To protect local ecosystems from selenium contamination, a water district in California operates a demonstration-scale plant for treatment of selenium in high-salinity natural waters. To test an upgrade to plant capacity and operation, Frontier Water Systems was selected to pilot the SeHAWK® process in conjunction with ultrafiltration and reverse-osmosis pre-treatment.
Over four months of operation, the SeHAWK® process demonstrated selenium removal rates >95%. Despite changes in water quality, including spikes in feed nitrate concentration and TDS, the SeHAWK® pilot process achieved results that exceeded pilot goals. These results were achieved while operating at a contact time equal to 20% of other conventional biological treatment also tested on site.