The Village of Clinton, a community of 650 residents, located in the Thompson Caribou region was dealing with regular high turbidity events during the Spring freshet. The Village had been experiencing 1-2 boil water advisories every year, which could last upwards of two months each during the spring run-off. In addition to this, the village did not have a storage system for water, so in the event of a power outage, the water system could only provide three hours of supply. The Village needed a solution that could be delivered in advance of the next Spring run-off season.
In 2013, the Village received a grant through the federal gas tax program to fund 100% of a new water treatment facility. Working with TRUE Consulting, the Village installed a Pall ultra-membrane filtration with onsite sodium hypochlorite generation. The work also included the installation of a new 14,000m3 treated water storage tank, capable of providing three days of supply in case of an extended power outage. The new tank also provided much needed storage and improved fire flows.
Given the new Interior Health Authority requirements, surface water plants experiencing turbidity events above 1 NTU, were required to implement a more robust filtration treatment process to remain compliant. The Pall Water system enabled Clinton to utilize a Direct Feed Coagulation process to remove the contaminants from the source water, along with providing a physical barrier for pathogen reduction.
Since the plant came online in December 2014, the Village has not had a single turbidity-related boil water advisory. Chief Operator Karl Hansen says he is really happy with the new system and that it makes operating much easier.
| “In the two years that Pall’s Aria FIT filtration system has been running, we have not had a single instance where we were unable to meet treatment levels. The quality of the water is great, but most importantly, this system has provided peace of mind that we can check in on the plant in the morning then set the system alarms and leave it alone for the rest of the day as we fulfill our other responsibilities. The low operational demands have been crucial for us as a Public Works department of three.” – Karl Hansen, WTII, WDII, MWWTI, WWCI EOCP Certified Operator |
The Village undertook an extensive public engagement process throughout the upgrade, keeping the public informed each step of the way. “It was a really good process”, says Hansen. Public open houses were held where representatives from the Village and TRUE Consulting were on hand to answer questions about water quality and the project in the general.
At a capacity of 1.8 mega liters per day, the new system exceeds the Village’s projected needs for the next 10 years. At that point, if required, the system is easily expandable and can incorporate additional modules and treatment trains.
MORE ABOUT THE SYSTEM
The Pall ultra-filtration system used a feed coagulation process to move contaminants from the source water, as well as providing a physical barrier for pathogen reduction. Through the process, turbidity, colour, and organics are precipitated out so that they can be filtered. This eliminates the need for clarification which reduces cost and overall complexity.
New treatment facilities in smaller towns can often require advanced Operator training and new certifications, and higher-level certified Operators are in short supply. However, Aria FIT units are pre-engineered low-pressure membrane systems ideal for small municipalities that are Operator friendly with an easy-to-use control system. The modular design also allows for multiple configurations, making the Aria FIT system ideal for facilities with limited space.
The facility was given a level 2 water treatment certification in December 2014, and it was operational within five months, ahead of schedule, and under the total project budget of $2.5M
BENEFITS
- Reliable water that meets drinking water regulations requirements
- Easy to use, comprehensive system that incorporates pre-treatment needs
- Smart solutions for water treatment challenges
- Speed of deployment
- No longer need to issue boil water notice during the freshet
HIGHLIGHTS
- Reduction in chlorine usage by 50%
- Increase of water supply during extended power outages from 3 hours to 3 days
- Zero quality related boil water advisories since plant opening
- Project completed under budget and ahead of schedule
100% grant funded