Osmonics Inc. received a third order from the city of Pascagoula, Miss., worth $1 million for reverse osmosis (RO) systems to purify city water. These new systems will augment existing Osmonics RO systems already in operation.
Pascagoula, a city of more than 27,000 citizens, currently uses four Osmonics RO systems to purify 3.5 million gallons per day, representing 80 percent of the total daily city water needs. The new equipment consists of two skid mounted RO systems that will purify an additional 2.2 million gallons, treating 100 percent of the water supply. The new equipment will be operating by early 2002, and all six units will use Osmonics replaceable membranes.
This order also includes an Osmonics ozone sterilizing system used to kill bacteria and other potential contaminants, and to remove any remaining trace color that might be left after the RO process.
Pascagoula's source water is tainted with tannins, and also contains high concentrations of dissolved minerals that make it difficult to drink in its untreated state, due to off-color and taste.
"We did a lot of pilot studies on different types of equipment and we discovered that reverse osmosis was the best for our needs," said Jeff Hutchinson, Pascagoula's water systems superintendent. "Our water is definitely more clear - it went from a tea color to crystal-clear. And everybody likes the taste of the water now."
"Before the Osmonics RO equipment was installed, it was said that Pascagoula's water was the `worst water in Mississippi,'" said Curt Weitnauer, vice president and general manager of Osmonics' Process Water Group. "Now, residents have quality drinking water and can finally wash their whites and keep them white. The additional systems make Pascagoula the largest municipal RO installation in Mississippi and Alabama that we're aware of."
Each municipal reverse osmosis system is constructed at Osmonics' ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility.
Source: Osmonics
