EPA Awards $1.5 Million to Universities for Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment Methods; University of Gainesville Among Recipients

Press release:

EPA Awards $1.5 Million to Universities for Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment Methods; University of Gainesville Among Recipients

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Sept. 6, 2012) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced almost $1.5 million in funding to three universities to develop sustainable drinking water treatment methods. The research grants are funded through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. These grants, which supplement last year’s grants to eight other universities, are intended to provide innovative treatment methods to protect people’s health by keeping harmful contaminants out of drinking water.

In 2010, EPA announced a new drinking water strategy to strengthen protections against contaminants in drinking water and promote cost-effective new technologies to meet the needs of communities across the country struggling with water challenges. The research sponsored by these grants will help satisfy the key goals of this strategy.

The grantees are:

•           University of Florida, Gainesville and University of South Florida, Tampa – identifying, testing, and evaluating the sustainability of ion exchange processes that can treat entire groups of chemical contaminants.

•           Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y. – engineering, developing, and demonstrating an integrated process comprised of membrane technology and electrical discharge plasma generated via a novel reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrode material.

•           University of Nevada, Reno – quantifying the range of drinking water contaminants and contaminant classes that can be removed by membrane distillation, and developing and testing a small-scale pilot system that operates using waste heat

There are approximately 157,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. regulated by EPA, states, or tribes that provide drinking water to 90 percent of Americans. More than 290 million people living in the U.S. rely on the safety of tap water provided by public water systems that are subject to national drinking water standards.

EPA’s STAR grant program supports human health, ecology, economics and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships.

More information on the grants: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/dwtreatment

More information on EPA’s new Drinking Water Strategy:   http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/dwstrategy/index.cfm

More information on STAR grants: http://epa.gov/ncer/

U.S. Attorney and EPA Announce Settlement with City of Gloucester

Press release:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 23, 2012

Contact:    U.S. EPA: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017
                  U.S. Attorney’s Office: Christina DiIorio-Sterling, (617)748-3356

U.S. Attorney and EPA Announce Settlement with City of Gloucester
Settlement Ensures that Gloucester Continues to Improve Treatment Plant and Addresses Sewer Overflows

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 23, 2012) – Under the terms of a modified Consent Decree lodged in federal court today, the City of Gloucester will upgrade its sewage treatment plant and work to stem overflows from its sewer system.  The modified Consent Decree stems from a federal enforcement action brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection.

United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, “Compliance with the federal Clean Water Act is critical for the health and safety of the citizens of our Commonwealth.  I am pleased that the City of Gloucester agreed to this modified Consent Decree, which will continue to improve the water quality in Gloucester Harbor.”

“This settlement should keep the City of Gloucester on the right track,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England region.  “Directing more concentrated efforts at maintaining treatment facilities and increasing cooperation between city departments will better protect Gloucester’s vital coastline.”

“We are pleased that the City of Gloucester will be taking steps necessary to protect its historic harbor and beaches,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley.  “These measures are crucially important as we work to ensure that our waters continue to be an invaluable resource for our coastal communities and the Commonwealth.”

Gloucester’s existing primary Treatment Plant is nearly 30 years old, and while the City has recently completed important upgrades, the system is in need of additional repair and rehabilitation to meet the terms and conditions of the current discharge permit.  Maintenance has been inadequate and parts have not been replaced in a timely manner.  These problems have resulted in discharges of poorly treated sewage in violation of the City’s permit.  Under the Consent Decree, the City will address these problems.

Gloucester’s combined sewer system is designed to collect stormwater runoff, domestic sewage and industrial waste water in the same pipes and convey these wastewaters to the Treatment Plant.  The City’s system also includes several combined sewer overflow (CSO) outfalls, which discharge untreated wastewater when flows exceed the system’s capacity, typically during significant wet weather events.  The City’s CSO discharges violate the provisions of the Clean Water Act, and the Massachusetts Water Quality Standards.  The City initially developed a long-term CSO control plan in 2005.  The Modified Consent Decree replaces the 2005 CSO control plan, with a new, more cost-effective approach to mitigate and in some cases eliminate CSO discharges.  Implementation of this work will serve to improve water quality at Pavilion Beach and in Gloucester Harbor.

The City’s NPDES permit, however, does not allow overflows during dry weather.  Dry weather discharges occurred in Gloucester when there was still capacity in the system because the City did not pay close enough attention to operating the system.  The City has addressed the dry weather overflows and will work to minimize wet-weather other overflows under the Consent Decree.  Because of the City’s financial condition, the consent decree modification does not impose a penalty for the violations leading to this action. 

