[CPEO-MEF] Biotreatment of perchlorate in drinking water

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

{This announcement is significant because California's Department of
Health Services has approved a biological treatment system to remove
perchlorate from drinking water. Despite the fact that biological
methods are often less expensive and generate less secondary waste than
alternatives, regulators have been reluctant to approve such methods in
the belief that the public doesn't want "bugs" added to its water. For
more than a year, I have countered, "Ask the public." In my experience,
most people still don't want to drink treated sewage water, but they
welcome biotreatment as part of drinking-water treatment train. - LS]


Press Release
Carollo Engineers

Advanced Technology Removes Perchlorate to Below Detection From
Contaminated Drinking Water

State of California Accepts Use of Progressive Biological Process 

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/10/2005 --
Carollo Engineers was granted conditional acceptance by the California
Department of Health Services (CA DHS) for a Fixed-Bed Biological
Treatment process for the production of drinking water from perchlorate
contaminated water. Acceptance of Carollo Engineers' biological
treatment process is the first approval of its kind for a
non-proprietary perchlorate treatment technology and now makes it
possible to implement such a treatment process in California. 

The fixed-bed biological process has key features making it an
attractive perchlorate removal technology. Specifically, it: 

--  Does not produce a perchlorate-laden waste stream like other
technologies such as membranes and ion exchange.
--  Removes perchlorate to below detection ( < 1 ppb) by converting it
to innocuous chloride and oxygen. The result is high process efficiency
with water recoveries greater than 97 percent.
--  Reduces perchlorate to below detection regardless of raw water
perchlorate concentration. Thus, the pending maximum contaminant level
(MCL), action level or proposed no adverse health-effects level will not
impact the design or operation of this process.
--  In addition to perchlorate, eliminates other contaminants
simultaneously, including, nitrate, organic matter, and taste and odor compounds.
--  Costs less to operate than conventional perchlorate removal technologies.
    

In a letter of conditional acceptance, the CA DHS stated that it accepts
fixed bed biological treatment to remove or reduce perchlorate from
source water(s) that might be used for potable supply. The acceptance
was subject to certain conditions including careful monitoring and
control of perchlorate concentration, flow and acetic acid feed. 

"Application for approval of the fixed-bed biological treatment process
stemmed from a six-month pilot study at the Castaic Lake Water Agency in
Santa Clarita, California," said Carollo Engineers' Dr. Jess Brown,
project manager for biological treatment. "The process was selected for
testing because it effectively removes perchlorate from groundwater
without creating a waste stream that requires further treatment or
disposal."   

Carollo Engineers, P.C. is a leader in water and wastewater planning,
design and construction management. Founded in 1933, the environmental
engineering firm has successfully completed more than 15,000 public
sector projects and is highly respected for its attention to client
service and commitment to quality. Ranked as one of the nation's top
consultants by the Engineering News Record and as the largest firm
dedicated exclusively to water and wastewater treatment services,
Carollo Engineers maintains 24 offices in 12 states. 

For the original release, go to
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=82433


-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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