50 AUGUST 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® 11 h o B t 1 ll irD emo nH wn oD oW la nu nA nd oceS eh t su eeS a t t™ seFe de i dW lr o Kleinfelder and LG Sonic Collaborate to Banish Algal Blooms Adapted from Information by Kleinfelder and LG Sonic One of New Jersey’s challenges to maintaining safe drinking water is a detrimental concentration in their open waters of algae-like bacteria, commonly known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Warm summer temperatures, stagnant, nutrient-rich water, and sunlight exposure create a breeding ground for HABs, which can negatively impact lake water quality, drinking water reservoirs, wastewater treatment, and irrigation. Two of Newark’s five reservoirs serving the Pequannock Water Treatment Plant (WTP) have been affected by HABs over the last three years. In 2019, Kleinfelder successfully submitted a grant application for improving water quality and was retained to administer it. Kleinfelder deployed LG Sonic’s ultrasonic algal control units in Echo Lake in Passaic County, serving the Pequannock WTP, to lessen and prevent HABs. The three-year-long project should be completed in 2022, yielding a comprehensive report with independent validation and verification of unit effectiveness. Greg Eiffert, director of LG Sonic US said, “We have a strong track record of reducing 70-90% of algae in large water reservoirs.” LG Sonic’s MPC-Buoy (Monitor, Predict, Control) systems emit an ultrasonic wave, creating a sound barrier near the water’s surface. Interactive frequencies and a database of over 20 million water quality and algae-related data sets enhance the system’s ability to treat for specific algae and water conditions. Equipped to monitor water quality in real time, the system allows the user to adjust the ultrasonic frequency as needed. Basically a solar-powered lab, the buoy logs and analyzes samples, displays results via the web, and allows fine-tuning to control algal formations. MPC-Buoy units are also helpful in wastewater treatment and irrigation applications. Algae growth in stabilization ponds for wastewater reuse and treatment is a problem because treated wastewater usually contains high levels of nutrients promoting algal blooms. Algae can clog irrigation system components, such as the filters, emitters, and/or distribution pipes. Almost 60% of all the world’s freshwater withdrawals go to irrigation uses, with landholders using water basins and farm dams to irrigate their crops. Irrigation water is vulnerable to blue-green algal bloom - particularly during peak summer months. Some freshwater algae can create health hazards for humans and animals by producting toxins and bioactive compounds that deteriorate water quality. This chemical-free, minimal maintenance buoy method for controlling algal blooms benefits all by improving drinking water quality, wastewater treatment effectiveness, and irrigation productivity. WTR Deployed MPC-Buoy. Photo courtesy of Kleinfelder. Photo courtesy of LG Sonic.
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