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WWIgloA4_wtrRM_130315 1 3/18/13 10:33 AM
Sorek sets out to prove vertical
SWRO membranes in Israel
Philippines water recovery
progress after typhoon Haiyan
December 2013-January 2014
Red-Dead Sea water pipeline project
- environmental impact analysis
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1312wwi_C1 1 1/15/14 11:35 AM
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T E C H N O L O G Y C A S E S T U D I E S (C O N T)
WASTEWATER: ACTIVATED SLUDGE 2.0 35
After 20 years in R&D, the Nereda aerobic granular sludge
process is now in operation, with 20 facilities planned.
WATER PROVISION: RED-DEAD SEA PROJECT 39
The $10 bn Red-Dead Sea project will join two oceans in the
Middle East by transporting water. A look at the impacts.
UTILITY MANAGEMENT: NRW 42
Suffering from non-revenue water rates of 58%, the Bahamas
has embarked on a 10-year improvement plan.
FLOOD PREVENTION: PUMP UPGRADE 44
In 2013 a 9 million environmental engineering programme
doubled the capacity of seven pumping stations in France.
NETWORKS: MONITORING 46
UK utility Severn Trent has been using active monitoring to
have more accurate reporting on its wastewater networks.
T E C H N O L O G Y R O U N D U P
TANKS & STRUCTURES 49
Belzona patches up Wessex Waters tanks following through-
wall corrosion; wireless tank level monitoring from Telog;
Defender odour covers; automated storm tank and screen
cleaning system.
P R O D U C T R E V I E W
ODOUR CONTROL 50
Real-time odour and air contaminant tracking and monitoring
solution; wireless-to-web system and hydrogen sulfde
monitor and fnally a sulfde ion measurement system.
PRODUCT UPDATE 51
Pump control panel from Primex; analyzer fow switch/
monitor for verifying fows; seawater dechlorination analyzer
from ECD, DW&PS fne particle flter available in China/EU.
R E G U L A R S
EDITORS NOTE 4
NEWS 6
TECHNOLOGY ROUNDUP 49
PRODUCT REVIEW 50
DIARY /AD INDEX/WEB PROMO 52
U P F R O N T
LEADER FOCUS 10
Mapal Green Energy CEO Zeev Fisher is on a global mission
to lower wastewater aeration energy needs. Find out how.
THE BIG QUESTION: 2013 REVIEW 14
With 2014 now underway, we asked several global water
leaders to refect on the highs and lows of 2013.
R E G I O N A L S P O T L I G H T
WAVE POWERED DESALINATION 18
Australian company Carnegie Wave Power completed
detailed design of a wave powered desalination pilot plant.
TYPHOON HAIYAN: RESTORING WATER 23
Super typhoon Haiyan wiped out water and sanitation
services in the Philippines. A look at restoration progress.
T E C H N O L O G Y C A S E S T U D I E S
DESALINATION: SOREK STANDS TALL 27
Israels new SWRO plant is operational and features 16
membranes for the frst time in a vertical arrangement.
DRINKING WATER: VALUE FROM WASTE 32
A new plant built it the Netherlands will use a ZLD approach
to treat drinking water and produce a valuable fertilizer.
CONTENTS DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 1
23
35
44
1312wwi_1 1 1/15/14 11:44 AM
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DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 3
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ISSN: 1069-4994
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do not necessarily refect the views of Water & Wastewater International or PennWell Corporation. Subscriptions: Print-$298 a year, single $67; Digital-$167,
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Published by PennWell International Publications Ltd
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1312wwi_3 3 1/15/14 11:44 AM
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 4
EDITORS NOTE
2014 THE YEAR OF LANDMARK
MENA PROJECTS?
With the Red-Dead Sea water pipeline scheme in Jordan and Renaissance
Dam in Ethiopia grabbing headlines towards the end of 2013,
what does 2014 hold for these historic projects?
Tom Freyberg, Chief editor
Follow on
o there we have it, 2014 is well and truly upon us. January is a time for people
making and breaking New Years Resolutions and businesses looking ahead to what
the next 12 months could bring.
Just when we expected the end of the year to limp along until the Holiday
period with a news drought, history was made with two politically, fnancially and
geographically important water projects coming under the spotlight.
First up, despite peace talks between Israel and Palestine apparently stagnating,
a water agreement was signed between these two nations and Jordan. The multi-
billion dollar project aims to build a pipeline to help replenish the rapidly drying
Dead Sea with brine and water being piped from the Red Sea.
As can be read in our analysis starting on page 39, several environmental concerns
have been raised. These include the presence of the large diameter pipeline in
Jordanian territory and also the mixing of two seawaters. Questions also remain over
the fnancing of the 232,900 m
3
/day desalination plant that is part of the project.
Another historic project sparking headlines around the world towards the end
of 2013 was the $4.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, set to be Africas
largest when completed in 2017. Ethiopia has downplayed the effect the dam
would have downstream of the Nile in Egypt. Egypt meanwhile relies on the Nile
for the vast majority of its potable water and has questioned the sophistication and
reliability of reports from Ethiopia. It was in 1959 when Egypt and Sudan agreed a
treaty to share the Nile, with Egypt taking 55.6 billion cubic metres of a total of 74
billion, after evaporation.
Egypt has become accustomed and dependent on that amount of water building
infrastructure and agriculture around it. Should the dam prevent the fow of the
Nile and the 55 billion cubic metres reduced, relations between Egypt and Ethiopia
will become even more thorny.
Yet all is not negative when it comes to large scale MENA projects. As can be
read on page 27, Israels new Sorek SWRO desalination plant is proving how
conventional technology such as RO membranes can be quite literally turned on
their head and instead be used vertically.
By total coincidence, that is not the only feature with an Israeli theme in this issue.
In the leader focus (page 10) you can read how one engineer took an innovative
aeration technology and is taking it global. And as if spearheading desalination and
aeration developments isnt enough for one country, we also hear how one company
is having an impact on the utilities arch enemy - non-revenue water as far as the
Bahamas. The community work going on alongside the project is really interesting
and worth checking out.
And with the start of 2014 also brings the turn of biannual IFAT and Singapore
International Water Week shows. WWi will again be covering these events with our
video team so we look forward to catching up with you all. Enjoy the issue.
S
IF THE DAM
PREVENTS THE
FLOW OF THE
NILE, RELATIONS
BETWEEN EGYPT
AND ETHIOPIA
WILL BE THORNY
1312wwi_4 4 1/15/14 11:44 AM
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analyticaltechnology.com
Non-Contacting Conductivity System
Dissolved Ammonia Monitor Toroidal Conductivity Automatic Sensor Cleaner
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FEATURES
Good Performance in Dirty Applications
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Proven Measurement Approach
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Interchangeable Smart Sensors
Internal Data-Logger
Optional Sensor Daily Auto-Testing
Interchangeable Smart Sensors
PortaSens II C16 Detector provide a fexible
tool for locating the source of toxic gas leaks
from storage cylinders, process machinery, gas
generation equipment or piping systems. Smart
interchangeable sensors allow one instrument
to be used for a variety of gas detection
requirements. Data-logger come standard.
FEATURES
Interchangeable Smart Sensorsfor Over 30 Gases
Internal Sample Pump and External Sampling Wand
One-hand Pistol Grip Design
Reliable D.O. measurement
FEATURES
The Q-Blast package includes the monitor and the cleaner
air supply which are factory assembled for easy installation
Choice of using either optical or galvanic membraned sensors
Power Options include Universal 100-240 VAC or 12-24 VDC
ATI's Sulfite Monitor Features:
Sulfte ion is measured selectively by conversion to sulfur dioxide.
Measurement is made without contact between sample and sensor, eliminating
the potential for sensor fouling.
Power options include 115 or 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz.
Relays are programmable for setpoint, deadband, and time delay.
Internal sequencing and relay system for automated sample line cleaning.
Communication options for Profbus-DP, Modbus-RTU, or Ethernet-IP.
Total Chlorine Measurement
Amperometric Measurement
The Q46H/79 provides highly
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The Q46S/66 Sulfte Monitor takes a
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1312wwi_5 5 1/15/14 11:44 AM
NEWS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 6
US: MISSOURI
The U.S. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) selected a Black &
Veatch-led team to manage the construction of more than $500 million in
future tunnel projects. The tunnels are a signifcant part of the MSDs Project
Clear a multi-billion dollar effort to address sewer overfows and basement
backups throughout the St. Louis area. The seven tunnels will range from
nine feet in diameter to more than 20 feet.
WORLD NEWS
JAMAICA
New regulations enacted in
Jamaica will mean WWTP
operators will require new
licenses under three possible
categories. This includes
the construction of a new
WWTP or reconstruction
(rehabilitation and or
upgrade) of an existing
treatment plant; the operation
of a wastewater treatment
plant and the discharge of
treated sewage and trade
effuent into the environment.
CHILE
Mining companies using more than 150 litres/second of water for
extraction purposes could soon be mandated to install seawater
desalination equipment, following the submittal of a new bill.
A group in the lower house of the Chilean national congress
submitted the bill in mid December and it is being considered by
the Committee on Mining and Energy.
1
1
4
4
3
3
SAUDI ARABIA
Middle East desalination powerhouse
Saudi Arabia could be allocating
the equivalent of $4.42 billion for
desalination projects, according to
a statement from the Saline Water
Conversion Corporation (SWCC).
The budget would be used in 2014 to
complete the 1 million m
3
/day Ras al-
Khair power and desalination plant.
5 PAKISTAN
Chemicals company Archroma
has opened an effuent
treatment facility for a textile
operational site in Jamshoro,
Pakistan, at an investment of
371 million PKR (US$3.5m).
The plant is spread over an
area of 25 acres consisting
of focculation, equalization,
surface aeration, clarifcation,
ultra fltration and reverse
osmosis to yield colorless
water with a COD and TDS of
less than 75 ppm.
6
US: DELAWARE
Revised wastewater system
regulations in the state of
Delaware kicked in at the
beginning of January and
aim to tackle excess nutrients
in local rivers and streams.
Currently many are said to be
considered unft for swimming
due to high levels of nitrogen
and phosphorous entering the
waterways. The regulations set
to protect homebuyers from
buying malfunctioning septic
systems.
2
2
1312wwi_6 6 1/15/14 11:44 AM
NEWS
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 7
CHINA
Sinpopec Jiujiang
Petrochemical Company,
Jiangxi province, has
contracted Siemens Energy
for the supply of a refnery
wastewater treatment system
to help meet new national
discharge standards for
wastewaster and water reuse.
The wet air regeneration and
wet air oxidation systems
will treat oil wastewater
for reuse in the refnery.
Salty wastewater will also
be treated before being
discharged into the Yangtze
River.
CHINA
Sembcorp China will join
forces with the Tangshan
Caofeidian Yongtai Industry
Co to build, own and operate
an industrial WWTP to serve
the chemical industrial park.
With a capacity of 10,000
m
3
/day, the plant will begin
operations in 2015 to treat high
concentration industrial and
high oil content wastewater.
The industrial park is close to
Tangshan City, which is rich in
coal and oil.
ABU DHABI
With demand for potable water expected to double in Abu Dhabi, three major
desalination projects are currently in the works. In line with the development
and aligned with its commitment toward Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, Abu Dhabi
Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) has formed a strategic partnership
with PennWell Corporation in support of the upcoming WaterWorld Middle
East and POWER-GEN Middle East conferences to be held in Abu Dhabi in
October 2014.
GERMANY
The Dammweg thermal
power station in Chmnitz,
Germany has taken an order
for 60 reverse osmosis (RO)
membranes from Lanxess to
treat 50-60 m
3
/hour of river
water for steam generation.
The membranes will be used
in an RO facility designed
by Veolia Water Solutions
& Technologies subsidiary
Berkefeld.
9
9
5
6
AFRICA
A memorandum of understanding
has been signed between the
United Nations Industrial
Development Organization
(UNIDO) and DNV GL -
Business Assurance to develop
and implement joint projects
in the feld of water footprint
measurement and promote water
management best practices, with
a particular emphasis on Africa.
UNIDO and DNV GL will jointly
develop a water footprint self-
assessment tool to assist SMEs.
7
7
SRI LANKA
The island country of Sri Lanka will
soon receive an integrated water
supply program for the city of Badulla
and surrounding communities of Ella
and Haliela. Engineering company
Tetra Tech will design and complete
a new water supply treatment plant
and associated works. The $74 million
contract will be fnanced by the United
States Export-Import Bank for the Sri
Lanka National Water Supply and
Drainage Board.
8
8
12
12
10
10
11
11
1312wwi_7 7 1/15/14 11:44 AM
NEWS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 8
ANALYSIS
WHAT DOES 2014 HOLD FOR SIEMENS WATER
TECHNOLOGIES, UNDER AEA CONTROL?
I
ndustry analysts predicted that
Siemens Water Technologies
would be bought by a global water
company such as Xylem or Pentair. So
it may have come as a surprise towards
the end of 2013 when investment
company AEA Investors announced it
would buy the Germany frm for the
sum of 640 million euros.
The agreement included the
acquisition of the municipal, industrial
and services water and wastewater
treatment operations and assets of
Siemens Water Technologies.
AEAs history includes focusing
on control buyouts in four industry
sectors: value-added industrial
products; specialty chemicals; consumer
products/retail and services.
Dr Lukas Loeffer will continue in
the role of CEO to ensure continuity of
the ongoing successful integration and
optimization of Water Technologies
operations and assets according to a
company statement.
It was in 2004 when Siemens entered
the water treatment market, following
the much publicised acquisition of
USFilter from Veolia Environnement for
$993 million. At the time the acquired
business had reported sales of $1.2
billion and employed around 5,800
people. Part of the challenge for Siemens
stemmed from trying to consolidate and
integrate the many parts of the newly
acquired business.
Speaking to WWi when Siemens
was frst put up for sale, Loeffer said:
When the company came to Siemens
in 2004-2005, initially the frst leaders in
Siemens were busy with a whole bunch
of other topics.
So from the point of view of
managing the business, it was never
integrated in a way that you had
complete oversight of the individual
locations, other than the fnancial level.
Following the AEA announcement,
the CEO told WWi: The sale attracted a
great deal of interest from the industry
and investors. There were a number of
attractive offers, but AEA proved to be
the best ft.
When asked about AEAs experience
in investing into water companies,
Loeffer added: The primary AEA
people interfacing with Water
Technologies have years of water,
specialty chemicals and industrial
experience they know our business.
For example, operating partner
Gary Cappeline is a former president
and COO of Ashland [speciality
chemical company], where he had direct
responsibility for the water treatment
chemicals business. He also has co-
authored book on industrial water
treatment.
In a previous interview the CEO
commented that due to the fragmented
nature of the global water market,
Siemens has found it diffcult becoming
one of the top performers as it has in its
other divisions and a position it aims
for. However, under the new owner,
Loeffer believes his company is now in
a position to grow.
Under AEA ownership, Waters
Corp. management reengineered
manufacturing operations, invested in
R&D, executed several acquisitions and
grew annual revenue growth from 1% to
more than 8%, he said.
Following a successful IPO, Waters
now has a market cap of $9 billion. With
Mettler-Toledo, AEA tripled annual
revenue growth to 12% and spun the
company off in another successful IPO
resulting in a $7 billion market cap.
The CEO concluded by saying: The
fragmented nature of the water industry
is inherent and is not likely change any
time soon, but we are confdent of our
ability to grow and build market share
in the attractive end market verticals we
serve.
1312wwi_8 8 1/15/14 11:44 AM
INDUSTRY NEWS
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TO GET
$43M WATER UPGRADE FROM
BIWATER/BARCLAYS PARTNERSHIP
CARLSBAD DESALINATION
PROJECT CONSTRUCTION NOW 25%
COMPLETE IN CALIFORNIA
IN BRIEF
UK engineering company
Biwater has received $43
million to construct a
10,400 m
3
/day desalination
plant, water storage and
wastewater facilities on
Tortola, the largest and most
populated island of the
British Virgin Islands.
The dual-tranche project
fnancing from Barclays has
been backed by a repayment
guarantee from government
export credit agency UKEF.
It is hoped the works will
ensure an adequate and
reliable supply of drinking
water all year-round, along
with improved sewage
facilities.
Ross Taylor from Barclays
said the project will be life-
changing for Tortola.
Earlier in December,
Biwater was also awarded
a reverse osmosis contract
in North Carolina, by T.A.
Loving Company to support
Dixon Water Treatment Plant
improvement works being
carried out by Onslow Water
and Sewer Authority in the
city of Jacksonville.
The new RO system is
planned to increase Dixon
Water Treatment Plants
potable water production
capacity and comply with
new Environment Protection
Agency standards, removing
silica and organics from the
infuent.
Following its long 12-year
planning battle controversy,
the Carlsbad desalination
project in California has
taken a step forward and
construction is reported to be
25% complete.
The $1 billion venture,
launched in late 2012, is said
to be within budget and on
schedule to start producing
water in 2016.
Expected to produce over
200,000 m
3
/day of water
per day by the end of 2015,
the facility will be one of
the largest in the Western
Hemisphere. Besides the
plant, the project includes a
large-diameter pipeline in
North County, along with
upgrades to Water Authority
facilities. It will account for
about one-third of all the
water generated in San Diego
County,
The reverse-osmosis plant
in Carlsbad will connect
to the Water Authoritys
aqueduct via a 10-mile
pipeline through Carlsbad,
Vista and San Marcos.
Pipeline installation
is nearing completion in
San Marcos and Vista;
construction in Carlsbad is
under way and expected to
last through 2015.
In addition, the Water
Authority is making about
$80 million in upgrades to
its own facilities so it can
deliver desalinated seawater
into its Twin Oaks Valley
Water Treatment Plant for
distribution throughout the
region. In 2020, the project
will meet about 7% of the
regions water demand.
In November 2012 the
Water Authority signed
a 30-year agreement to
purchase desalinated water
from Poseidon. To mark
the frst anniversary of the
construction, city leaders,
San Diego County Water
Authority board offcers,
IDE Technologies, NRG
Energy and Poseidon Water
executives visited the
Carlsbad Desalination Project
in early January.
Zambian 50 year-old
network gets 75m boost
The European Investment
Bank will provide EUR 75
million for the rehabilitation
and expansion of water
services of the Mulonga
Water and Sewerage
Company.
US sailors fle cancer
lawsuit against TEPCO
Over 50 U.S. Navy offcers
who served aboard aircraft
carriers to help in the
aftermath of the Fukishima
nuclear incident have
reportedly fled a lawsuit
against Tokyo Electric Power
Company (TEPCO) following
reports of illnesses, including
thyroid and testicular cancer,
according to Fox News.
Ethiopian dam wont impact
Egypt water supplies
Plans to build the $4.7
billion Renaissance dam that
will hold 1.8 billion cubic
metres of water in Ethiopia
wont affect water supply in
Egypt, the Egyptian Minister
of Irrigation and Water
Resources said in December.
Small scale RO set for slums
in Hyderabad
The Greater Hyderabad
Municipal Corporation said
it will set up 150 reverse
osmosis, small scale plants
in the city at a cost of $62.3
million.
New Jersey Coastline to get
$2.7m stormwater system
As part of a $265 million
reconstruction programme,
Xylem has been awarded
a $2.7 million contract to
supply the equipment to
help protect against future
storm damage. This includes
47 slimline pumps and 27
smaller submersible pumps.
NEWS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 9
For more news visit us at wwinternational.com
1312wwi_9 9 1/15/14 11:44 AM
LEADER FOCUS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 10
Israel has not only changed its fortunes in terms of technology but also water. Mapal Green Energy is one of a
handful of Israeli companies making progress in the global water market. Tom Freyberg speaks with CEO Zeev
Fisher to fnd out more about the frms energy saving claims and a unique fnancing model with utilities.
Tom Freyberg reports
ISRAELS BUBBLE MASTER:
Can One Man Change the
Aeration Energy Landscape?
F
or a country with just under eight
million people, Israel punches well
above its weight when it comes to
churning out successful tech start ups.
The tiny Middle East growth engine in
the past has claimed almost 4000 active
technology start-ups at any one time,
more than any country outside the US.
As a result, high-tech exports from Israel
are valued at about $18.4 billion a year,
making up 45% of its exports.
Add to this the fact that the country
is considered a world leader in terms
of the percentage of its economy
spent on research and development
and the picture becomes clear: Israel
has dramatically reengineered its
landscape from desert and farmland
to a pioneering high-tech wonderland.
Considering the State of Israel was only
founded in 1948, the country has come a
long way in a short space of time.
WATER INNOVATION
With the global dot.com bubble burst
behind it, innovation and intelligence
are being applied by the nation to not
only technology but also agriculture,
life sciences and the defense industry.
What about water? Well, water is no
exception.
Israel, like other nations such as
Singapore, has turned water from
a problem to a commodity. The
countrys 80% reuse rate on domestic
and industrial effuent for irrigation
is envied worldwide. Water, even
rainwater, is valued.
Since 1962, in the Northern part
of Israel national water company
Mekorot has been carrying out rain
enhancement during the months of
April to November. In short, they make
it rain. And capturing 60 million cubic
metres a year, at a cost of 20 cents per
cubic metre, its an extra source of water
at an affordable price.
Such innovation is being exported.
As WWi has reported in the past,
start-up company TaKadu is making
headlines globally for applying its
cloud-based software system to water,
as is billionaire Shari Arisons water
company, Miya, which recently scooped
an award for its leak detection work in
the Philippines.
So if Israel does hold the recipe to
make a successful water company and
export overseas, it raises the question of
whats the secret ingredient?
When you have necessity then you
are forced to develop skills, innovation
and intellect to come up with a
solution, says Zeev Fisher, CEO of
Mapal Green Energy.
In terms of water and energy supply,
Israel is an island. We have had to
develop our own water and energy
independence. So weve seen the rise of
a lot of companies because of the need
to be water independent and not rely on
any other country to supply us.
FINANCING ISRAELS NEXT BIG
BUBBLE
It was in 2007 when Fisher was working
for Housing & Construction Holding
Company that the idea for his own
company was conceived. Tasked with
upgrading a wastewater treatment
plant, he met engineer and retired
Mekorod employee Hanoch Magen.
At the time, Magen was developing a
foating fne bubble aeration (FFBA)
system. It was only the very early stages
but clearly Fisher saw the potential.
I was amazed at how simple it
was, yet so clever and the correct way
to generate oxygen for wastewater
treatment, he says.
Simply put, the FFBA turns the
Zeev Fisher co-founded Mapal
after meeting the technology creator
Hanoch Magen
1312wwi_10 10 1/15/14 11:44 AM
LEADER FOCUS
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 11
traditional idea of aeration upside
down, quite literally. Usually in
wastewater treatment processes,
aeration introduces air bubbles to
provide an aerobic environment, to help
organic matter degrade.
Subsurface fne bubble aeration
introduces oxygen underwater. Where
as surface mechanical aeration agitates
the wastewater through propellers or
blades. Magens proposed solution is
a hybrid of both: fne bubble aeration
units foating on top of the water.
A mechanical engineer by
training with 25 years experience in
management, Fisher went on to co-
found Mapal Green Energy in 2007.
Fast forward a year and Fisher, the
then VP for business development and
marketing, tracked down an Israeli
investor to inject money into the
business and start giving it fnancial
clout.
We then started to look like a real
company, he says. Not a back yard
mechanic. This meant we had the
foundation and infrastructure of legal
and IP protection, offces, a marcom
(marketing/communications) division
and all the things that showed that we
were up and running.
Three years on from its inception
and in 2010 Mapal raised 1.7
million in fundraising from the UK
market through a Private Placement
mechanism. Fisher took on the role
of CEO in order to help the company
break through to the global market, as
he puts it.
Discussing the need for fnance in a
risk averse environment, Fisher says:
Its a very conservative market and the
lead and maturation time for projects
is quite long. You need to have deep
pockets. Going into the market and
securing an order can drain fnances.
Luckily the shareholders believed in us
and injected more money.
That money came in the shape of
a further 1.5 million in its second
fnancing round from British private
equities fund Charles Street Securities
Europe.
ENTERING THE UK MARKET
With investment now behind them,
Mapal was keen to enter a market it saw
as having the most potential: the UK.
Under the Foreign Offces TouchDown
programme, which helps overseas
company launch operations in the UK,
Fisher opened a UK offce.
The CEO says: In the UK there are
almost 10,000 wastewater treatment
plants. Many of them are old but are
still in operation because operation and
skills are very high, so they are still
maintaining and operating old plants.
Now energy prices are high and the
environmental issues are under the
microscope, everyone is looking to see if
they are polluting or not.
A trial has been underway with utility
Anglian Water that operates in the East
of England. Weve replaced their jet
aeration which is more effcient than
surface aeration but still consumes a lot
of energy, he says. They anticipated to
have a certain saving and it was more.
United Utilities is also in discussion
with the Israeli frm, with executive
strategic director Tony Conway recently
given a tour of the Ramat Hasharon
WWTP.
PROVING ENERGY CLAIMS
GLOBALLY
Wastewater treatment and water
treatment in general doesnt have
the best reputation when it comes to
energy. Estimates suggest up to 40%
of municipal water and wastewater
processing and distribution costs are
for electricity. Aeration is responsible
for a large part of this energy bill and
operating costs 60% in some instances.
The Israeli frm is in discussions with United Utilities.
Executive strategic director Tony Conway was recently given a tour of the Ramat Hasharon WWTP by CEO Fisher
1312wwi_11 11 1/15/14 11:44 AM
LEADER FOCUS
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 12
And its targeting this area of energy
where Fisher believes his unique selling
point lies. Zeev claims that it can save a
utility up to 70% on its energy costs by
switching to the FFBA system. This is
when compared to traditional, surface
mechanical aeration.
The CEO says as the latter uses a
motor to move a propeller, it creates
friction. Instead Mapals aeration system
doesnt have moving parts and air is
pushed from a blower, through pipes,
into the foating units.
Compared to sub-surface, fne bubble
aeration, there are no direct energy
savings (as essentially the Mapal system
in the also fne bubble) but Fisher says
as his units foat on the water, they
can be installed in lagoons and dont
require solid concrete foor or reactor for
anchoring.
Of course the big question is whether
such claims can be proved?
Aside from the UK trial, the company
says it has 35 installations across its
home country of Israel, in South Africa,
Angola and Brazil. And its in the latter
where Mapal is referencing success.
A trial at Foz do Brazils Ete Flores
municipal wastewater treatment plant,
that treats more than two million m
3
/
year, claims to have seen a 50% energy
saving using the foating aeration
system compared to previous tradition
techniques. Not that Latin America has
been an easy ride. Brazil may have been
a proving ground for Mapals FFBA
technology but the company has faced
challenges in Peru.
Following an agreement with Peruvian
water company SEDAPAL, the plan
was to install a pilot system in one of
capital city Limas 18 treatment plants.
This project is now on hold, however.
The development of the market is not
as we thought it should be, says Fisher.
Right now we are taking other routes to
penetrate into Peru.

