ASIA

Field Notes

SINGAPORE: CH2M Hill launched PowerSeraya Ltd.’s new SWRO desalination plant at an official opening ceremony Jan. 29. The facility, engineered, procured and constructed (EPC) by the Colorado, USA-based engineering firm on an 18-month fast-track schedule, is the world’s first such full-scale plant to use large-diameter SWRO membrane technology. Located on the petrochemical hub of Jurong Island, it uses 16” diameter membrane elements, instead of current industry standard 8” diameter ones – resulting in major capital and operating cost savings.

CHINA: Calgon Carbon Corp. won a contract in excess of $1.5 million by Huntsman Textile Effects (Qingdao) Co. Ltd. to supply activated carbon adsorption equipment for wastewater treatment, and to provide reactivation services. It has supplied three carbon adsorption vessels containing 60,000 pounds of activated carbon for wastewater treatment at Huntsman’s manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China.

AUSTRALIA: After the worst drought on record, Brisbane residents in the past couple of weeks hit what is the new British target of 120 L/d per person. But it has been a three-year haul to get there from the 277 L/d per person pre-drought. The Brisbane drought began in 2001 but restrictions didn’t come into force until May 2005. Rapidly tightened by the state government, businesses had to cut water consumption by 25%, residents were set a target of 140 L/d per person and 800 litres per household, and only those aged over 70 were allowed to water their gardens on a limited basis. Over 80 thousand rainwater tanks also were installed, funded partly by local and state government subsidies.

CHINA: Hyflux was awarded three water treatment projects worth about US$28.92 million in China, including: operation of a 30,000 m³/day potable water plant in Jiangxi Province, Leping District, and a contract to build/own/operate a 20,000m³/day wastewater treatment plant in Jiangsu Province, Funing District; as well as a contract to build/operate a 60,000 m³/day potable water plant in Hunan Province, Taoyuan City. With these three new projects, Hyflux now has under operation and construction 31 municipal projects in China.

NEW ZEALAND: Former Tyco International unit Earth Tech Inc., recently bought by AECOM Technology Corp. for $510 million in cash, began work on the $39.9 million Mangawhai EcoCare Wastewater Scheme near Auckland, which includes collection, pumping, treatment and disposal of all wastewater and biosolids. In other news, Earth Tech Canada will use 125 Isco 2100 Series flow meters from Avensys Environmental Solutions in the Regional Muncipality of York’s wastewater systems in Ontario, Canada, for a region-wide analysis of wet and dry weather flows in each of the region’s nine municipalities – an order worth $500,000 to Avensys.

CHINA: GRP pipe producer TTCM China Inc.commenced the GwangXi BeiHai Water Diversion project worth $5.3 million after winning the flood control scheme bid in June 2007. TTCM also updated the status of the previously announced Pan-Jin City LiaoNing Province Water Supply Project worth $13.2 million, of which 10,000 meters has been delivered. It’s expected to be completed by the end of May.

Hydranautics, Mitsubishi join on water reuse in Singapore

Hydranautics/Nitto Denko Corp. and Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering Co. Ltd (MRE) have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Public Utility Board (PUB), the Singaporean water administration branch, for a joint development of wastewater reclamation technologies using separation membranes.

Currently 80% or more of NEWater generated by PUB – well over a million 16.9-oz. bottles each per day – is produced using Hydranautics’ reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.

MRE’s MBR-based test plant at Bedok Sewage Treatment Works in Singapore has cemented MRE’s solid PUB presence in microfiltration (MF) membrane performance.

The new triad formed by the MOU will provide MBR technology for treating activated sludge as well as RO membrane technology for a future large-scale water reclamation facility to be constructed in Singapore.

In other news, Hydranautics’ SWC5 spiral wound RO element received Japan’s 2007 Nikkei Keizai Shimbun Award for Excellence, the highest-ranked among the Nikkei Superior Products and Services (NSPS) Awards given to new products and services deemed especially superior. Winners were chosen from some 20,000 products.

