ITT Aquious membrane filtration process wins Ontario certification

Sept. 25, 2005
Ontario communities that depend on surface water for drinking water now have a new government-approved treatment option. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (OMOE) recently issued a Certificate of Technology Assessment to Aquious -- PCI Membranes Systems of Milford, Ohio, for the Fyne Process nanofiltration system. Aquious-PCI Membrans Systems is a unit of ITT Advanced Water Treatment...

MILFORD, OH, Sept. 23, 2005 -- Ontario communities that depend on surface water for drinking water now have a new government-approved treatment option. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (OMOE) recently issued a Certificate of Technology Assessment to Aquious -- PCI Membranes Systems of Milford, Ohio, for the Fyne Process nanofiltration system. Aquious-PCI Membrans Systems is a unit of ITT Advanced Water Treatment.

Stringent regulations set forth by OMOE mean that small surface water treatment systems have to meet the same standards as conventional treatment plants used in larger municipalities. In the past, this has posed a considerable burden for small communities, where the skilled labor required to run what amounts to a miniature chemical plant is not readily available or affordable. The Fyne Process, however, is ideal for use in small communities. The systems are simple and automated enough to allow unattended operation, with intervention on no more than a weekly basis for routine operation and maintenance. The system can be monitored continuously and remotely through an internet connection.

First used in Scotland in 1992, the Fyne Process has become a popular option for communities that use surface water for their drinking water supply. There are now over 50 Aquious¿PCI installations run by the Scottish Water Authorities. In addition, Aquious¿PCI Fyne systems are used throughout small rural communities in North America with great levels of success.

The Fyne process uses nanofiltration membranes to retain undesired dissolved organic materials (mostly humic and fulvic acids) that, after chlorination, produce high levels of disinfection by-products like TTHM (trihalomethane) and HAA(5) (haloacetic acid). Studies have shown that TTHMs and HAA(5)s may be carcinogenic and their presence also has been linked to miscarriages.

In addition the membrane system reduces undesirable levels of iron and other metals, which may be found in these types of surface water. The membranes also hold back waterborne pathogens, microbes and viruses.

Small systems use proprietary half-inch tubular membrane filters, which can be used with minimal pre-filtration and which can be kept clean by periodically passing a foam ball down the length of the tubes. Larger systems are more economical when fitted with spiral nanofiltration membranes. This configuration requires up-stream pre-filters to remove suspended solids down to 10 microns. While a tubular membrane system may only require chemical cleaning 3-4 times per year, spiral systems must be chemically cleaned more frequently.

Aquious (www.aquious.itt.com) is a global leader in environmentally safe membrane technology and has been providing water treatment solutions for over 35 years. Its range of products and technologies include desalination, treatment of surface water, reuse and industrial process separation. With its own membrane manufacturing facility and in-house research and development group, Aquious is able to engineer filtration materials and systems that exactly match the customer's application requirements. Installation, commissioning, training and technical support services are also available.

ITT Industries Inc. (www.itt.com) supplies advanced technology products and services in key markets including: fluid and water management; defense communication, information technology and services; electronic components; and other specialty products. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated $6.8 billion in 2004 sales.

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In other company news, see: Moving Water: After Hurricane Katrina, amid chaos, ITT people and pumps are enabling disaster recovery efforts to move ahead quickly -- NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 21, 2005 -- It's mid-September, three weeks after Hurricane Katrina battered Louisiana and Mississippi. The water that rushed through New Orleans' broken levees and flooded the bowl-shaped city is returning to Lake Ponchartrain -- much of it flowing through ITT pumps. More than 70 huge ITT horizontal and vertical pumps form the heart of New Orleans storm protection system. At this time, nearly 50 of them are back online and pushing water over the repaired flood walls. The pumps didn't fail during the hurricane, but once the levees broke, they were underwater, unreachable and unusable. With no power and no place to move the water, the pumps couldn't perform their jobs. As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repair the levees, the ITT pumps are powered up, and in just a matter of hours and days, many Katrina-made "rivers" are becoming roads again...

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