Zero Liquid Discharge System For Golf Course Irrigation WTP

Phase II has begun for the WTS 1.2 MGD reverse osmosis based water treatment plant that will feature (nearly) "Zero Liquid Discharge" of the RO water concentrate. Water Treatment Systems, Inc and Water Management Group, Inc. have shipped all of the process equipment which is now in the installation phase of the project. When completed the 1.2 MGD reverse osmosis based water treatment plant will feature (nearly) "Zero Liquid Discharge" of the RO concentrate from the systems. RO concentrate water that is to be discharged to a sewer system has been reduced to only approximately 25,000 GPD. That is a design recovery of greater than 98%.
This is a very important development for the RO and also for the Golf industries. In many parts of the country, and indeed worldwide, golf course managers struggle with the problems of availability, cost or quality of water for irrigation of their golf course. Reverse Osmosis has solved the problem of utilizing brackish ground water and many Golf Clubs have planned to purchase and install their own RO water treatment plants only to run directly into a very major obstacle. The problem is finding a suitable location to send the RO concentrate water and obtaining the necessary permits. RO concentrate water is considered 'industrial waste' by the DER and EPA." The lower the amount of RO concentrate, the smaller the problem is.
Reverse Osmosis systems are currently desalinating brackish or sea water at dozens of gold course facilities in the USA and world-wide. The product water from RO systems is very good "irrigation" quality. These facilities discharge their concentrate water, usually about 25% of the feed water, to an appropriate and permittable location. For a one million gallon per day RO system, this can be 250,000 gallons per day. A great many golf club facilities that need to treat their available water do not have an approved location to discharge it to.
The original design for the Texas Golf Club called for total liquid discharge with the use of evaporators as the final treatment phase. Evaporators are expensive both in capital and operating cost. But our client was fortunate to obtain permitting for approximately 5% of the concentrate thus eliminating the evaporation phase which saved about a million dollars". The zero liquid discharge design by Water Treatment Systems, Inc., using membrane systems are a low cost opportunity for golf clubs everywhere.

Floating Potable Water Treatment Systems

The idea isn't new. Reverse Osmosis water treatment plants on ships that sail the sea bringing potable water to people that need it.
Over the years I have heard this idea from various "visionary's" who really want to help people in areas of the world where potable is scarce or expensive. So why haven't we heard of any operating at the current time?

Sea water is everywhere, an unlimited source, so ships equipped with RO desalination systems could make water anywhere in the world. Surely such a ship could have been in place in Haiti these past few months.

The answer is economics. There must not be enough customers with the means to pay for the water that would support the enterprise. There should be plenty of prospective customers. Coastal countries in arid locations come to mind. Many of these are locations are Islands with remote sections that could be developed but for the lack of a potable water supply. Potable water is needed during the construction phase of hotels, resorts with golf courses and housing projects. The ships could be leased by governments. Cities and towns with inadequate water supplies, i.e. coastal California, could purchase water from "Water Ships" until land based Water Treatment Plant projects are completed.

One forward thinking engineer in Boston, USA has developed a plan with a slight twist on the aforementioned possible applications for a floating potable water treatment plant. The plan, developed by Kevin Crawford, Braintree Utilities, calls for the retrofitting of one or two cargo holds of a an unused oil tanker into 1-2 million gallon per day RO desalination systems. Complete water treatment plants with additional cargo holds being used for potable water storage. The initial "water ship" would be berthed adjacent to the retired General Dynamics Shipyard in the Boston MA area. Kevin's in-depth research indicates that such a ship could supply much needed potable water to the nearby towns of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset at much lower costs than a land based facility.

The process equipment and the design of the WTP was developed by Water Treatment Systems, Inc of Boca Raton, FL. The systems can be supplied and installed relatively inexpensively and it would be a great use of ships that are not being used for their original intention. Such ships could be deployed where ever they are needed for commercial projects or for disaster relief.

".... now we just need an investor with insight and fairly deep pockets" Kevin told me just recently. If anyone is interested contact me by E-Mail.