Siemens awarded wastewater system in Turkey’s Inegol Industrial Zone

Siemens Water Technologies received a €5.5 million award to provide a wastewater treatment system and associated piping, instrumentation and engineering to the Inegol Industrial Zone in Inegol, Turkey. The system – consisting of a BioFlowsheet+ Solution, consisting of a VertiCel aeration system, Flocculating Energy Dissipating Well Arrangement (FEDWA) clarifiers with the Tow-Bro Unitube sludge removal header and the Cannibal solids reduction system – will increase the capacity of Inegol’s wastewater treatment plant, while lowering costs.

Siemens will also provide piping and instrumentation for the system, scheduled to be commissioned in mid-2009, in addition to all the electrical and automation systems for the entire plant. The contract will increase the plant’s capacity from 55,000 m³/d to 130,000 m³/d. It includes a warranty for the biological process to ensure the plant meets effluent quality levels. In other news, Siemens was chosen to supply:

Wastewater and ultrapure water treatment systems for a new, US$80 million Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) nanotechnology research center in Atlanta, USA.
Equipment for the new 50-MGD Aurora Reservoir Water Treatment Plant, which is part of the Prairie Waters Project for the city of Aurora, Colorado, USA – a $2.9 million deal for Siemens.

Making Waves

Among other recent headlines at www.wwinternational.com, see:

Fairmount Minerals, Aqua Clara purifiers go to Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru
Alstom plastic pipe replaces concrete in French power plant cooling water intake
World Bank backs irrigation, water, sanitation efforts in Pakistan, Yemen, Kenya
Water For People grows in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Dominican Rep., Rwanda, Uganda
NSF Int’l, Hach honored with U.S. Commerce Department export certificates
Georg Fischer stronger in microelectronics piping with Simona AG J.V. takeover
WEF, IWA report global support of World Water Monitoring Day up 61% in 2007
GLV Pulp & Paper Group awarded $34 million in contracts in Asia, Europe, Americas
SUEZ’s United Water, Jersey City sign 10-year, $13 million annual water contract
Datamatic, Fluid Conservation Systems to integrate AMR platforms for leak detection
Gates Foundation backs IRC water, sanitation costs analysis with €9.86 million grant
Basin Water to market Purifics ES Inc.’s drinking water technology in North America
GB Environmental to combine UV, water filtration equipment under GB Municipal
UK potable water & sewerage report projects decline in infrastructure investment
HOBAS Pipe lands microtunneling pipe projects in Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovakia
Clearwater, Florida, grit removal project breaks record for Hydro International
Enpure bags anaerobic MBT plants for Greater Manchester Waste PFI scheme
Sweden’s Josab International wins disaster relief order from UK’s Floatdene
KSB lays foundation stone for new Frankenthal, Germany, pump factory
Air Products signs license agreement with Applied Process Technology
25-mgd Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant now fully operational
Christ Water changes name of U.S. unit, wins large order in Romania
Wessex Water uses Sensus meters in bulk water metering evaluation
Huntingdon Fusion Technologies Ltd. celebrates 30 years in business
Morgan Est chief safety advisor to chair Birmingham EHS Association
Saudi water, sewage network requires $40 billion investment - Minister
Emerson delivers 750,000th Fisher Fieldvue smart digital valve controller
French engineering group Sogreah completes design studies for Qatar port
Alfa Laval heat exchangers deployed for energy recovery in Southeast Asia
Control Microsystems, AutoSol partner to expand SCADA management software
Australia’s Optimatics conducts optimization study for California utility district
SWECO, Hand in Hand prepare for environmental projects in India
Saudi government sets up US$5.87 billion National Water Company
EC court gives France final warning on wastewater treatment violations
Ecolab buys Ecovation, Niagara Blower buys Kathabar, Lindsay buys Watertronics
Corzan CPVC piping chosen for use in Beijing Olympic pool
Heraeus Noblelight expands UV disinfection efforts in China
Neptune, Fluid Conservation Systems form AMR, leak alliance
Toro Company, ITT Flowtronex enter into sales/marketing alliance
Ashbrook Simon-Hartley acquires Colorado aeration company
Trelleborg epros opens new office in Singapore