MANATEE COUNTY UTILITIES
The need for clean water worldwide remains vital , and this is never truer than in the US . With an increasingly growing population , it has become an area of prominence and all the more integral to President Trump ’ s development of America ’ s infrastructures .
“ Utilities are focusing on replacing existing and aging infrastructure , whether that be out in the system , or actually at treatment facilities themselves ,” explains Mark Simpson , Water Division Manager at Manatee County Utilities . “ People see the need to reinvest where there are limited resources , and management programs make sure that we receive the most efficient and effective use of infrastructure investment .”
At present , residents of Manatee County , Sarasota County , the cities of Palmetto and Bradenton , and the municipalities on the barrier islands obtain all or a portion of their water supply via the Lake Manatee Water Treatment Plant . Catering to over 350,000 civilians and processing over 40mn gallons of water each day , the facility and subsequent filtration technology is something of which the company places increased emphasis with regards to maintenance . With the dam now reaching its 50th year , “ maintaining the structure means investing in that infrastructure to make sure it can last another 50 to 100 years ,” Simpson adds .
The upgrade of the facility will therefore support Manatee County ’ s ambitions to deliver clean water for the foreseeable future and ensure the county remains compliant with ever more strict US Environmental Protection Agency requirements .
The Plant has two treatment segments – one for its surface water ( 54 MGD capacity ) and the other for groundwater ( 30 MGD capacity ). The upgrade will include a new Ultrafiltration Membrane System ( UF ), which will be implemented through the company ’ s partnership with GE Water & Process Technologies , for the surface water treatment segments . The agreement will see the installation of 12 membrane trains , retrofitted into existing sand filter basins . Being able to operate the UF in a partial siphon mode will ultimately create savings
74 December 2017