Nitrate contamination of drinking water has been increasing in many agricultural regions and become a concern for many water works. Rohm and Haas Advanced AMBERPACK municipal system for the removal of nitrate is easy to operate and minimizes brine waste volume to 0.3 % -1 % of the water produced while generating yields superior to 99 %.
In certain agricultural areas, the groundwater contains elevated levels of nitrate. Nitrate comes from fertilizers and too much nitrate can sometimes be harmful to very young babies1. In Europe, the maximum concentration of nitrate authorized is 50 mg/L water, whereas the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 establishes the maximum at 10 mg/L. Municipalities are seeking for the most efficient, cost-effective and simple solution to nitrate contamination of drinking water.The Advanced AMBERPACK municipal system for nitrate removal combines a Rohm and Haas highly selective nitrate removal resin with patented fractal distribution technology developed by Amalgamated Research Inc. The result is a simple, compact and modular system with an exceptionally low volume waste stream. Nitrate selective resins like the AMBERLITE PWA5 nitrate selective resin used in Advanced AMBERPACK municipal system for nitrate removal have a better affinity for nitrate than for chloride, sulphate and bicarbonate compared to conventional strongly basic resins, which allows for more efficient removal of nitrate from water. The resin is registered in Europe for water applications. Minimizing waste is the key to making ion exchange processes sustainable and economical. The Advanced AMBERPACK municipal system with the fractal distribution technology can minimize brine waste volumes to 0.3 % to 1 % of the total water produced, generating yields superior to 99 %. The system yields near perfect plug flow, greatly reducing the mixing between brine fraction and rinse fraction of the regenerant stream, thus reducing waste to near low theoretical levels. Additional features also contribute to the low waste performance: the flat head design practically eliminates the excess water retained in typical dished head pressure vessels and the recovered rinse water tank allows further decrease of the service water. The Advanced AMBERPACK municipal system has a simple and modular design. It can be adapted to customer needs based on distinct potable water treatment specifications. Vessels can be operated independently and in parallel. When skid mounted, the foot print is 3,5 m x 1,8 m for 2 service vessels skid and 2 and 3,5 m x 2,2 m for the regeneration skid, with a height of 3 m. This low profile and small footprint allow for non obstructive placement onto small well site for the community and can save on land and building cost for new sites. Moreover, Rohm and Haas will be soon commercializing a Residuals Management system for Nitrate Destruction. |
