By Jill Majka
Bacteria in wastewater must be killed so that no infectious matter is released into the environment. In order to minimize damage to aquatic plants and organisms that are important to the ecosystem, chlorinated wastewater must be dechlorinated. Most state regulatory agencies require that no measurable chlorine residual be allowed to enter receiving waters in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. These regulatory trends bring to light the need for a complete chlorination and dechlorination system in the wastewater industry.
Regal manufactures an entire system for such needs – the Regal gas chlorinator, gas sulphonator, and gas detector.
The Regal Gas Chlorinator is an all-vacuum system which virtually eliminates the possibility of gas leaks. Made with just 68 parts, it is easy to maintain and clean, reducing downtime and minimizing operating costs. It is available in sizes designed to dispense from 1.5 to 2,000 pounds per day.
During the chlorination process, enough chlorine is added to satisfy the demand, plus a slight excess to provide a measurable residual to meet regulations. The chlorine residual must then be removed before discharging the treated wastewater. The process of dechlorination is best achieved by using sulfur dioxide gas.
The Regal Gas Sulphonator is used to feed sulfur dioxide gas, which reacts with both free and combined chlorine to form compounds that may be discharged into the environment with minimum damage to the aquatic life. The company's gas sulphonator is built with heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant or corrosion-proof vital parts, making it trouble free and long lasting. It ranges in capacity from four to 500 pounds per day.
In the unlikely event of a chlorine or sulfur gas leak, Regal manufactures a gas detector to provide an even greater safety measure. It features an audible and relay warning alarm at 1 ppm for chlorine and at 2 ppm for sulfur dioxide, as well as a danger alarm at 3 ppm for chlorine and at 5 ppm for sulfur dioxide.
Chlorine is also a popular disinfectant of potable water, in part because it leaves a measurable residual. One of the great advantages of chlorine is that the technician can analyze the residual at any place along the water line. If the water line breaks and dirt enters the line, the only way to know if the water is still disinfected is by the measurable residual.
Ammoniators are also used in wastewater treatment to help sustain aquatic life by improving the environment for aerobic organisms through the introduction of nitrogen. Ammonia prevents the formation of disinfection by-products that may be hazardous. And of course ammonia is excellent at controlling odor. The Regal Gas Ammoniator is built with rugged materials designed to resist the effects of ammonia. The product has provided years of service in the water disinfection industry. It is available in four to 100 pounds per day capacities.
When potable water contains the precursors that can form trihalomethanes (THMs,) ammonia gas also is used in addition to chlorine to prevent the formation of these disinfection by-products. This is important because the federal government has placed maximum allowable concentration level limits on THMs in potable water.
Regal systems can be manual or fully automated using the company's SmartValve™, which can operate in a flow-proportional, step rate, residual only, or compound loop control mode. The company also offers cylinder scales, vacuum monitors and serial-to-analog converters to form a complete system.
About the Author:
Jill Majka is employed at Chlorinators Incorporated, Stuart, FL, and specializes in product development, research and marketing. Her family has been involved in the gas chlorination business for over 30 years. She can be contacted at 772-288-4854 or via [email protected].