More information: The Consent Decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.  Once it is published in the Federal Register, a copy of the consent decree will be available on the Justice Department Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Opens Water Treatment Facility in Las Cruces

Press release:

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Opens Water Treatment Facility in Las Cruces

(DALLAS – August 23, 2012) During a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, City of Las Cruces, Doña Ana County and the New Mexico Environment Department celebrated the opening of a water treatment facility in Las Cruces to remove contaminants from groundwater.

The new facility will remove the chemical perchloroethylene, commonly known as PCE, from groundwater in the area known as the Griggs and Walnut Groundwater Plume Superfund site. PCE is a man-made substance widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and textiles and for metal degreasing operations.

“Many people have worked together over several years to make this milestone possible,” said Sam Coleman, Acting Regional Administrator for EPA Region 6. “Because of their cooperation, creativity and dedication, the people of Las Cruces have a reliable, safe supply of drinking water.”

“This groundwater cleanup project is another example of how the City of Las Cruces is committed to the health and safety of its residents,” said Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

Doña Ana County Commission Chairwoman Karen G. Perez said, “I’m proud of the work that’s been done to bring this project to fruition. It’s been a remarkable collaborative effort on behalf of the many people who rely on safe, clean groundwater here in the City of Las Cruces.”

The Griggs and Walnut Groundwater Plume site is centered near the intersection of Griggs Avenue and Walnut Street within the City of Las Cruces and is approximately 1.8 mile by one-half mile in size. Four municipal drinking water supply wells were impacted by the site but through the city’s blending programs, PCE levels were kept below the maximum contaminant level established by the Safe Drinking Water Act or taken off line. No customer was ever delivered water with PCE amounts that exceeded federal standards. Wells 18 and 27 are being utilized to treat the plume, and the other two wells are used to monitor for PCE and other contaminants.

The water treatment facility will utilize an air stripper to expose contaminated groundwater to oxygen which dissipates the PCE. The cleansed water is then suitable for drinking. The $5.2 million project to date is jointly funded by the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

# # #

Energy Department Announces New Technical Review to Assess Black Cells at Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant

News release from the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Energy Department Announces New Technical Review to Assess Black Cells at Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant

August 2, 2012 - 12:15pm

News Media Contact

• (202) 586-4940

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has assembled a group of  independent technical experts  to assess the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), specifically as it relates to the facility’s “black cells.” The review involves the plant’s capability, as designed, to detect equipment failure and to repair failed equipment inside the WTP’s black cells.  Black cells are enclosed concrete rooms within the WTP Pretreatment facility that contain tanks and piping.  Due to high levels of radioactivity once the plant begins operations, the cells are designed to be sealed with no access by personnel over the anticipated 40-year operating life span of the plant.  The review will include the individual input of technical experts in a variety of fields.

“I will be receiving input from each of these highly capable experts to help improve our ability to detect and address any potential issues in the black cells that could arise during the course of the Waste Treatment Plant’s operational life,” said Chu.  “These experts have a reputation for developing creative solutions to highly technical issues and their independent advice will enable us to integrate worthwhile ideas into the design of the plant before construction is completed.”

The WTP is being designed and built to treat millions of gallons of tank waste from plutonium production at Hanford from the 1940s to the 1980s.  The equipment in the facility’s 18 black cells is designed to operate without moving mechanical parts that would require maintenance. DOE is now reviewing that technical approach to determine whether or not those areas can or should be accessible for monitoring and repairing equipment once operations begin.

Secretary Chu and the independent experts will begin reviewing information about WTP this week and are expected to visit the Hanford Site in the coming months. The principal purposes of the review are to assess the plant’s capability to detect equipment vulnerabilities or failures in the black cells, assess plans to repair those systems, and recommend any design changes or operational enhancements that may be needed.  The Department has named William Hamel, the Assistant Manager for Infrastructure at Idaho, as the lead federal employee to facilitate this review.  Hamel, an employee of the Office of Nuclear Energy, has in-depth knowledge and experience with black cell designs and vitrification operations.

“We welcome this assessment and look forward to assisting with this review at the Waste Treatment Plant,” said Scott Samuelson, Manager, DOE’s Office of River Protection.  “These individuals are known for both their expertise and capability to analyze complex problems and facilities and provide sound recommendations to the government.”

