Blue Water Technologies, Inc., has successfully concluded of a phosphorus removal pilot test at the Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) wastewater treatment plant. The firm also used the pilot to unveil a new dual reactor mobile test unit.
Dischargers to the Spokane River including the Coeur d‚Alene plant are facing lower total phosphorus discharge limits. An early draft version of the TMDL (total maximum daily load) for the Spokane River indicates that all dischargers will need to reduce their phosphorus content up to 95%. The new TMDLs are expected to be set by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Ecology by late 2005.
It is anticipated that the Coeur d‚Alene plant will need to reduce its phosphorus discharge by 90%. Currently, the plant uses alum dosing with a polymer addition to achieve approximately 1 mg/L of phosphorus discharge. Blue Water‚s proprietary phosphorus removal technology reduced the phosphorus concentration to .04 mg/L or 96% reduction. Wastewater Utility Superintendent Sid Fredrickson was very impressed with the pilot results. "We know our discharge permits will be lower and the data from Blue Water indicates a significant reduction in phosphorus can be reached."
The Blue Water mobile test unit features two moving bed sand filters for operation in parallel and series. Rosemount and sister company Rosemount Analytical based in Irvine, CA provided over $20,000 in flow measurement and analytical modules for the pilot unit. Brian LaBelle, Industry Marketing Manager for Rosemount Analytical sees phosphorus reduction as a burgeoning market and is impressed with Blue Water's technology. "We wanted to be a part of this phosphorus reduction technology. We are pleased to provide our equipment for this mobile unit."
Source: Blue Water Technologies
