Gwinnett Commissioners on Aug. 4 approved an agreement with the WateReuse Research Foundation for a research project to test the feasibility and economics of using ozone/biological treatment process to produce drinking water directly from reclaimed water, compared to a more expensive reverse-osmosis process that is currently used in Texas and California. Gwinnett’s drinking water will not be impacted by the research.
Gwinnett is the only American utility to use both ozone and biological filtration at a water reclamation facility. When Gwinnett returns highly treated wastewater back to Lake Lanier, it is nearly drinking water quality and in many ways is cleaner than the lake.
“This project will allow water utilities to evaluate water-supply options to decrease their dependence on lake or river withdrawals,” explained Denise Funk of the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources.
The research project will be supported with $100,000 from the foundation and more than $900,000 in already planned expenditures by the county, including the purchase of pilot plant equipment and engineering services and testing.
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