Challenge

The Lincoln Avenue Water Company needed a treatment system for the removal of perchlorate from their primary wells.  The company provides 2,000 gpm of drinking water to the community of Altadena, California.  Recent water analysis from the wells indicated perchlorate levels above California's Pubic Health goal of 6 ppb.

Solution

Siemens' solution uses disposable ion exchange resin technology to treat the water.  Once the resin has reached it's full capacity, it is destroyed and thereby prevents future recontamination with perchlorate to other water sources in the state.

Siemens provided a series of 12' diameter, high flow vessels containing  special ion exchange resin.  The resin, developed by the Rohm & Haas Company, is specifically designed to remove perchlorate from water supplies contaminated with up to 1,000 ppb levels to non-detection levels.  The new resin is a significant improvement over former technologies due to reduced operating cost associated with it's use to below $200 per acre-foot treated.  The new system also eliminates generation of contamined brine waste and provides substantially greater total treatment capacity.

Results

Siemens' treatment solution reduced Lincoln Avenue Water Company's system operating costs and reduced the overall footprint area by utilizing high flow vessels which allows the utility to double the flow rate and thereby reduces the number of vessels required by half.

The system was installed and operating within 4 weeks of order.  The system holds the record in California for issuance of purchase order to full plant operation with a Health Department operating permit in two months.

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