Parks, Campgrounds, Workcamps and Ozone Treatment

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, particularly in Europe. For small-to-midsized recreation areas, parks, campgrounds and workcamps, with populations up to 100,000, Aclarus Ozone provides water treatment solutions for the following operational challenges:

  • Drinking Water

  • Wastewater and Re-Use

  • Groundwater and Rainwater

 

 

Ozone Advantages for Parks, Campgrounds & Workcamps

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 for small-to-midsized communities such as parks and campgrounds. However, Aclarus Ozone Systems are designed and engineered specifically for small-to-midsized applications – with populations of approximately 100,000 or less. They are cost-effective and can be installed on a small footprint, typically within existing infrastructure. Furthermore, they can be easily installed in mobile containers for remote workcamps, such as required in the mining and forestry industries.

Ozone is increasingly used for these applications sector because it has the following advantages over traditional disinfection methods:

Environmentally friendly; no harmful residual left in the water;

Disinfects and sanitizes quickly, without chemicals;

Removes bacteria, viruses, cysts, organic and inorganic contaminants; reduces waterborne diseases;

Neutralizes unhealthy minerals, like iron, sulphur and manganese;

Removes contaminants, such as pesticides, organic matter, various microbes, pharmaceuticals and micro-plastics;

Removes any colour, taste or odour;

Produced onsite, removing the need to purchase, store and physically handle chemicals;

Lowers operating costs because there is no need for expensive chemicals or UV bulbs;

Quick Return on Investment (ROI)

 

SANDBANKS PARK DRINKING WATER - CASE STUDY

Facing water quality, expansion and operational concerns, Sandbanks Park converted from chlorine to ozone and saw immediate benefits.

Aclarus Water Treatment Solutions

 
 

Drinking Water

Effective treatment of the incoming water source is an important step to ensure the quality of drinking water. Different sources of water will require different treatment methods and levels of treatment.

Ozone solves multiple treatment issues safely and efficiently. It works to very quickly disinfect and treat water without chemicals, and the treated water is of premium quality, with no chemical residual. Dissolved oxygen is the only by-product, which is an environmental benefit for fish and marine life in the effluent in the receiving waterway.

Regardless of the source of the water, ozone will remove bacteria, viruses, chlorine and other chemicals and even many micro-pollutants such as hormones, pharmaceuticals. Aclarus treatment systems can also be engineered to remove microplastics, iron, manganese, sulfur, petrochemicals etc. Aclarus ozone also removes colour, taste and odour from the water, all very important aesthetic benefits.  

Ozone has no impact on pH levels in the water and leaves no residual, as it breaks down to oxygen before use.

 

 

Wastewater and ReUse, Groundwater and Rainwater

Many municipalities have regulations to ensure that wastewater effluent has acceptable levels of pathogenic bacteria (e.g. E. coli). Traditionally chlorine was the accepted solution to disinfect wastewater. To avoid the harmful effects of chlorine, regulations require most municipalities to have less than 0.02mg/L of chlorine entering the environment. This restriction often requires the use of more chemicals – such as sulphur dioxide – to remove excess chlorine from the treated wastewater. The addition of sulphur dioxide to neutralize chlorine is an additional cost that adds even more harmful chemicals to our waterways. Aclarus ozone disinfects without the need for consumables, such as chlorine, which in turn offers significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Ozonation in wastewater treatment operations is an alternative to costly and dangerous chlorination/de-chlorination systems. Ozone:

  • Eliminates chemical by-products: Converting to ozone will eliminate 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 keeping beaches open during the summer;

  • Protects Aquatic Life: Pilot studies have shown that ozone residual drops to 0.0 mg/L by the midpoint of a contact chamber. As the ozone levels increase, the dissolved oxygen in the effluent increases and fish populations benefit from the increased oxygen content in waterways;

  • Removes Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs): Studies have shown that CECs such as microplastics are entering the environment at unacceptable levels. Studies have also shown that ozone technology out-performed other treatment technologies and can significantly degrade or completely destroy microplastics in the treatment process. (See study references below). Ozone also effectively eliminates other CECs, such as pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals.

Ozone can also enhance existing ultraviolet light (UV) waste treatment systems used by municipalities. UV requires clear water to work properly, and ozone can be added as a pre-treatment to clear the water and remove CECs. In addition, when ozone is used after UV disinfection, it has a strong, very quick reaction that is beneficial to treating the wastewater.

 

Aclarus Ozone Systems Overview

 

Aclarus Ozone systems generate ozone on-site, with an ozone level calibrated for each application and flow rate. The systems are scalable to accommodate microbreweries to large-scale operations and they offer advanced ozone generation, mixing and control systems for reliable and accurate treatment.

Aclarus systems are easily retrofitted into existing facilities and are modular, to allow expansion when required. They can range from simple on/off systems to fully programmable control systems with remote monitoring, alarm integration, ozone dose control and more.

Aclarus’ advanced saturation systems maximize ozone transfer into water at an average of over 90% compared with traditional transfer rates of approximately 10%. Using inline monitors, the water is measured for automated control to either increase or decrease the ozone level to remain at a setpoint for optimal function.

Following ozonation, the water is filtered and then ozone is either removed for incoming use or remains in the water for use in sanitation. In many cases ozone can work in a closed loop CIP to greatly lessen water use and waste.

Aclarus Ozone systems also remove excess ozone from the water and destroy it, limiting potential off-gassing by using integrated air monitors for safe workspaces.

 

Safety

Wastewater treatment operations require safe and reliable technologies 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 on-site, at the time of use. This eliminates the need for bulk chemical storage, as is the case for chlorine. In the event of an ozone leak, an ozone sensor will shut down the system, activate a flashing red warning light, and turn on an exhaust fan. The flashing red light will deactivate once ambient conditions are safe for entry. Even without the ventilation fan, the ozone would break down spontaneously within minutes of its release.

A chlorine leak, on the other hand, requires operators take extreme safety precautions prior to entering the room. They must wear protective suits to prevent skin contact and use self- contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to prevent inhalation. Ventilation of chlorine to the outside, without prior neutralization, presents a safety concern for bystanders.

Studies have also shown that chlorine can react with organic components of the wastewater effluent to form carcinogens such as trihalomethane. By contrast, ozone does not react with organic components; rather, it breaks down into organic compounds.

 

Cost Comparison

There is a common perception that ozone is an unaffordable approach to water treatment. In fact, 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 industrial and municipal operations, precisely because they are a cost-effective and reliable treatment. Aclarus advanced and affordable designs have brought ozone to multiple markets that have not previously used ozone.

 
 
 

References

Baresel, C., and M. Olshammar. 2019.
On the Importance of Sanitary Sewer Overflow on the Total Discharge of Microplastics from Sewage Water. Journal of Environmental Protection. 2019(10):1105-1118.

 

Crew, A., I. Gregory-Eaves, and A. Ricciardi. 2020.
Distribution, abundance, and diversity of microplastics in the upper St. Lawrence River. Environmental Pollution (online February 2020).

 

Conley, K., A. Clum, J. Deepe, H. Lane, and B. Beckingham. 2019.
Wastewater treatment plants as a source of microplastics to an urban estuary: Removal efficiencies and loading per capita over one year. Water Research X. 3(1).

 
 
 

Do you have an ozone related question?

Read past responses or submit your question for Adam Doran Aclarus Co-Founder!