California Approves Biological Perchlorate Removal System
California Dept. of Health Services (CDHS) gave conditional acceptance In early March to a new biological perchlorate removal process for drinking water. The fixed-bed biological treatment by Fountain Valley, Calif.-based Carollo Engineers "give engineers another type of technology that can be used as an alternative to the anion exchange process," says Dr. Richard Sakaji, P.E., CDHS senior sanitary water treatment engineer.
The benefit, according to Dr. Jess Brown, project manager, biological treatment for the six-month pilot study at Castaic Lake Water Agency in Santa Clarita, Calif., is that it "eliminates the disposal problem." The prevailing anion exchange method captures the perchlorate using a salt solution that must be disposed of in an evaporation pond or some other method. "This can introduce metals and solid hazardous waste and is expensive," Brown explains.