Air Products Hosts Florida Water Reuse Seminar

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. – Rising populations coupled with limited water resources have driven communities around the world to begin reusing their wastewater streams. However, increasing levels of microconstituents such as pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) have forced municipalities to turn to new technologies to manage their water resources. These are just some of the learnings from a recent water reuse seminar in Deerfield Beach, Fla., sponsored by Air Products (NYSE:APD) and Heyward Incorporated.

Renowned water reuse expert and keynote speaker, Dr.Shane Snyder, research and development project manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority, noted that all water has been, or will be reused and that global sustainability depends on water recycling.

To overcome the challenges of rising populations and urban density coupled with the rise in detectable levels of microconstituents, communities have turned to advanced methods of water treatment including ozone advanced oxidation technologies. “Ozone is the most promising technology that can efficiently and thoroughly provide disinfection and reduction of most emerging contaminants,” said Snyder.

In fact, Air Products’ Halia™ Advanced Oxidation System incorporating the HiPOx® technology, an ozone-based advanced oxidation process (AOP), has recently been granted conditional acceptance by the California Department of Public Health for unrestricted water reuse under Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. This acceptance makes the HiPOx reactor the first ozone-based technology validated to meet disinfection criteria for treating wastewater and making it available for several water reuse applications including unrestricted irrigation, aquifier storage recharge, and many other nonpotable and potable reuse applications.

The HiPOx technology is a packaged water treatment system with a unique plug flow reactor that efficiently injects and mixes ozone with hydrogen peroxide to maximize the production of hydroxyl free radicals. Hydroxyl free radicals are the most powerful oxidants available for water treatment to destroy pathogens and difficult to treat organic contaminants including 1,4-dioxane, chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, and EDC. The HiPOx reactor has the flexibility to operate in either ozone only mode or AOP mode with peroxide addition. Additionally, in the AOP mode, HiPOx technology has the capability to provide patented bromate control.

Beyond disinfection, several studies have been conducted on the presence of EDCs, pharmaceuticals, and other emerging contaminants in drinking water and wastewater. Ozone and ozone-based AOP have been shown to provide superior results over conventional ultra violet and chlorine-based disinfection technologies. While many EDCs and other trace organics are not yet regulated, it is anticipated these emerging compounds will guide water treatment design and technology selection in the future. HiPOx technology provides a superior platform for meeting both water reuse disinfection guidelines and destroying EDCs and other trace organics for the proactive protection of human health and the environment.