It's Personal...Scenic Pennsylvania Lake Community Celebrates Protecting the Environment for Earth Day with USDA Funding

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Programs, USDA Rural Development, on April 25, 2014 at 5:00 PM

Tom Williams, PA RD State Director, Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, RD WEP Program Assistant Administrator, and Jack Lennox, Roamingwood Water & Sewer Association General Manager, ceremoniously sign a portion of the new pipe that will replace old lines in the current system, making the system more energy, cost and water efficient.

As part of USDA’s weeklong celebration of the 44th anniversary of Earth Day, I had the pleasure of visiting Wayne County, Pennsylvania to announce funding that will bring improved water and wastewater services to residents and businesses of The Hideout, one of the state’s lake communities in the Pocono Mountains.

Thanks to congressional passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA Rural Development received an additional $150 million to help rural communities build or upgrade water and wastewater systems in 40 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. We are pairing that grant money with an additional $232 million in regular funding to support 116 projects nationwide.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to talk with several long-time residents about the infrastructure projects.  The residents’ personal commitment and leadership was on display as they talked passionately about the importance of the funding. Betty Sullivan, the charismatic Board President of the Roamingwood Water & Sewer Association, an agent of the South Wayne County Water & Sewer Authority, has been involved in the infrastructure improvement project for twenty years. She has a keen understanding of the environmental importance of the project for both the existing residents and for future generations that will live, work and play here.

Bob Taggart, the father of a 12-year-old son, has owned a home in the community for over 20 years. Impressed by the quality of the school system and the community’s amenities, Bob made the decision to move here permanently from the New York City suburbs just five years ago. As a former environmental specialist for private industry, he also understands the environmental importance of the project. He is interested in the potential for connecting adjoining communities to the new system to help further protect the waters surrounding the community.  With the strong sense of community coupled with federal, state and local support, the future is promising for the growth of the community. The residents are all very appreciative of the Farm Bill funding that will help keep their water and sewer rates reasonable.

The work will be overseen by the South Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority, which is receiving a grant for more than $5 million and a loan of $8.4 million to replace a portion of a gravity sewer collection system.  The second Earth Day project involves replacing leaking water lines in a section of the 30 year-old water distribution system. Rural Development is providing a $2.3 million grant and a loan of almost $4.6 million to help with that effort. By replacing the old water and sewer lines, the project will significantly improve services, making them more energy, cost and water efficient and preventing the Authority from a costly expansion project for more than 3,200 homeowners of the Hideout Community.

As Assistant Administrator for Water and Environmental Programs, it is not hard to see why Earth Day ranks high on my list of favorite anniversaries and holidays!  I am especially grateful that the 2014 Farm Bill expanded our capacity to improve aging infrastructure in rural communities here in Pennsylvania and across the nation.

Planting the Seeds of a Successful Future for our Children on Earth Day

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Patrice Kunesh, Deputy Under Secretary, USDA Rural Development, on April 23, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh (left) and California RD State Director Glenda Humiston join children and families to plant a community vegetable garden at Mountain View Estates.

Earth Day is an every-day celebration! It’s also about the future — creating a safe and healthy environment for our children and grandchildren. That’s just what I celebrated with the families at Mountain View Estates in Oasis, California, alongside Congressman Raul Ruiz and California State Director Glenda Humiston. Thanks to a terrific partnership between Rural Development and the local community, as well as with public and private support, these families now have homes hooked up to a new water system that provides them clean drinking water and wastewater disposal.

I am very proud of Rural Development’s work in the Mountain View Estates mobile home park.  Upon learning that 181 families were being displaced from their dilapidated trailer park because of hazardous conditions, mainly sewage backups and water contamination, Rural Development looked for opportunities to help re-build that community.  Today at Mountain View Estates, every family has access to basic amenities like clean drinking water, and reliable waste removal. Even electricity is no longer is a luxury.  This project not only improved the environment, it has also improved the overall quality of life for these families.

