LG Sonic, American Water Partner to Monitor, Control Algal Blooms

American Water and LG Sonic have formed a partnership to perform ultrasonic algae control in water treatment plants. This makes LG Sonic the first European company to become a certified innovation partner of American Water.

Blue-green algae cause problems when blooming in lakes and water reservoirs, such as health issues, fish deaths and odor problems. In order to provide an environmentally friendly solution to these problems, LG Sonic developed the MPC-Buoy, a floating solar-powered platform that emits specific ultrasonic parameters to target the algae present. In 2014, American Water installed four buoys in a drinking water reservoir at the Canoe Brook water treatment plant in Short Hills, N.J. Testing conducted during 2014 showed that the installed buoys had a significant impact on the algae, allowing the treatment plant to reduce chemical consumption by more than 20% and reducing the concentration of compounds that can cause undesirable tastes and odors.

Based on the results of this study, American Water plans to purchase buoys for other reservoirs impacted by algae and is looking at other uses including, clarification basins, waste backwash lagoons and wastewater/reuse applications. In March 2015 American Water and LG Sonic received a Business Achievement Award from Environmental Business Journal for this algae control project.

The MPC-Buoy is a solar-powered system that combines continuous online water quality monitoring, Web-based software, and ultrasonic technology to effectively control harmful algal blooms in large water surfaces, such as lakes and drinking water reservoirs. At this moment, the MPC-Buoy is installed in lakes and water reservoirs in, among other countries, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Malaysia and Poland.

Source: LG Sonic