U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Task Force Water contractor is setting up a mobile water treatment system that will connect to the University of North Carolina, Asheville water system. The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit or RO is an integral part of cleaning non-potable water. The RO, a self-contained system, uses pressure to rid the water of any contaminants. The installation of the RO and pre- and post-treatment systems will enable the supply of drinking water to the university restaurants and dormitories that house almost 1,600 students. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Edward Rivera)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Task Force Water contractor is setting up a mobile water treatment system that will connect to the University of North Carolina, Asheville water system. The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit or RO is an integral part of cleaning non-potable water. The RO, a self-contained system, uses pressure to rid the water of any contaminants. The installation of the RO and pre- and post-treatment systems will enable the supply of drinking water to the university restaurants and dormitories that house almost 1,600 students. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Edward Rivera)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Task Force Water contractor is setting up a mobile water treatment system that will connect to the University of North Carolina, Asheville water system. The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit or RO is an integral part of cleaning non-potable water. The RO, a self-contained system, uses pressure to rid the water of any contaminants. The installation of the RO and pre- and post-treatment systems will enable the supply of drinking water to the university restaurants and dormitories that house almost 1,600 students. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Edward Rivera)
VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Task Force Water contractor is setting up a mobile water treatment system that will connect to the University of North Carolina, Asheville water system. The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit or RO is an integral part of cleaning non-potable water. The RO, a self-contained system, uses pressure to rid the water of any contaminants. The installation of the RO and pre- and post-treatment systems will enable the supply of drinking water to the university restaurants and dormitories that house almost 1,600 students. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Edward Rivera)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Task Force water contractors delivered a reverse osmosis water purification unit to the University of North Carolina, Asheville campus Oct. 22. The RO is an integral part of cleaning non-potable water. The RO, a self-contained system, uses pressure to rid the water of any contaminants. The installation of the RO and the remaining pre- and post-treatment systems will enable the supply of drinking water to the university restaurants and dormitories that house nearly 1,600 students on campus.
The water purification process is necessary to prevent various water-borne diseases such as dysentery and typhoid. The overall mobile water treatment system maintains certain characteristics of water, such as taste, odor, clarity and hardness, to levels deemed acceptable by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Reverse osmosis units are the star of the show in our mobile water treatment system,” said New Orleans District Civil Engineer Tyler Baggett, project manager for TF-Water. “When water passes through the membrane, the filter that cleans the water, only water can pass through. Everything else is too big to fit in and is stripped away: things like minerals, bacteria, viruses and salt.”
According to Baggett, the water coming directly from the RO unit is actually “too pure” to be considered drinking water.
“We need to add back all the necessary minerals and treatments to give the water optimal drinking quality, without all the bad stuff. It is a very beautiful process and I am happy that a little bit of science can get students back on campus and help restore normalcy in the community.”
The temporary Mobile Water Purification System is currently being connected to the university’s water system. Over the next few days, UNCA water pipes will be flushed with clean water to push out the non-potable water currently in the pipes. Once that is complete, the university will test the water in its buildings and deem the water safe.
Baggett said the contractor will continuously maintain and operate the system on site for a minimum of six months. “We can manage the system longer until the city can supply its own drinking water to the campus.”
Task Force Water is charged with assessing current water conditions and identifying opportunities to deploy temporary water treatment systems to accelerate the delivery of drinking water to critical facilities in areas of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene. The Task Force Water team currently consists of personnel from the USACE New Orleans, Memphis and Mobile Districts.
