Strong growth forecast for wastewater treatment in Latin America
Healthy growth is forecast for process and environmental equipment in Latin America, according to McIlvaine Company reports on world markets for liquid filtration, pumps, and valves. Municipal wastewater treatment is one of the big potential markets for this type of equipment.
In general industries using process and environmental equipment are growing in the region. Manufacturing in Brazil increased from 39 percent of the gross domestic profit (gdp) in 2004 to 40 percent last year. Latin American GDP is expected to rise 3.6 percent this year compared to two percent for Europe.
Less than 12 percent of municipal wastewater generated in the region receives secondary treatment. Potentially, the upgrade of existing primary treatment plants and construction of treatment plants where untreated sewage is now directly discharged into waterways represent billions of dollars in future sales of process and environmental equipment.
Two factors account for McIlvaine’s rosy predictions -- the demand for Brazilian ethanol and Chilean metals is fueling the demand for process and environmental equipment. Consequently, the market for pumps is expected to grow from just under $2 million this year to $2.8 in 2010 in the Americas except for Canada and the USA, according to the McIlvaine report “Pumps: World Markets.” In addition, annual sales of vales in Latin America will rise from $3.2 billion to $3.9 billion by 2010 (Website: www.mcilvainecompany.com)
Aqua America to acquire NY Water Service Corporation
Aqua America, Inc. reached an agreement with Utilities & Industries Corp, LLC to acquire New York Water Service Corporation for US$ 51 million.
New York Water Service provides public water to approximately 135,000 residents in the highly populated, southeastern Nassau County, Long Island, New York, and in the communities of Merrick, North Merrick, Bellmore, North Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, and portions of Levittown and Massapequa.
“This acquisition expands our New York operation and provides the critical mass and economic base necessary to become one of the major water companies in New York and take advantage of other growth opportunities throughout the state,” said Aqua America Chairman Nicholas DeBenedictis. It will expand Aqua America’s overall customer base by more than five percent. The New York operation will extend far beyond the 3,000 residents currently served in the Westchester County area of the state and become Aqua America’s seventh largest state operation. Aqua America, Inc., is the largest US-based, publicly traded water utility, serving more than 2.5 million residents in 13 US states.
Earth Tech consortium signs Northern Ireland’s first water public-private partnership
Earth Tech Engineering Ltd., as part of the Dalriada Water Limited consortium, signed a 25-year contract with Northern Ireland’s Department for Regional Development Water Service on 30 May 2006 to undertake Northern Ireland’s first public-private partnership drinking water project.
The Dalriada Water consortium is comprised of Earth Tech, Kelda Group, and Farrans. Earth Tech, a business unit of Tyco International Ltd. and a global provider of consulting, engineering and construction services, will provide design and construction management services for the project. The existing water treatment facilities located at Ballinrees, Castor Bay, Forked Bridge, Dunore Point and Moyola will remain under Water Service ownership and the Dalriada Water Limited consortium will be responsible for upgrading the facilities and associated infrastructure. Water Service will continue to operate the sites until this upgrade is complete.
The US $207.4-million capital investment program will bring the treatment system, which provides almost half of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, into compliance with European Union standards and improve its quality. In addition, the Dalriada Water team will install new water distribution mains leading from the treatment facilities to reservoirs at some of the sites. The project involves work and services procured under a design/ build/finance/operate contract.
Dalriada Water will begin construction immediately. The existing facilities will remain in operation until the refurbished plants are in service. Once completed, the new infrastructure will provide 400 million liters per day of fresh drinking water. Construction is scheduled for completion by mid-September 2008. Once the treatment facilities are online, Dalriada Water will operate and maintain the improved facilities for 23 years.
Earth Tech is also collaborating with Kelda on Project Aquatrine, the United Kingdom’s largest public-private water initiative, and the Aberdeen wastewater treatment facility in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, Earth Tech and Farrans have jointly built many water and wastewater plants, including Dorisland, Derg, Mourne, Lough Macrory, Carran Hill, Fofanny and Clay Lake.
Field Notes
USA: The American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) elected James L. Barnard, PhD, Pr Eng, Black & Veatch Water’s global technology and practice leader for advanced biological treatment, as this year’s Honorary Board Certified Environmental Engineer. Dr. Barnard was honored in recognition of his position of eminence in the environmental engineering field and sustained contributions to environmental engineering.
Dr. Barnard is internationally recognized for developing the Bardenpho (BARnard DENitrification and PHOsphorus removal) and Phoredox (including AO and A2O) processes, the first and most successful biological nutrient removal (BNR) process configurations on which all others are based. For more than 44 years, his professional contributions have included applied research, project-specific solutions and sharing his extensive understanding of BNR through courses and seminars at universities, institutions and conferences worldwide. Dr. Barnard, who introduced BNR to North America many years ago, has designed more than 100 nutrient removal plants and extensions, from South Africa to Canada. (Web: www.aaee.net)
USA: The City of Tulare, California, awarded two further contracts to Atkins and Faithful+Gould team after successfully delivering the first phase of work. This $630,000 commission will involve Atkins providing services relating to the upgrade of an industrial wastewater treatment plant. The work will include a six-month pilot study of two separate treatment technologies and design review services, contract negotiation and management of the construction procurement process.
Tulare decided to build the industrial treatment plant to meet the needs of the dairy processing industries in the region. Atkins completed the first phase of the project to review upgrade options and select a design consultant. The next phase will run from May 2006 through to May 2007 when the final design and specifications will be put out to bid for the construction phase, due to be completed by October 2009.
USA: The Hilltown Water and Sewer Authority, which serves Hilltown Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania installed a 300-gallon per minute SORB 33® arsenic removal system using Bayoxide® E33 media from Severn Trent Services (STS). The system features the first use of Severn Trent’s Omni-SORBT iron and manganese pre-treatment system.
Arsenic levels in groundwater at the Hilltown water system measure 15 parts per billion (ppb), compared to the new EPA standard of 10 ppb. In addition, the system’s groundwater contains elevated levels of iron and manganese, which create mineral deposits in household bathtubs and toilets. STS designed a three-stage adsorber vessel treatment technology in which the Omni-SORB pre-treatment system removes the iron and manganese prior to water entering an adsorber containing the Bayoxide E33 media for arsenic removal. The coagulation and filtration process reduces arsenic levels when the water’s iron-to-arsenic weight ratio exceeds 25.
