New Process Technology for the Treatment of Groundwater in Muttenz 

Right at the end of 2012, WABAG Water Technology Ltd. (Switzerland) managed to capture two further orders in the field of innovative drinking water treatment in Switzerland. In future, the groundwater in Muttenz will be purified using a new plant design involving the first ever combination of advanced oxidation, adsorption and ultrafiltration. Moreover, in the municipality of Wahlen well water is to be treated by means of highly efficient ultrafiltration. The combined value of the two contracts amounts to around EUR 6 million.

Innovation for the municipality of Muttenz. In November 2012, WABAG received an order from Muttenz for a new drinking water treatment plant of unique design. This will employ a technological combination consisting of advanced oxidation, adsorption and membrane filtration in order to clean the local groundwater, which is generally subject to organic trace substances and occasionally impacted by Rhine filtrate.

In an initial step highly resistant pollutant compounds will be broken up by ozone and hydrogen peroxide. In the next phase powdered active carbon (PAC) will absorb the residual substances and finally ultrafiltration will be employed to filter out the activated carbon in combination with the adsorbed contaminants. Such a combination ensures that micro-pollutants, which are otherwise difficult to degrade, can be safely removed or reduced. This fact has already been confirmed by the operational results from the pilot plant at the location.

WABAG has thus opened a new chapter in drinking water treatment, as Muttenz is not only the first plant in Switzerland to employ continuous powdered active carbon dosing on ultrafiltration membranes, but probably also the first in Europe to be equipped with this process technology.

The new drinking water treatment plant will clean 17,500 m3 of ground water per day and commissioning is scheduled to commence in December 2014.

Ultrafiltration for the Wahlen waterworks. The municipality of Wahlen uses well water for its drinking water supply. However, heavy rain results in sharp increases in both the turbidity and the bacteriological content of the karstic well water, and this necessitates a switch to drinking water from neighbouring districts. Accordingly, the local authority sought a suitable concept that would allow the continuous employment of the spring water throughout the year

WABAG Switzerland was able to convince the client with a first class solution for the treatment of the karstic well water and the local waterworks is to be expanded to include a compact ultrafiltration system with a capacity of 460 m3/day. The design with submerged membranes will facilitate economically advantageous integration into the existing building.

WABAG was commissioned with the realisation of the project as the general contractor. The work will take place during ongoing operation and will already commence in February 2013. Following a project period of only five months, the membrane filtration is scheduled to become operational in June 2013.

With these two orders, WABAG Switzerland has once again demonstrated its strong technological position and pioneering role with regard to innovative processes.