Municipal Water Treatment
Municipal
Ozone is a sustainable and environmentally safe treatment for water that is chemical-free, energy-efficient and cost-effective.
It has been used for over 100 years for municipal drinking water and wastewater treatment.
Municipal Water Case Study
Town of Cobourg
Cobourg’s wastewater treatment facility had used chlorine as a disinfectant for its wastewater since 1969 and later added sulphur dioxide as a final step. In 2016, the town needed to test a chlorine-free wastewater treatment that would accomplish a number of goals.
OZONE ADVANTAGES
FOR MUNICIPALITIES
Ozone is an approved disinfection method for municipal drinking water and wastewater. Ozone water treatment technology currently in use in larger cities has not been affordable or practical for small-to-mid-sized areas.
Aclarus Ozone Systems are designed and engineered specifically for small-to-mid-sized municipalities – including First Nations communities – with populations of approximately 100,000 or less. They are cost-effective and can be installed on a small footprint, typically within the existing infrastructure.
Advantages over traditional disinfection for municipalities:
Fully Automated; minimal operator requirements
Environmentally Friendly; no harmful residual left in the water
Disinfects and sanitizes quickly and strongly, without chemicals
Neutralizes metals in the water, like iron, sulphur and manganese
Removes any colour, taste or smell with no pre-treatment required
Removes contaminants, such as pesticides, microbes, pharmaceuticals and microplastics
Produced onsite, removing the need to store and physically handle chemicals
Lowest Lifetime Operation Cost (LOC); and
Quick Return on Investment (ROI)
Ozone has no impact on pH levels in water and leaves no residue
Effective treatment of incoming water is an important step for municipalities to ensure the quality of their drinking water.
Ozone and post-filtration remove bacteria, chlorine and other chemicals, metals, and even many micro-pollutants such as hormones, pharmaceuticals, microplastics and petrochemicals from municipal water.
Appearance is also improved, as ozone removes colour, taste and smell from the water, an important benefit for municipalities.
Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Ozonation of wastewater from municipal treatment plants is an alternative to costly and dangerous chlorination/de-chlorination systems. Ozone can enhance existing ultraviolet light (UV) waste treatment systems and has a strong, very quick reaction that is beneficial to treat the wastewater. Aclarus systems meet or exceed the regulations set for pathogens such as bacteria in addition to treating harmful contaminants of emerging concern such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics.
Ground, Storm, Rainwater & Re-Use
Ground, storm and rainwater can be affected by surface influences and therefore require treatment before being discharged into waterways – a process that can strain municipal treatment plants. Few treatment solutions exist that match the ability of ozone to disinfect and remove colour, metals and other contaminants without the use of chemicals; manage high flow rates; deal with varying water quality from building to building; and, are fully automated and low-maintenance.
Using ozone for treatment means less stormwater to treat, reduced GHG emissions through improvements in potable water conservation and lower costs for building and business owners.
Aclarus Ozone Treatments:
Eliminates Chemical Byproducts
Ozone eliminates residual chlorine, sulphur dioxide, and chlorine-containing organic by-products (e.g. trihalomethanes), preventing them from entering local waterways.
Destroys Pathogens
E. coli is reduced by 99.9% within seconds of contact with ozone. Lowering pathogen levels in the local waterways will assist municipalities in protecting public safety.
Protects Aquatic Life
Oxygen dissolved in water as ozone will revert back to oxygen as levels increase in the water. Fish populations benefit from the increased oxygen content in waterways, and the ozone treatment also removes colour and odour for truly clean discharge quality;
Fully Automated
Including remote access and control to provide ease of use and improved safety.
Chemical Free
Ozone treatment is completely free of chemicals, resulting in a sustainable solution.
Removes Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
CECs such as microplastics are entering the environment at unacceptable levels. Ozone technology outperforms other treatment technologies and can significantly degrade or completely destroy microplastics in the treatment process. Ozone also effectively eliminates other CECs, such as pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals.
Easily Retrofitted with Existing Equipment
Ozone can enhance or replace existing chemical systems while using existing infrastructure to minimize capital costs and enhanced integration. The modular equipment, with automated controls, allows for easy expansion and redundancy.
Low Lifecycle Costs
Operating costs for ozone are low, which provides municipalities with quick ROI in addition to safe, clean and sustainable water.
Ozone Safety
Cost Comparison
Wastewater plants need safe and reliable technologies to provide final disinfection to remove pathogens from wastewater prior to discharging it into the environment. Operators need safe and reliable systems that are practical and easy to use.
Ozone is generated at the time of use which eliminates the need for bulk chemical storage. In the event of an ozone leak, an ozone sensor will shut down the system, activate a warning light, and turn on an exhaust fan. The warning light will deactivate once ambient conditions are safe for human entry. Even without the ventilation fan, the ozone would break down spontaneously within minutes of its release.
The average operational cost of the Aclarus Ozone System is approximately 5-10 cents per 1,000 litres of treated water, offering the lowest Lifetime Operating Cost (LOC) compared to other technology and a quick Return on Investment.
Aclarus Ozone systems are found in a wide range of applications – including municipal operations – precisely because they are a cost-effective and reliable treatment. There is significant independent research demonstrating the savings for municipalities.