My visit to Mountain View Estates was part of a tour of the colonias in California’s Coachella Valley, a large agriculture region in eastern Riverside County. Colonias are communities within 150 miles of the Mexican Border that experience seriously inadequate water and sewage systems and insufficient housing.  As I visited these communities,I was startled to see the immense need for community infrastructure, like decent housing and reliable wastewater systems.

These challenges really are terrific opportunities for Rural Development and our many dedicated partners, like Congressman Ruiz, to invest in rural communities and create a healthy, thriving rural America.

Happy Earth Day!

EPA Awards $15 Million to Assist U.S. Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 6, 2012
EPA Awards $15 Million to Assist U.S. Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $15 million in funding to provide training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems – those serving fewer than 10,000 people – and to private well owners. The funding will help provide training and tools to improve small system operations and management practices, promoting sustainability and supporting EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment.

“Small systems form the backbone of our nation’s public water system and it is a priority for EPA to help them to meet water quality standards and provide clean water to communities,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “This funding and technical assistance is part of EPA’s continuing efforts to promote sustainability and public health protection for communities served by small systems.”

EPA awards include:

• Nearly $7 million to the National Rural Water Association and nearly $3 million to the Texas Engineering Extension Service, which together will provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems across the country to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act;

• $2.5 million to New Mexico Environmental Finance Center to help small systems improve their financial and managerial   capabilities that will enable these systems to effectively provide safe drinking water over the long-term;

•  $2 million to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to work with small publicly-owned wastewater systems on treatment and operations issues and to help private well owners;

•  $500,000 to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

More than 97 percent of the nation’s 157,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff turnover.

For more information on EPA’s programs and tools to help small water systems, visit:
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm

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Industrial Laundry in Lebanon, N.H. Faces Fine for Clean Water Violations

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 28, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Industrial Laundry in Lebanon, N.H. Faces Fine for Clean Water Violations

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 28, 2012) – An industrial laundry facility in Lebanon, N.H. faces a penalty of $64,000 from the US Environmental Protection Agency for several violations of federal water laws, including discharging water containing detergent to the city’s public wastewater system which caused excessive foaming in the Connecticut River.

According to a complaint filed recently by EPA’s New England office, UniFirst Corp. discharged wastewater containing industrial grade detergent into the public wastewater system in Nov. 2010 and failed to immediately notify the city of the discharge.  Both actions violated the Clean Water Act. The complaint also details that in 2011 UniFirst discharged wastewater with a high acidity, also in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

UniFirst operates an on-site wastewater treatment system that introduces process wastewater into the City of Lebanon’s system, which in turn discharges treated wastewaters into the Connecticut River.  The detergent violations caused the city to be out of compliance with its own National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit regulating its wastewater system.

Discharges of ­­prohibited effluents from industrial users can present a risk to nearby waters and aquatic life. An industrial user’s failure to immediately notify the local wastewater treatment system and any other applicable state or federal emergency responders undermines their ability to promptly respond to a potential threat.

More information on enforcement of Clean Water Act in New England http://www.epa.gov/region1/enforcement/water/index.html

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Clean Water Act Settlement Ensures That Boston Racetrack Addresses Wastewater and Stormwater Discharges

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2012

Clean Water Act Settlement Ensures That Boston Racetrack Addresses Wastewater and Stormwater Discharges

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC will pay a civil penalty of $1.25 million to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at its Suffolk Downs racetrack facility in Revere and East Boston, Mass. The company is also spending more than $3 million to prevent polluted water from entering nearby waterways and will perform three environmental projects worth approximately $742,000 that will provide water quality monitoring and protection efforts for more than 123 square miles of watershed. The terms of the settlement are contained in a consent decree lodged in federal court in Boston today.

The federal complaint alleges that Suffolk allowed polluted wastewater, including horse manure, urine and bedding material, to discharge into Sales Creek, a tributary of Belle Isle Inlet and Boston Harbor. In addition, the federal complaint alleges that Suffolk operated its concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), which stables race horses from March through November, without a permit under the CWA.

