While there have been multiple advances in saltwater and wastewater purification over the last several years, groundwater continues to be the primary water source for most communities in North America. But with limited support staff, shrinking operating budgets, and an increasing need to provide treatment for a growing list of contaminants, water utilities face many hardships. The biottta (biologically tailored, two-stage treatment approach) biological filtration system, manufactured by Carollo Engineers and distributed in the U.S. by AdEdge Water Technologies, leverages nature to offer an affordable and sustainable solution for wellhead treatment of inorganic and organic contaminants.

The fixed-bed, dual-stage biotreatment cultivates a robust environment for microbiological organisms to destroy contaminants or reduce elements to simple nonharmful forms. Developed specifically for drinking water applications, the fixed-bed treatment process consistently addresses contaminants at low levels, intermittent or fixed operation; and the dual-bed assimilates a complete packaged biotreatment plant with a dependability required for protecting public health.

“Biological treatment for municipal drinking water in the United States is the most sustainable and long-term, cost-effective solution for the treatment of nitrate, chromium VI, perchlorate and other contaminants from drinking water,” says Rich Cavagnaro, president and CEO of AdEdge Water Technologies. “Carollo Engineers has been a leader in this field, and we bring our strong sales distribution and manufacturing capabilities to the mix to commercialize this innovative technology in the marketplace.”

The technology accelerates naturally occurring treatment processes in a bioreactor where microorganisms in the raw water are given precise levels of food and nutrients to enhance their contaminant-removal capability. The vessels contain granular activated carbon, which creates a favorable environment for the bacteria to reproduce and thrive. The microbes destroy the contaminants or reduce them to harmless forms.

The low-energy process eliminates contaminants from the environment rather than creating concentrated waste. The low-volume discharge can be easily managed, and the process does not require extensive operator attention or experience. The low-energy system eliminates nitrate from the environment rather than concentrating it, which eliminates high-strength brine streams and the addition of salt to a given watershed. Hydraulic and water treatment performance is independent of raw water quality and treatment goals and is insensitive to wide swings in operating conditions. It is comparable in design and operation to conventional granular media filtration. In addition, the system is highly automated, reducing the need for extensive operator attention. 866-823-3343; www.adedgetech.com