• At WEFTEC.09, GE Power & Water to demonstrate its commitment to a sustainable water supply through reuse
ORLANDO, FL, Oct. 12, 2009 -- As drought conditions and water availability continue to plague parts of the world, including the southern United States, GE Power & Water is showcasing its water reuse solutions for industrial and municipal applications at WEFTEC.09, the Water Environment Federation's Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), water scarcity affects one in three people around the globe. Even in a developed country such as the United States, most states expect water shortages during the next decade. As the world faces growing water scarcity challenges, the need for conservation and recycling of water is more important than ever before.
Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions, as stated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Addressing these challenges, GE has a wide variety of products and services designed to filter, purify and reuse water and wastewater.
"Water is one of our most precious natural resources and we are proud to help municipalities and industrial clients reuse water in innovative ways," said Steve Watzeck, vice president of engineered systems for GE's water technologies business. "GE's advanced technology solutions are part of an all-important water management strategy being implemented throughout the world to combat water scarcity due to climate change, drought, population growth and waste."
GE's ZeeWeed® membrane technology has been proven for more than two decades for wastewater treatment and water reuse. GE has the world's largest installed base of membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems that use ZeeWeed ultrafiltration (UF) membranes to produce the highest quality of water for reuse.
More than 600 of GE's ZeeWeed 500 MBR plants are in operation, in design or under construction worldwide and are becoming widely deployed for small to very large municipal and industrial plants. One of the largest MBR plants, currently under design in Las Vegas, Nev., is expected to treat approximately 50 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater at peak flow.
GE continues to supply membranes for large capacity plants across the globe, providing an alternate source of non-potable water and reducing the impact on receiving waters. The business is committed to investing significantly in technology development and providing advancements to its line of ZeeWeed products including the Z-MOD packaged systems for wastewater treatment and water reuse.
During the WEFTEC.09 conference, GE will introduce its new compact ZeeWeed 500D-16, which is ideal for small capacity water reuse plants. This product provides flexibility in design and operation, requires low head room and has a maximum of 16 module population. The ZeeWeed 500D-16 has up to a 40 percent increase in treatment capacity and up to 75 percent reduction in energy consumption with patented 10/30 aeration system. Like other members of the ZeeWeed family, the ZeeWed 500D-16 product line has robust performance that meets and often exceeds tough discharge and reuse standards.
GE also is highlighting its recently introduced ZeeWeed 1500 product for water reuse in tertiary applications. The ZeeWeed 1500 expands the versatility of GE's UF offering and provides existing plant operators with the ability to add on an additional system, providing a broader choice for water shortage needs.
In addition, GE Power & Water is announcing upgrades to its Z-MOD packaged systems. The new advancements make it ideal for rapid integration with existing biological systems. The Z-MOD is a fully integrated, skid-mounted system with a compact design that reduces capital and construction costs. This option has treatment capacities up to four MGD and the treated effluent meets Title 22 standards.
At WEFTEC.09, GE is showcasing its reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technologies. EDR is an electrochemical separation process that removes ions and other charged species from water and other fluids. GE's new EDR2020 is a pre-engineered system that ensures fast delivery, smooth start up and improved reliability for customers.
RO separation technology is used to remove dissolved impurities from water through the use of a semi-permeable membrane. GE provides RO systems for purification of wastewaters that can be reused for irrigation and industrial applications. GE's new RO integrated concentrate recovery (ICR) system recovers 50 percent of the typical RO concentrate water that would otherwise go to drain. GE's ICR improves the overall RO recovery, which is usually approximately 75 percent, up to between 85 to 90 percent.
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com/. GE is Imagination at Work.
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