Palm Beach County installed and commissioned a Tonka Water, a U.S. Water Brand (Tonka Water) Organix™ ion exchange system downstream from lime softening in 2008 to address issues with Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Disinfection Byproduct Precursors (DBPs), and excessive color in their finished water. The original seven-vessel system is rated at 10 MGD.
Pleased with the performance of the original system, the decision was made by the county to add additional ion exchange capacity for TOC and color removal. Throughout the design phase, U.S. Water assisted in designing what would become a cost-effective addition of fourteen vessels and 20 MGD of additional treatment capacity. New innovations were incorporated into the system design ensuring efficient, state-of-the-art cleaning and regeneration. The system, now a twenty-one vessel, 30 MGD capacity system at water treatment plant #8, is one of the largest municipal ion exchange systems for organics removal or otherwise, in the United States.
Water treatment begins with lime softening, first moving through a clarifier and gravity filter for the treatment of solids. Water then flows into the ion exchange system where the removal of TOC and color occur. Leveraging years of filter backwash experience, lime solids carryover, or any solids accumulation from an upset, are now easily managed with the addition of airwash grids. The airwash grids break up solids prior to backwash and regeneration.
This treatment process has been highly efficient in delivering high quality water as indicated below. U.S. Water is proud to have assisted the community in achieving its treatment goals.
Florida Treatment Plant Expands Ion Exchange System to Treat TOC and Color