“This settlement reduces a major source of pollution into Boston Harbor,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “In addition, the settlement’s environmental projects include monitoring water quality in the harbor’s watershed, helping to protect a valuable urban waterway for the use and enjoyment of Boston area residents and visitors.”

“Today’s agreement will prevent further discharges of wastewater from Suffolk Downs into local waterways and will bring the racetrack into compliance with the Clean Water Act, which protects America’s streams, wetlands and rivers from the impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The settlement also brings lasting benefits to residents and the environment by requiring water quality monitoring in the Mystic and Saugus river watersheds and a salt marsh habitat protection project near the racetrack.”

In response to EPA’s enforcement at this facility, Suffolk is completing construction of a wastewater collection system, is making improvements to its stormwater collection system and has applied for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Suffolk will minimize the volume of and properly manage the wastewater it produces, which will now be collected in a detention pond and discharged during non-peak hours to the sanitary sewer system. Suffolk will also implement green infrastructure and low impact development techniques to address stormwater discharges from the racetrack and maintenance areas of the facility. These techniques involve the use of natural or engineered systems to direct stormwater to areas where it can be stored, infiltrated, evapotranspirated, or reused.

EPA inspections revealed that Suffolk Down’s process wastewater discharged from the facility to Sales Creek during dry and wet weather. EPA inspectors observed stormwater contaminated with manure and turbid, brown runoff being discharged from the facility to Sales Creek. Sampling conducted at various outfalls discharging from the Suffolk Downs facility indicated elevated levels of pollutants, including ammonia, suspended solids and bacteria. Animal wastes contain excessive levels of nutrients and pathogens, which produce adverse environmental impacts including reduction of oxygen in the water, which affects aquatic life.

Suffolk will undertake three supplemental environmental projects under this settlement, including two water quality monitoring projects and one habitat protection project. Suffolk will work with the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) to conduct monthly baseline and targeted water quality sampling throughout the Mystic River watershed and will work with the Saugus River Watershed Council (SRWC) to conduct a Saugus River watershed sampling program. Both the Mystic River watershed and Saugus River watershed data will be available to the public for free on the MyRWA and SRWC websites. Suffolk will also construct a habitat protection boardwalk in the Belle Isle Marsh, which is immediately downstream of the Suffolk Downs facility and represents one of the largest remaining areas of salt marsh in Boston Harbor. The Belle Isle Marsh encompasses 275 acres of salt marsh, salt meadow, and tidal flats, and is part of the Rumney Marsh Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

Preventing animal waste from contaminating surface and ground waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011-2013.The initiative focuses on large and medium sized CAFOs that are discharging pollution without or in violation of a permit.

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/sterlingsuffolk.html


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

Press release:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 15, 2012

 Contacts: Paula Haschig, 617-918-1027 (EPA)
                Christine DiIorio-Sterling, 617- 748-3356 (US Attorney’s Office)

U.S. Attorney and EPA Announce Settlement with City of Fitchburg
Settlement Ensures that Fitchburg Addresses Wastewater and Storm Water Discharges

(Boston, Mass.—August 15, 2012) Under the terms of a Consent Decree lodged in federal court, the City of Fitchburg, Mass. will pay a civil penalty of $141,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act.   The City will also perform a Supplemental Environmental Project worth at least $100,000 and is implementing significant remedial measures to minimize future discharges of pollutants into the environment.

The Consent Decree is the result of 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 Mass. Department of Environmental Protection.  The complaint alleges that Fitchburg violated conditions of its permit controlling combined sewer overflows, bypassed wastewater flows around its secondary treatment system, violated numeric effluent limits on hundreds of occasions, and discharged untreated overflows from the collection system without permit authorization. 

United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, “the federal Clean Water Act was established to ensure that everyone is committed to making our rivers and streams safe and healthy for our children and future generations.  I am pleased that The City of Fitchburg is dedicating itself to achieving this goal by agreeing to today’s Consent Decree, ensuring that the Nashua River is not left behind.”                       