FINANCING MODEL
The next logical question is price how
much does it cost per unit and what is
the return on investment? Well, if you
want to buy a single unit, the CEO is not
interested.
If a water utility approaches us and
says I would like to buy one of your
units, we wont sell it to them, says
Fisher. We would like to understand
exactly where they want to install it and
how it will be installed. If they make the
wrong calculation about the amount of
oxygen thats needed and the air fow
rate, for example, then the system wont
do what its supposed to do. We want to
see the site to calculate and make sure it
operates correctly.
Mapals model is certainly different
and is based on the presumption that
energy will be saved. So heres how it
works: a utility and Mapal would sign
a contract over say a 15 year period.
The foating aeration system is then
installed on what Fisher calls a cluster
multiple wastewater treatment plants.
When the utility opens its energy
bill, it works out how much energy
has been saved on aeration using the
FFBA solution compared to its existing
technology. A percentage of this saving
(70-80% to be agreed depending on
scale of contract) is then handed over to
Mapal and the remaining 20-30% is kept
by the utility. In short, the utility pays
for the aeration upgrade through the
energy savings made.
For example, if utility X saves 100,000
over the course of the year on its energy
bill, 80,000 would be given to Mapal
and the remaining 20,000 retained.
So effectively, the utility does not
pay any upfront CAPEX costs for the
equipment. This is of course based on
the presumption by Mapal that its FFBA
units do save energy. Its a risk that the
company takes with this type of model.
If there arent any energy savings,
effectively the utility pays nothing. Its
a bold move demonstrating Mapals
confdence in its product but one Fisher
believes one where we share the saving
with you.
Global interest: Fisher giving delegation tour of an installed FFBA system.
The company has references in Brazil, South Africa and the UK but has found the Peru market challenging
1312wwi_12 12 1/15/14 11:44 AM
LEADER FOCUS
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 13
UNDER THE RADAR
When asked how his company is being perceived in the market, the CEO replies:
At the moment we are working under the radar. Were doing very well but we
are relatively small. The moment that we grow to a critical mass of sales, then
we will start being of great interest to the giants such as Xylem and GE [Power
& Water]. When we reach this stage, its likely we would be a target acquisition
for such companies, to buy us and put our FFBA technology in their toolbox of
solutions.
So is this the plan for Mapal Green Energy to grow globally, get onto
the radar of a multinational water company and be acquired?
Apparently not.
Everyone has a price, admits the CEO. But at the moment
this is not what I envisage as the CEO and founder of the
company. The plan is to grow and have a successful company
and make inroads in other markets and develop other products
based on our technology and enjoy myself in the process.
Fisher is frmly set on growing his UK presence. With just one
sales manager leading UK efforts, distributors in key markets
such as Brazil and South Africa, and several staff back at
the Israel HQ; his team is still relatively small but retains
the nimbleness of a hungry start-up with global ambitions.
The CEO says he will soon start recruiting and boosting the
numbers of his UK team.
There we have it: the story of how one man is on a mission
to try and change wastewaters tarnished reputation when it
comes to energy.
Israel has changed its fortunes into a high-tech exporting
powerhouse and water is at the forefront of this revolution, driven
by innovation and intellect. Zeev Fisher dubbed by some as
Israels bubble master is in keeping with his bubbles, on his way
up.
Tom Freyberg is chief editor of WWi magazine. For more information,
email: tomf@pennwell.com
The foating fne bubble aeration units sit on the surface of lagoons and tanks,
operate independently and adjust to water levels
Hanoch Magen
developer of the foating fne bubble aeration system
1312wwi_13 13 1/15/14 11:44 AM
THE BIG QUESTION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 14
Year Review:
2013 Water Sector Highlights
With 2014 now underway, WWi thought it would be a good idea to recap over the highlights and challenges of
2013. We asked several of the worlds thought leaders in the water industry what they believe was the biggest
highlight of 2013 for them and what can be expected over the year ahead.
A
s a burgeoning population,
urbanisation, economic growth
and climate change continue to
exert immense pressure on the global
water sector, water utilities play a
particularly important role in ensuring
that the gap between water supply and
demand do not widen.
While water challenges are local,
solutions developed by water utilities
can be global and there should be no
barriers as far as sharing is concerned.
Through governance and leadership,
fnancial sustainability, innovation
and stakeholder engagement, we can
overcome the worlds water challenges.
Indeed, these were the key learning
points distilled from the SIWW Water
Utilities Leaders Forum held in
September 2013 where 180 high-level
water utility leaders from 46 countries
came together to address challenges
and map innovative solutions. PUB
also celebrated its 50th anniversary
in 2013. PUB and Hyfux also opened
Singapores second and largest
desalination plant, the Tuaspring
Desalination Plant, and desalinated
water can now meet up to 25% of
Singapores current water demand.
In addition, to meet our needs for the
collection, treatment, reclamation and
disposal of used water more effciently,
PUB is embarking on Phase 2 of the
Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS),
our superhighway for used water.
Local challenges, global solutions
Chew Men Leong, Chief executive, PUB, Singapore

