• $5.1M contract signed for largest U.S. and world's second largest MIEX® installation
GADSDEN, AL, Sept. 27, 2010 -- Hot on the heels of Orica Watercare Inc. announcing an order for the largest U.S. MIEX® installation at Palm Beach County, Florida, a contract has been signed with the Water Works & Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden (Gadsden WWSB), Alabama for what will be the new largest U.S. MIEX® installation. The MIEX® process is an advanced ion exchange system for drinking water treatment developed by Orica Watercare Inc. for the removal of organic carbon, a precursor to the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
At a design capacity of 24 MGD, Gadsden will also have the second largest MIEX® Installation in the world on start-up in 2012. The US$5.125 Million contract was signed by Gadsden WWSB on August 24 for the purchase of MIEX® process equipment and the initial resin inventory. Consulting engineering firm Goodwyn Mills and Cawood and local consultant Jones, Blair, Waldrup & Tucker have been contracted to manage the design and installation of the water treatment plant upgrade.
"After a thorough evaluation of all options, the MIEX® Process was selected due to superior organic carbon removal which should produce the required water quality to meet the future EPA Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule," said Joseph Owens, General Manager of the Water Works & Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden. "We also evaluated pretreatment with chlorine dioxide and carbon adsorption which were not effective while enhanced coagulation followed by membrane filtration did not reduce organic carbon levels to the degree that we would be confident of meeting the future DBP standards," said Owens.
The EPA Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule will require water treatment systems to meet standards for trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) at all points in the distribution system whereas currently water utilities calculate average levels across the distribution system to determine compliance. Many utilities will therefore be required to improve the removal of DBP precursors prior to disinfection to achieve compliance with the new EPA Rule which comes into effect for large systems serving over 100,000 people in April 2012. All remaining systems will need to be in compliance by October 2013. With over 16,000 customers from the city of Gadsden in addition to supplying water to nine other municipalities and cooperatives, Gadsden WWSB will be amongst the first water utilities required to meet the new DBP standards.
"We have seen a significant increase in interest from large water systems in using the MIEX® technology to comply with the EPA Stage 2 DBP Rule," said Shane Jones, President of Orica Watercare Inc. "We are very excited that the Water Works & Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden has selected this technology which brings the number of MIEX® Systems in North America that are currently operating or in design/construction to thirty three," said Jones.
About Orica Watercare Inc.
Orica Watercare Inc. is the manufacturer of MIEX® Systems and MIEX® Ion Exchange Resins for the reduction of Disinfection By-Products, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Color, Nitrate and Arsenic from water & wastewater streams. Orica Watercare Inc., headquartered in Denver, CO is a subsidiary of the Orica group of companies. The Orica group is the largest supplier of water treatment and industrial chemicals in Australia and New Zealand and is the world's largest supplier of commercial explosives. Visit http://www.miexresin.com for more information on Orica Watercare Inc. and the MIEX® Technology.
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