Industry News
A Southwest Superstar
For the fifth year in a row, Miox Corp. has been recognized as a member of the "New Mexico Flying Forty." This award is granted to the top 40 fastest-growing technology companies in the state of New Mexico.
The winners are subdivided into three categories: companies earning more than $20 million; companies earning between $10 million and $20 million; and companies earning less than $10 million. Award recipients for the first category are ranked on revenue while the remainder are based on revenue growth percentage over a five-year period.
Founded in 1995, Miox Corp. is a privately held company, specializing in the manufacture of water treatment products for the disinfection of municipal and industrial water supplies. The company has more than 700 systems operating worldwide and is now branching out into consumer and military products, including a hand-held "Disinfection Pen" and other personal use water disinfection products.
Additionally, the company was awarded the President's "E" Award for Excellence in Exporting. Foreign sales constituting more than 25 percent of the total installation base. Miox Corp. was one of nine companies receiving this award for 2001, and the company is the first New Mexico organization to have been granted the award in more than 15 years.
N.M. legislators gathered on April 3rd, 2002, at the Miox corporate office to present the "E" award flag to company officials. In May 2002, a presidential recognition is planned for "E" Award winners in a reception at the White House's Rose Garden.
New Name for NU Electric
Nu Electric Corp. of Tarpon Springs, Fla., an "incubator" for environmental technology firms, announced that it has changed its name to Clean Water Technologies Inc.
"We believe that the new name better reflects our business plan," said Laurie Scala, Clean Water's president. "All of our corporate activities now deal with water purification and safety."
The company owns two pollution control businesses: Clean Water Technologies Inc. and Zorax Inc. Clean Water deals with the removal of arsenic from drinking water; Zorax technology involves the extraction of cryptosporidium and giardia from water.
Massive Public-Private Partnership
The city of Indianapolis selected USFilter Operating Services Inc., a subsidiary of United States Filter Corp., to manage the city's waterworks system under a 20 year public-private partnership valued at approximately $1.5 billion. This move by the nation's twelfth-largest city marks the largest public-private partnership for water services in the United States.
USFilter will manage all operations, maintenance and customer service facets of the city's waterworks system that currently serves 1.1 million people. Out of the $1.5 billion contract, approximately $1.1 billion represents operations and maintenance service fees and approximately $400 million reflects capital improvement projects expected to be managed by the company.
Many factors were included in the city's selection of USFilter including transition plans, employee relations, technical approach, experience, management fees, customer service and local commitment. Key to the selection were the company's aggressive approach to resolving water taste and odor problems that have plagued the waterworks system for years, its commitment to invest in plant upgrades and the incentive-based compensation plan proposed by USFilter. Under that plan, a portion of the company's fees will be paid only if the company meets specified customer service, water quality, operations and other performance measures.
"Our team worked very hard to win this project, and we?ll work with equal diligence to be an excellent partner with the city of Indianapolis," said Andy Seidel, president and CEO of United States Filter Corp.. "Through our partnership, we'll continue to demonstrate that water rates can be stabilized while improving drinking water quality. In creating the best program for the city, our project team captured the intellectual capabilities of our organization?s leading-edge technologies and services. We're very proud to have been selected for this important project."
"By directly linking performance with compensation, this partnership establishes a new model in the water outsourcing industry," said Jim Keene, senior vice president of project and market development for USFilter Operating Services. "The Indianapolis waterworks system is in good condition and baseline standards are already high, but in collaboration with the city we have committed to an even higher level of performance."
With a service area that encompasses a 25-mile radius around Indianapolis, the waterworks system serves approximately 1.1 million people and employs more than 460 people. It includes four surface water treatment facilities with daily water production averaging 143 million gallons per day (MGD) and peak demand capacity in excess of 200 MGD. The city is acquiring the waterworks system from NiSource as of April 30, 2002, and last year began a procurement process to identify and select an operator for the system.
A First for Asia
Ondeo of Paris, France, announced that its subsidiary Ondeo Industrial Solutions has received a contract from Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park (SCIP) in Shanghai, China, to design, finance and manage water and wastewater facilities for the park. The contract has a 50-year lifetime and is expected to generate revenues totaling about $526 million.
For an effluent treatment volume of 50,000 cubic meters per day, the contract currently covers the treatment of all wastewater from the industrial site, and may be extended to the management of the complete water cycle and solid waste. SCIP is home to some of the world's largest chemical groups including BP, BASF, Bayer, Huntsman as well as major Chinese industrials, such as GAO QIAO.