1312wwi_14 14 1/15/14 11:45 AM
THE BIG QUESTION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 15
I
magine if you could harvest water
from thin air. Imagine no longer.
You can. Well, to be precise, a
company in the Netherlands can. There
have been many exciting technological
advances across the global water sector
in 2013, but my favourite has to be those
achieved by Dutch Rainmaker due to its
potential to revolutionise water supplies
the world over.
The Dutch Rainmaker technology
is gloriously simple. To an innocent
bystander it looks nothing more than
a small conventional wind turbine,
but instead of electricity they produce
high quality drinking water. They use
no chemicals, generate all their power
requirements from the wind, and it is
relatively cheap, too.
There are two confgurations of
the technology: Air-Water (AW),
harvesting water from air, and Water-
Water (WW), producing drinking water
from seawater. There are currently two
installations, both AWs, in operation -
one in Holland, another in Kuwait. Each
AW turbine can produce 7.5 m
3
of water
a day, depending on how windy it is.
This can be scaled up to 20 m
3
/day for
short periods, with plans to up output
to 50 m
3
/day in three years time. The
WW turbines could produce up to 100
m
3
/day.
This could be a simple, stand-alone
technology that isnt dependent upon
a (often leaky) water network, that
isnt reliant upon a power source, that
doesnt even require there to be a local
river or groundwater source!.
I
would say that biggest and most
positive trend in 2013 was the
rapidly increasing interest in water
as a productive resource.
Both OECD and the World Economic
Forum, who are not primarily water
advocates, highlighted water as a key
issue for sustainable development and
growth. This encouraging trend is also
exemplifed by the UN Open Working
Group on Sustainable Development
Goals who expressed broad support for
a dedicated water goal encompassing
water supply and sanitation, increased
water productivity and improved
resilience to water related disasters.
The awareness about the need for
wise water management in order to
sustain development and withstand
catastrophic events seems is spreading
beyond the water community. This
makes me believe that we are on the
route towards recognition of water as
one of the key issues of the 21st century.
Water from air - the future?
Wise water management
Piers Clark, Commercial director, Thames Water, UK

Torgny Holmgren, Executive director, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

U
nfortunately, we are seeing
many of the same challenges
in water that we have seen
before, around access and quality, and
other issues. Whats changing more
each year is the level of dialogue were
seeing, with an increasingly diverse set
of stakeholders looking for solutions. To
mention just two: access & scarcity and
resilience.
According to the World Health
Organisation approximately 2.5 billion
people around the world do not have
access to adequate sanitation. One way to
address water scarcity is through reusing
recycled water.
We now have the ability to collect,
move and treat wastewater and return
it to the environment clean. Broader
acceptance of water reuse stems from
people valuing the water that is available
to them. In terms of resilience, cities
around the world are grappling with
the rising impacts of climate change and
extreme weather, and their implications
for public health and economic growth.
To give just one example of what
needs to be done, we must institute
early warning systems that increase
resilience by providing valuable lead
time to prepare.
It is up to all of us to continue putting
real focus on these and other complex
water challenges during 2014 so that we
can help ensure a clean water supply for
everyone.
Combating water scarcity
with resilience
Andre Dhawan, President, Xylem EMEA, Switzerland

1312wwi_15 15 1/15/14 11:45 AM
THE BIG QUESTION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 16
O
ne of the highlights in 2013
has been the growing interest in
water reuse and water recycling
within the energy industry, particularly
within the oil and gas sector.
Weve understood for quite some time
that energy and water are inextricably
linked.
According to the Atlantic Council,
which published a report last year titled
Fuelling America and the Energy
Water Nexus, the energy sector is the
fastest growing consumer of water in
the US, and its the same around the
world. The report said energy and water
are essential building blocks of the US
economy, yet the relationship between
them is often ignored. Companies
involved in the production of energy
are increasingly facing issues related to
water scarcity, water quality, and new or
expanded regulations.
As a result, we are seeing a continued
and heightened focus on sustainable
water practices by the energy industry.
The good news is that advanced
allows the reuse and recycling of water
throughout the energy production
process. That technology is increasingly
being adopted as regulations evolve and
the lifecycle costs of advanced water
treatment technology improve.
As the demand for energy grows and
conventional and unconventional fuels
development expands, this will not be a
limited trend.
This industry will continue to be
a focus of water and wastewater
technology providers for years to come.
Water for energy
Heiner Markhoff, President & CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies, US

T
he UNs Water & Sanitation
Millennium Development Goals
(halving the number of people
without access to improved water and
sanitation by 2015) were laudable,
but suffered from one tiny omission
improved and safe drinking water
and sanitation is not the same thing.
That is why 200 million people who
have household tap water supplies in
2012 depend on bottled water when it
comes to what they actually drink.
Indeed, the excitement about reaching
offcial targets too often meant that what
people had to live with continued to be
overlooked.
So, while the proportion with
unimproved water fell from 23% in
2000 to 12% 2012 (three years ahead of
target), the proportion dependent on
unsafe water only fell from 37% to 28%
in that time and is well behind the 2015
target of 18%.
Sanitation is the same, forget the
2.6 billion fgure: a total of 4.1 million
people worldwide still rely on unsafe
sanitation while more people in India
have a mobile phone than any form of
sanitation. So my 2013 highlight was
the start of the Post 2015 process. This
looks like adopting a target of attaining
universal access to safe water and
sanitation by 2030.
This time, it might really work.
Instead of depending on government
approved inspections and data
collecting, smart phones will allow
activists and communities from the
bottom (pun intended) up.
It wont be cheap or easy, but at least
this time the target is the one that really
matters.
Millennium Development Goals:
the Post 2015 process
David Lloyd Owen, Managing director, Envisager, UK

1312wwi_16 16 1/15/14 11:45 AM
In strategic partnership with:

OWNED & PRODUCED BY: FLAGSHIP MEDIA SPONSOR: CO-LOCATED WITH:

REGIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES
STRATEGIC
THINKING
TECHNICAL
SOLUTIONS
12-14 OCTOBER 2014 ADNEC, ABU DHABI, UAE
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
WaterWorld Middle East, the regions premier water event comes to Abu Dhabi in 2014. Co-located with POWER-GEN
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a busy exhibition foor featuring the premier companies in the water and wastewater sector. Accompanying the exhibition
is a dedicated conference programme developed in conjunction with ADWEA and other industry practitioners.
WaterWorld Middle East will equip attendees and delegates with the skills and knowledge to overcome the technical
water/wastewater challenges in the Middle East.
Building on over 10 years experience in the Middle East, WaterWorld Middle East and POWER-GEN Middle East will replace
the now defunct POWER + WATER event, with a high level peer-reviewed programme created for the industry by the industry.
www.waterworldmiddleeast.com
WHY PARTICIPATE? EXHIBITING AND SPONSORSHIP:
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1312wwi_17 17 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 18
T
he Carnegie project forms a
component part of the larger
Perth Wave Energy Project. This
will involve the design, construction,
deployment and operational
performance evaluation of a pilot scale
grid-connected 720 kW peak-installed
capacity wave energy demonstration
project at Garden Island, Western
Australia. The facility itself will consist
of three CETO units in a submerged
array, as well as subsea pipelines
connecting the plant to shore, hydraulic
conditioning equipment and an onshore
power generation facility.
The CETO wave energy technology,
which has been independently verifed
by EDF-Energies Nouvelles (EDF-EN)
and the French naval contractor DCNS,
converts ocean swell into zero-emission
renewable power and desalinated
freshwater.
Edoardo Sommacal, project manager
at Carnegie Wave Energy, explains
that the CETO system is named after
a Greek goddess and is different from
other wave energy devices because it
operates under water and is anchored to
the ocean foor.
He says: The fully submerged buoys
are tethered to seabed pump units.
The buoys move with the motion of
the passing waves and drive pumps.
The pumps pressurise water, which is
delivered onshore via an underwater
pipe. On the shore, high-pressure water
is used to drive hydroelectric turbines,
generating zero-emission electricity.
The Desalination Pilot Plant (DPP)
has been developed to complement
the Perth Project by leveraging the
CETO wave energy hydraulic system
infrastructure being installed at the site.
CETO units will supply hydraulic
energy to a standard Seawater Reverse
Osmosis (SWRO) desalination facility
via mechanical coupling to the Perth
projects hydraulic system, with a
permeate, or potable water, production
capacity of up to 150 m
3
/day.
The technology employs wave
energy to pressurise a re-circulating
fuid loop, adds Andy Byk, CEO
at MAK Industrial Water Solutions,
which has been selected by Carnegie
to manufacture and construct the pilot
plant. This fuid is pumped at high
pressure into the desalination plant
and the energy contained within it
drives a hydraulic motor that runs the
desalination process. The desalination
process itself uses conventional
WAVE-POWERED
DESALINATION
At the end of October 2013 Australian
company Carnegie Wave Power
completed detailed design of a unique
wave-powered desalination pilot plant
on Garden Island, Western Australia.
So, what exactly will the project entail?
What technology will it use? Are what
are the future market prospects for
wave-powered desalination?
by Andrew Williams
Aquamarine Powers Oyster 800
wave energy converter in operation
Riding High in Australia
1312wwi_18 18 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 19
Reverse Osmosis technology, including
an energy recovery turbine.
MAK Water is currently working on
the construction of the SWRO container,
and the pilot plant is expected to be
operational in April or May 2014. Major
milestones along the way include the
fabrication, assembly and testing of
the pilot plant at a MAK workshop,
followed by installation, testing and
ultimately operation at the Garden
Island site.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
According to Sommacal, the selection
of the Garden Island site followed a
12-month feasibility study to identify
the most suitable location for the Perth
Wave Energy Project. This was carried
out alongside independent technical
experts and staff from the Australian
Department of Defence (DOD), which
will also be supplied with water from
the plant.
This site provides a suitable
commercial demonstration site, mainly
due to close proximity to suitable grid
infrastructure on Garden Island and a
predictable, moderate wave regime that
is periodically exposed to high-energy
storm events, adds Sommacal.
In total, Carnegie has raised over
Aus$45m ($US40.5) to fund the
development of its technology, which it
has used to fund what it calls a rapid
prototyping process. This is based on
a combination of computer simulations,
wave tank testing and scaled in-ocean
testing at its own Wave Energy Research
Facility, as well as onshore and offshore
tests and commercial scale in-ocean
testing at the Garden Island site. The
pilot project itself is supported by
Aus$1.27 million (US$1.18 million)
in federal government grant funding
from AusIndustrys Clean Technology
Innovation Program.
CETO is designed to be the simplest
and most robust wave technology
globally and, after ten years of
continuous development, testing
and refnement, is currently being
demonstrated at commercial scale off
HMAS Stirling, Australias largest
navy base, at Garden Island in Western
Australia, says Michael Ottaviano, CEO
at Carnegie Wave Energy.
Mak is currently working on the
construction of the pilot plant, and
Byk points out that it is expected to
be operational in April or May 2014,
79,=,5;
40*96)0(3 05+<*,+
*6996:065
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Oyster 800 in fabrication yard from the air
Photo credit: Cyberhawk Innovations
For more information, enter 6 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_19 19 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 20
with major milestones along the way
including the fabrication, assembly
and testing of the pilot plant at a MAK
workshop, followed by installation,
testing and ultimately operation at the
site.
CHALLENGES
In Sommacals view, the main advantage
of wave-powered desalination is that
it can replace, or at least reduce, the
desalination industrys reliance on the
greenhouse gas-emitting electrically-
driven pumps that are usually required
for such plants.
However, Sommacal stresses that it
is now important for the project team
to focus on quantifying the effciency
gains, at a pilot scale, of a direct
mechanically coupled wave-powered
SWRO compared to a conventionally
powered SWRO plant, as well as
measuring the performance of SWRO
membranes operating in such a novel
confguration. The team will also work
towards confrming the feasibility of
the project, primarily by achieving the
stable operation of the desalination
pilot plant DPP in concert with the
Perth Project.
Meanwhile, Byk points out that,
for the desalination plant itself, a key
challenge was to enable the plant to
operate continuously with varying wave
energy supply, which he stresses has
been solved through smart functions
in the control system that modulate
the source of energy used to drive
the desalination plant, dependent on
conditions.
MARKET PROSPECTS
Carnegie Wave Energy is confdent that
the technology will be well received
anywhere there is a demand of fresh
water and a good wave resource,
including areas throughout Australia,
the Americas and Asia.
Ottaviano adds: It is a renewable
energy source without pollution, ideal
for remote coastal environments, [and
for providing] supplementary power
to the main grid supply for towns and
cities where the environmental footprint
is important.
Following successful operation of the
pilot plant full commercialisation of the
technology will be implemented with
a number of wave energy power and
desalination projects planned across the
world, adds Byk.
Looking ahead, Carnegie Wave
Energy has also recently announced
the development of the next generation
CETO 6 unit, which Sommacal says will
have at least twice the capacity of the
current CETO 5 generation being used
in the Perth Project, running to at least
500kW per unit.
This will enable more power and
water to be produced and at a lower
cost. We are on track to announce
Oyster 800 being towed before installation
1312wwi_20 20 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 21
Everything ows.
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f HybridTrek Mode for accurate ow
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Non-intrusive ow measurement
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the location of the frst CETO 6 project at the end of 2014,
following the commissioning of the Perth Project, he adds.
OYSTER EXPERIENCE
Another interesting initiative in this area involved a
collaboration between Queens University Belfast (QUB)
and Aquamarine Power on a Royal Academy of Engineering
backed conceptual project, which ran from November 2005 to
April 2007.
This was designed to determine how water could be
desalinated directly using the pressurised water from
Aquamarines Oyster wave energy device.
No pilot plant was built, but it was designed to be driven
by Oyster. The proposed desalination technology was reverse
osmosis driven via a novel energy recovery technology that
would allow the plant to be directly driven by Oyster and
operate over a wide range of conditions, says Matthew
Folley, senior research fellow at QUB.
The direct generation of fresh water is more effcient
because there is no need to convert energy to electricity, which
always results in some loss of energy, he adds.
However, although the concept showed a good deal of
promise, at that time the project team decided not to proceed
with a full scale demonstration. For Folley, the main obstacles
The CETO system uses moving buoys to drive pumps
For more information, enter 7 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_21 21 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 22
to the further progress with the concept
include the need to secure funding for
prototype development.
This was as well as the technical
challenges involved in designing
the energy recovery technology and
ensuring reliable operation of the
RO membranes in variable feed
conditions.
Australia has signifcant demands
of fresh water and is a large potential
market that may pay a premium price
for water from a renewable energy
source.
Small scale, off-grid water
production is also a potential market,
however, this market is unlikely to
be able to support a new technology
without further support, he adds.
Meanwhile, Marc Murray, senior
site developer at Aquamarine Power,
admits that, while the feld of wave
power desalination offers an attractive
future potential market for its Oyster
technology, the companys current focus
is on the performance development of
its Oyster 800 prototype technology at
the European Marine Energy Centre
(EMEC) in Orkney.
It could be said that currently a wave
energy desalination plant is not feasible
on a commercial basis - even in places
with high water scarcity and important
wave energy potential, without
signifcant grant and revenue support
from the public sector, he says.
This is mainly because the cost of
wave power technology is still high
compared to traditional options,
and because electricity prices still do
not refect completely the negative
externality of fossil fuel usage and its
impact in the environment.
That said, Murray still believes that,
by around 2020 to 2025, desalination
powered by Oyster will be
economically feasible for some regions
that provide suffcient incentives and
support for new forms of renewable
power.
So in essence, in the short to medium
term, to have desalination plants
powered by Oyster is not an unlikely
scenario, since the technology is still
developing and costs are decreasing,
while support for cleaner technologies is
in most countries agenda, he says.
The senior site developer adds: As
with any early-stage technology, costs
will reduce over time and we have
identifed a number of signifcant
opportunities to reduce the levelised
cost of power of Oyster technology.
These will be delivered through a
combination of further innovation in
design and, as we build the frst pre-
commercial array, learning by doing and
ultimately through economies of scale.
Andrew Williams
is freelance correspondent for WWi
magazine. For more information, please email:
tomf@pennwell.com
Aquamarine Powers Oyster 800 wave energy converter in operation
1312wwi_22 22 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 23
T
he worst effects of Super
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the
strongest tropical cyclones ever
recorded, came not only from the
300km/h storm winds but also the
deadly 6m storm surge that they drove.
This wall of water caused massive
coastal destruction, and the twin blows
left an estimated 5000 people dead and
1600 missing. The record storm also
almost completely wiped out water,
sanitation and hygiene services.
Not least among the challenges for the
living was accessibility the Philippines
is a chain of over 7000 islands scattered
across three main geographical divisions
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Early
on, the UN World Food Programme
declared the wrecked infrastructure to
be a logistics nightmare. The scale
of physical destruction in the Eastern
Visayas region is immense over 1.1
million houses damaged or destroyed
across 43 provinces, 3.43 million people
displaced, and 13.17 million people in
total affected by the disaster.
Cebu, Leyte and Samar islands bore
the brunt of the effects as the storm
crashed in, with water one of the most
heavily impacted infrastructures.
In the early stages of the disaster
UN OCHA reported: Water supply is
being restored in many locations, but
water kits are urgently needed in many
of the affected areas. Water trucking
is hampered by the low number of
available trucks. Open defecation is
occurring in many areas and water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
interventions are urgently needed to
avert potential outbreaks.
Maynilad Water Services reported that
its own operations were unaffected, as
the main effects of the storm bypassed
Metro Manila. The water boards
local to the disaster, such as the Leyte
Metropolitan Water District, were
perhaps unsurprisingly unavailable for
comment.
DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE
MEASURES
Despite the level of damage, aid
agencies achieved some early positives.
These included partially restoring the
water supply in the city of Tacloban, one
THE
AFTERMATH
Typhoons are a threat across Pacifc
countries throughout the year. Super
Typhoon Haiyan has left thousands
dead, missing and millions homeless.
And with the Philppines occupying over
7000 islands, aid efforts are hampered
by logistical challenges. With sanitation
and water services wiped out, how are
recovery efforts going?
WWi investigates.
Restoring Water in The Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan caused massive coastal
destruction, leaving 1600 people missing
1312wwi_23 23 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 24
of the worst affected urban areas.
UNICEF director of emergency
programmes, Ted Chaiban noted that
fuel, generators and spare parts had
been secured for ongoing operations,
ensuring a safe drinking water supply
for almost 200,000 people - equivalent to
20% of normal capacity.
Nevertheless, for many the water
situation remained desperate in the
early days people were reportedly
smashing open pipes to drain the little
water left in the incapacitated pump
stations, or collecting rainwater in
tarpaulins and plastic bags.
Water has, as a result, been a major
focus for aid efforts. The International
Committee of the Red Cross/Red
Crescent (ICRC) reported that its staff
had set up mobile water treatment units.
These were used to distribute water in
affected areas to around 28,000 people
in towns along the southern and eastern
coasts of the island of Samar, and to
other badly-hit areas including Basey,
Marabut and Guiuan.
Red Cross engineers and staff also
worked with the local water board to
restore the heavily damaged Guiuan
city water system, which is designed to
supply around 48,000 people. The Red
Cross notes restoring water networks
is a priority for the organisation. The
intention is to provide potable water
for around 63,000 people over a three-
month period.
Disaster response manager Pete
Garratt says: People in the Philippines
have been through so much already, but
they still need life-saving help. Without
clean drinking water, they are at much
greater risk from serious illnesses such
as cholera. Its great that clean water is
reaching people in need, but this is a
huge disaster and theres still a massive
amount of work to do.
LOGISTICS CHALLENGE
The logistical challenges have been
overwhelming, according to Sandra
Harlass, the emergency relief and public
health expert at Malteser International
- the humanitarian aid arm of the
Sovereign Order of Malta, which was
originally founded as the Knights
Hospitaller during the Crusades.
She had been to Samar island to assess
the situation, and notes: The areas that
are easy to reach get lots of help, but
the small villages get left out. At the
villages we are going to, some had no
help in over a week. Its unbelievable.
But when you look at the scale of the
disaster and the transport problems, its
not surprising really.
Malteser is providing help to 900
families on the island of Bantayan in
northern Cebu province, a further 600
families on Samar island and 250 on
Bohol island. These villages are in areas
that initially proved challenging to reach
because of the level of devastation.
She explains that the organisations
assessment focus for water was mainly
on rural areas that rely on deep wells
and springs for their supplies. She has
seen for herself the scale of destruction,
and confrms that the water situation
is critical: The springs are okay, in the
mountain areas. But many wells have
become saline and cant be used.
Malteser Internationals regional
WASH advisor Arno Coerver adds that
many tap stands are out of order, with
In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan,
young children are begging for food and drinks
1312wwi_24 24 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 25
the severity of the impact varying from
village to village. In some cases the
groundwater is affected as well.
Unfortunately the groundwater is
saline, and there will have to be a two
to three year natural process before it is
potable again, he explains.
On Samar, Malteser is starting to
rehabilitate water systems, some of
which had issues before the typhoon,
he reports. One village has not got
reservoir tanks, so has no means to
collect water, so we will provide the
tanks so they can better manage the
water available to them.
CHLORINE DISINFECTION
There are some surprising challenges.
Coerver says that the villagers dislike
the idea of having chlorine added to
their water. They dont want it, they
dont like the taste they are not used
to it. They also dont have the habit of
using flters at household level they
expect their water to be treated and
cleaned at source.
The charity is working on restoring
sanitation. Coerver says that in San
Antonio 93% of households had
latrines before the typhoon. Now, just
9% do, and people are practising open
defecation on the beach, in the rice felds
and coconut groves, he adds.
Malteser intends to construct
emergency shared latrines, which will
each serve fve families temporary,
rather than permanent facilities because
the villagers are considering moving to a
safer location.
He explains: The latrines will be
locked, and only the families will have
keys. There will be a block of fve
latrines together, and we will need 25
blocks. The system will operate for six
to seven months and we hope by that
time there will be clarity. If they move,
we will build permanent systems in the
new area and if they decide to stay we
will then build permanent latrines in
that area.
Malteser (like other aid agencies) has
been distributing hygiene items such as
soap, toothpaste and disinfectant fuid,
providing over 130,000 water purifcation
tablets as well as survival items such as
tents, blankets and utensils.
Although the aid effort is immense,
long-term issues remain. Harlass
explains: The waves took away all of
the food stock right now it is harvest
time and those that had fnished, their
IN THE EARLY DAYS PEOPLE WERE
REPORTEDLY SMASHING OPEN PIPES
TO DRAIN THE LITTLE WATER LEFT
IN THE INCAPACITATED PUMP STATIONS
whole harvest has gone. They heard
about the typhoon but not the storm
surge. Their harvest is destroyed, there
is nothing left. There are some boats
for the fshermen, but nobody wants
fsh at the moment. Nobody will eat
the fsh because there is a general belief
that they are eating the bodies. Even
the bank has closed, and there is no
market.
LESSONS FROM HAITI
This process is unlikely to be easy,
however early reports suggested a
struggle to provide basic needs due to
the scale of the devastation. The spectre
of Haitis post-disaster cholera epidemic
is also in the forefront of the minds of
those helping the victims of the disaster
- experts at the scene have warned that
both typhoid and cholera are a real
threat in the worst-hit parts of the island
chain. Almost 700,000 people have been
made homeless and sewage is reported
to be a serious problem septic tanks
were reported to be flling up as heavy
rains continued to fall, and clean water
is in short supply.
Local media have already reported an
outbreak of leptospirosis, and hospitals
are said to be treating patients with
schistosomiasis, another waterborne
disease. Diarrhoea is also being
increasingly being reported among the
under-fves.
In a situation like this, speed is
of the essence. Rogers Hook, vice
president of the Volunteer and Investor
Partnerships arm of non-proft Christian
engineering organisation Water
Missions International (WMI), notes:
In a disaster, you need aid right away.
If people do not get water in a few
days they will die. The most diffcult
part is the logistics. Working with
people on the ground where you have
relationships is key we spend a lot
of time ensuring the relationships are
S Malteser Internationals regional WASH advisor Arno Coerver on site at the village of San Antonio, Samar province,
checking a water source near the village for possible use for drinking water.
1312wwi_25 25 1/15/14 11:45 AM
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT ASIA PACIFIC
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 26
established.
Among these partners are FedEx,
which has sponsored two disaster
response water treatment systems. The
Pentair Foundation has also funded 20
safe water treatment systems and 10
potable water chorinators to provide
safe drinking water for 160,000 people
in communities around Cebu.
WMI has 63 water treatment systems
on the ground in the Philippines,
providing suffcient capacity to supply
160,000 people daily. Hook notes: We
see water bottles distributed after
disasters. Its not to knock them, but
they will run dry. Systems that tap into
existing supplies can then transform
into community-managed systems.
He adds: The need is tremendous
still.
This approach means that WMI is still
involved in Haiti, where it frst went in
the aftermath of the earthquake. Hook
notes that the Philippines is far more
developed. Prior to the earthquake
Haiti had a broken government, so the
infrastructure was non-existent.
The challenge in the Philippines
is that they had been hit by several
disasters so their resources had been
plundered, and this disaster wiped them
out.

