Conference Presentation Illustrates Value and Cost-Saving Potential of On-line Zeta Potential in Water Treatment

Malvern Instruments and Aurora Water presented new research on the value of online zeta potential measurements for water treatment at the 2014 RMSAWWA/RMWEA Joint Annual Conference, Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (7-10 September).

Presented by Alon Vaisman, Malvern Instruments Product Development Manager - Process Systems, and Kirk Watson, Water Treatment Superintendent Aurora Water, the talk reviewed how award-winning water treatment organisation Aurora Water is using both off and on-line zeta potential tools to monitor and control water treatment processes.

Employing zeta potential measurements within water treatment has helped Aurora Water achieve greater control over coagulation processes and develop more effective operating strategies. Highly sensitive and reliable analytical tools have enabled plant operators to reduce chemical coagulant costs in the region of 15-20% and assisted in predicting floc performance.

Water purification facilities typically use a variety of chemical and physical treatments to remove organic, inorganic and bacterial contaminants in order to purify water to the point where it is safe for human use. However, the need to respond rapidly to sudden fluctuations in the raw water composition often results in over treatment and excessive use of costly chemical additives. Insightful, real-time measurements with Malvern Instruments’ online Zetasizer WT is enabling Aurora Water to optimise the chemical response to variations in water quality, secure greater process control and reduce the manual effort expended on analysis.