This new industrial success follows Ondeo's contract win in July, 2001, to manage water services for the Shanghai Spark industrial zone over a 30 year period. This new contract further strengthens Ondeo leading position and presence in China where it currently manages 10 long-term water contracts. Ondeo's engineering services division, Ondeo Degremont has built 118 water plants in China over the last 20 years for an estimated population in excess of 10 million people.
$4.5 Billion Industry by 2006
According to a study from Business Communications Company Inc., (www.bccresearch.com) "Advanced Waste Water Treatment for Global Markets," the total value of the globally installed base of advanced wastewater systems was estimated at $3.5 billion in 2001. This market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 5.5 percent to reach $4.6 billion by 2006.
Membrane technologies are well suited to the recycling and reuse of wastewater and can selectively separate components over a wide range of particle sizes and molecular weights. Globally, membrane systems for wastewater treatment are projected to increase in value over the next five years at 6.8 percent per year on average.
About 33 percent of the total market in 2001 is currently in the United States, with an estimated value of $1.2 billion. It is also the fastest growing market with an AAGR of seven percent and hence is expected to exceed $1.6 billion by 2006. The growth is propelled by the increased use of membrane systems for wastewater treatment, reuse and recycle of water. Membrane systems for wastewater treatment are projected to reach a value of $778 million by 2006.
Europe represents about 23 percent of the value for advanced wastewater treatments at the present time. This is projected to increase at an AAGR of 5.9 percent over the next five years to reach $1,092 million in 2006. Membrane treatments for wastewater will be the dominant type of advanced wastewater technology, closely followed by advanced sorption technologies.
Asia/Pacific is home to the largest landmasses and the greatest groupings of population in the world. By 2006, advanced wastewater treatments in the region will be valued at $1,099 million or 23.7 percent of the total value. Advanced biological treatments will be the leading advanced wastewater treatment technology.
Poster Notes
Bioscience Inc. announces the availability of a "Wastewater Bug" poster, which includes detailed drawings of typical protozoans found in wastewater treatment systems. The drawings are annotated with the key organs and other interesting parts of the organism.
The poster is ideal for those doing microscopic examination of wastewater biomass for "indicator" organisms. The number and vitality of these organisms is a direct indication of the health of the biomass and its ability to remove contaminants from the wastewater.
Bioscience Inc. manufactures more than 35 different microbial products to treat a variety of wastewater treatment and plumbing maintenance problems that include fat, oil and grease (FOG) accumulation, odors, chemical and petroleum spills and cleanup, BOD/COD, toxicity and filament infestations.
The free poster is available by contacting Bioscience Inc. at 800.627.3069 or at www.bioscienceinc.com.
Water Quality Matters
Severn Trent Services has been awarded a contract to supply their line of reverse osmosis membrane products for the Alamitos Barrier Recycled Water Project Advanced Water Treatment Facility (ABRWP). According to the company, their products support the effort to conserve freshwater supplies and improve the quality of the three million gallons of water supplied to the Alamitos Barrier injection wells each day.
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California, in partnership with the city of Long Beach and Orange County Water District, is heading up the project. The ABRWP involves the construction of a state-of-the-art water treatment facility to further purify water from the Long Beach Water Reclamation Plant. The highly treated recycled water, that otherwise would be discarded into the ocean, will be substituted for potable water currently used in the Alamitos Barrier injection wells.
Located along the Los Angeles and Orange County Barrier, the Alamitos Barrier protects a portion of the Central Basin from seawater intrusion. Through the years, the over-pumping of groundwater basins caused water levels to drop and seawater to enter the basins. To prevent additional contamination, seawater intrusion barriers with injection wells were constructed along the coastline.
As part of the complete filtration package designed by Separation Process Inc., Severn Trent will provide one unit train, consisting of 756 membranes within 108 pressure vessels.
WRD Project Manager Melinda Sperry stated, "The WRD is pleased to work with Severn Trent on this important project which will help ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply of water for the Alamitos Barrier, while having a positive impact on the environment."
Survey Says. . .
Black and Veatch Corp.'s 2002 California Wastewater Charge Survey provides comparative information on California wastewater charges. It was conducted by the company's Management Consulting Division, which provides management and financial consulting services to utilities in California and across the nation.
The charges developed in the survey represent a typical single family residence monthly wastewater service charge in various cities and service areas, including 526 cities and districts encompassing all 58 counties in California. To develop a uniform comparison of typical monthly residential wastewater bills, survey findings are based on 12 hundred cubic feet (9,000 gallons) per month for rate structures that are based on volume. The survey does not present rates or charges for commercial, industrial, institutional or other non-residential customers.