PARADIGM SHIFT
The Philippines government itself
is responding, as well as a host of
aid agencies (see box out) high-level
national task force has been established
to ensure fast track transition from relief
efforts to rehabilitation and rebuilding
in the affected areas.
Many commentators are stressing
that in a disaster, preparedness is key
but preparing for a massive disaster
such as Typhoon Haiyan, in the wake of
a series of other disasters, is daunting.
Rebuilding is also a challenge,
but one UNISDR head Margareta
Whlstrom stresses must be undertaken
with disaster risk in mind: There is
an opportunity now as rebuilding gets
underway.
We must see a paradigm shift
away from simply building back
better to building back differently and
elsewhere. Build in safe locations and
build high enough to withstand storm
surges.
For more information on the article, contact
WWi magazine: tomf@pennwell.com.
AID EFFORTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Many organisations are providing help in the Philippines. Examples include:
z
Handicap International reports that it has sent specialist Aquaflter water purifcation pumps
from the UK with additional emergency supplies.
z
Twenty helicopters from a US aircraft carrier, the George Washington, ferried aid fights
with supplies including desalinated water from the ships own drinking water system, both
to the devastated city of Tacloban and remote villages. The ships onboard plant can
produce 1500 m
3
of water a day, suffcient to supply 2000 homes.
z
Britain sent its helicopter carrier, HMS Illustrious, which also has facilities to produce fresh
water, and helicopters from the various military efforts have been dropping bottled water
in isolated areas.
z
The World Bank has earmarked a package of assistance amounting to almost $1 billion, and
staff were working round the clock on a $500 million emergency budget support loan. The
World Bank told WWI that its team was on the scene undertaking initial investigations, but
that this would be a general impact assessment with more detail to come.
z
The ADB also reported that it was ready to provide a $500 million emergency loan to
help reconstruction of devastated communities.
To donate towards recovery efforts underway in the Philippines, visit:
my.watermissions.org
www.mercyrelief.org
www.redcross.org.uk
www.secure-malteser-international.org
www.dec.org.uk
www.christianaid.org.uk
Dr. Melgabal Capistrano from Malteser International
talking with people from Bantayan about their needs
1312wwi_26 26 1/15/14 11:45 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DESALINATION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 27
SOREK
STANDS
TALL
SWRO Membranes
Go Vertical in Israel
After passing its performance testing, Israels new Sorek
large-scale desalination plant is now operational. For the frst
time globally, the plant features 16 SWRO membranes in a
vertical arrangement. The article looks at claims that going
vertical can reduce a plant footprint and CAPEX costs.
Tom Freyberg reports.
The 624,000 m
3
/day Sorek facility joins
IDEs Ashkelon and Hadera plants in Israel
1312wwi_27 27 1/15/14 11:53 AM
m
3
/year) of potable water and is located 15 km south of
major city, Tel Aviv. At the end of November, Sorek had
passed its fnal performance testing and was already
producing full capacity.
The 25-year BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) contract
for the project was awarded to the Sorek Desalination
Company (SDL). This is a single purpose entity set up
for this project, led by IDE Technologies with a 51%
share and Hutchison Water International Holdings
with the remaining 49%.
The basic concept for the construction of the 150
million m
3
/year plant is to have two 75 million
m
3
/year plants able to operate separately from
and independently of one another.
Most large scale RO systems comprise
horizontal arrays of multi element vessels
with six, seven or even eight elements of 8
diameter mounted in a series. The system
proposed for Sorek uses 16 BEL elements
in a series, but rather than the conventional
horizontal arrangement, these are
mounted vertically.
The thought behind this is that
usually the rack support requirements
to house much heavier 16 elements
are considerate, given the additional
weight.
By instead installing them upright,
fewer frameworks are needed to
support the vessels, as well as
pipes and fttings. Construction
and installation of the membrane
elements changes as well with
B
ack in 2000 when the Israeli
governmental agency Water
Desalination Administration
(WDA) launched the Desalination
plan, it would have been hard predict
that 13 years later it would have paved
the way for a revolution in membrane
desalination.
Since that report, Israels desalination
landscape has changed dramatically.
In 2005 the Ashkelon 330,000 m
3
/
day reverse osmosis (RO) plant was
commissioned, later being expanded by
20% to 392,000 m
3
/day.
Four years later in 2009 and the
Hadera 465,000 m
3
/day RO plant was
commissioned, delivering what was
considered at the time to be one of the
lowest prices of potable water.
While Ashkelon and Hadera could
be considered large scale projects,
especially for membrane SWRO, the
biggest was yet to come.
RAISING THE BAR IN SOREK
Four years later in October 2013 the
Israeli company IDE Technologies
opened the doors to its Sorek plant
for testing, claiming it is the worlds
largest and most advanced SWRO
(seawater reverse osmosis) desalination
plant. The facility has the capacity to
produce 624,000 m
3
/day (150 million
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DESALINATION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 28
TT The 16 membranes, in this arrangement, have a fow rate
of 4.3 times more water than 8 membranes (at the same feed
pressure and operation conditions). The normal expense of trying
to support these heavier membranes in a rack has been reduced
due to a vertical arrangement
XXSorek is 15 km south of
Israeli main city - Tel Aviv
1312wwi_28 28 1/15/14 11:53 AM
the loading of the elements done automatically.
CLEANING UP
Patenting this vertical arrangement, IDE says this could pave the way
for future SWRO plants. They claim it means lower investment costs
due to decreased construction area and piping headers, higher plant
effciency and a reduced footprint (50% compared to traditional RO).
The Israeli frm believes that switching the arrangement from
horizontal to vertical will also have its benefts for membrane cleaning.
Dr Boris Liberman, chief technology offcer of membrane technology
at IDE tells WWi magazine: Up till now, RO horizontal 8 membrane
cleaning was done with detergent producing foam. This required washing
the foam off the membranes and consumed more time and maintenance.
The challenge became even bigger for horizontal 16 membranes. Once IDE
came up with the patent of 16 membranes in a vertical array, this challenge
(washing off the foam) was resolved, increasing availability, while saving time
and costs.
Speaking to WWi magazine, Dr Graeme Pearce, principal at Membrane
Consultancy Associates, says that with this arrangement there is then a much
greater burden on the elements and vessels themselves, and signifcant strength
is required in the element core tube to ensure that the element can support its own
weight as it is loaded into the vessel.
He says: The core tube of a 16 element therefore has a much greater load bearing
duty than an 8 element and the frst generation of these elements have used GRP
rather than plastics such as PVC or ABS. Cost is therefore transferred from the system
builder to the element maker.
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DESALINATION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 29
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG
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industry.