The following individuals will be participating in the review:

• Langdon Holton has over 35 years experience in radiochemical process engineering and operations, nuclear fuel reprocessing, waste separations and treatment and development of waste treatment technologies supporting programs within the United States, Germany and France.  Langdon Holton is employed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and has been supporting DOE in its oversight of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.  He has academic degrees in chemical engineering from the University of California, and graduate degrees in chemical engineering and business from the University of Washington.

• Dr. Thomas O. Hunter retired in July 2010 as President and Laboratories Director of Sandia National Laboratories.  Dr. Hunter joined Sandia in 1967 and became president in April 2005.  In May, DOE Secretary Steven Chu appointed Dr. Hunter as lead of the federal government’s scientific team that worked with BP officials to develop and analyze solutions to the BP oil spill. That work is continuing.  Dr. Hunter is a member of the Engineering Advisory Board for the University of Florida, Council on Foreign Relations, American Nuclear Society, New Mexico Technology Commercialization Council, the MIND Research Network, and the U.S. Strategic Command’s Strategic Advisory Group.  He is the author of numerous technical papers and presentations.  Dr. Hunter earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

• Dr. David Kosson is a Professor of Engineering, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University.  He also is co-principal investigator (with Charles Powers) of the multi-university Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP).  Kosson’s research focuses on management of nuclear and chemical wastes, including process development and contaminant mass transfer applied to groundwater, soil, sediment, and waste systems.  Kosson has undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University.

• Dr. Milton Levenson has more than 60 years experience in nuclear energy, much of it relating to nuclear safety.  His technical experience includes work related to nuclear safety, fuel cycle, water reactors, advanced reactors, and remote operations.  Levenson was at Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s.  He had first-hand knowledge of the first fatal nuclear accident in the United States (known as the SL-1 accident in Idaho).  He led the technical team that responded to the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, and he was appointed to a special Soviet commission that investigated the Chernobyl accident.  His professional experience includes research and operations positions at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Argonne National Laboratory, Electric Power Research Institute, and Bechtel, where he retired as vice president in 1989.  Levenson is a fellow and past president of the American Nuclear Society, a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and a recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Robert E. Wilson Award in Nuclear Chemical Engineering.  He is the author of more than 150 publications and presentations and holds three U.S patents.  He is also a member of the National Academies' Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board and has served on several National Research Council committees.

• Dr. Arun Majumdar became the first Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E), the country's only agency devoted to transformational energy research and development, in October 2009.  Prior to joining ARPA-E, Majumdar was the Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.  His highly distinguished research career includes the science and engineering of energy conversion, transport, and storage ranging from molecular and nanoscale level to large energy systems.  In 2005, Majumdar was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for this pioneering work.  He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

• Dr. Richard A. Meserve is President of the Carnegie Institution for Science and Senior of Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP.  He is a former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is a member of the President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.  With his Harvard law degree, received in 1975, and his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford, awarded in 1976, Meserve devoted his legal practice to technical issues arising at the intersection of science, law, and public policy.  Early in his career, Meserve served as legal counsel to the President’s science advisor and was a law clerk to Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court and to Judge Benjamin Kaplan of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.  Meserve received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University in 1966.

• Dr. Per Peterson is Professor and Chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB).  He is a member of the President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.  After joining UCB in 1990 as an Assistant Professor he received a NSF Presidential Young Investigator award, and most recently received the Fusion Power Associates Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award and the American Nuclear Society Thermal Hydraulics Division Technical Achievement Award.  Peterson’s research interests focus on topics in heat and mass transfer, fluid dynamics, and phase change.

• Dr. Monica Regalbuto works in the Process Chemistry and Engineering Department at Argonne National Laboratory.  She previously served as a Senior Program Manager with the Office of Waste Processing with the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, supporting technical risk reduction and uncertainty in the Department’s clean-up programs. From 2003 to 2008, Regalbuto served as the head of the Process Chemistry and Engineering Department in Argonne’s Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division and managed a group of 30 researchers. Regalbuto has academic degrees in chemical engineering from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and graduate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Italian City Upgrades Wastewater Treatment Plant with GE Advanced Technology Making It the Second Largest Municipal MBR Plant in Italy

Press release:

17 July 2012

Italian City Upgrades Wastewater Treatment Plant with GE Advanced Technology Making It the Second Largest Municipal MBR Plant in Italy

 

• Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Honors the Inauguration of the Facility
• Tourist Region on Mediterranean Sea Was Facing Negative Environmental Consequences Prior to Upgrade with GE ZeeWeed* Ultrafiltration Technology
• Newly Expanded Wastewater Treatment Plant Increased Capacity to Serve 140,000 Residents in the Savona Province

LOANO, ITALY—July 17, 2012—Located on the Mediterranean Sea in a seasonal tourist region known for its pristine beaches, the area around Loano, Italy, had an increased need for wastewater treatment that ledServizi Ambientali SPA to expand its existing wastewater treatment plant. The upgraded facility features GE’s (NYSE: GE) advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology and now is the second largest municipal MBR plant in Italy. The facility entered service in July 2012.

