USFilter to provide world's largest electrodeionization system for Consolidated Edison

PALM DESERT, Calif., Sept. 25, 2001 — USFilter announced today it was awarded a contract to provide a 6,700 gallon-per-minute water treatment system for Con Edison's East River Repowering Project (ERRP) in New York City.

The water system will include the largest electrodeionization (EDI) installation in the world with USFilter's CDI-LX systems. USFilter will also supply multimedia filters, reverse osmosis equipment and an Auto-Pulse Tubular Backpulse Filter to remove suspended solids from the wastewater generated during multimedia backwash.

Con Edison's ERRP involves the installation of new, high-efficiency steam equipment in the currently unused section of the East River Generating Station on Manhattan's 14th Street.

The project will produce up to 3.0 million lbs/hr of steam and 360 MW of electricity at a lower overall cost and with much lower levels of air emissions than the Waterside Generating Station on 38th Street. Once the ERRP is completed, Con Edison will close the Waterside station and remove its three stacks and four boilers.

USFilter developed its proprietary continuous deionization technology over a decade ago, and has installed over 1,300 CDI( systems in power plants, semiconductor facilities and biopharmaceutical companies worldwide. The CDI-LX systems, specifically engineered for the power industry with B31.1 stainless steel piping, are designed to meet Con Edison's high-purity-water standards for conductivity and silica.

"We're very pleased to be using USFilter's CDI-LX systems, which will allow us to meet our water quality specification without having to use hazardous regeneration chemicals required by conventional ion exchange systems," said Robert Colonna, senior engineer at Con Edison.

Said Frank Firsching, president and chief operating officer of USFilter's System's Group, "USFilter is excited to have been selected by Con Edison to help them meet the growing power needs of their customer base by providing our advanced electrodeionization technology."

The water treatment system is scheduled for delivery in August 2002. The Washington Group of Princeton, NJ is the engineer on the project.

USFilter is a Vivendi Water company, the global provider of commercial, industrial, municipal and residential water and wastewater treatment systems, products and services, with operations in more than 100 countries. Together, Vivendi Water, Onyx (solid waste and industrial services), Dalkia (energy management), and Connex (transportation and logistics) comprise Vivendi Environnement, the largest environmental services company in the world with annual revenues of more than $23 billion. USFilter invites you to visit its web site at http://www.usfilter.com.