Find out how much you can save by switching to ClariPhos; for phosphorus removal.
DATE POSTED: March 29, 2021
How do you decide which coagulant provides the best value for phosphorus removal at your wastewater treatment plant? For most, it might be a simple comparison of bulk costs for alum- or ferric-based coagulants from supplier A vs. supplier B.
But ClariPhos™, a new rare-earth coagulant, changes the game—offering significant performance advantages over conventional coagulants and new opportunities for savings that go beyond simple price comparisons.
Less sludge = more savings
ClariPhos rare earth elements have a high affinity for phosphorus and bond at a 1:1 molar ratio, unlike Fe or Al coagulants that bond at a ratio of 5:2 or more. As a result, ClariPhos is dosed at rates that are 30 to 70% lower than alternatives and produces a corresponding reduction in sludge volume.
Treatment plants that are using rare earth coagulant report sludge reductions of up to 50%. They also experience significant improvements in sludge dewaterability—with solids concentration in dewatered materials increasing by as much as 40%. With these benefits, treatment plants that use ClariPhos can potentially reduce sludge management costs by tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Here’s proof. A 0.77 MGD treatment plant in the United States is saving over $70,000 per year in sludge management after switching to rare earth coagulant. Operators were able to reduce belt press operation by 80% and experienced a 40% improvement in sludge dewatering. With a smaller volume of drier sludge to handle, the plant also benefits from a 59% reduction in the amount of sludge that is transported to landfill.
ClariPhos reduces pH adjustment costs too
ClariPhos also contributes to lower costs for pH adjustment chemicals. That’s because it is about 100 times less acidic than alum and is far less likely to impact the pH of the treatment process. Some treatment plants have been able to eliminate pH adjustment entirely after switching to a rare earth coagulant, providing additional savings in chemical costs.
We’ll do the math and show you the savings
In just a few minutes, we can calculate how ClariPhos can reduce your chemical and sludge management costs. We’ll compare your current phosphorus removal program and sludge management costs and provide an estimate of ClariPhos performance and savings.
From there, it’s easy to switch. ClariPhos requires no special chemical feed equipment and will often work with the existing pumps. Our team will work with your operators to select the best dose location and rate and optimize the treatment process to deliver the best results through steady conditions as well as variable flows and loads.
Learn more about ClariPhos rare earth coagulant.
Contact us to find out how much you can save by switching to ClariPhos.
Rare earth coagulant helps Hartford, WI achieve stringent phosphorus limit of 0.075mg/L
DATE POSTED: May 22, 2020
When the state of Wisconsin created stringent new water quality standards in 2013 to protect surface waters from eutrophication, about 400 treatment plants received tough new discharge limits for total phosphorus, ranging between 0.5 and 0.04 mg/L.
Though many of the treatment plants already had chemical phosphorus removal systems in place, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) estimated that most would not be able to comply with the new standard without additional equipment such as biological phosphorus removal, sand filtration, rapid mix and flocculation chemical removal or others. Chemical coagulation alone, it was assumed, would not be able to achieve the low phosphorus limit.
One plant, the City of Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility (HWPCF), decided to try Neo rare earth coagulant to see if the chemical could enable it to achieve a new, ultra-low phosphorus discharge permit of 0.075 mg/L. If it worked, the plant would likely be able to avoid spending $2.8 million for new nutrient removal equipment, along with higher annual maintenance and operating costs that would accompany that approach.
HWPCF switched its ferrous chloride coagulant with Neo RE100, and within a three-week equilibration time was able to consistently maintain average total phosphorus in treated effluent from an average influent level of 7.3 mg/L to an average of 0.072 mg/L in final effluent. This was a remarkable achievement since attempts to reach 0.075 mg/L with ferrous chloride were unsuccessful. Even ferrous chloride doses as high as 120 ppm could only reduce phosphorus in final effluent to 0.3 mg/L.
Cold-weather testing with Neo RE100 was also very successful. A study from December to March showed that the rare earth coagulant could consistently reduce average total phosphorus to 0.036 mg/L in final effluent.
Neo RE100 and RE300 are able to achieve this high level of phosphorus removal because it incorporates rare earth elements Cerium and Lanthanum that bind tightly to phosphorus and form a dense precipitate that readily settles out of solution within minutes.
Since switching to Neo RE100, the plant has also experienced better sludge settling, a 35% reduction in solids production and reduced odour in the non-potable water system.
Read the full case study for the Hartford Water Pollution Control Plant and the successful use of Neo RE300 rare earth coagulant.
Learn more about RE300 rare earth coagulant.
Contact us to discuss how Neo RE300 can help you achieve ultra-low phosphorus limits without costly tertiary filtration systems.
Here’s a New Year resolution you can stick to – achieving lower phosphorus limits
DATE POSTED: January 29, 2020
The New Year has come and gone, which means we all should be making good progress on achieving—or abandoning—our commitments for personal improvement in 2020. Maybe your treatment plant is also in need of improving some of its processes—such as phosphorus removal. This might be necessary to ensure consistent regulatory compliance, reduce chemical or sludge handling costs, or to hit a new, more stringent phosphorus limit.
Regardless of the reason, new, rare earth coagulant offers a fast, simple and cost-effective way to dramatically reduce phosphorus discharge that’s much easier to achieve than going to the gym four times per week or getting more sleep.
With ClariPhos™ rare earth coagulant, treatment plants can reduce phosphorus levels as low as 0.07 mg/L, using far less chemical and without the need to spend millions for a tertiary filtration system. That’s because the rare earth elements in ClariPhos, cerium and lanthanum, bind tightly to phosphorus to form a dense precipitate that settles up to two times faster than alternatives. This helps clarifiers operate more efficiently, lower chemical consumption, reduce sludge production by 30-50% and improve solids dewatering by 30% or more.
Easily switch to ClariPhos by simply replacing current coagulant
In most cases, plant operators can simply replace conventional alum or ferric coagulants with ClariPhos to easily and cost-effectively improve the chemical precipitation and settling of phosphorus. ClariPhos requires no special chemical feed equipment and will often work with existing feed pumps.
Dozens of treatment plants have already switched to ClariPhos to meet tough phosphorus limits and gain many other operational benefits.
In one example, a 3.4 MGD municipal wastewater treatment plant tested Neo rare earth coagulant for its ability to meet a new final water quality effluent limit on phosphorus of 0.075 mg/L.
The trial showed that the coagulant alone could consistently reduce phosphorus in the treated effluent to 0.036 mg/L. This result was far superior to what the plant was able to achieve with its conventional coagulant, ferrous chloride, which could only reduce phosphorus to an average of 0.5 mg/L. After switching to Neo rare earth coagulant, the plant was also able to avoid installing new nutrient removal equipment, at an estimated cost of $2.8 million, and reduce solids production by about 35%.
Learn more about ClariPhos rare-earth coagulant for phosphorus reduction and the operational benefits it can bring to your plant.
Contact us to discuss an ClariPhos test at your treatment plant.