DICKINSON, N.D., Oct. 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The GridBee® Floating Spray Nozzle TTHM Removal System from Medora Corporation has helped the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts earn “Outstanding Water/Wastewater Treatment Project of the Year” from the America Society of Civil Engineers Los Angeles Branch.

The six-month study tested the effectiveness of the GridBee aeration system for reducing total trihalomethanes (TTHM) to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct Rule. The aeration technology, designed for 1 MGD flow rate, helped Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts reduce total trihalomethanes concentration by 80 percent.

The study was conducted at Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts’ Anaverde tank site, one of seven tank sites located at the end of the distribution system in Palmdale. During the span of the study, the aeration system reduced the TTHM concentration from 138 ppb to 28 ppb, well below the limit of 80 ppb.

Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts evaluated many different options for compliance with the new drinking standard, including using granular activated carbon (GAC) filters. The GAC system would have required extensive new facilities at an estimated cost of $17.8 million, plus high annual operating costs. And, according to Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts, it would have required an approximately 50 percent increase of customer water bills. In comparison, the Gridbee aeration system had an initial cost of less than $100,000 and an annual operating cost of $19,000—just a fraction of the cost of the GAC system.

“The study showed us the GridBee aeration system is innovative, efficient and cost effective,” said Jerome Palma, civil engineering assistant, Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts, “and as a result we have installed the GridBee aeration system permanently in the Anaverde tank.”

How it works

The GridBee spray nozzle aeration system is effective at removing all four species of regulated trihalomethanes, ensuring compliance with total trihalomethane regulations. The system is a pre-engineered, easy-to-install package that is scalable to fit individual requirements. It is also portable so that it can be moved to a different tank in the future if desired. A submersible pump pulls water from the floor of the tank and pushes it through the spray nozzles where THMs are volatilized. And if there is more flow through the tank than the stripping system is picking up, a mixer is placed in the short circuit path between the tank inlet and outlet to prevent any untreated water from ever leaving the tank. An included blower continuously exhausts the volatized TTHM from the tank headspace. During the winter in cold climates, the spray nozzle function can be switched off while allowing the mixing function to perform, preventing ice damage in the tank.

About Medora Corporation

GridBee® and SolarBee® brand products from Medora Corporation provide mixing, TTHM removal and disinfectant boosting solutions to solve difficult problems in potable water treatment and storage. For more information, call 866-437-8076 or visit www.medoraco.com.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=36744

CONTACT: Agency contact:
         
         Mary Jones
         
         Creative Communications Consultants, Inc.
         
         (612) 338-5098
         
         [email protected]