Severn Trent Services-Apliclor Provides Chlorine Dioxide Disinfection System for Spanish Wastewater Treatment Plant


Aquadiox® chlorine dioxide generators will enable the town of Alguaire to reuse wastewater for irrigation.

BARCELONA, Spain - Severn Trent Services-Apliclor, a leading supplier of water and wastewater treatment solutions, has designed a new wastewater disinfection system for the town of Alguaire, Spain, which will enable the reuse of wastewater for irrigation. The system uses Aquadiox® chlorine dioxide generators to provide effective and cost-efficient treatment of wastewater for a variety of reuse applications. The system was built by the Catalan Water Agency through the construction company Constructora de Calaf.

The Aquadiox chlorine dioxide generators will produce chlorine dioxide on site to provide residual disinfection, preventing bacteria from forming in the plant's distribution network. Chlorine dioxide is generated on site because it is a product that cannot be transported or stored. The generators use sodium chlorite and hydrochloric acid to generate the chlorine dioxide solution. As a disinfection alternative to the traditional use of chlorine, chlorine dioxide disinfection reacts less with organic matter present in the distribution network, thus eliminating odors and minimizing the formation of Trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are considered harmful to human health and the environment, and European Union legislation stipulates that THM levels must not exceed 100 micrograms per litre of water.

The Alguaire wastewater treatment plant, which serves 3,000 inhabitants in the Spanish province of Lleida, occupies an area of 3,500 m2 and has a water treatment capacity of 1,226 m3/day. The new system, in which nearly 900,000 (USD 1.2 million) has been invested, is expected to be operational in 2010.

Installation of the Alguaire wastewater treatment system is in accordance with the 2005 Urban Wastewater Treatment Programme (PSARU 2005), which was approved by the autonomous government of Catalonia in July 2006 to increase and improve wastewater disposal throughout the region. There are currently some 370 treatment plants in operation as part of the programme serving more than 500 towns and more than 95 percent of the Catalan population. By the time PSARU 2005 has been completed, 1,544 wastewater treatment facilities will be in operation representing an investment of 1.526 billion (USD 2.06 billion).

About Severn Trent Services

Severn Trent Services (www.severntrentservices.com), with global headquarters in Fort Washington, Pa., USA, is a leading supplier of water and wastewater solutions. The company's broad range of products and services is concentrated around disinfection, instrumentation and filtration technologies, and contract operating services. Our analytical services group is the United Kingdom's leading environmental testing organization, and our international operating services business provides worldwide contract operation and support for all aspects of water and wastewater utility operational development and business transformation. Severn Trent Services is a member of the Severn Trent Plc (London: SVT.L) group of companies. Severn Trent is a FTSE 100 company.

About Severn Trent Services-Apliclor

In Spain, Severn Trent Services-Apliclor has nearly 100 years experience in the treatment of water and has been a part of Severn Trent Services since 2009. The company's headquarters is in Sant Marti Sesgueioles (Barcelona) in a 19,000 m2 facility. The technical division designs installations for the treatment of water and carries out the maintenance of these plants, while the chemical division sells products for the purification and maintenance of swimming pools.

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