MINNETONKA, Minn., November 19, 2001 — Osmonics Inc. has received an order from the City of Ottawa, Ill., to build four MUNI Series reverse osmosis (RO) systems valued at $1.65 million.
The RO systems will purify the city's entire drinking water supply, treating four million gallons of water per day and serving 18,500 residents. Key components of the RO systems are 840 Osmonics 815-LE (PA) replaceable membrane elements, which remove most organic compounds, 98 percent of all ions and reject more than 99 percent of all viruses, bacteria and pyrogens in water.
Ottawa's new water treatment facility is under construction and the filtration equipment is expected to be operational in February 2002. Each of the four MUNI Series reverse osmosis systems will be constructed at Osmonics' ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility located in Minnetonka, Minn. The MUNI Series systems are shipped as a fully tested package and ready for immediate installation, saving Ottawa the cost of on-site development and integration.
"The City of Ottawa is the latest of several central Illinois cities that are using reverse osmosis technology to improve the quality of their water," said Curt Weitnauer, vice president and general manager of Osmonics' Process Water Group. "In building its new water treatment facility, Ottawa engineers chose RO technology because it proved to be the most economical option, eliminating the need to spend money on additional property or pay for treating excess waste."
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mandates that a city's drinking water may have no more than 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of radium. Currently, Ottawa has between 3.8 and 12.4 pCi/L of radium in the groundwater from its four wells. Osmonics replaceable membrane elements remove radium from the city's drinking water, helping Ottawa meet the SDWA standards. At the same time, the equipment will soften the water and improve its overall quality without adding sodium.
For more than 30 years, Osmonics has been known for high quality membrane equipment used in industrial processing. The company has recently released a new line of municipal water treatment systems designed to help communities meet the 1996 SDWA amendments. Osmonics expects to see continued growth in this part of its business. Due to its vertical integration and manufacturing expertise, Osmonics is uniquely positioned to be the leader in the municipal membrane water treatment market.
Osmonics is a manufacturer and worldwide marketer of high-technology water purification and fluid filtration, fluid separation and fluid handling equipment, as well as the replaceable components used in purification, filtration, and separation equipment. These products are used by a broad range of industrial, commercial, household and institutional customers. Osmonics is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OSM.
For further information on Osmonics' proven solutions for water treatment, visit the company's web site at www.osmonics.com.