A number of individuals participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to honor the inauguration of the upgraded wastewater treatment plant located in the town of Borghetto Santo Spirito. Local officials Claudio Burlando, president of the Liguria region, and Angelo Vaccarezza, president of the province of Savona, as well as representatives from GE and Servizi Ambientali SPA attended the celebration.

This area is located in the Province of Savona, in the Italian region of Liguria, and is approximately 60 kilometers west of Genoa. The membrane plant was first constructed three years ago to initially treat 7 million liters per day (MLD) or 7,000 m³/d. With the new expansion, using GE ZeeWeed* technology, the wastewater treatment plant quadruples the flow and serves approximately 140,000 residents in the towns of Borghetto S. Spirito, Loano, Toirano, Boissano, Balestrino and Ceriale. The expanded plant handles a maximum wastewater flow of about 35 MLD or 35,000 m³/d, roughly the amount of water required to fill 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“Our wastewater treatment plant went from simple primary treatment to advanced biological processes with membranes allowing us to reach high-level effluent quality. It is located on the seacoast and discharges into a sensitive ecosystem in a tourist region,” said Giovanni Paganelli, chief executive officer, Servizi Ambientali SPA. “Our newly upgraded plant now results in the best effluent water quality ever achieved, enabling us to serve a larger population and at the same time, diverting the cleaned wastewater for non-potable reuse.”

Under the contract, GE supplied Servizi Ambientali SPA with MBR technology and equipment featuring ZeeWeed 500D reinforced, hollow-fiber membranes, which have been proven in more than two decades of wastewater treatment and water reuse. ZeeWeed 500 technology is an advanced filtration technology that separates particles, bacteria and viruses from water or wastewater. Nearly 1,000 plants worldwide use this technology to produce superior quality drinking water and to meet or exceed stringent wastewater treatment and water reuse standards.

The upgrade of the plant’s wastewater treatment processes with the GE MBR technology features four ZeeWeed 500D trains, 24 cassettes and 1,152 modules. This expands the plant’s treatment capacity and improves the region’s water quality. Prior to the upgrade, the region was facing issues with poor treatment of sewage resulting in negative consequences for the environment and residents.

“Governments and municipalities continue to look for ways to properly treat wastewater and possibly reuse it for non-potable purposes, particularly in highly tourist regions such as Loano and Liguria. Discharging effluents with high quality characteristics obtained through ultrafiltration technologies, such as GE’s ZeeWeed, is essential to preserve the environment,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.

Click here for a video on the Servizi Ambientali SPA wastewater treatment plant.

* Trademark of the General Electric Company, may be registered in one or more countries.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE’s water business on Twitter @GE_Water.

New treatment system cleaning up groundwater At Crossley Farm Superfund Site

Press release:

Contact: Roy Seneca seneca.roy@epa.gov, 215-814-5567

New treatment system cleaning up groundwater

At Crossley Farm Superfund Site

BARTO, Pa. (July 10, 2012) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin commemorated the opening of a new water treatment system today in a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new system will remove contamination from the groundwater at the Crossley Farm Superfund site in Hereford Township in Berks County.

“This construction project, which used approximately $6.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and created more than 60 jobs, demonstrates EPA’s commitment to transforming the contaminated groundwater associated with this Superfund site back to beneficial use for the local community,” said Garvin. “The people of Hereford Township can look upon this site as a tremendous success story.”

Located on 200 acres of farmland, the Crossley Farm site was once used for dumping various wastes, resulting in a TCE-contaminated groundwater plume. As part of EPA’s ongoing long-term cleanup plan for the site, the pump-and-treat system will treat the TCE-contamination in the groundwater. Underground piping connects the new treatment plant to four wells where the contaminated water is pumped to the plant and treated before being discharged on farm property adjacent to Perkiomen Creek. The system, which includes four extraction wells that can pump a total of about 450 gallons per minute, will help prevent the contaminated plume of groundwater from spreading.

