Case Histories
 

BACKGROUND

 

The Town of Breckenridge (Town), Colorado commissioned a new conventional water treatment facility in 2020, with surface water as it’s primary source. After commissioning, the facility sought to optimize coagulant dosing with the goal of minimizing pretreatment solids carryover, maximizing filter run times, and improving solids dewatering capability. To achieve these goals, Marmac Water proposed a full-scale trial using an automated coagulant dosing system.

 

Marmac Water was contracted to conduct jar testing to determine the feasibility of incorporating our LowDoseTM automated coagulant dosing system. On-site jar testing, review of operational data and observation of process performance determined that overdosing of coagulant was the primary cause of plant performance issues. We recommended a full-scale demonstration which was initiated in mid October and ran for thirty days.

 

Control panel, analyzer installation and SCADA integration took only one day to install. The LowDoseTM software incorporates an on-line zeta potential analyzer as well as additional inputs pulled from the plant SCADA system. Full-time input monitoring provides optimized coagulant dosing which maintains desired particle charge of carryover particles discharging from the inclined plate settler to the filter. This optimized dosing improves filter run times and reduces produced sludge volume. This optimized control reduces coagulant demand, increases rilter run times and provides enhanced dewatering.

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RESULTS

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• Fully automated dosing

• Reduced coagulant demand • Reduced filter head-loss

• Extended filter run time

• Improved recycle performance

• Improved dewatering

• Turbidity event mitigation

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IMPROVEMENTS