Aluminum and iron-based coagulants are acidic, which means the more you add for phosphorus reduction, the more likely you are to lower the pH of the wastewater system. Consequently, wastewater plants must have pH adjustment measures in place to protect microbial populations from unfavourable conditions and to ensure the pH of treated effluent complies with discharge regulations. For operators, it means handling dangerous chemicals, more rigorous testing and monitoring, and unfortunately, increased exposure to safety risks when completing those tasks.

ClariPhos® Rare Earth Coagulant can dramatically reduce or even eliminate pH swings caused by chemical phosphorus precipitation and help improve operator safety at the same time. This unique, non-hazardous coagulant is up to 100x less acidic than Al- or Fe-based alternatives and can achieve better phosphorus removal with a far lower dose—anywhere from 30 to 70% lower dose, depending on the P removal requirement.

By simply switching coagulants, operators can gain several health and safety benefits:

• Lower ClariPhos dose rate enables operators to dramatically lower the volume of coagulant that is stored and handled in the plant.
• Reduced impact on pH allows operators to decrease or eliminate the use, handling and storage of dangerous pH adjustment chemicals.
• Non-hazardous, non-toxic rating reduces PPE requirements and the potential for operator injury.
• Low ClariPhos freeze temperature (-40°C) permits outdoor storage in totes or bulk tanks
• Inhibits struvite buildup on pumps and staining of equipment, decreasing maintenance requirements and the associated risks of injury or exposure to pathogens

ClariPhos also provides significant improvements in phosphorus removal and sludge management. Treatment plants using ClariPhos can:

• Achieve P level as low as 0.07 mg/L or better without the need for tertiary filtration
• Reduce sludge production by 30 to 50%
• Improve sludge dewaterability by 40%

Switching to ClariPhos is easy.

In most cases, the existing dosing equipment can be used for ClariPhos. So far, we’ve only encountered one issue—occasionally a smaller pump must be installed to ensure precise control of the low ClariPhos dose rate!