“This settlement ensures that a major source of pollution to the Nashua River will be controlled,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England region.  “It is satisfying that the City will build upon the progress it has already made in restoring the River, once again making it accessible for safe recreation.” 

The Consent Decree to resolve the enforcement action imposes a schedule for addressing the City’s collection system and waste water treatment plant deficiencies.  It identifies specific combined system projects to prevent and control combined sewer overflows from significant portions of the City’s Collection System.  The City will also be required to establish a Collection System operations and maintenance program to overcome systemic neglect of the Collection System.  Similarly, the City will be required to develop operational changes and system upgrades to enable the City to comply with all of its permit limits. 

Preventing sewage from contaminating surface and ground waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives.  The initiative continues EPA’s focus on municipal collection systems that are undersized or deteriorating.  Municipal wastewater presents significant health threats to those using contaminated waters for recreational use and downstream drinking water systems.

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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EPA Awards Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support

the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

 (DALLAS – July 27, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $11,419,000 to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The funds will be used by the state of Oklahoma to provide loans and other types of financial assistance to local communities and intermunicipal and interstate agencies for wastewater improvements. The loans will be used to improve water quality in streams, lakes and rivers benefiting aquatic life, drinking water sources and eliminating diseases caused by raw sewage discharges.

 The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program is authorized by the federal Clean Water Act to provide an innovative method of financing a range of environmental projects. Under the program, the EPA provides grants to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to capitalize state loan funds. The states, in turn, make loans to communities, individuals and others for high-priority water quality activities. As money is paid back into the revolving fund, new loans are made to other recipients to maintain water quality.

 Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

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

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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.

PUB Singapore Upgrades Changi Water Reclamation Plant with GE Advanced Technology

Press release:

03 July 2012

PUB Singapore Upgrades Changi Water Reclamation Plant with GE Advanced Technology

 

• GE to Supply EPC UES Holdings Pte Ltd with ZeeWeed* Advanced Membrane Bioreactor Technology
• Part of Singapore’s Master Plan for Water Sustainability over the next 100 Years, the Changi Facility is at the Heart of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System
• ZeeWeed is an Advanced Filtration Technology that Separates Particles, Bacteria and Viruses from Water and Wastewater

Singapore International Water WeekBooth #PO2
SINGAPORE—July 3, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) today announced at Singapore International Water Week 2012 that it will supply PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, with its advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater-treatment technology for an expansion of PUB’s Changi Water Reclamation Plant. GE will supply its ZeeWeed* technology to engineering, procurement and construction company UES Holdings Pte Ltd (UESH) for the Changi upgrade.

The Singapore-based Changi Water Reclamation Plant was first constructed in 2007 to initially treat 800 MLD or 800,000 m³/d. Once operational, the expanded plant will be able to handle a maximum wastewater flow of about 860 MLD or 860,000 m³/d.
Under the contract with UESH, GE will supply the Changi Water Reclamation Plant with MBR technology and equipment featuring ZeeWeed 500reinforced, hollow-fiber membranes, which have more than two decades of wastewater treatment and water reuse experience. GE also will provide cassettes, engineering design and commissioning support.

“Using GE’s advanced ZeeWeed MBR technology, the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant will provide superior effluent quality for both direct discharge to the environment or as feed water to Singapore’s NEWater program,” Johnson Tang, managing director, UESH.

As part of Singapore’s master plan for water sustainability over the next 100 years, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant is at the heart of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), a superhighway for collecting used water. The conceptual plan for the DTSS consists of two large deep tunnels that span the island conveying wastewater to two centralized wastewater treatment facilities. Phase 1 of the DTSS system was completed in 2008 and conveys wastewater from North and East Singapore to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. It comprises a 48 km long deep tunnel sewer running from Kranji to Changi, a centralized water reclamation plant at Changi, two 5 km long deep sea outfall pipes and 60 km of link sewer.

