Challenge

Residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, were outraged by the brownish plumes in the waters of the Chena River caused by 3 to 4 million pounds of mineral slurry discharged yearly by a local water treatment plant.  The privately owned Golden Heart Utilities (GHU) water treatment plant delivers 3 million gallons of water a day (mgd) to 40,000 Fairbanks residents, but the byproduct discharge of iron, calcium, and manganese—although environmentally non-threatening—made the water unsightly and gave it a bad taste. 

To add to the situation, GHU's discharge permit had lapsed and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation enforced regulations prohibiting discharge into the Chena River—a spawning ground for several fish species threatened with possible extinction.

Solution

GHU was fast to respond to the needs of its community and, after reviewing several  dewatering technologies, found a J-Press® Model 1200 MM filter press from Siemens Water Technologies to be the effective solution for remediating the discharge of the mineral slurry.  The J-Press® filter press technology traps mineral particles in filter pack chambers, forming dewatered filter cakes, and discharges the cakes into receiving containers for transport to a landfill.  The filtrate water collected from the press is directed back to the head end of the plant for retreatment.

Results

By using J-Press® filter press technology, GHU now responsibly manages mineral solids and meets the expectations of its state regulatory officials and community.  The J-Press® filter press:

• Saves thousands of dollars—J-Press® filter press requires no polymer treatment to the mineral slurry before dewatering.
• Saves labor costs—J-Press® filter press is fully automated and requires only one operator.
• Requires very little maintenance—an average of 5 hours a week.
• Has zero discharge—J-Press® filter press consistently achieves greater than 99% solids capture.
• Produces 34 tons of filter cake, weekly.
• Is ideal for large-scale dewatering applications—the 1200 MM filter press handles a maximum volume of 3,540 cubic feet.

Read more about their water treatment:  Golden Heart Operations Water Treatment