Suburban Philadelphia Facility Installs Arsenic Removal Technology from Severn Trent

The Hilltown Water and Sewer Authority, which serves Hilltown Township, a suburb of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pa., has installed a 300 gal per minute SORB 33 arsenic removal system utilizing Bayoxide E33 media from Severn Trent Services. The system also features the first use of Severn Trent’s Omni-SORBT iron and manganese pretreatment system.

Arsenic levels in groundwater at the Hilltown water system measure 15 ppb, compared to the new U.S. EPA standard of 10 ppb. In addition, the system’s groundwater contains elevated levels of iron and manganese, which create mineral deposits in household bathtubs and toilets. Severn Trent Services designed a three-stage adsorber vessel treatment technology in which the Omni-SORB pretreatment system removes the iron and manganese prior to water entering an adsorber containing the Bayoxide E33 media for arsenic removal. The coagulation and filtration process works to effectively reduce arsenic levels when the water’s iron-to-arsenic weight ratio exceeds 25.

Severn Trent Services developed the SORB 33 process and technology to reduce arsenic contamination, and it has been commercially proven to effectively and economically remove arsenic below 4 ppb across a range of water treatment applications. Bayoxide E33 is a dry, robust, ferric oxide media designed with a high capacity for arsenic, providing long operating cycles and low operating costs. Compared to competitive technologies, Bayoxide E33 offers the lowest capital cost while providing ease of operation and maintenance. The media has been permitted for use by health and environmental agencies in 18 states, more than any other arsenic removal technology.

Source: Severn Trent Services