With clean water an ever increasing concern throughout the country—particularly in parts of the arid West—many of our clients are searching for new water supplies. There are several solutions to this problem:

Reuse

Often, one of the best sources is reuse of existing supplies. Water reuse is catching on from places like Denver, Colorado, to wetter parts of the country. It takes several forms, but in certain areas it’s a critical component of water supply. In Colorado, one of the more basic forms of reuse is using treated wastewater effluent for irrigation or industrial supplies, used in cooling towers. Currently, we’re seeing more pressure to implement what is referred to as ‘indirect potable reuse,’ where wastewater effluent is put back into a natural system—such as a reservoir—and then retreated and used to supplement a community’s potable water supply.

Long Distance Conveyance

Long distance conveyance is also increasing as population centers and water supplies are getting farther apart. We’ve been involved in a number of projects that convey water through long distances—at times several hundred miles—from source to point-of-use. We’re also involved in the preliminary planning stages of several projects in the West that could transfer water across state lines for use in large population centers.

Desalinization

Desalinization will likely become more prominent as the quantity of fresh water supply decreases. As water reuse increases, the salinity of the water tends to increase. Over time, this can lead to the need for desalination facilities. In coastal areas, desalination of seawater is becoming increasingly cost effective as fresh supplies become more constrained.

Nutrient Removal

Wastewater treatment plant nutrient removal is spreading from estuarine areas like the Chesapeake Bay to various places around the country. At some point the Mississippi river watershed is likely to be impacted due to water quality issues in the Gulf of Mexico. The Environmental Protection Agency is pushing for more stringent nutrient limits in wastewater discharges nationwide and more advanced treatment systems will be needed to meet these new criteria.

In helping our clients in their search for clean water supplies, we’ve conducted pilot studies and are pioneering some new technologies for removing organic and so-called "emerging contaminants" from reuse water. Based on our research in Colorado, we’ve designed an indirect potable reuse treatment facility that will be the first of its kind in the world. The facility will utilize ceramic membranes paired with a unique recirculating, powder-activated, carbon process to cost effectively remove emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals to produce high quality potable water.