American Water and LG Sonic received a Business Achievement Award from the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) for the installation of four solar-powered algae control buoys (MPC-Buoys) in a drinking water reservoir at the Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant in Short Hills, N.J.
Blue-green algae cause problems when blooming in lakes and water reservoirs, such as health issues, fish deaths and odor problems. In order to provide an environmentally friendly solution to these problems, LG Sonic developed the MPC-Buoy, a floating solar-powered platform that emits specific ultrasonic parameters to target the algae present. In 2014, American Water installed four buoys in a drinking water reservoir at the Canoe Brook water treatment plant in Short Hills. Extensive testing conducted during 2014 showed that the installed buoys had a significant impact on the algae, allowing the treatment plant to reduce chemical consumption by more than 20% and reducing the concentration of compounds that can cause undesirable tastes and odors.
“We are honored to be recognized for our environmental achievement,” said Paul Gagliardo, manager of innovation development for American Water. “This project proved to be a great example of how American Water is committed to protecting the environment and to finding ways to use our most precious resource wisely.”
The environmental industry awards annually recognize companies and executives for environmental achievements seen as outperforming the market. The award was presented during a ceremony on March 11, 2015 at the Environmental Industry Summit in San Diego. In 2014, The MPC-Buoy also received other innovation awards, such as the Shell LiveWIRE Award in the Netherlands and the Engineering Solutions Award for ultrasonic algae control in a raw water reservoir in the U.K.
Source: LG Sonic