The groundwater will be treated with air stripping technology to remove the TCE contamination. The water will then go through carbon filtration before it is discharged. The vapors coming from the air stripping treatment will also be treated before being released.

EPA received about $6.47 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to accelerate construction of the treatment plant and the cleanup. This Recovery Act funding was part of the $600 million that Congress appropriated to the federal Superfund remedial program. 

More details on the Crossley Farm Superfund cleanup can be found at http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/PAD981740061.htm . 

GE Delivers Advanced Water Treatment Technology to Support Bahrain’s Oil and Gas Industry

Press release:

12 June 2012

GE Delivers Advanced Water Treatment Technology to Support Bahrain’s Oil and Gas Industry

 

Bahrain Petroleum Company Selects GE’s ZeeWeed* Membrane Bioreactor System to Treat Complex Wastewater from Oil Refinery Operations

MANAMA, BAHRAIN—June 12, 2012—The Bahrain Petroleum Company B.S.C. (BAPCO) has chosen GE (NYSE: GE) to design and supply a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for its oil refinery wastewater treatment plant in Sitra, near Manama. The project and the GE-supplied advanced water treatment technology will support BAPCO’s environmental leadership efforts to achieve the stringent wastewater quality levels specified by Bahrain’s General Directorate of Environment and Wildlife Protection regulation for wastewater discharge into the Gulf.

“BAPCO is committed to managing its precious water resources wisely,” said Mr. A. Jabbar A. Karim, acting general manager, major engineering projects division, BAPCO. “With this project, GE is supporting us to realize our goals of minimizing the environmental impact from our refining operations, while safeguarding the refinery’s capital equipment at the same time.”

Wastewater from refineries is complex and requires extensive treatment. The BAPCO refinery, one of the largest in the Middle East and the oldest in the Gulf Cooperation Council union, refines more than 250,000 barrels of crude daily. GE’s ZeeWeed* technology will handle a maximum wastewater flow of about 24 million liters/day, roughly the amount of water required to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool[1], from the refinery and Sitra tank farm.

“The BAPCO wastewater treatment plant is another example in GE’s long history of supporting customers in Bahrain with innovative energy technology—in this case, advanced water solutions—to meet their toughest operational challenges,“ said Joseph Anis, president and CEO, GE Energy for the Middle East. “We are committed to continue delivering advanced solutions that increase the supply of clean water necessary and meeting the environmental commitments for the expansion of Bahrain’s economy.”

At the heart of the system is GE’s ZeeWeed MBR technology. GE ZeeWeed technology sets the standard for hollow-fiber ultrafiltration technology combined with biological treatment, which is the preferred way to handle complex wastewater because it produces consistently high-quality effluent suitable for discharge or reuse application. GE will supply a ZeeWeed MBR system consisting of four MBR trains, each with 10 membrane cassettes containing ZeeWeed 500 rugged, reinforced membrane modules. It is being supplied under contract with EPC contractor GS Engineering & Construction and is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2012.

GE also will design the MBR system and provide support during its first five years of operation. GE’s water and process technologies business also has supplied water-treatment chemicals for the BAPCO refinery.

The Middle East is an important region for GE’s water business, and the company has regional centers of excellence in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, for both research and manufacturing. GE and Miahona signed a memorandum of understanding, which provides a framework for promoting the use of advanced membrane technology such as membrane bioreactors in water reuse and the pursuit of wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse and zero liquid discharge projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

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[1]http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/Factsheets/DroughtAndRainfall.pdf

*Trademark of the General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.

A New USDA Funded Wastewater Treatment Facility Protects the Upper St. Croix Watershed in Wisconsin

Post from the USDA blog.  To view the post, click the link below:

http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/05/11/a-new-usda-funded-wastewater-treatment-facility-protects-the-upper-st-croix-watershed-in-wisconsin/#more-40065

GE Announces First Customer in Europe for Its LEAPmbr* Wastewater Treatment System near Messina, Italy

Press release:

08 May 2012

GE Announces First Customer in Europe for Its LEAPmbr* Wastewater Treatment System near Messina, Italy

 

• GE Technology to Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Productivity at ASI Messina Municipal Plant Near Messina, Sicily, Italy
• LEAPmbr* System Offers the Lowest Lifecycle Costs Available from Any MBR Technology and Delivers Environmental Benefits in a Seasonal Tourist Area
• Based on Industry-Standard GE ZeeWeed* High Performance, Rugged, Hollow-Fiber Membranes

MUNICH, GERMANY—May 8, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) today announced atIFAT Entsorga 2012 that ASI Messina of Italy is the first customer in Europe for its high-performance LEAPmbr* membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater-treatment technology, which helps address water quality while reducing energy costs and increasing productivity. GE sold the technology to Costruzioni Dondi S.p.A., the Italian engineering, procurement and construction company that won the international public open tender for ASI Messina‘s wastewater plant upgrade.