The treated used water from the Changi Water Reclamation Plant will then be discharged into the sea through deep sea outfall pipes or channeled to the Changi NEWater factory on the rooftop of the reclamation plant where it is further purified through advanced membrane technologies into NEWater, Singapore’s own brand of reclaimed water.

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.

Combined with the Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant, the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant will be GE’s second MBR plant for Singapore’s PUB. Counting drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant expansion will be GE’s fifth ultrafiltration/microfiltration membrane project with Singapore’s PUB. GE will ship the equipment to Singapore in the second and third quarter of 2013, and the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant is expected to be operational during the third or fourth quarter of 2013.

“PUB is one of the most influential public water agencies in the world and is known as an innovator that stays on the cutting edge of technology. With today’s announcement, GE’s ZeeWeed technology will be in two of Singapore’s water reclamation plants,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “MBR systems are considered the best available technology for virtually all wastewater treatment applications and GE’s ZeeWeed MBR systems are the most widely used, reinforced, hollow-fiber ultrafiltration technologies available today.”

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

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

Umicore Selects GE Technology to Help Remove Selenium, Other Heavy Metals from Recycling Plant’s Wastewater

Press release:

08 May 2012

Umicore Selects GE Technology to Help Remove Selenium, Other Heavy Metals from Recycling Plant’s Wastewater

 

• Project Represents First Full-Scale Rollout of GE’s ABMet* Technology in Europe
• Process Meets or Exceeds Stringent Standards for Selenium Removal

MUNICH, GERMANY—May 8, 2012—Umicore, a global leader in materials technology, has selected GE’s (NYSE: GE) Advanced Biological Metals Removal Process (ABMet*) wastewater bioreactor technology to remove selenium and other heavy metals from wastewater discharges at Umicore’s precious metals recycling facility near Antwerp, Belgium. The first full-scale installation of GE’s ABMet technology in Europe, this project will help Umicore to achieve low parts-per-billion (ppb) levels of heavy metals in wastewater discharges. Commercial operation will begin by the end of 2013.

ABMet is a proven, reliable way to remove elevated levels of selenium, nitrate and metals found in wastewater streams in many industrial, mining and utility applications, such as at coal-fired power plants. The simple, low-energy system can achieve up to 99 percent removal of selenium and can discharge treated effluent containing 5 ppb or less of selenium, depending on wastewater makeup.

In pilot trials performed at Umicore’s Hoboken, Belgium, facility, the ABMet system proved to be the ideal technology for this application. It employs biofilters seeded with selected strains of naturally occurring, non-pathogenic microorganisms to produce treated effluent wastewater that meets or exceeds the stringent regulatory standards for removal of selenium and other heavy metals. The ABMet system at Umicore’s Hoboken plant will be able to treat an average 160 m³/hour (1,013 gpm) of wastewater.

“GE’s ABMet technology is a key part of our strategy to be able to meet new regulations and also to demonstrate Umicore’s commitment to eco-friendly operations,” said Peter van Herck, manager environmental affairs, Umicore Hoboken. “This unique product helps us to meet important, but challenging regulations, because our facility produces a waste stream containing a varying makeup of metals, depending on what we are recycling.”

“GE’s ABMet wastewater bioreactor technology has demonstrated its advantages in many applications in North America, and now we are beginning to roll it out to Europe,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “GE always strives to provide the technology and expertise our customers need to solve their most difficult and important problems, and as the Umicore installation shows, this commitment delivers significant benefits to our customer.”

The Hoboken facility recovers a range of precious and specialty metals from recycled consumer and industrial goods, and as a result, produces a highly complex wastewater stream requiring different unit operations to remove and recover metals before discharge.

The ABMet system comprises microbes seeded in a bed of activated carbon that acts as a growth medium so that the microbes can create a biofilm. Wastewater passes through the biofilm and a reduction reaction occurs, facilitating the conversion of soluble selenium into elemental selenium, which is then removed from the system along with other metals and nitrate. A proprietary molasses-based product is used as a nutrient for the microbes, and other than the addition of the nutrient, the system is self-sustaining once established.

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 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.