helping Hands For Water, a non-profit organization started by a group of AdEdge employees, coordinated the logistics and communication between the company, His Heart Missions, Aguas del Norte and the San Antonio de los Cobres municipality.

An Arsenic-Free Community

Startup of the treatment system began in November 2011. Since startup, water quality test results from Aguas del Norte and the treatment system report the system is operating successfully, reducing the arsenic concentration levels to less than 5 ppb.  

The superintendent of the municipality of San Antonio de Los Cobres presented His Heart Missions and AdEdge with an official declaration of thanks and recognition of the significance of the arsenic treatment system donation in providing a better quality of life for the citizens of San Antonio de Los Cobres.

Joseph Naylor is marketing manager for AdEdge Water Technologies LLC. Naylor can be reached at [email protected] or 866.823.3343.
 

About the Author

Joseph Naylor

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