AUMAs modular concept
ensures perfect integration

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support the DCS

Perfectly adapted to the wide
range of valve types and sizes

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For more information, enter 8 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_29 29 1/15/14 11:53 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DESALINATION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 30
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BEEFED UP ELEMENT
Responding to the question of whether
a greater burden on the vessels could
lead to a decreased life expectancy,
Pearce adds: It is possible that if
stresses were too much you might get
an early catastrophic failure, but as I
understand, the element makers for the
frst project are going for a much beefed
up element.
This adds quite a bit of cost to the
element and they may be looking
to reduce this cost add on in future
generation of 16 membranes.
He goes onto say: You might expect
16 elements to be quite a bit cheaper
than 8 due to the economy of scale, but
I think the cost add on of the higher
strength core tube takes up quite a bit of
the saving.
However, the system cost saving
is determined just as much by savings
in vessels and pipework as savings
in elements, so a 16 system whether
horizontal or vertical would have a
decent cost saving over an 8.
Leon Awerbuch, president and CTO of
Leading Edge Technologies and director at
the International Desalination Association
FAST FACTS
CAPACITY: 624,000 m
3
/day
TECHNOLOGY: Reverse Osmosis
FOOTPRINT: 100,000 m
2
(10 ha)
COMMISSON DATE: 2013
PROJECT TYPE: 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)
IF AFTER TIME INFORMATION ABOUT
THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THIS
APPROACH CAN BE VERIFIED, I
THINK WE COULD EXPECT TO SEE IT
[VERTICAL RO MODULES] USED IN
OTHER PLANTS
For more information, enter 13 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_30 30 1/15/14 11:53 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DESALINATION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 31
(IDA) remains optimistic about the
vertical set up.
If after time, information about the
practical aspects of this approach can be
verifed, I think we could expect to see it
in use in other plants, he says. I would
expect to see it used only in large plants
and only if practical experience proves
that handing of the elements is not an
issue. Otherwise, this looks like a great
idea.
Awerbuch says that by opting for 16
membranes, they have more membrane
area and, as a result, produce 4.3 times
more desalinated water than an 8
element.
He adds: This approach allows a
signifcant reduction in plant footprint,
shorter and smaller diameter HP
pipes and an improved membrane
loading method. In addition, due to
the larger volumes of feed water, this
design reduces membrane fouling and
polarization.
IP PROTECTION AND PRICE
Making claims about footprint and
CAPEX savings, Soreks vertical
membranes will surely attract the eyes
and the ears of the global desalination
community.
This raises the question of whats
stopping other desalination suppliers/
plant operators copying this set up? In
short, IDE has it heavily patented and
protected.
Are they expecting companies to fnd
a way around the patent?
We believe not, says Liberman.
IDEs patent is not only about the
vertical positioning, but rather around
the technical features that enable
operation in a vertical array.
The technology is patented with
several applications pending in major
markets such as the US, Australia, China
and Europe but not in MENA (except
for Israel itself).
Awerbuch adds: Its not that easy
to bypass the patented technology
elsewhere knowing about the
technology doesnt necessarily translate
into the ability to make it patentable.
Its important to note that, like with
its installations at Ashkelon and Hadera,
IDE has installed features such as dual
media gravity flters, and a pressure
centre concept for high pressure pumps
and energy recovery devices, in addition
to a membrane-based boron removal
arrangement. This will achieve a
maximum boron limit of 0.3 mg/L.
In terms of the cost of water produced
in Sorek, its currently $0.68/m
3

compared to a bid price of $0.58/m
3
.
This compares to $0.89/m
3
(bid price
$0.57/m
3
) for Hadera and $0.95/m
3
(bid
price $0.52/m
3
) for Ashkelon.
Israel has the goal to produce 650
million m
3
/year of desalinated water by
2020. With the country possessing only
265 cubic metres per year of freshwater
available per person, this is well below
the U.N. defnition of water poverty
(below 1000 cubic metres per person).
As a result, desalination will continue to
be the major part of the countrys water
supply.
If successful, and the number of large
scale SWRO plants keeps increasing
globally, then it might not just be Israel
where vertical membranes are being
proven.
Tom Freyberg
is chief editor of WWI magazine, for more
information email: tomf@pennwell.com
For more information, enter 9 at wwi.hotims.com For more information, enter 10 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_31 31 1/15/14 11:53 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DRINKING WATER
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 32
During a pilot study to decolour
drinking water, it was discovered that
the perceived waste stream removed
actually contained humic acids and
table salt. In 2013 a plant was built in
Spannenburg, the Netherlands which
will process this waste stream, using
zero liquid discharge (ZLD) to produce
a valuable fertilizer.
By Alexander Laarman & Peter Sjoerdsma
THE NEW
BLACK GOLD?
Ion Exchange in the Decolourisation
of Drinking Water
T
he groundwater from the
production sites Oldeholtpade,
Spannenburg and Sint
Jansklooster in the Netherlands
is characterised by relatively high
colour and total organic carbon (TOC)
concentrations, due to peat layers in
the underground. This colour is caused
by organic matter that is also known as
humic acid.
After extensive pilot studies at
the locations Oldeholtpade and
Spannenburg, with respectively
anaerobic membrane fltration and
ion exchange, the frst decolourization
installation based on ion exchange has
been operational since 2006.
Important features of the installations
are the relatively high loading of the
ion exchange resin, the three-fold re-use
of the regenerant and the limit of the
residual stream by the use of nano-
fltration.
The residual has a total volume of
4100 m
3
/year. Considering the annual
drinking water production capacity of
all three locations of 35 milllion m
3
this
is a relatively small volume. However,
because of the high sodium chloride
content of 3-4% and organic matter
concentration of 5-8% of the material, it
is not allowed to discharge this waste
stream into the municipal sewage
and therefore it is necessary to fnd an
alternative solution. At the time only the
colour removal plant of Oldeholtpade
was operational, the material was
transported to the wastewater treatment
plant in Harlingen.
However, in 2011 when the material of
the decolour installation of Spannenburg
was added, the high volume negatively
1312wwi_32 32 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DRINKING WATER
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 33
infuenced the quality of the WWTP
effuent. This forced Vitens to discharge
the material to AVR Rozenburg where
it was incinerated. The costs for the
disposal of this waste stream are around
half a million euro per year.
HUMIC ACIDS: THE MARKET
Shortly after commissioning the frst
decolour installation in 2006, Vitens
searched for a method to reduce the
residual as much as possible and strive
for a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)
operations. The focus of this research
was to decompose humic acids (the
problem) whereby the salt (valuble
component) can be reused for the
regeneration process. Several methods
have been investigated, but all were
diffcult to achieve in practice.
The solution was to turn around the
focus: the problem is an opportunity.
Internally a dedicated team was
established to explore the possibilities
from a market point of view. An
extensive market scan showed that
humic acids are valuable substances,
with different market applications in
agriculture and horticulture, plant
breeding and even as a supplement for
animal nutrition.
In order to realize this opportunity
two aspects of the residual had to
change to respect the demand of the
market: 1) the salinity and 2) the humic
acid concentration. In the search for
a ZLD operation of the decolouring
process research was focused whereby
salt is separated from humic acids.
As a result, this not only realized
the possibility to re-use salt as a
regeneration agent, but also for the
valorisation of humic acids as a valuable
raw material.
DIAFILTRATION RESEARCH
The diafltration method, which is
often applied in the dairy and (bio)
pharmaceutical industry, is a technique
based on a separation process using
membrane fltration. To determine the
suitability of diafltration as a separation
technique for desalting the residual, a
pilot study was conducted. A batch of
200 litres DENF - concentrate derived
from production plant Spannenburg
was used. The choice of the membrane
is crucial for diafltration. In the past,
research has shown that the Trisep XN45
membrane ensures an almost complete
retention of organic matter and at the
same time is completely permeable to
sodium ions and chloride. These nano
fltration membranes are already used in
the DENF installations on Spannenburg
and Sint Jansklooster and are used for
the pilot study.
The pilot has established that
the DENF - concentrate with a salt
concentration of 40 g NaCl/l is
desalinated to a concentration less than
1 g NaCl/l. The volume of wash water
required to achieve this concentration
was less than three times the starting
volume. During diafltration the
concentration of NaCl in the fltrate is
Handy work: volume, composition and effectiveness of these humic acids meet the requirements
for the application of humic acids as a soil conditioner for the entire Dutch market
The installation at Spannenburg will process the total
residual of 4,100 m
3
into 810 m
3
per year. This residual
comprises of less than 0.25% salt and 20% humic acid.
1312wwi_33 33 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES DRINKING WATER
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 34
more and more reduced. When the salt
concentration reached a minimum level,
the process is stopped.
Using diafltration, you would end
up with desalted organic material, but
the volume would still be equal to the
starting situation. Therefore, the pilot
study was continued by focussing on the
diafltration product.
To concentrate this an increasingly
higher pressure was required in order to
maintain the fux, because the amount
of dry matter in the treated liquid
increases during the concentration
process. During both diafltration
and concentration step, the pressure
gradually increased to the maximum
allowable pressure of 45 bar. As a side
effect temperature increased up to 40
o
C.
The consequence is that the content
of organic material into the fltrate
increases due to the higher permeability
of the membrane. This results in an
undesirable loss of 21% humic material
and a strong loss of energy.
RE-USE OF SALT AND WATER BY RO
To meet market requirements, the salt
concentration of organic material had
to be reduced by a factor of 40. This
needed washing water, which is about
three times the input volume. To meet
the objective of ZLD operations as much
as possible this washing water from
diafltration and concentration process
is also treated. The processing of this
washing water can be performed with
reverse osmosis (RO). With this process
the salt content can be concentrated to
a concentration that can be used in the
regeneration process of the decolouring
installation. In addition, water extracted
by the RO can be used as wash water in
the diafltration process.
Based on this pilot study, an
installation has been realized at
Spannenburg that will process the
total residual of the three production
sites Spannenburg, Oldeholtpade and
St. Jansklooster with a total volume
of 4,100 m
3
. This installation built in a
separate building is operational since
July 2013 and will include storage tanks
for the various media. Compared to
the pilot study the situation in practice
will be carried out with a number of
adjustments in order to increase the
effciency, which reduced the loss of
pressure energy, and organic material.
Based on the pilot, the installation
at Spannenburg will process the total
residual of 4,100 m
3
into 810 m
3
per year.
This residual comprises of less than
0.25% salt and 20% humic acid. With
these humic acids, a frst feld trial is
completed to determine the effectivity
on crop growth. The results have shown
that these humic acids are very effective
and showed a 7% yield of cabbage
compared to standard fertilization.
Therefore, volume, composition and
effectiveness of these humic acids meet
the requirements for the application of
humic acids as a soil conditioner for
the entire Dutch market. In this context
Vitens now is not only a large producer
of the precious resource water, but also
large producer of valuable resource
humic acids.
CONCLUSION
By means of a market-driven demand
for raw materials, it is possible to fnd
innovative solutions for a residual
stream to be converted into valuable
products: water, salt, and humic acid.
With diafltration and nano fltration,
the residual fow of the regeneration
process of the ion exchange resins,
is largely desalted and the volume is
substantially reduced. Through RO the
salt can be reused as a regeneration
agent and the water can be reused as
washing water for diafltration. This
results in a residual fow of only humic
acids. This material is named HumVi:
a product for Dutch agriculture and
horticulture to improve soils and to
increase crop yields and is currently
available in the market as HUMIC
supplied by Triferto.
Soil fertilizer is one of the most
common use of humic acids. These are
known for their valuable characteristics,
such as improving the soil structure,
allowing the retention of water and
nutrients whereby better absorbed by
crops. Furthermore, the humic acids that
are sold in the Netherlands are mainly
from the United States. These humic
acids are extracted from lignite through
a chemical process.
This case study in the Netherlands
demonstrates how instead humic acids
can be extracted from groundwater and
can now be used in the agricultural
sector as a 100% sustainable and high
quality soil fertilizer. Over ground,
the application of humic acids directly
benefts the farmer by increasing crop
yields and reduced use of pesticides
and fertilizers. Underground this
improves soil quality by the reduced
leaching of fertilizers and pesticides
and by promoting local biodiversity. As
important side effect this assures in the
long term the quality of groundwater.
This article was co-authored by
Alexander Laarman, research business
development and Peter Sjoerdsma,
process engineer at Vitens.
Email: rik.thijssen@vitens.nl
S Ripe: The results have shown that these humic acids are very effective and showed a 7% yield of cabbage
compared to standard fertilization
1312wwi_34 34 1/15/14 11:56 AM
Heavyweigh: aerobic granules settle quickly
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER TREATMENT
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 35
ACTIVATED
SLUDGE 2.0
After 20 years in research and
development, the Nereda aerobic
granular sludge process is now in
operation, with over 10 references
globally and 20 facilities planned. What
does it mean for traditional wastewater
treatment?
By Tom Freyberg
A
round the world cities are
becoming more populous.
Megacities (more than 10
million population) are now common,
with Kolkata, Mumbai, Sao Palo, Lagos
and Mexico City all joining the line up.
And of course overpopulation cannot be
talked about without mentioning China.
The countrys economic boom recently
made the headlines. Mind startling
statistics suggest it will soon have the
worlds frst 50 million person city. In
less than 10 years, it could home nearly
a quarter of the worlds 400 largest
cities.
At this scale, water provision and
disposal will become particularly tough.
With urbanisation taking place on
such a rapid and unprecedented scale,
space will be become a premium. The
footprint of proposed water treatment
facilities will soon be scrutinised.
Already many cities and industries
around the world are facing the
challenge to fnd cost effective,
sustainable solutions for sanitation
that have a small footprint. This is all
while meeting stringent purifcation
requirements.
One Dutch technology claims to
hold the answers to these challenges.
Called Nereda, it treats wastewater
with the features of aerobic granular
biomass: purifying bacteria that create
compact granules with superb settling
properties.
Invented by the Delft University of
Technology in the Netherlands, it has
taken 20 years to be developed through
a public-private partnership. The private
entity in this group is Dutch consultancy
Royal HaskoningDHV, with the Dutch
Water Boards acting as the public
partner.
ITS ALL IN THE GRANULE
To understand how Nereda works, its
important to frst understand the concept
of granular sludge. The latter looks like
little balls, ranging from a few tenths of a
Is Nereda Really a Game Changer?
1312wwi_35 35 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER TREATMENT
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 36
millimetre to several millimetres in size,
consisting entirely of bacteria.
Under certain conditions, the bacteria
spontaneously clump together to form
granules, removing the organic carbon,
nitrogen and phosphate from the
wastewater. They sink so rapidly that a
sedimentation tank is no longer required,
according to the Dutch consultancy.
Anaerobic granules were frst
identifed in the late 1960s by Professor
Lettinga, from Wageningen University.
Dutch engineering frm Royal
HaskoningDHV then became involved
with the granular sludge technology in
1999.
For the scientifc research, a subsidy
was obtained from the STW technology
foundation, while fnancial support for
development came from STOWA the
Dutch Foundation for Applied Water
Research.
From 2005, the anaerobic granular
sludge technology was given the name
of Nereda, derived from the name of a
water nymph in Greek mythology.
Rene Noppeney, global director
for water products at Royal
HaskoningDHV, says the secret is in the
granule.
By virtue of the sludge transforming
into a granule two things happen,
he says. One, the granule is heavier
thats Newtonian gravity. Thats
simple. By virtue of being heavy it
settles down quickly. The more quickly
it settles down, the less space you need
for a settling tank. The second is, within
that granule, the bacteria organise
themselves very smartly. You have
bacteria that use oxygen that sit on the
outside. And you have bacteria that
dont need oxygen that sit on the inside
of the granule.
In a way, this granule symbolises
three conventional steps in a normal
activated sludge installation. These
three steps that in a normal application
take up an enormous amount of space.
This now takes place within that very
granule. We have learned how to
produce such a granule without adding
materials or chemicals.
EXPERIENCE IN EPE
When telling the Nereda story, its
important to go back to May 2012 when
the Dutch town of Epe opened the frst
commercial scale WWTP to use the
technology.
The Epe plant consists of the
following main processes; inlet works
with screens and grit removal, followed
by three Nereda Bioreactors and effuent
polishing via gravity sand flters. The
Nereda Bioreactors has a designed
capacity of 59,000 P.E. and treats up to
1,500 m
3
/h (36,000 m
3
/day) municipal
wastewater with a high contribution of
industrial wastewater discharged by
surrounding slaughter houses.
Produced effuent quality meets the
highest standards in The Netherlands,
according to the consultancy, with
total Nitrogen and Phosphorous
Nereda Full-scale Epe STP under construction, NL
1312wwi_36 36 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER TREATMENT
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 37
concentrations lower than 5 and 0.3
mg/l. Its also been observed that even
in winter conditions, extensive nitrogen
removal could be established at very
high biological sludge loads.
HAPPY MARRIAGE OR MESSY
DIVORCE?
Following the Epe installation, to
date 10 plants are now in operation or
under construction in the Netherlands,
Portugal and South Africa. In July 2013
Foz, the Brazilian Water Company of
Odebrecht Ambiental commissioned
Royal HaskoningDHV to help build 10
wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)
over the next fve years using Nereda
technology, at a contract value of 11.5
million Euros.
Three months later and in October
2013 Royal HaskoningDHV signed a
cooperation agreement with Imtech
Process in the UK with the aim of
building between fve and eight Nereda
wastewater treatment installations.
Imtech are in dialogue with a
number of UK water companies about
the Nereda technology and are pleased
with the level of interest being shown
by the water sector, Bruno Speed
managing director of Imtech, tells WWi
magazine.
With Imtech acting as the technology
delivery partner, this is a type of
relationship the Dutch consultancy is
looking for in the other countries.
Noppeney describes the partnership
as a marriage: That model is basically
the same in each and every market, he
says. Although you have to recognise
that markets do differ from each other.
The basics are the same were looking
for partners to complement what were
doing a delivery partner for our
technology in the local market. Ideally
this is like a marriage. We are engaged
to be married at this stage. If all goes
well in the marriage then you dont need
anyone else. Thats what were aiming
for.
INDUSTRY REACTION
Independent wastewater expert Jan
Pereboom (formerly Veolia Water
Solutions & Technologies) is positive
about the granular technology.
Speaking to WWi, he says: Nereda
is a game-changer. SBR technology
(Sequencing Batch Reactor) has already
been used more and more for sewage
treatment over the last decades, manly
because the investment cost and
space requirements are lower and the
technology is more fexible as compared
to activate sludge.
Nereda is also an SBR technology,
but has even lower investment and
space requirements, while it also
has lower operating costs. But most
important biological nitrogen and
phosphorus removal is more simple and
more reliable with Nereda.
While Nereda is now not considered
a new technology with the Epe
installation now over two years old the
big question is whether utilities will
I WOULD EXPECT
THERE TO BE
50 NEREDA
INSTALLATIONS
IN FIVE YEARS
GLOBALLY
NEREDA WILL
ONLY CONFIRM
THE RISK AVERSE
APPROACH OF
MUNICIPALITIES
The Nereda aerobic granules
1312wwi_37 37 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER TREATMENT
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 38
still consider it a risk compared to more
traditional techniques.
Pereboom believes even if considered
a risk there is a backup plan: I am
afraid that Nereda will only confrm
and stress this approach (risk averse)
in municipal wastewater treatment. In
the orders placed and the plants under
construction, there are no additional
risks taken by the operators, he says.
The worse case analysis for these
operators is simple; at limited extra
investment costs the system can be
changed again easily to a conventional
SBR plants.
THE GLOBAL PUSH
Noppeney, as you would expect, is
confdent about the uptake in Nereda
technology. He predicts that in fve
years time: I would be disappointed
if by then we wouldnt have had 50
installations worldwide.
Alongside Epe in the Netherlands,
there are seven other references in the
country, including in Rotterdam and
Utrecht. In Portugal there is one plant
in Frielas and in South Africa there
are two references, in Gansbaai and
Wemmershoek.
Pereboom emphasises the need for
basic infrastructure in developing parts
of Asia and Latin America.
Some 20 clients have ordered this
new technology, based on half a dozen
plants currently being operated for a
very limited amount of years, he says.
So apparently, these clients are more
than convinced that Nereda is indeed
cheaper and will perform at least as
good. In many regions, for instance
Asia and Latin America, sanitation is
still under development and numerous
sewage treatment plants still have to be
constructed.
He fnishes by saying that: the
introduction [of Nereda] may be slower
in well developed markets but that in
the Netherlands for instance numerous
plants from the 70s and early 80s are
considered to be relocated, to free up
space for urban development.
The topic of space comes back to the
introductory comments about the rise of
megacities. While the Netherlands has
a lot less space to play with compared
to say China, this still shows that
even developed countries are looking
to shuffe existing infrastructure
around in order to house more people.
Royal HaskoningDHV claims that
using Nereda, a plant footprint can
be up to four times smaller with
20-30% signifcantly lower energy
consumption.
With the worlds population
continuing to grow, it could be the
footprint of future water treatment
infrastructure that sets it apart in the
future.
Tom Freyberg
is chief editor of WWI magazine, for more
information on this article and Nereda, email:
tomf@pennwell.com
The Frielas demonstration plant in Portugal
1312wwi_38 38 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WATER PROVISION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 39
I
t took a miracle for Moses to part
the waters of the Red Sea. But as
if to adduce evidence that divine
intervention is not always required,
the ambitious $10 billion Red Sea-
Dead Sea conduit project was recently
signed between Israel, Jordan and the
Palestinian authorities.
The historic agreement received its
offcial seal of approval through the
World Bank just two weeks before
Christmas and has been heralded as the
solution to Jordans water defcit and
the Dead Seas ongoing and dramatic
environmental degradation.
The multinational proposal is to build
a 180 km pipeline engineered to carry up
to two billion cubic metres of seawater
per year from the Gulf of Aqaba on the
Red Sea through Jordanian territory to
the Red Sea.
In fact the notion of connecting the
two seas by a conduit or canal is nothing
new. Back in the late 19th century
planners had pondered how to use the
Jordan River for irrigation and to bring
water to the Dead Sea. But like many
well-intentioned projects in the Middle
East and much talk of saving the Dead
Sea nothing actually happened.
Meanwhile the Dead Sea itself,
considered by some as both the cradle
of human culture and civilisation, has
fallen from 394 meters below sea level
in the 1960s to 423 meters below sea
level today. The water surface has also
shrunk dramatically - from 950 km
2

