16-Mar-18

Operating Data and Lessons Learned- Nitrate and Perchlorate Removal From Groundwater

Presented by: Kirsten SimsProcess Engineer, Drinking Water Product Manager

April 17, 2019

Confidential

16-Mar-18

Presentation Outline

Introduction: Groundwater Contamination – Nitrate and Perchlorate

1

Sunny Slope Water Company: Case Study for Nitrate Treatment

2Technology Evaluation

Microvi MNE Solution

Operation Data and Lessons Learned

Fontana Water Company: Nitrate and Perchlorate Removal

Pilot Operation- Data and Lessons Learned (so far…)

3

16-Mar-18

United States – Groundwater Nitrate Contamination

Introduction

• “ Nitrate problems will likely worsen for decades…Most nitrate detected in drinking water wells today was originally applied to the surface decades ago.”

• Recommendations Addressing Nitrate in Groundwater, CA State Water Resources Control Board Report to the Legislature, Feb 2013

Retrieved from USGS.gov Jan 20, 2018

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by EPA at 10 mg/L NO3-N

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United States – Groundwater Perchlorate Contamination

Introduction

Used as an oxygen-adding component in solid propellant fuels for rockets, fireworks, missiles, etc…, perchlorate interferes with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland

No current state or federal MCL for perchlorate, although California Action Level for perchlorate is 4 ppb

Groundwater contamination is of concern due to highly soluble nature of perchlorate in water

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Sunny Slope Water Company: Nitrate Removal

• Background: – Pasadena CA- Serves 30,000

– Purchasing blending water (at a premium) to meet the nitrate MCL

• Background: – No existing

infrastructure to accept brine waste

16-Mar-18

Available Nitrate Treatment Technologies

Confidential

Nitrate Treatment Options

Nitrate ReductionNitrate Removal

Ion Exchange Reverse Osmosis Electrodialysis Biological

DenitrificationChemical

Denitrification

Produce concentrated waste stream requires disposal/

transport/further treatment

Eliminates NO3 by converting it to N2 Gas Released to atmosphere

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Available Treatment Technologies

Confidential

Nitrate ReductionNitrate Removal

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Fundamental Challenges with BiologyThe conventional paradigm for biological water/wastewater treatment is based on

repeatedly growing and then removing microorganisms

Unreliable WastefulEnergy Intensive Large Footprint Costly

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A New Approach to Biological Treatment

Confiden

tial

Traditional Biological Treatment Microvi MicroNiche Engineered Approach

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Microvi’s MicroNiche Engineered Approach

Confidential

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Microvi MNE™: Paradigm Shift

Cell-To-Cell Communication

Population Regulation and Cellular Recycling

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Available Treatment Technologies

Confidential

16-Mar-18

Confiden

tial

Approval by California Division of Drinking Water (DDW)

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Confiden

tial

Sunny Slope Demonstration Pilot

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Sunny Slope: Operations Data and Lessons Learned

Confidential

16-Mar-18 Confidential

Microvi MNE Nitrate System

Biological Reactor Ultrafiltration

MicronutrientsCarbon Source Filtration AidHydraulic Retention Time Pre Chlorination

Efficient Nitrate Removal Effective Post Filtration

Sunny Slope: Operations Data and Lessons Learned

16-Mar-18 Confidential

Biological Reactor: Carbon Source

Initial carbon source proprietary blend

Difficulty consistently achieving nitrate target

Indigenous biological growth in reactor

Changed to acetic acid

Resulted in consistent nitrate removal Significant reduction in indigenous

organism growth – steady state turbidity typically < 0.5 NTU

16-Mar-18 Confidential

Biological Reactor: HRT and Macronutrients

Proprietary Blend Acetic Acid

Ran with long HRT Increased indigenous growth

Proprietary blend included micronutrients

Ran with short HRT (~20 minutes) Indigenous growth reduced

Supplemented small doses of phosphorus to enhance nitrate removal

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Bioreactor: Nitrate Removal Performance Data

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Sunny Slope Water Plant

TERNAL USE ONLY - CONFIDENTIAL

20

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Fontana Water Company: Nitrate and Perchlorate Removal

TERNAL USE ONLY - CONFIDENTIAL

21

Multiple drinking water aquifers under the jurisdiction of Fontana Water Company (FWC), in Fontana, California, are contaminated with elevated levels of nitrate and perchlorate.