The survey features wastewater charges from year to year, wastewater charges compared with selected states, wastewater charge trends, wastewater rate structure trends, wastewater connection fees and more.
One of the new features in this year's survey is an analysis of wastewater charges relative to population. Agencies with smaller populations likely have higher monthly wastewater charges due to minimum system requirements, inequitable rates, high maintenance costs and operating inefficiency. As the population grows, agencies likely start operating at more efficient levels and thus achieving economies of sale. However, beyond a certain population size, agencies apparently experience increasing costs due to more extensive government regulations, growth needs, higher costs and potential operating inefficiencies.
Another new feature of the 2002 survey is indicating those agencies that offer low income/elderly discount programs. Only eight percent of the surveyed agencies have such a program and those agencies average a slightly higher residential wastewater charge than the survey average.
The survey is available, free of charge, to cities and districts. To request a copy, call 949.788.4229 or e-mail budiantoa@bv.com.
First Choice for Florida
Haestad Methods announced April 15 a strategic win as the preferred supplier for hydraulic modeling software, maintenance and support services for Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA), a major Florida water utility.
After a thorough evaluation of all the software packages on the market, FPUA selected Haestad Methods' software maintenance program for water resources management.
"Haestad Methods was chosen over all other vendors to meet our hydraulic modeling needs," said Bill Thiess, PE, Supervising Engineer with Fort Pierce Utilities Authority.
As a subscriber to Haestad Methods' program, FPUA will have 24-hour technical assistance, high-quality maintenance and easy-to-use support tools. Plus, it offers full-version upgrades and updates of Haestad Methods' software solutions, access to the online database of frequently asked questions, as well as special pricing for new products and training.
"We are pleased to add Fort Pierce Utilities Authority to our growing list of leading utilities and ENR Top 500 clients," said Keith Hodsden, General Manager of Sales for Haestad Methods. "When a customer is enrolled in our program, it's like having the entire Haestad Methods' staff at their disposal 24/7. Through our Web site and call centers, we are always here to help our clients find the answers they need."
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) was formed in 1972 to help take the administrative burden off the Fort Pierce City Commission. Employees total about 270 people who serve more than 24,900 electric, 15,500 water, 12,300 wastewater and 4,700 natural gas customers in Fort Pierce and portions of St. Lucie County.
$6.5 Million Contract for Perchlorate Removal
Calgon Carbon Corp. announced April 12 that it received a contract from California Domestic Water Co. in southern California to remove and destroy perchlorate from groundwater using Calgon Carbon's ion exchange technology, including its emergency perchlorate service equipment and proprietary ion exchange resin. The contract is valued at $6.5 million.
The project is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2002. The ion exchange systems will treat approximately seven million gallons of water per day and provide safe drinking water for 120,000 people in five communities in southern California.
Commenting on the contract, Jim Byerrum, president of California Domestic said, "When perchlorate was identified at the California Domestic wells, the first company I called was Calgon Carbon. Their response was immediate, and within five weeks of contract execution I had equipment arriving at my site."
Bob O'Brien, senior vice president of Calgon Carbon, said, "To date, we have received six contracts for perchlorate removal, including four from water utilities to restore water to drinking water quality. When this project is completed, our ion exchange technology will remove perchlorate from more than 35 million gallons of drinking water per day.''
Marketing Membrane Bio Reactors
In March 2002, Dynatec Systems Inc. and Norit Americas Inc., Atlanta, Ga, agreed to jointly develop the U.S. market for Membrane Bio Reactors (MBR) within the industrial applications segment. Both companies bring significant experience to the alliance.
Norit has extensive experience within the European market, supplying membranes for dozens of MBR systems. The company has developed Airflush and Airlift (both patent pending) technology to minimize energy consumption and maintain membrane productivity.
Dynatec has sold industrial MBR systems in the United States utilizing membrane technology. The alliance will combine the strength and experience of each company to maintain a leadership position in the industrial markets for MBR, including metalworking, food processing, chemical, petrochemical and other industrial applications that can benefit from the technology.
The membrane bioreactor (MBR) is a compact waste treatment system that combines biological treatment with membrane separation. The membrane concentrates the biomass, which enables a more compact design with shorter hydraulic retention times when compared with traditional biological treatment. For a retrofit of an existing biological system, this system can result in higher output or a smaller footprint, according to the companies. The process also produces less sludge, an effluent free from suspended solids and is less sensitive to variations in feed quality. MBR systems are also capable of processing higher concentration industrial wastewater, according to the companies. The technology can be applied to new systems or retrofitted to an existing extended aeration or sequencing batch reactor (SBR) bioreactor.
