Starting or maintaining chemical phosphorus removal during a Canadian winter can challenge even the most experienced wastewater operators. Low temperatures can cause conventional coagulants to gel or freeze, damage pumps and feed lines, and increase operating costs for energy-intensive heat tracing systems, insulation, and equipment replacement. Unreliable coagulant dosing can also cause treatment plants to experience non-compliance in effluent phosphorus concentration.

ClariPhos® can remain in liquid state to -40°C and provides a reliable solution for maintaining phosphorus removal. Unlike many conventional coagulants that require indoor storage and heated piping, ClariPhos can remain outdoors year round at many treatment plants. Totes can be positioned outside, near the dose point, and with a simple pump and chemical feed line can maintain continuous phosphorus removal–even through prolonged periods of extreme cold.

The rare earth elements in ClariPhos – cerium and lanthanum – react preferentially with phosphate, which dramatically reduces the amount of coagulant needed to achieve phosphorus limits. Most treatment plants that switch to rare earth coagulant use three to four times less than aluminum- or iron-based coagulants. That provides another cold-weather advantage since less chemical needs to be transported, stored, and handled.

ClariPhos can also reduce or eliminate the need for pH adjustment since it is about 100 times less acidic than alternatives. A lower dose of a less acidic coagulant means many treatment plants can not only eliminate caustic use, but also the associated freeze protections that are required during winter. As a result, operators can further reduce costs, improve safety and reduce chemical storage and handling.

Switching or starting ClariPhos phosphorus removal is easy, since it can be dosed with the same types of pumps as other coagulants. For treatment plants that were commissioned without built-in coagulant dosing systems, ClariPhos can be added quickly, for a fraction of the capital and installation cost of alum or ferric systems–potentially avoiding costs for bulk tanks, underground piping, freeze protection and electrical upgrades.

Learn more about ClariPhos and how to overcome the challenges of cold-weather phosphorus removal.

Contact us to discuss a ClariPhos trial or full-scale switch for your wastewater treatment plant.