These chemicals leached into the aquifer as a result of industrial and agricultural activity in the areas through the years and are of chief concern.

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Fontana Water Company: Nitrate and Perchlorate Removal

TERNAL USE ONLY - CONFIDENTIAL

22

• CO2 CH4Methanogenesis

• SO4 S-Sulfate Reduction

• ClO4 --_ Cl-Perchlorate Reduction

• SeO4 SeSelenate Reduction

• NO3 N2Denitrification

• O2 H2OAerobic Respiration

The same biocatalyst is used for nitrate and perchlorate treatment

Plants may extend the life of perchlorate-specific Ion Exchange Resins by biologically removing some perchlorate upfront

16-Mar-18

Fontana Water Company: Nitrate and Perchlorate Removal

TERNAL USE ONLY - CONFIDENTIAL

23

16-Mar-18

WesTech Engineering and Microvi Biotechnologies

Questions

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Appendix

Confidential

16-Mar-18

Ultrafiltration: Filter Aid

• Possible cause – soluble microbial products/EPS

• Potential remedy – small dose of ACH

Fouling Causes Increased CEB Frequency & Reduced Membrane Life

Challenge – Increasing TMP with Incomplete Recovery on Backwash

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Ultrafiltration: Filter Aid

Result: Immediate arrest of increasing TMP trend and decrease in TMP on each backwash during trial

Trial: Manually dose ACH into aeration tank every ten minutes to achieve an average dose concentration of ~ 2 mg/L as ACH

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Ultrafiltration: Filter Aid

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Wastewater Case Studies

Case Study 1: Major UK UtilityMicrovi technologyfor nitrification and BOD/COD removal

Case Study 2: Sydney Water AustraliaMicrovi technology for denitrification

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Influent EffluentBOD (filtered) 20 - 50 mg/L <10 mg/LNH3-N 10 - 45 mg/L < 1 mg/L

REMOVAL

• 8 month client operation• Single pass - no RAS or WAS• Temperature down to 5° C• TSS into reactor = TSS out of reactor• Microvi able to operate with HRT as

low as 4 hours

Case Study 1 : U.K. Utility

BOD & ammonia removal from primary effluent

CHALLANGE

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0

10

20

30

40

50

9-Jul 28-Aug 17-Oct 6-Dec 25-Jan 16-Mar

Amm

onia

(mg/

L as

N)

Influent

Pilot configuration adjustments

Reliable ammonia removal at UK WWTP

After initial configuration adjustments, Microvi’s technology achieved consistently low levels of ammonia (generally < 1 mg/L as N)

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

28-Oct 17-Nov 7-Dec 27-Dec 16-Jan 5-Feb 25-Feb 17-Mar

Filte

red

BOD

(mg/

L)Reliable rapid BOD removal

Microvi’s Aerovi technology consistently achieved <10 mg/L filtered BOD

16-Mar-18

Case Study 2: Sydney Water (Winmalee, Australia)

Influent EffluentNO3-N 2 to 9 mg/L 0.5 mg/L

REMOVAL

OBSERVATIONS

• HRT as low as 22 mins• 6 month client operation• Virtually no sludge • Low doses of C• Process works with variety of C sources

Removal of nitrate from secondary effluent

CHALLANGE

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Sydney, AU Denitrification performance

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

Nitr

ate

(mg/

L as

N)

Continuous Run 4 (22 mins HRT)

Feed Nitrate (mg/L as N) Effluent Nitrate (mg/L as N)Note: Greyed out area are periods of no flow and/or loss of power to the pilot unit