American Water Recognized for Environmental Contributions
American Water announced it has earned two Business Achievement Awards from the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) and the Climate Change Business Journal (CCBJ). The awards will be presented in a ceremony at the 10th annual Environmental Industry Summit X on March 14, 2012.
American Water was recognized by the EBJ in the technology merit category for receipt of its optimized nutrient removal from wastewater patent, also known as NPXpress, in September 2011. The technology helps wastewater utilities, which are facing both increasing operating costs and more stringent environmental regulations, to reduce costs while improving the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Because the technology operates at lower oxygen levels, electricity consumption for aeration is reduced by 50%. In addition, the process can eliminate the need for costly chemical addition (methanol) by up to 80% to 100%. This new process, created by American Water experts, provides a more affordable and sustainable way of treating sewage.
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, was recognized by the CCBJ in the solar power category for installing solar modules on a reservoir at the company’s Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant in Millburn, N.J. This pilot project was the first solar array on the East Coast on a body of water designed to withstand a freeze/thaw environment.
The 400 solar modules measure 110-ft-by-110-ft and rest on a docking station designed to float on the water’s surface. The array will generate 112 kilowatts of direct-current power, which will then be converted to alternating-current power. Annually, the solar field will produce 135,000 kilowatt hours per year, or approximately 2% of the plant’s power.
Source: American Water