square kilometres to 637 km
2
. Unlikely
to dry up completely, it is predicted that
its surface will diminish to an estimated
300 km
2
, with the water level continuing
to drop at the alarming pace of one
meter per year.
Yet Friends of the Earth Middle East
(FoEME) and other environmental
groups have countered that the mega-
project was fatally fawed from the
outset. They argued that the only
sustainable solution is to tackle the
source of the problem by rehabilitating
the Jordan river which, since time
immemorial, has fed the Dead Sea with
fresh water. Such fresh water is now
singularly lacking courtesy of massive
diversions in the form of dams, canals
and pumping stations constructed by
Israel, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian
Authority alike.
Approved before the end of the year,
the $10 billion Red Sea-Dead Sea
project will see the joining of two
oceans in the Middle East to transport
millions of cubic metres of seawater.
Could the 180km pipeline and worlds
largest desalination plant bring peace to
the region?
By Jeremy Josephs.
GREEN LIGHT FOR
RED-DEAD SEA
PIPELINE PROJECT
FoEME Israeli director Gidon Bromberg
stands on the shores of the Dead Sea
1312wwi_39 39 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WATER PROVISION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 40
JORDANS SUPPORT
Standing pensively on the shores of
the Dead Sea Gidon Bromberg, Israeli
director of FoEME, points to a now
defunct hotel which had originally been
built by the shoreline.
You see that building. Its now over
one kilometre away, he laments. And
you know why? Because 98% of the
fow of the Jordan River, which feeds
the Dead Sea, has been diverted. Plus
the World Bank is talking about three
pipelines, a very large pipe according
to the banks own report that would be
some 60 meters in width so we are
also talking about a major scar on the
landscape, massive pipes which would
run above ground for the best part of
200 kms.
And yet Jordan has been the strongest
proponent of the Red-Dead canal, as it
is known in environmental circles. Its
easy to see why: the countrys access to
fresh water is among the most restricted
in the world. One of the worlds four
poorest countries in respect of its water
resources, Jordan produces around 880
billion cubic meters distributed over
drinking household consumption and
other economic activities and agriculture
which alone consume 58% of total water.
Water rationing is a part of everyday
life.
A situation now made all the more
acute by the infux of hundreds of
thousands of Syrian refugees feeing
from that countrys long and bitterly
fought out (and ongoing) civil war.
This explains why Saad Abu Hamour,
secretary general of the Jordan Valley
Authority and Jordanian head of the
Israel-Jordan Joint Water Committee
has gone out of his way to reaffrm
his countrys ongoing support for the
proposed conduit. Potable water is a
priority in Jordan and we are trying to
secure it by linking the two seas, he
explains.
FoEMEs Munqeth Mehyar takes issue
with this view. The whole plan takes
place on Jordanian territory, he says
from his offce in Amman. But Jordan
is being hard-hit by the global economic
downturn. That doesnt bode well for
international aid. Besides, the project
will employ just 1,700 people and that
amount only during the peak years of
construction.
DELICATE SUBJECT
A leading engineering from Jordans
WEST
BANK
ISRAEL
EGYPT
JORDAN
0
miles
Amman
Discharge
diffuser
Desalination plant
Desalination plant
Intake pumping station
Hydropower
plant
Hydropower
plant
Reservoir
Pipeline
Water line
Dead
Sea
Red
Sea
50
water company LLC will only speak
to the WWi if his anonymity remains
protected on the grounds that what I
have to say is a little bit political and
puts me in an awkward position.
Once given such an assurance,
however, he can hardly contain his
enthusiasm for the project, lamenting
the fact that Israels interest in the
project at one point appeared to be
waning on account of delays.
The fact remains, however, that this
project is a way out of our water scarcity
problems, made all the more acute now
because of the vast numbers of refugees
coming in from Syria, he says.
So Jordan clear has a major interest in
moving the project forward big time.
Of course its a delicate subject in this
region although there is now a peace
treaty between Israel and Jordan what
will happen to the project if tensions rise
or come to be strained? But it remains
my frm believe that the advantages
far outweigh the disadvantages, not
least because of escalating demand
for water triggered off by political
instability in neighbouring countries. It
was frustrating to know that there is a
solution to hand but that it took so long
for the international machinery to creak
into action. But now, fnally, we are on
our way.
The World Bank to date has held
public forums in Amman and Aqaba in
Jordan, Eilat and Jerusalem in Israel, and
Ramallah and Jericho which come under
the auspices of the Palestinian Authority.
Grand designs: the multinational proposal is to build a 180-kilometre pipeline engineered to
carry up to two billion cubic metres of seawater per year from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea
through Jordanian territory to the Red Sea
1312wwi_40 40 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WATER PROVISION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 41
These public discourses had as their
theme three major World Bank reports
- a feasibility study, an environmental
and social assessment and a study
of alternatives. Their conclusion was
unambiguous that the project was
indeed feasible from engineering,
economic and environmental
standpoints.

