ACWA’s robust, innovative Nitreat® system is fast proving to be the nitrate treatment system of choice for water companies in AMP 5, having provided textbook demonstrations of its value in many successful AMP 4 projects.

In total, 14 plants were installed and went into operation during AMP 4, treating nearly 160MLD of wastewater at key, sensitive sites for Thames Water, Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water.

Now in AMP5, the company has already won orders for eight Nitreat treatment plants designed to treat nearly 100MLD. These will be installed during the remainder of the five-year period, again for Anglian Water and Thames Water, as well as new Nitreat customers Severn Trent Water and Cambridge Water. To date, this represents a remarkable 80% of the new sites for AMP 5. Further significant contracts currently under consideration are likely to improve on this exemplary performance.

Nitreat’s key advantage is that it is based on true counter current continuous ion exchange, using a multiport valve for distributing feed and regenerating flows to multiple resin vessels. Unlike similar systems, NitreatTM does not require a turntable – the resin vessels remain stationary, and reliably reduce nitrate concentrations to below 5mg/l as NO3.

ACWA developed a standard modular design for the @one Alliance, a collaborative organization that is delivering around half of Anglian Water’s AMP 5 capital investment programme.

This flexible, reliable system can be used at any site, and incorporates two ion exchange skids that can handle 100% of flows and plant maintenance, eliminating downtime. The technology can cope with large variations in flow and nitrate levels, and produces far less waste regenerant than conventional plants.

Nitreat delivers significant carbon reduction benefits for Anglian Water

Anglian Water’s, @one Alliance organisation has an ambitious sustainability target of achieving a 20% reduction in operational carbon – carbon generated during the operational process – and a 50% reduction in ‘embedded’ carbon, which is inherent in buildings and systems, as well as 20% cost efficiencies. Nitreat’s low whole life cost and competitive operational costs are providing significant benefits for this drive.

Nitreat’s carbon reduction benefits are such that it was recently nominated for Anglian Water’s Drop CO2 (Embodied Carbon) Supplier of the Year award, which is made to the supplier who has made an “outstanding contribution to achieving reductions in embodied carbon throughout project plan, design, build and delivery, and who has demonstrated a commitment to promote sustained reduction of embodied carbon business wide”.

ACWA was nominated for ‘improving the design, reducing the cost and cutting embodied carbon by 25% for the nitrate removal plant” and for “eliminating standby capacity, including reducing the number of pumps and valves, removing superfluous equipment, rationalising access and egress requirements and minimising pipe runs to reduce the footprint of the building and achieve a carbon reduction’.

Anglian Water recently staged a further event to present suppliers who have made an outstanding contribution in achieving reductions in embodied carbon. Speaking at the event, Chris Newsome, Anglian Water’s Director of Asset Management outlined the benefits of collaboration with ACWA as a strategic supplier and highlighted the outstanding achievements made in streamlining manufacture, minimising the required building footprint and reduction of commissioning time required for the Nitreat system.

Speaking at the event, Bob Hastings of ACWA said:

“Nitreat has proved such a reliable, low-cost and low-carbon way to effectively reduce nitrate that it is fast becoming the standard technology for water companies with treatment works in sensitive areas that have to both meet demanding cost efficiency objectives and rigorous regulatory discharge limits. ACWA is extremely honoured to be an integral part of companies’ drive towards increasing sustainability.”

Further information:

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