“The ASI Messina plant will treat wastewater generated by two municipalities and by local industrial sites associated to the ASI Messina Consortium. By using GE’s LEAPmbr technology, ASI Messina will be able to reach the high effluent qualities imposed by the local authority and will have the possibilities to reuse the treated wastewater for industrial needs,” said Alessandro Rondina, technical director of Costruzioni Dondi S.p.A.

GE’s LEAPmbr technology helps owners of municipal, industrial and residential water/wastewater treatment facilities around the world address their pressing water quality issues, while also reducing energy costs and increasing overall productivity of the treatment system. The Italian region is facing a number of issues related to poor wastewater management, either due to lacking infrastructure or existing plants that are obsolete and not in compliance with European Union water directives.

When applied to the ASI Messina wastewater treatment plant, GE’s LEAPmbr ultrafiltration technology will control pollution and will help protect the environment through water reuse, coast preservation and low energy consumption. According to Alberto Dondi, CEO of Costruzioni Dondi S.p.A., “The ability of GE’s technology to reach high treatment levels in a very confined space while providing the lowest energy consumption among all advanced technologies today were key reasons that led to us selecting GE for this important project.”

The ASI Messina plant is an upgrade of an existing installation, located in Giammoro, approximately 35 kilometers from the city of Messina, the third largest city on the island of Sicily. The municipal wastewater generated by municipalities and industrial activities in the area will be treated biologically through GE’s advanced ultrafiltration technology, which results in high-treatment efficiency and the best effluent quality of any advanced technologies available today. The plant is located on the sea coast and will be discharging into the Mediterranean Sea and will serve as a high-quality water source for non-potable use by the industrial activities served by A.S.I. Messina. The new plant, once completed, will be able to treat a yearly average flow of 21 million liters per day (MLD), or 21,000 m³/d, with daily peaks up to 40,000 m³/d, which is equivalent to the daily water use of roughly 125,000 people.

“Governments and municipalities are looking into ways to reuse wastewater for not-potable purposes, particularly in places afflicted by droughts, like Southern Italy,” said Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “Our LEAPmbr technology offers unique and advanced features to solve many of these issues through ultrafiltration membranes that are able to enhance the treatment capacity three-fold when compared to conventional technologies, while at the same time reaching high effluent standards at the lowest possible running costs.”

The result of a four-year development effort, GE’s LEAPmbr system offers the lowest lifecycle costs available from any MBR technology, while also being cost-competitive with conventional treatment. These cost savings, along with operational simplicity and a compact footprint, derive from innovations to the popular GE ZeeWeed* 500 MBR product line—the most widely-used, reinforced, hollow-fiber ultrafiltration technologies available. The cost and efficiency savings of GE’s LEAPmbr system compared to existing GE MBR technologies include:

• A minimum 30 percent reduction in energy costs.
• A 15 percent improvement in productivity (greater water-treatment capacity).
• A 50 percent reduction in membrane aeration equipment and controls, leading to a simpler design with lower construction, installation and maintenance costs.
• A 20 percent reduction in physical footprint leading to further reduced construction and installation costs as well as lower ongoing consumption of cleaning chemicals.

Under the terms of the ASI Messina wastewater treatment plant project, GE provided Costruzioni Dondi S.p.A. the total scope of the LEAPmbr filtration unit, which also includes a three-year service contract. GE’s equipment will be shipped in phases beginning in September 2012. Commercial operation is expected by the second quarter of 2013.

This installation in Italy will be the next step in a successful rollout for GE’s LEAPmbr technology. In October of 2011, GE announced the results of an ongoing, nearly two-year demonstration project in Marco Island, Fla., which proved the capability of LEAPmbr technology to reduce energy costs and increase productivity.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.