Dynatec will be responsible for market development, systems design, fabrication and customer service in the United States. Norit will provide membrane technology and applications know-how on a non-exclusive basis.
Norit Americas Inc. has developed proprietary hollow fiber and tubular membrane modules for process, water and wastewater treatment applications under the brand name of X-FLOW. Within their experience base is a strong emphasis in MBR technology. Norit also offers activated carbon, carbon systems and services as well as carbon reactivation.
Friendly Fertilizer
A new organic fertilizer is assisting with two major environmental problems. Utilizing a process for converting chicken waste into an easy-to-use fertilizer for residential or commercial use, Simple Gardens now offers a product that can reduce water pollution from fertilizer runoff and also reduce the environmental impact from the poultry industry.
The new fertilizer will be a valuable resource in the fight to stop nitrogen pollution because it offers an alternative to synthetic chemical fertilizers. The product can be used near streams and rivers because its natural, slow-release process only releases nutrients as needed by plants. The pollution created by the nitrogen runoff from synthetic chemical fertilizers in America is so serious it has already created a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico the size of the state of Massachusetts.
Simple Gardens' organic fertilizer offers an N-P-K rating (amount of each element of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) of 8-4-3 and is completely non-toxic due to a heat-based sterilization process that also removes odors. The new fertilizer material will hold up to four times its weight in water, a major benefit for many water-restricted areas.
According to the company, because the new organic fertilizer lasts longer than synthetic chemical products, homeowners will not need to fertilize as often, saving time and money. Cities and counties will be able to save tax dollars for park and public land maintenance by reducing the number of fertilizer applications needed each year.
U.S. poultry production is estimated to be more than 32 billion pounds this year, which creates a tremendous amount of "litter" as a result. The new organic fertilizer process offers the poultry industry an alternative to deal with a priority EPA issue.
Solution for Soil Erosion
During heavy rains, runoff from the plant complex cascades down the hillside with little resistance from the manicured lawns. The runoff makes its way into a lake at PPL's Susquehanna Riverlands Environmental Preserve, said Jerrold McCormick, environmental scientist with PPl Corp.'s PPL Susquehanna, Allentown, Pa.
Letting the grass grow will transform the sloped areas of the landscape into sponges that will soak up storm water and keep soil from washing away.
"PPL is constantly searching for ways to conserve natural resources and protect the environment," said Ron Ceravolo, general manager-Susquehanna plant support. "Often this requires creative approaches to land management, but sometimes we just have to get out of the way."
State and county conservation officials are strong advocates for this approach to erosion control, known as "vegetative mitigation," because it also enhances animal and wildlife habitats. PPL has used vegetative mitigation in the past, but never before on this large scale, said Skip Young, a senior environmental professional in PPL's Environmental Management Department.
About 65 acres of grassy areas will be left natural. These areas include the Route 11 entrances to the plant, access roads on the plant grounds and land bordering employee parking lots. The vegetation will be cut back to knee height occasionally in places where security or visibility is a concern, Young said.
PPL Susquehanna developed the plan in consultation with the plant's environmental consultant, Ecology III. Environmental studies students from King's College in Wilkes-Barre mapped the topography, and the Penn State Environmental Management Club in State College is considering a plan to introduce wildflowers into some of the grassy areas.
"PPL is a recognized leader in environmental stewardship and education," Ceravolo said. "We care for our land and waterways, work hard to enhance animal habitats and restore endangered species and actively promote environmental education and awareness."
Since 1980, PPL's Susquehanna Riverlands Environmental Preserve -- encompassing approximately 1,200 acres on the east and west banks of the Susquehanna River -- has been evidence of that commitment.
The preserve includes a 400-acre recreation area for picnicking, group outings, hiking, sports and play; a lake for fishing and boating; a 100-acre tract of riverine forest, marsh, swamp and vernal pools for nature study and education; and an 800-acre expanse providing opportunities for hiking, hunting and fishing.
Visitors to the nature center can get a close look at some of the area's wildlife, learn about wetlands and the river and enjoy nature programs conducted by a resident naturalist.
Additionally, more than 40 schools in Berwick, Bloomsburg, Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre areas participate in Trees for the Future, PPL's environmental awareness program specifically designed for students in grades K-5 and teachers.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2002 issue of Water & Wastewater Products, Volume 2, Number 3, page 20.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2002 issue of Environmental Protection.