big spring texas direct potable reuse project
DESCRIPTION
The City of Big Spring Texas was in severe drought and running out of fresh water. Augmenting freshwater supplies with purified wastewater was the best economical solution. Purifying wastewater to better-than-drinking standards flipped the cost of operating a wastewater plant to a revenue generator, simply by adding more treatment technology. This presentation, from the Florida Water Resources Conference, explains the rationale for selecting UV Oxidation as part of the proven treatment train.TRANSCRIPT
Terry Keep and David Sloan
FWRC April 30, 2013
DECIDING TO INCORPORATE ADVANCED
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FOR POTABLE
REUSE IN BIG SPRING, TEXAS
The Headlines…
Drought town to turn to waste water Published: Aug. 11, 2011 at 9:33 PM
BIG SPRING, Texas, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A Texas town in the grip in the
third-worst drought in state history says it will collect and treat
wastewater and blend it in with regular potable water.
Water for the 27,000 residents of Big Spring comes through the
Colorado River Municipal Water District, which has broken ground
on a plant to capture treated wastewater for recycling, Discover
News reported Thursday.
EVALUATING OPTIONS FOR
“MAKING” MORE DRINKING WATER
• Israel reuses over 70% of its WW
• Singapore reuses 15% with plans to double that by end of 2011
• Australia reuses 8%, has a national goal of 30% by 2015
• USA reuses 5-6% of WW and growing
Source:Guy Carpenter. WateReuse Association 2010
Reuse: Global Progress
Source: Marsden Jacob Associates, 2006
Australian Analysis – IPR Costs Less
$1.68 $1.15 $0.08
$1.30
$2.61 $3.00
$6.00
$9.00
0123456789
10
$ /
kL
Potable Reuse vs. Non Potable (“Purple Pipe”)
IPR is cheaper than desalination and recycled non-potable water reuse
• Desal: Higher energy costs
• “Purple Pipe”: Installing new distribution system
Fermian Business and Economic Institute, 2011
Purified drinking water affords flexibility in its usage (not just for golf courses, lawn watering) i.e. new building developments = increase tax revenue
Sustainable use of limited resource (new source of water)
Flexibility in how, when, where water is removed not offered by Purple Pipe
Indirect Potable Reuse: Cost Comparison to Purple Pipe
No infrastructure cost incurred to establish / expand pumping and pipeline – lower installation and maintenance costs
All Reuse has positive impact on WWTP costs
Plus added benefit to the environment and those living down stream (cost sharing with other municipalities?)
Indirect Potable Reuse: Cost Comparison to Purple Pipe cont’d
Why Not Direct Potable Reuse?
Direct potable reuse (DPR) uses similar treatment trains as IPR but does not detain highly treated wastewater in a temporary catchment before being made potable.
• This avoids infrastructure and energy costs associated with pumping water to temporary catchments.
• In most water stressed regions such as Texas, once water is released to the environment, someone else has a claim to it. (“Treat It and Keep It”)
Superior Disinfection (including Crypto)
Removal of compounds destroyed by UV-photolysis (e.g. NDMA and other nitrosamines)
Removal of compounds destroyed by UV-Oxidation (e.g. pharmaceuticals, industrial solvents, etc.)
An extra measure of protection that builds public confidence in the quality of water.
Proven Treatment Train of MF?RO?UV Oxidation (+5 years N/D data from OCWD)
UV Oxidation in IPR: Function
Energy Components Of IPR
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
IPR Energy Use
En
erg
y U
se (
% o
f To
tal)
UV-Oxidation
Microfiltration
Other Energy Use
Reverse Osmosis
6.8%
Conclusions
• IPR projects globally use same treatment train of MF/RO and UV-
oxidation to remove chemical and microbiological contaminants
• Membranes-UV/oxidation has become the world standard for IPR
• UV-oxidation acts as a multi-functional barrier:
� Successfully disinfects
� Successfully destroys NDMA and many other contaminants
including suspected EDCs
• Numerous full-scale IPR installations in place that are demonstrating
contaminant removal and high-performance disinfection
Terry Keep David SloanTrojanUV Freese & Nichols
[email protected] [email protected]
888-220-6118 817-735-7277
QUESTIONS?