GE’s Expertise in Solving Complex Water Challenges for Reuse and Wastewater Treatment on Display at IFAT ENTSORGA 2012 in Munich, Germany

07 May 2012

GE’s Expertise in Solving Complex Water Challenges for Reuse and Wastewater Treatment on Display at IFAT ENTSORGA 2012 in Munich, Germany

 

• GE to Showcase Its Broad Portfolio Addressing Water and Wastewater Challenges to Diverse Industries
• GE to Spotlight its ZeeWeed*, LEAPmbr*, Electrodeionization, Mobile Water Systems, Analytical Instruments and TrueSense* Technologies for Water and Wastewater Treatment

MUNICH, GERMANY—May 7, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) will display its advanced technologies, products and services that solve tough-to-treat water challenges at the world-leading IFAT ENTSORGA 2012 conference, May 7-11, 2012. During the trade show, GE will showcase its broad portfolio leveraging equipment, chemistries and services to help commercial and industrial customers address their pressing water resource needs.

“GE offers a myriad of diverse solutions to help industries and municipalities meet their water and wastewater needs,” said Michel Mercusot, executive sales director for Western Europe—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “Our advanced, reliable portfolio of chemicals, equipment and services gives us the ability to deliver a comprehensive, integrated approach to water and wastewater management, resulting in improved operational efficiency, enhanced life-cycle value, cost savings and reduced environmental footprint.”

Highlights of GE’s water technology portfolio that will be on display at Hall A2, Booth 213/312 include:

• GE’s ZeeWeed* hollow-fiber membrane technology for ultrafiltration offers low life-cycle costs for water filtration, wastewater treatment and reuse. Ideally suited for municipal and industrial drinking water, tertiary and water reuse applications, ZeeWeed technology extends the life of reverse osmosis (RO) systems, significantly reduces biological fouling and decreases cleaning intervals and system power consumption.

• Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) – MBR is for virtually all wastewater treatment applications. MBR systems offer extremely compact footprints, simplified operation and consistently higher quality effluent than conventional wastewater treatment systems.

• GE’s LEAPmbr* product line, GE’s next-generation MBR wastewater treatment technology, addresses water quality and operational cost issues faced by owners of municipal, industrial and residential wastewater treatment facilities worldwide. LEAPmbr technology offers the lowest life-cycle costs available from any MBR technology, yet is cost-competitive with conventional water treatment alternatives.

• Electrodeionization (EDI) – Reliable, low-cost ultrapure water (up to 18MOhm-cm resistivity) for multiple applications, such as power generation (boiler feed and NOx control), semiconductors, microelectronics, etc.

• GE has the world’s largest and most capable fleet of mobile water systems. With a mobile trailer on-site at the fairgrounds atrium A2/A3-B2/B3, GE will showcase its mobile water capabilities, which offer 24-hour dispatch of water treatment equipment and the ability to react quickly to certain situations to prevent production losses, avoid capital investment and to meet regulatory requirements.

• Analytical instruments – Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyzers and other water quality measurement instruments including through the GE, Sievers and Leakwise brands. These state-of-the-art instruments are designed and manufactured for simpler, faster and more accurate analytical measurement and control.

• TrueSense* advanced cooling solutions integrate three unique functionalities into one platform: direct online monitoring of critical water chemistries, personal instrumentation that dramatically cuts offline testing time and a powerful data analysis and display capability that provides deep insight into system status.

• Also on display at A3 #332, GE will showcase its Roots blowers and compressors products, including the recently introduced cost-effective, low-maintenance Roots Turbo Blower, which offers a more efficient aeration solution for wastewater treatment plants.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.

GE Launching Roots Turbo Blower, an Efficient Aeration Solution for Wastewater Treatment

07 May 2012

GE Launching Roots Turbo Blower, an Efficient Aeration Solution for Wastewater Treatment

 

• New Product Expands GE Portfolio of Aeration Blowers
• Designed to Cut a Plant’s Monthly Electric Utility Bill
• Available in Models Ranging from 22.5 to 300 Kilowatts

MUNICH, GERMANY—May 7, 2012—Expanding its portfolio of aeration blowers for the wastewater treatment and process industries, GE (NYSE: GE) is introducing the Roots Turbo Blower at IFAT 2012, the International Trade Fair for Environment, Wastewater and Waste Disposal being held in Munich May 7-11.

The cost-effective, low-maintenance Roots Turbo Blower offers an efficient aeration solution for a wastewater treatment plant. For a typical aerobic digestion wastewater treatment plant, the aeration blower accounts for 50-60 percent of the total electricity used by the facility. Improving the process by a few percentage points can have a significant impact on the plant’s monthly electric utility bill and the Roots Turbo Blower provides that process improvement.