WORLDS LARGEST
DESALINATION PLANT
Their preferred method for importing
substantial quantities of water from the
Red Sea is to build a pumping station
near Aqaba pump it up to a high point
and then let it fow via a combination
of pipelines and tunnels to the area
south of the Dead Sea.
And where the worlds largest
desalination plant would duly be
constructed with a view to transporting
almost half a billion cubic meters of
desalinated water to Jordan
The plant would have a capcity of 320
million m
3
/year at start up, rising to 850
m
3
/year by 2060. It would require 247
MW of power in 2020 and 556 MW in
2060. The post-desalination high-salinity
water would be piped to the Dead Sea
with a view to halting, and eventually
reversing, its shrinkage. Furthermore
a hydroelectric plant would be built,
supplying electricity to Jordan, Israel
and the Palestinian Authority.
THE AGREEMENT
IS NOTHING LESS
THAN HISTORIC
Dr. Alex McPhail, who heads up
the World Banks Red Sea-Dead Sea
study programme as task team leader,
highlights the fact that the assessment,
led by the international consultancy
Environmental Resources Management
indicates that all potential major
environmental and social impacts can be
mitigated to acceptable levels.
MIXING SEAWATER AND ALGAE
The bank has acknowledged, however,
that the environmental impact in
relation to the mixing of different waters
from different seas remains unclear and
untested, with the distinct possibility
that algae could start growing in the
Dead Sea.
Dr Joseph Lati of the Dead Sea Works
industry, one of the worlds leading
potash fertiliser producers, carried out
a range of independent experiments to
explore the effects of mixing. The results
were not particularly promising.
What we found were crystals of
gypsum foating on the brine in small
containers with 70% Dead Sea water
mixing with 30% Red Sea water.
Its a blooming of red coloured
bacteria. Of course depending on the
percentage mix there will be various
degrees of blooming algae. So I would
advise extreme caution in this project
unless and until the full effects are
known.
Nor would the pipeline come cheaply.
The World Bank estimates total costs
at almost $10 billion, although quick to
point out that much of that sum could
be recouped from selling the desalinated
water and electricity.
Its not these astronomical sums
which agitate FoEMEs Mira Edelstein
most. This is a mega-project which will
change the whole plain of the area. Its
the frst time that we are toying with the
idea of connecting two seas. Besides, the
pipe or the canal or the tunnel will be
built in a very seismic area.
So we are worried about a bursting
of the salty water which would then
contaminate the groundwater. It seems
to me, therefore, that the most viable
option is to rehabilitate the Jordan
River. For millions of years the Dead
Sea has known only fresh water.
Fix up the Jordan River and you fx
up the Dead Sea and without any
adverse environmental consequences
whatsoever.
Moving forward, despite the projects
controversies, Israels Energy and
Regional Development Minister Silvan
Shalom described the agreement as
nothing less than historic.
The Palestinian Authoritys minister
in charge of water issues, Shaddad
Attili and Jordanian Water Minister
Hazem Nasser put their names on the
agreement alongside Shaloms.
Moving forward, there is the
astounding prospect of an international
tender being issued for the entire project
building the desalination plant in
Aqaba and laying the frst of four pipes.
A tender for which Israel might bid -
in the land of its erstwhile enemy. One
cannot help but wonder what Moses
would have made of this latest miracle
emanating from the Middle East. Let us
hope that this project become a symbol
of the appropriately named Israeli
Minister Shalom.
Jeremy Josephs
is a freelance correspondent for WWi
magazine. For more information on this
article, email: tomf@pennwell.com.
S The water surface of the Dead Sea has shrunk dramatically - from 950 km
2
square kilometres to 637 km
2
.
The illustration shows the sea picture in 1972 and then in 2011
1312wwi_41 41 1/15/14 11:56 AM
UTILITY MANAGEMENT LEAKAGE
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 42
With a non-revenue water rate of 58%
and many failed attempts to improve its
water network, the Bahamas Water and
Sewerage Corporation has embarked
on a 10-year plan improvement plan.
Together with an education campaign,
the plan aims to win back local resident
support.
By Paul Fanner
BAHAMAS
GETS TOUGH
ON NRW
W
ith an eye on the goal of
making its water supply
system more effcient,
the Bahamas Water and Sewerage
Corporation (WSC) is making a bold
move with a ten-year comprehensive
water effciency project. Starting in
April 2012, it was funded by an Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB)
loan.
WSC supplies drinking water to
250,000 residents in New Providence.
Non-revenue water levels in the system
were very high in 2012, with about 58%
of the water entered into the utilitys
distribution system lost before ever
reaching customers.
In quantifable numbers, this means
that over 31,000 m
3
/day of water fow
out of the system without ever reaching
customers. Although surrounded by
water, very little is fresh for drinking,
so 90% of the islands water comes
from desalination plants, an expensive
prospect. Reducing water losses was an
urgent problem for WSC.
The project will not only work to
tackle the problem of non-revenue
water (NRW) the gap between the
amount of water put into the system
and the amount that actually reaches
customers but will also work on fxing
the relationship between the utility
and its customers. This will be through
community education and awareness
efforts, a public win-back campaign
and long-term infrastructure planning
to ensure the future effciency of the
system as well.
Reducing NRW is a challenging
prospect. In most countries, water
utilities are part of the public sector, and
day-to-day problems cloud the need
for major infrastructure projects. When
utilities do embark on NRW reduction
projects on their own, they often fail
because they lack the know-how and
experience to do them right.
Water supply systems are complex
and, often, have grown and developed
over the course of many years. As a
result, changing any element in a water
supply system affects all the other
elements in the system.
There is no right or wrong formula,
says Arjun Thapan, chairman of
Miyas work in the Bahamas began with a baseline survey and the use of
local NRW audits to design a cost-effective plan for NRW reduction
1312wwi_42 42 1/15/14 11:56 AM
UTILITY MANAGEMENT LEAKAGE
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 43
Waterlinks, Inc. and former special
advisor on Infrastructure and Water to
the Asian Development Bank President.
A solution that fts one metropolis
does not ft the other, and the right mix
needs to be determined by experts.
For three decades, there had been
limited success in coping with increasing
levels of NRW in the Bahamas, which is
what inspired the WSC to turn to Miya.
As WSC general manager Glen Laville
summarizes: Several solutions were
tried over the years using internal
and external resources. Nothing made
our network more effcient, because
every action had its benefts and
consequences.
Partnering with Miya, the WSC
embarked on a comprehensive long-
term approach to reduce NRW and
maximize the effciency of its water
delivery system.
The project will continue until April
2022 and includes a full suite of water
effciency solutions to curb the NRW
problem. The overall goal is to save
more than 13,000 m
3
/day of water
per day within fve years. Miya aims
to signifcantly improve the clients
fnancial and operational effciency, but
these are not their only goals.
The project also includes essential
elements to bolster the WSCs public
image and help the company win-
back customers that it has lost over the
years, including a primary school water
awareness and education program and
extensive job training and certifcation
for local employees.
THE OVERALL GOAL
IS TO SAVE MORE
THAN 13,000 M
3
/DAY
WITHIN FIVE YEARS
By hiring and training Bahamians to
work throughout the project, the project
ensures that not only will the NRW
project be carried out during its term,
but also that the results achieved will be
maintained by a skilled local team.
Miyas work in the Bahamas began
with a baseline survey and the use
of local NRW audits to design a cost-
effective plan for NRW reduction.
A manual cutback system had been
implemented to reduce leaks. After
the installation of a new automated
pressure control system, this need
was eliminated. Leak detection teams
were deployed into high leakage
zones throughout New Providence,
and have already located and repaired
hundreds of leaks. At the same time,
Miya and WSC began the installation of
new service lines perpendicular to the
existing main with updated corrosion-
resistant valves.
Another highlight of the
comprehensive water effciency project
is a pilot educational awareness
program donated by Miya to the
Bahamian community. Miya experts
developed a curriculum for 5th grade
students to learn about the origins and
importance of water to human existence,
the value of using water more effciently,
water conservation techniques, meter
reading and other water-related topics.
Simultaneously with the education
program, water effcient sinks and
toilets were installed in the Oakes Field
Primary School in Nassau, where the
pilot program was conducted. By the
end of the school year, a 20% reduction
in water consumption was keenly
calculated by the pupils themselves.
A closing competition and ceremony
was organized to end the water study
program on a celebratory note. Students
were asked to creatively display their
newly acquired water knowledge.
There were posters, videos, poems,
performances and more at the June 2013
event. Students were clearly excited by
what they had learned and shared it
eagerly with a crowd of peers, teachers,
parents and distinguished guests from
the government and WSC. Community
involvement is essential to strengthen
the relationship between the public and
the water utility. School children are a
great resource for spreading the value
and knowledge of water effciency
practices, to teach their peers, parents
and the entire community.
The educational program was clearly
a success. Its hoped that similar
programmes will be implemented in
schools throughout the island and
display it to others as an example of
a fun and effective way to involve the
community in a major water effciency
program.
With lofty goals to reduce losses by
millions of cubic metres a day, WSC
also intends to win-back customers and
have a high return on its investment,
to continue well into the future. With
dozens of Bahamians already working
in the Miya offce and employed
throughout the project in the feld, the
project has set off on a very promising
start.
The Bahamas Government, the WSC
and the Bahamian community have
set an example for the world of how
important it is to manage our precious
water resources effciently. A forward
thinking, innovative project such as this
one leads to sustainable change that
mutually benefts the utility and the
citizens it supplies.
Paul Fanner is an international NRW expert
and Miya Bahamas project director. For more
information, email: info@miya-water.com.
S The project included the hiring and training of the local population
1312wwi_43 43 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES FLOOD PREVENTION
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 44
In 2013 a 9 million environmental engineering programme involving more than doubling
the total capacity of seven pumping stations in the Petit Camargue, France, was completed.
The food prevention strategy, which had started back in 2003, involved the pump
engineering and construction resources of KSB SAS.
By Bryan Orchard
in La Petite Carmargue
GRAND
PUMP
SOLUTION
Engineering work
being undertaken at Sylvral
1312wwi_44 44 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES FLOOD PREVENTION
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 45
T
he Petite Camargue lies in the
Languedoc-Roussillon Region
in southern France between the
Mediterranean Sea and the right side
of the Petit Rhone, one of the two arms
of the Rhne River Delta. Covering an
area of 55,000 hectares, of which 38,000
hectares comprise wetlands, the Petite
Camargue is largely given over to
agriculture and fsheries, while its very
special fora and fauna make it a haven
for wildlife and tourism.
With large areas of the Petite
Camargue lying some two meters below
sea level, it is prone to regular fooding,
resulting from the rising levels of the
rivers Vistre, Vidourle and Rhne, and
sometimes by breaks in the dykes.
The earth of the wetlands is naturally
saturated so in the event of great foods,
when water courses rise above river and
drainage channel banks, some 300km of
the Petite Camargue can be transformed
into a massive overfow area. Basically,
this means that the water gathers here
until it fows or drains off again. Such
a process that can take a considerable
amount of time and at a considerable
cost to the local communities.
As land reclaimed from the sea, the
Petite Camargue has been drained, both
manually and by drainage structures
for several centuries. More recently
pumping stations have eased the
burden, with the food water being
initially pumped from the fooded areas
and then fed into the Rhne where it
fows into the sea. However, in the past
20 years, these pumping stations have
proved to be inadequate when put to the
ultimate test.
Intense fooding occurred in 1993
and 1994, and as a result a special
body, Syndicat Mixte de la Camargue
Gardoise (SMCG), was established
with the eight communities affected
to address the problem. Eventually
in 1998 a further public body was
created to thoroughly investigate how
to reduce the risks of fooding, with
the results expected by 2003. However,
in September 2002, fooding of the
Rhne upstream occurred and this
had a serious affect on the region. This
was followed in December 2003 when
fooding on the Rhne and its main
tributaries took on considerable, even
historical, dimensions.
In the lower course of the Rhne,
which runs in part along the Petite
Camargue, 2003 was the third-largest
known food, even greater that the
two foods of 1840 and 1856 which had
massive effects on the region.
In Beaucaire, which is situated several
kilometres north of the Petite Camargue,
foods peaked at 11,500 m/s. In the
lower course of the Rhne it took several
days, in some parts even several weeks,
before the water fowed into the sea.
Some residential areas were four
meters underwater and, on both sides
of the river, 32,000 people had to be
evacuated. The foods covered 30,000
ha, caused damage worth an estimated
300 million and took more than three
months to pump clear.
ACTION PLAN
As a result of this human and
environmental catastrophe, a project
Camargue Gaudoise was initiated
in 2005 which, although not being able
to completely prevent fooding, would
limit damage to land and property. The
main objective of the project was to
shorten the time in which the area from
Saint-Gilles to Le Grau du Roi remains
underwater.
That plan involved the construction
of 11 hydraulic stations, fve reinforced
pumping stations and one completely
new pumping station, in effect
doubling pumping to 45.3m/sec. This
infrastructure investment considerably
increases the volume of water that can
be drained and signifcantly reduces
the length of time that water remains
in overfow areas by draining the land
more quickly.
Due to the complexity of the project
and the number of organisations
and suppliers involved, work did
not commence on the construction
until 2011. While there were many
engineering and environmental
assessments to be made, the central
issue to the success of the project was
the hydraulics and their infrastructure.
Having earlier extended the pump
station at La Souteyranne/Liviers in
2006 with additional pumps, pump
manufacturer KSB S.A.S. took a lead role
and secured the project contract in 2010.
From the outset of the project it was
recognised that technical adaptations to
the various pumping stations would be
necessary in order to provide optimum
performance for the pumps.
Examples of this include extending
the La Fosse pumping station to increase
drainage by a further 3 m/s; planning
and equipping a new pumping station
at the end of the Canal de Capette to
increase drainage by a further 9 m/sec
and refurbishing the pumping stations
at Souteyranne/Mas Livers, La Cave/Le
Mole, Sylvral and Bourgidou/Aigues-
Mortes in order to adapt to their new
drainage volumes.
Each pumping station had its own
special requirements, which in certain
cases required KSB S.A.S. to simulate
fow conditions to evaluate and test its
civil engineering structures in order to
ensure that the pumps would fulfl their
duties. At Sylvral, it was necessary to
construct special inlet chambers in the
feed basin in which the pumps were
installed to counter the vortex effects on
the water surface which could damage
the pumps.
At the la Cave/Le Mole station,
a special tulip- shaped cone was
designed and constructed at the end
of the tube in which the pump was
installed in order to give greater suction.
Coupled with all these engineering
works was the need to equip each
pumping station with secure control
panels for the remote operation of the
pumps.
At the completion of the engineering
and construction programme,
KSB engineers had installed and
commissioned 13 Amacan pumps with
fows ranging from 0.5 m/sec to 4 m/
sec, increasing the drainage pumping
capability of the Petit Camargue from
19.8 m/sec to 45.3 m/sec.
The supplied pumps are close-
coupled, wet-installed single entry axial
open impeller pump where the impeller
is located in a tubular casing immersed
in the water. Explosion protected
to ATEX II G2 T3, the pump has a
maximum fow capacity of up to 7,000 l/
sec and a maximum head of 12m.
As a result of this major investment,
which was jointly fnanced by
Europe, the French State, the region of
Languedoc-Roussillon, the Department
Garde and the Syndicat Mixte
Dpartmental des Milieux Aquatiques,
the SMCG now has a robust food
prevention scheme that is capable of
handling the food levels encountered
in 2003.
Bryan Orchard
is an industry communications and PR
specialist who specialises in pumps.
Email: bryan@bryanorchardpr.co.uk.
1312wwi_45 45 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER FLOW MONITORING
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 46
UNDER
CONTROL
A look at how Severn Trent Water in the UK is using active monitoring
to encourage early preventative action and provide data to develop a
methodology for more strategic future responses.
By Steve Woods
Locals enjoying clean waterways
Keeping wastewater contained
1312wwi_46 46 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER FLOW MONITORING
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 47
THIS ALLOWS US TO HAVE NEAR REAL-
TIME UNDERSTANDING OF NETWORK
PERFORMANCE TO REPOND
K
eeping wastewater contained
within the network and
preventing discharge of
untreated wastewater into rivers and
coastal waters - or ensuring release is
within Environment Agency consents -
is a priority for every water utility. This
has become more pressing given the
large number of exceptional weather
events resulting in more frequent and
prolonged discharges.
Water utilities have many challenging
responsibilities. Fundamentally, they
must provide high quality water
supplies and sewerage services for
customers, at a cost that is acceptable,
while also protecting the environment,
particularly river systems and bathing
waters.
An optimally designed modern
wastewater network will cope with all
normal fow conditions. Many older
sewers will also cope adequately with
normal fow and rainfall. Although
these were designed to allow discharge
into water courses from combined sewer
overfows (CSOs) at times of weather-
induced exceptional fow.
Consents from the environmental
regulator the Environment Agency -
only sanction these discharges under
specifed circumstances that are now
being policed more rigorously under
the requirements of the European Urban
Waste Water Directive.
As part of a Long Term Sewer
Monitoring framework set up between
utility Severn Trent Water (STW) and
Detectronic, one aim is to improve
network management and reduce
pollution through the provision of sewer
monitoring instrumentation. More
recently the scope of the contract has
been extended to include data analysis
and interpretation.
Approaching the mid-point in
the long-term contract, it is now
possible to assess the effectiveness
of the monitoring programme. The
accumulated data now confrms the
extent to which the monitoring scheme
has helped STW reduce the occurrence
of pollution events. Moreover, this has
been achieved by not just avoiding
penalties for out-of-consent discharges,
but also providing the road map to more
effcient future network management
strategies.
INSTRUMENTATION
The technology necessary to monitor
fows in wastewater networks has
advanced considerably since sewer
fow monitoring was frst attempted
almost 30 years ago. Sensors used for
this partnership allow volumetric fow
rate to be calculated by reference to
measured depth and velocity.
Furthermore, data can now be
automatically uploaded immediately if
there is a high level alarm, but in normal
circumstances upload is once daily via
the GRPS data-network.
First generation instruments required
a visit to site weekly to manually
download data to a portable computer
from the instruments, with subsequent
manual upload into the offce PC or
data-network for analysis and action.
This data was therefore a historic
refection of conditions.
Sometimes it could also be incomplete
if a sensor had become ragged up in the
interval between data downloads.
There are many advantages in
having day-by-day readings available,
explains Liam Foster of STW. This
allows us to have near real-time
understanding of network performance
and respond promptly, often intervening
at an early stage before a more serious
situation develops. There is also a risk
in moving from weekly to daily data
that we could have been overwhelmed
by an avalanche of numbers and the
really signifcant stats, that denote sites
for intervention, would not be easily
identifed.
NETWORK SURVEY AND DATA
ANALYSIS
At the outset of the contract, fow was
monitored at 275 locations. During
phase one Detectronic installed a further
325 of their multi-sensor fow monitors
(MSFM) units. All locations track rate
1312wwi_47 47 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDIES WASTEWATER FLOW MONITORING
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 48
and depth of fow and provide a daily
data upload. This goes into the STW
monitoring centre and the Detectronic
Data Centre (DDC) so that readings and
reports can be compared.
Monitoring locations have been
carefully selected and are grouped high
or medium priority depending on a
number of factors. These may include
historic infow and infltration data,
regulatory requirements, receiving
water course classifcations, known
bottle necks, balance of household and
industrial discharges and the density of
urban development.
Analysts at the DDC review all
readings from the MSFMs manually on
a daily basis, reporting to Severn Trent
each morning. With access to historic
fow data, recent information on local
weather patterns and an understanding
of each location and its particular profle
they are able to pinpoint potential
trouble spots.
ASSESSING PEAK FLOWS
From the data analysis, the effects of
rainfall as surges pass through the
drainage system are clearly seen.
Likewise, the effect of temperature
causing snow melt to release pent-up
fow or sharp frosts that hold fow back
can also be seen. These factors in turn
interact with groundwater saturation
levels to speed or moderate the rate at
which precipitation enters the network.
For each location analysts have
assessed the speed with which peak
fows arise and dissipate, where the
system may back-up, and what fow
conditions indicate an anomaly. For
example, lower rates of fow than
anticipated at a given location following
a signifcant rainfall event may indicate
an upstream blockage. Conversely
backing-up at a location, allied to low
hydraulic velocity, are a good indicator
of a downstream blockage.
Flows that continue sometime after a
rain event may signify a signifcant level
of infltration from the ground. Flows
that diminish between an upper and
lower part of the network may indicate
exfltration or a more signifcant breach.
Anomalies are an opportunity for the
DDC to alert Severn Trent operations.
This enables crews to be proactive,
investigating and removing blockages
and conducting local system repairs.
These are vital to ensure the network
returns to normal performance quickly
so that it is ready for the next extreme
event. In other cases, monitoring
provides data to justify consented
discharge.
For example, if it can be shown that
the network was surcharged and the
maximum permitted fow is already
passing through to treatment then this
can be presented as evidence to the
Environment Agency.
THE NEXT PHASE
Foster adds: The process has been
proven to work, identifying a number
of improvements to be made at
certain points in the network and
producing a demonstrable reduction in
reported pollution incidents since the
programme started. In addition, access
to the data has been useful to our asset
creation teams for network modelling.
The number of monitored locations is
planned to increase from the current 600
to a potential 2000.
In parallel with this, both the STW
and DDC monitoring centres are
developing bespoke software to assist in
data fltering.
This will enable each location to be
modelled more precisely so that its
normal profle is more fully understood
and the system can more quickly
produce the exception reports that can
guide proactive day-to-day maintenance
and more strategic network upgrades.
Steve Woods is MD of Detectronic.
More info visit www.stwater.co.uk
S The Minworth treament works, part of the STW network
S Readings are reported to utility STW on a daily basis
1312wwi_48 48 1/15/14 11:56 AM
TECHNOLOGY ROUND-UP TANKS & STRUCTURES
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 49
For more product news and reviews visit us at wwinternational.com
Storm tank cleaning system
Belzona patches up Wessex Waters tank damage
Wireless tank level monitoring
Odour control covers
Spray nozzle specialists BETE has introduced its HydroWhirl Storm blaster - an automated storm
tank and screen cleaning system. This system is expected to be used by water utility operators where
storm tank cleaning and screening can often be an expensive, labour intensive process. The Storm
Blaster can be confgured to deliver high-impact cleaning to between 80 and 180 downward spray
pattern. This and the combination of its twin head, 8 nozzle design, results in powerful cleaning
to storm tanks up to 20 metres in diameter with a cleaning cycle of under 10 minutes. The 4 nozzle
variant can clean tanks up to 30 metres in diameter with cycle times as low as 15 minutes.
www.bete.co.uk
Coatings manufacturer Belzona responded to a call from UK utility Wessex Water that a
sludge buffer tank at a sewage treatment site fabricated from glass fused to steel (GFS) was
suffering from through-wall corrosion at the vapour interface level. The utility had only been
able to run the buffer tank at a reduced capacity of 65%.
The solution including a cold plate bonding technology was selected, which kept the site
running. Steel plates to cover the leak areas were prefabricated. After general cleaning to
remove some contaminants, surface preparation by hand abrasion was carried out to ensure
good mechanical adhesion.
Belzona surface-tolerant epoxies were selected for this repair and tensile share adhesion of
Belzona 1831 (Super UW-Metal) when tested in accordance with ASTM D1002 to wet abraded
steel is 1,600psi (11MPa) and to oily abraded steel 1,300psi (9MPa). Repair plates were pre-
coated and allowed to solidify for 24 hours. Once cured, these plates and the repair area were
wetted out to ensure full contact and excellent adhesion.
www.belzona.co.uk
Telogs PR-32 Pressure Recorder provides a monitoring system for water tower level. The
system offers two installation approaches: 1) Drop a submersible level sensor into the tank
from above, or 2) Attach a pressure sensor to a ftting below the tank. The manufacturer
said that both methods provide an accurate means of determining tank level. The PR-32
Pressure Recorder is both battery-powered, and equipped for wireless transmission of data
to the host system. Installation does not require telephone landlines or electrical power cable.
Telogs remote data acquisition system includes battery powered, m2m cellular enabled
environmentally rugged wireless monitors.
www.telog.com
Defender Tank Covers are custom manufactured from industrial grade materials to ft the
profle of your new or existing wastewater treatment tank or potable water tanks. The US
manufacturer said that odorous gas emissions from wastewater treatment facilities generate
complaints from local residents and are subject to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Defender odor control covers contain volatile organic compounds at their source. Low profle
structurally supported covers minimise emission treatment volume to reduce the cost of air
fltration equipment. Eliminate the ongoing expense of applying costly odor control chemicals
through atomiser and misters.
www.environeticsinc.com
1312wwi_49 49 1/15/14 11:57 AM
PRODUCT REVIEW ODOUR CONTROL
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 50
Sulfde ion measurement system
The new SMS-22 Sulfde Ion Measurement System from Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD)
features user-selectable automated sequential sampling of sulfde ions in water. H2S can be
present in well water, municipal wastewater and wastewater produced by refneries, tanneries,
chemical plants, and paper and pulp facilities. The SMS-22 conditions the sample, measures
the sulfde, neutralizes the sample, measures the pH and drains and rinses the cell. After
measurement, the highly caustic sample pH is reduced to a safe level near pH 8. The ECD SMS-
22 is a sequential sampling analyser. Featuring automated sequential sampling, the Model C-22
Analyser controls the sequential sampling with a combination of relays and timers. Sampling
times are adjustable from two samples per hour to 10 samples per hour, and the system
offers very low reagent consumption, said the manufacturer. The SMS-22 features 4-20 mA
outputs that display the total sulfde as well as the neutralized pH value. The output values
are captured in the measurement cycle and displayed until the next measurement cycle. The
rugged enclosure provides IP66 protection and is rated NEMA 4X. The base is made of gray
hot-molded fberglass-reinforced polyester and the cover is made of transparent polycarbonate
with non-metallic hinges.
www.ecdi.com
BioAir celebrates century of
odour control installations
BioAir Solutions has completed its 100th installation at a
municipal wastewater treatment plant in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. The companys EcoFilter biotrickling flter
technology includes proprietary EcoBase structured
synthetic media with engineered fow channels. EcoFilter
eliminates odors without using hazardous chemicals and no
consumables such as carbon, which has to be landflled when
spent. Installations have been made in the US, Canada, the
Caribbean, Australia and the Middle East.
www.bioairsolutions.com
Track and monitor odours
Kruger, in conjunction with Odotech Inc can provide a realtime odour and air contaminant tracking and monitoring
system which operates with the use of electronic noses. OdoWatch 4 is a web-based software that identifes where odour is
traveling and the level of its intensity. OdoWatch 4 can track odour, contaminants (H2S, Ammonia, etc), weather conditions
and user specifed alert points over time. The web-based platform gathers information from odour, contaminant sources
and comprehensive weather data that are processed using the CALPUFF dispersion model. A real-time active plume is then
generated and overlaid on a map of the area giving users the ability to track odor, contaminant intensity and where it is
traveling. The data is collected and stored centrally, and can be used both in real-time and for historical reporting. CALPUFF
will allow municipalities to isolate specifc operational issues for improvement while lowering costs by reducing the need of
odor control chemicals and electricity.
www.krugerusa.com
GF mixers save energy
GridBee GF Series electric mixers from
Medora Corporation can each displace 30 to 50
horsepower of surface aerator mixing (run-
time) in municipal and industrial wastewater
applications, including activated sludge
system basins, lagoon systems, and water
re-use ponds. With the GF Series performing
the mixing, the aeration system can be dialed
back to just provide the needed DO. At electric
rates near $0.10 per kwh, savings per mixer is
approximately $750,000 over 25 years.
www.medoraco.com
Remote monitoring and control system
Liquid phase odor control dosing and optimizing can now be accomplished easier
than before with Link2Sitesm wireless-to-web, internet based monitoring and
control system, and Vaporlink hydrogen sulfde monitor. Link2Site combines tank,
dosing, and H2S data sent automatically from the Vaporlink on the same web page,
so dosing rates can be adjusted quickly and easily based on timely information.
The system can be confgured to alarm on various conditions to help head off odor
complaints before they start.
www.siemens.com/odorcontrol
1312wwi_50 50 1/15/14 11:57 AM
PRODUCT REVIEW PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY
DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 WWINTERNATIONAL.COM 51
Pump control panel
The new 331-SV Pump Control Panel with Station View duplex pump controller has been
designed for a variety of duplex pump applications. One panel covers three phases, and three
voltages. The 331-SV operates with foats, a level transducer or both options. A graphic
display and controller allow users to Fit and Click the appropriate overload modules.
www.primexcontrols.com
Analyzer fow switch/monitor
The FS10A Analyzer Flow Switch/Monitor from Fluid Components International (FCI) now meets the requirements for Safety
Integrity Level (SIL) 2 compliant service. FCIs SIL 2 compliance rating for the FS10A Analyzer Flow Switch/Monitor has been
documented in a failure analysis report with FMEDA techniques by the accredited certifcation body exida. The FS10A has been
classifed as a Type B subsystem in accordance to IEC 61508-1 with a hardware failure tolerance of 0. The average probability of
failure on demand (PFD) and safe failure fraction (SFF) meets the requirements for SIL 2 compliance set forth in the standards.
The Model FS10A Analyzer Flow Switch/Monitor is designed for continuously verifying fows within liquid or gas process
analyzer sampling systems. It features low fow sensitivity, a relay alarm trip point, an analog output and an RS232 interface.
www.FluidComponents.com
Seawater dechlorination analyzer
The new DCA-23 Seawater Dechlorination Analyser from Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD) is a
measurement solution that requires no chemicals to monitor seawater chlorine levels accurately
in a wide range of industrial process and municipal water treatment applications. The DCA-23
is a single-purpose analyser that monitors chlorine in seawater from 0.0 to 2.00 ppm. It measures
the pH, temperature and Total Residual Oxidant (TRO) of seawater and converts them into an
equivalent ppm chlorine value, which is displayed to conform with existing conventions. It features
a minimum detection limit (MDL) of 0.014 ppm and a limit of quantifcation (LOQ) of 0.044 ppm,
making the DCA-23 Analyzer suitable for monitoring in environments with the most stringent
dechlorination regulations. The DCA-23 features three sensors, pH, TRO and temperature. The
pH sensor measures from 0-14 pH, the TRO sensor measures from 1500 mV and the temperature
sensor measures from 0-100C. www.ecdi.com
Fine particle flter available in Europe and China
Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS) has introduced the TEQUATIC PLUS fne particle flter to the China and European
market in October and November respectively, one year after its launch in North America. The flter has been designed for
applications for diffcult, high-solids water, including industrial wastewater treatment and reuse, and is supported by a recently
opened manufacturing facility in Menlo Park, Calif.
The flter combines the power of continuously cleaning, cross-fow fltration with centrifugal separation and solids collection
into one device to meet the demands of extreme water environments. It can handle variable total suspended solids up to 10,000
mg/L without frequent flter changes even in the presence of oil, according to the manufacturer.
www.cleanfltration.com
Power saving decanter centrifuges
ANDRITZ has launched a new series of decanter centrifuges which it claims
can achieve up to 40% less power consumption, while maintaining throughput
and effciency. The power-saving features are available on the new D5 to D10
decanters and feature a direct-drive gearbox for the scroll drive, which cuts power
consumption by reducing frictional and electrical losses from pulleys, belts, motors,
and variable-frequency drives. Other properties include the ANDRITZ TurboJet
weir plates (also available as retroft for many decanters) and the High Hydraulic
Pressure (HHP) decanter design to cut the power loss. www.andritz.com
1312wwi_51 51 1/15/14 11:57 AM
WWINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 52
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 25-27 2014
WEX Global Summit 2014, Madrid,
Spain
www.w-e-x.com
March 10-13, 2014
AWWA/AMTA Membrane Technol-
ogy Conference & Expo, Las Vegas,
Nevada, US
www.awwa.org/conferences-education/
conferences/awwa-amta-membrane-
technology.aspx
March 19-21 2014
Asia Water, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
www.asiawater.org
March 26-28, 2014
GLOBE 2014, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
www.globeseries.com/
April 1-3, 2014
Sustainability Live 2014, Birmingham,
UK
www.sustainabilitylive.com
April 8-9, 2014
Water & Environment 2014:
CIWEMs Annual Conference, Royal
Geographical Society, London, UK
www.ciwem.org/events/annual-
conference.
April 13-16, 2014
International Conference on
Desalination, Environment & Marine
Outfall Systems, Muscat, Oman
www.idadesal.org/wp-content/
uploads/2013/06/Brochure_First-
announcement.pdf
April 14-17, 2014
WWEMA Washington Forum
www.wwema.org/washingtonforum
April 14-16, 2014
WETEX 2014, Dubai, Dubai
www.wetex.ae/
April 29 May 1, 2014
Ozwater14, Brisbane, Australia
www.awa.asn.au
May 4-7, 2014
NGWA Groundwater Summit
www.groundwatersummit.org
May 5-9, 2014
IFAT, Messe Munchen, Munich,
Germany
www.ifat.de
May 6-8, 2014
Aquatech India, New Delhi,
India
www.aquatechtrade.com
May 11-15, 2014
Desalination for the Environment:
Clean Water and Energy, Limassol,
Cyprus
http://www.desline.com/congress/Cy-
prus2014/home.shtml
May 20-22, 2014
IE Expo,
Shanghai, New International Expo
Centre, China
www.ie-expo.com
June 1-5, 2014
AWWA ACE14
Boston, MA, US
www.awwa.org/conferences-education/
conferences/annual-conference.aspx
June 8, 2014
Singapore International Water Week,
Singapore
www.siww.com.sg/
September 10-11, 2014
Asia Industrial Water Forum, KLCC,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www. asia-industrialwaterforum.com
October 12-14, 2014
WaterWorld Middle East, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
www. waterworldmiddleeast.com
October 12-14, 2014
POWER-GEN Middle East, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
www.power-gen-middleeast.com/index.
html
Analytical Technology, Inc. 5
Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. 30
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG 29
Burkert Fluid Control Systems 3
ECWATECH 2014 2
Flexim GmbH 21
Gorman-Rupp Company C2
Grundfos Management A/S C4
Messe Muenchen GmbH C3
Proco Products 31
Reed Manufacturing Co. 31
WWME 2014 17
Xypex Chemical Corp. 19

