Chemical dosing pump assists in arsenic removal in groundwater wells

Equipped with Blue-White’s built-in Tube Failure Detection System (TFD), the FLEXO Model M3 dosing pumps installed at the Mammoth Lakes Water District assist in the treatment of the town’s water and removal of the arsenic.

Mammoth Lakes is a resort town located in the Sierra Mountain Range of North Eastern California, the US. The area is known for both winter and summer tourist activities and as such, the town experience a high seasonal demand on its water resources during those times when it encounters a large influx of tourists.

The towns’ drinking water resources consist of nine well, as well as fresh water from Lake Mary, situated above the town. Mammoth Community Water District developed two groundwater and one surface water treatment stations to purify the drinking water.

The problem
Arsenic is present in the well water and it was imperative the Water District install a system which would successfully remove the arsenic and render the water safe for human consumption.

Mammoth Water District utilities sodium hypochlorite (NaCIO) and ferric chloride (FeCL3) in a multi-step arsenic removal process. Injection of these chemicals into the raw groundwater transform the arsenic molecules into a precipitate, which can then be filtered out of the water.

In addition, the water in one of the wells requires a higher concentration of the chemical to achieve optimum arsenic removal. Operators segregated this well during treatment, which lead to an overall reduction in chemical consumption, and related costs. The treated water could then be reintegrated with that of the other wells.

The full article is published on the latest edition of Water & Wastewater Asia Jul/Aug 2021 issue. To continue reading the article, click here.