“The Roots Turbo Blower is the newest member of a product line that has been providing aeration blowers since 1929,” said Jim Drees, product line leader, roots blowers and compressors, GE Measurement & Control. “The new blower is available in units ranging from 300 kilowatts down to 22.5 kilowatts and offers the next generation of oil-free bearing technology. We believe its Bump Type airfoil bearing delivers better performance than earlier technology.”

Aeration equipment, including turbo blowers, is used in biological oxygen demand (BOD) removal, nitrification and aerobic digestion processes within the wastewater treatment plant. In the aeration basins, where the BOD removal and nitrification process occur, bacteria feed on the waste that is coming into the plant. These bacteria are kept alive and their biological activity maintained at an optimal level by aerating or adding oxygen to the process. The simplest and most cost-effective way to provide the oxygen to the bacteria is to compress atmospheric air and distribute it into the aeration basins through fine bubble diffusers, using turbo blowers to force the air through the piping.

“This process of capturing air and forcing it into the aeration system requires electricity, or some form of power, and as energy costs have increased, plants are seeking more efficient ways of delivering this air,” noted Drees. “Our Roots Turbo Blower was developed to address with this objective in mind.”

GE Measurement & Control is a leading innovator in advanced, sensor-based measurement, non-destructive testing and inspection and condition monitoring. Providing healthcare for our customers’ most critical assets, we deliver accuracy, productivity and safety to a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, metals and transportation. Headquartered in the Greater Boston Area, USA, Measurement & Control has over 40 facilities in 25 countries and is part of GE Oil & Gas. For further information, visit www.ge-mcs.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels. 

GE’s Expertise in Solving Complex Water Challenges for Reuse and Wastewater Treatment on Display at Aquatech India

25 April 2012

GE’s Expertise in Solving Complex Water Challenges for Reuse and Wastewater Treatment on Display at Aquatech India

 

• GE to Showcase Its Global Experience in Providing a Wide Range of Treatment and Reuse Solutions to Diverse Industries
• GE to Spotlight its ZeeWeed* Ultrafiltration, E-Cell* Electrodeionization, Electrodialysis Reversal and RePAK* Technologies for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse

New Delhi, India—April 25, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) will display its advanced technologies, products and services that solve water challenges ranging from the exceptional to the routine at the Aquatech India conference, April 25-27, 2012, which is being held at Pragati Maidan Exhibition Center in New Delhi, India. GE also will showcase the technical knowledge and practical experience of GE applications and industry experts who work on finding treatment and reuse solutions for diverse industries throughout the world.

“GE offers next-generation solutions to help our customers meet their industrial and municipal needs,” said Hoshang Subawalla, India region executive—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “Developed from significant R&D investments, our diverse and integrated portfolio helps customers treat their toughest water challenges and then achieve responsible, sustainable resource and cost savings. Our goal is to help customers lower their water and energy consumption, improve water quality and water conservation and meet all regulatory and environmental requirements.”

The innovative offerings being showcased at Aquatech India affirm GE’s commitment to help industrial, governmental, municipal and other customers solve their toughest water availability and quality problems and to capitalize on water-related productivity, energy use and environmental opportunities.

Highlights of GE’s water technology portfolio that will be on display at Booth #1115 include:

· ZeeWeed* – GE’s ZeeWeed* hollow-fiber, ultrafiltration membrane technology offers low life-cycle costs for water filtration, wastewater treatment and reuse.
· Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) – GE’s MBR is suited for wide-ranging wastewater treatment and reuse applications. GE’s newest MBR system, LEAPmbr, showcased at Aquatech India, offers extremely compact footprint, simplified operation and consistently higher quality permeate than conventional wastewater treatment systems.
· Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) – High recovery systems for wastewater reclamation, reverse osmosis reject recovery and surface/well-water desalting. Outstanding recovery for water with high suspended solids.
· Electrodeionization (EDI) – Reliable, low-cost ultrapure water (up to 18MOhm-cm resistivity) for multiple applications such as power generation (boiler feed and NOx control), semiconductors, microelectronics, etc.
· RePAK – An integrated ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis system that reduces capital, installation and operating costs, as well as installation lead time.
· Chemical and Monitoring Solutions – For boiler water treatment, clarification and filtration, cooling water treatment, process additives, pure water systems, wastewater treatment and remote monitoring and diagnostics.
· Brackish, Low Fouling, Sanitary and Industrial Membranes – Widest range of membranes suited for multiple separation applications across industries.
· Thermal Evaporators and Crystallizers – Reliable and efficient technologies to help achieve zero liquid discharge.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.