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Filtration solutions to fruit company provided

26th November 2021

     

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Boilers manufacturer and supplier of water treatment components Allmech has provided filtration solutions to a fruit packing business in Limpopo that complies with SANS 241-1:2015, the South African National Standard for drinking water’s potable water standard.

A fruit packing business in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, began experiencing challenges meeting SANS 241-1:2015 portable water standards with its existing sand filtration system that treats incoming water from the Blyde river.

Allmech water treatment consultant Anelia Hough explains that the customer was experiencing problems with turbidity, colour, Faecal Coliform and Escherichia coli (E.coli) in the water, and requested Allmech’s assistance in supplying a new river water filtration plant.

“During peak production time, their packing house operations are running 24/7 with a water flow demand of 8 500 ℓ/h. Our site analysis indicated that the sand filtration system was insufficient to supply the peak demand on site. “Manual chlorine dosing was implemented in the feed line to the factory and office and the Allmech team designed a new water treatment plan to treat the key parameters to ensure compliance with SANS 241-1:2015,” she explains.

The maintenance coordinator at the agricultural client, says the Allmech team was patient and helpful in steering the company through its options and getting the new system approved by the directors.

“Once we had approvals in place, the installation was quick and although with any new system there are some teething issues, since installing the new system we’ve had no issues meeting the standards we need to adhere to when washing and preparing fruit,” he says.

“Allmech proposed a water treatment plant using filtration media that offer capabilities to remove 90% to 95% of the solids and chemicals, as well as reducing biological oxygen demand,” says Hough.

She explains that these media provide a practical, low-cost solution and double the performance of a sand filter. In fact, it is up to 100 times better at removing sub-5μm particles.

The new system is verified to achieve log three reduction down to 4μm, with no coagulation or flocculation, and no biofouling means greatly reduced Legionella risk from the filter, he says.

“Product water will have at least 50% lower chlorine oxidation demand than an equivalent sand filter, so there’s lower concentration of disinfection by products including trihalomethanes. “The filtration media is also expected to last the life of the filtration system, so there is little maintenance required from that point of view,” says Hough.

Allmech further proposed automated disinfection through inline dosing to ensure no bacterial growth in reservoir tanks or in the feed line to the factory and offices. Allmech conducted the turnkey construction and installation of the water treatment plant in December 2020 and the plant has been fully operational since January 2021.

The latest South African National Accreditation System testing laboratory report was completed in July 2021 indicating no Faecal Coliform and E.coli present after water treatment. The turbidity in nephelometric unit raw water sample is 125 after water treatment plant <1 (SANS 241:15 Class 1 Standard <5). The colour in platinum-cobalt units prior to the installation of the treatment plant was 43 (the required limit is <15) and since installation has achieved a rating of four.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to assist our client and always enjoy designing site-specific solutions to help address our customers’ water quality challenges. The best reward is when the client implements the solutions and operates the plant within specifications,” Hough concludes.

Edited by Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

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