Mixing, De-Stratification, And Break-Point Chlorination
The San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) is an innovative leader in potable water distribution system research and operation. The SFPUC continually strives to improve water quality by conducting research and implementing operational improvements to surpass increasingly stringent regulatory standards. In 2002, the SFPUC planned a 2004 transition to chloramines as a secondary disinfectant to reduce disinfection byproduct concentrations. The SFPUC anticipated nitrification problems when chloramine decayed, releasing free ammonia to the water.
Palmdale, CA
The treatment plant and reservoir at Palmdale, California always strives to maximize water quality. Part of the challenge was blue-green algae that choked the reservoir all summer, giving the water bad taste and odor.
At first, Greg Dluzak coped by dumping up to 2000 pounds of copper sulfate into the lake each week. But chemicals are costly, and they’ll cause environmental problems down the road. Always open to innovative solutions, Palmdale installed seven SolarBee® water circulators on the reservoir, and three more in the storage tanks. SolarBee’s near-laminar flow worked wonders.
Bend, OR
A new clearwell reservoir gave Bend, Oregon an additional 2.23 MG of water capacity. But summertime brought thermal stratification and short-circuiting, making the tank’s chlorine disinfection effectiveness too low for comfort.
"Contact time was down to 30 minutes," reported Chris Brelje. So Bend installed a SolarBee® solar-powered water circulator inside the tank, placing the intake hose on the reservoir floor, directly between the inlet and outlet pipes.
Bayfield, CO
When Bayfield built their shiny new million gallon water tank in 2007, they wanted the best in every sense of the word. That’s why design engineer Patrick O’Brien urged immediate installation of a SolarBee® water circulator. “He said we’d regret it if we didn’t,” reports Ron Saba, “and he was right.” Saba cites a slew of major advantages that SolarBee keeps on delivering: For starters, it mixes the whole tank completely – so getting valid test samples is quicker and easier than ever. Also, it eliminates water stagnation while reducing chemical and temperature stratification.
Glendale, CA
Glendale Water and Power has long been on the leading edge when it comes to water treatment in their plant and distribution system. Patrick Hayes uses chloramine as the main disinfection method, both to comply with DBP rules and to keep Glendale’s water as fresh as possible. Over long retention times, chloramine can break down and cause unhealthy nitrification. To prevent this, Glendale installed SolarBee® long-distance water circulators in their storage tanks. The SolarBee® provides thorough mixing of the entire tank, keeping temperature stratification and stagnation to a minimum.
