Lytton, British Columbia November 12, 2014 UBC-based research consortium takes new technologies on the road with mobile pilot plant Determining and validating the best water treatment technologies to meet the unique needs of small, rural and First Nations communities (SRCs) has gone mobile thanks to a public-private consortium that puts these communities at the heart of the innovation process. RES’EAU-WaterNET is a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Strategic Network founded in 2008 and is based at the University of British Columbia (UBC). This year, RES’EAU WaterNET and its partners launched a mobile water treatment pilot plant. This lab-on-wheels can be deployed to any community. It contains a range of water treatment systems, including various filtration and disinfection types. The pilot plant is at the forefront of RES’EAU WaterNET’s Community Circle program. The program takes the latest research findings into the real world. It allows the incorporation of stakeholders’ experience and insight at the earliest stages of the problem-solving process. The team works closely with communities to understand the limitations and constraints they face and identify research priorities. The ultimate goal is to produce novel, integrated solutions that are effective for the community.

Fig. 1 - The new RES’EAU WaterNET mobile plant is parked on a hillside to pilot test the raw water at Lytton First Nation (Nickeyeah IR25), BC. L. to R. Irfan Gehlen (KWL), Lytton FN Operators Warren Brown & Jim Brown, Ted Molyneux (AANDC), Madjid Mohseni (UBC/RES’EAU) and George Thorpe (BIPW).

                                                                                                                                                                                   

The Living Lab consists of a 6.4 meter (21 foot) long dual axle cargo trailer transformed into a flexible water treatment pilot plant. It contains a wide range of water treatment systems including: various types of filtration to filter different sizes of particles, an ion exchange unit, an activated carbon unit, and both conventional and vacuum UV systems for disinfection. A chlorination unit provides residual disinfection when required. The mobile plant uses the raw water at the community as its water source, therefore researching the treatment technologies under real-world conditions. The system is designed to evaluate various treatment processes for effectiveness, depending on source.

Fig. 2 - Research is underway to determine how ultraviolet irradiation (vacuum UV) can be utilized with low flow rates to remove organics like tannins, disinfection by-product precursors, and chemicals of emerging concerns that are becoming more common in many water supplies.

“As a research network that focuses on overcoming the distinct environmental, socio-economic and technological challenges Canada’s small water systems face, we are excited to have the mobile plant on the road,” said Dr. Madjid Mohseni, scientific director for RES’EAU-WaterNET. “The mobile facility will allow us to bring research impacts to the communities that need them most, so we can assess which technologies meet their requirements. This allows the research, and its findings, to be tailored directly to the community’s requirements and needs based on the quality and type of their source water.” The Lytton First Nation (Nickeyeah IR25), BC, has undergone comprehensive water systems upgrades this fall. The upgrades included the construction of a new water intake, a new water treatment plant, and reservoir. Prior consultations were held with the community’s personnel in order to obtain first-hand opinions regarding the existing treatment system, and the future system’s operation. As part of the consultations, it was also brought to light that residents disliked the unstable chlorine residual that resulted from changes in organic content of the source water.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

“It is important for the success of the project to have sufficient community input during the design phase,” says Jim Brown, maintenance manager and operation supervisor at Lytton First Nation. Mr. Brown organized the community input and fully collaborated with the RES’EAU team at various stages of the project. “We require a cost-effective system that can handle our source water challenges, and one that can be operated reliably using the resources we have in the community”, he further stated. The mobile trailer was first deployed in Lytton First Nation (Nickeyeah IR25), BC, earlier this summer. The results and operation served three purposes: 1) to investigate different water treatment technologies. 2) to gather data for the design of Nickeyeah IR25’s new water treatment plant, and 3) to provide training to the water operators in Lytton First Nation in order to obtain feedback on the system. The results of the experimental runs were used to design the Nickeyeah IR25’s new treatment plant, which employs several types of filtration, UV disinfection (for primary disinfection), and chlorine (for secondary disinfection). The new water treatment plant in Nickeyeah IR 25 was designed more efficiently with results from the pilot testing and feedback from the water operators incorporated in the design. The operators were exposed to the operation and maintenance of the systems in the trailer, which are the similar to those in the new treatment plant. The outcome of the water operator’s training resulted in the water operators being capable of keeping the system running at peak efficiency. “The mobile water treatment pilot plant gives us the advantage of selecting and testing specific components in real time to confirm that they are cost-effective for any specific water source,” Dr. Mohseni says. He further stated: “With precise in-situ treatment results, we can pinpoint design requirements, initial costs, and operations and maintenance requirements, all in the context of a specific community’s needs. But the process really begins and ends with the people in the community”. For the operation of the plant at Lytton First Nation, John Bergese was the research engineer and project coordinator, with assistance from various UBC engineering students, mainly David Goertsen. In regards to the opportunities this initiative could lead to, John stated: “Taking the research from a dark room laboratory to the field was inspiring, although some difficulties were encountered along the way. It is a great tool for conducting research, and to train students and community operators. They get to sense what it feels like being in the laboratory while being in the real world”. The trailer will also investigate various water research topics. The parallel installation of a conventional UV lamp with a vacuum UV lamps (Fig. 2) will compare UV and VUV irradiations with small flows (<15 L/min), for the removal of organics, disinfection by-products precursors, and chemicals of emerging concern that are becoming more common in many water supplies. A chemical metering tank (Fig. 3) installed before the lamps allows for the dosing of emerging contaminants or microbiological contaminants for the specified research questions. Partners who collaborated on the development of the Community Circle program were: UBC, the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies (PWSI), IC-IMPACTS Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), with industry leaders: Trojan Technologies and BI Pure Water Inc. RES-EAU also worked closely with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) during the plant’s design and rollout.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Fig. 3 - Ion exchange vessels and chemical metering systems are just two of the six water treatment components that can be combined in the mobile water treatment pilot plant.

BI Pure Water (BIPW) specializes in reviewing water quality test results, analyzing customer needs and then prescribing the most cost-effective solution. BIPW engineers pilot, design, manufacture, install, start-up and commission package water treatment plants. The operators are then trained and the plants can be serviced on a regular basis. BIPW focuses on small and medium-sized water treatment plants to meet the needs of Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments, Industrial Process, Mining Camps, Private Water Systems, Resorts and First Nations communities. BI Pure Water package water treatment plants are cost-effective because: - The water treatment plants are custom engineered to a specific water analysis and budget. - The plant can be built in the Port Kells factory where the trained staff works. - The completed water treatment plant is leak- and flow- tested at the factory.

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