Chicago Selects UV Wastewater Treatment Solution

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) selected TrojanUV’s newest wastewater ultraviolet light disinfection system, the TrojanUVSigna, for use at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant located in Skokie, Ill. The TrojanUVSigna system is designed for large-scale wastewater disinfection applications, making adoption of UV disinfection easier, reducing the total cost of ownership compared to chemical disinfection and simplifying maintenance for the wastewater treatment plant operations staff. UV disinfection is a physical process that inactivates bacteria, viruses and protozoa, making wastewater safe to discharge back to the environment.

The Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant is an activated sludge, single-stage nitrification plant. The plant began operation in 1928 and currently serves more than 1.3 million people in a 141-sq-mile service area. The plant currently discharges secondary effluent from the secondary clarifiers into the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River, which is part of the Chicago Area Water System (CAWS) that is designated for primary contact recreational use. Recent regulations have required the facility to add a disinfection process to further enhance the water quality of the discharging effluent.

The TrojanUVSigna was selected by MWRD for installation at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant for its benefits, including:

• Lowest number of UV lamps required and ease of operation and maintenance
• Low total installed capital cost and long-term operating cost
• Suitability for seasonal operation
• System design features and Trojan’s overall experience and support

Trojan will be supplying 14 UV banks equipped with TrojanUV Solo Lamp Technology. The UV system in Chicago will have a flow capacity of 450 mgd (1,700 million liters per day) making it one of the 10 largest wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. Out of the top 30 largest wastewater treatment plants in the U.S., Chicago is the first to use UV technology. The system is expected to be operational in 2015.

Source: TrojanUV