ADVERTISERS INDEX
Advertiser Page Advertiser Page
A selection of events related to the water and wastewater industry in 2014 can be found here.
For a full list, visit: www.wwinternational.com and click on the Events tab at the top of the page.
CLASSIFIED
1312wwi_52 52 1/15/14 11:57 AM
May 59, 2014
Worlds Leading Trade Fair for Water, Sewage,
Waste and Raw Materials Management
Welcome to the future
of environmental technology
Be a part of this get-together of the worldwide environmental technology sector
at IFAT 2014 in Munich. Come and experience innovative new products and learn
about successful strategies for the future. And benet from the exclusive supporting
program at IFAT and the opportunity for international networking.
Register now online!
Save up to 30% and gain
time at the venue!
www.ifat.de/tickets/en
Visit IFATs sister events around the world:
May 2022, 2014 October 911, 2014
www.ie-expo.com www.ifat-india.com
MESSE MNCHEN | www.ifat.de | info@ifat.de
Tel. (+49) 89 949 - 11358 | Fax (+49) 89 949 - 11359
For more information, enter 11 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_C3 3 1/15/14 11:35 AM
NO COMPROMISE
The S-tube impeller
does not compromise
free passage or
hydraulic efciency
Efciency: World class hydraulic
efciency without compromising
free passage
Free passage: Greater free passage
means better solids handling and
greater non-clogging capabilities
Simplicity: A design as simple and
robust as a tube results in longer
lifetime and lower maintenance costs
BETWEEN FREE PASSAGE AND HYDRAULIC EFFICIENCY
Wastewater is not what it used
to be. In fact, varying solids and
water content in wastewater
has always been a challenge.
The S-tube from Grundfos is
the only impeller that meets
these challenges. The traditional trade-of
between free passage and efciency when
pumping wastewater is no more now you
can concentrate on maximising your up time
and reducing your costs.
See more at
http://www.grundfos.com/no-compromise.html
For more information, enter 12 at wwi.hotims.com
1312wwi_C4 4 1/15/14 11:35 AM