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Client

Location

Town of Nanton 

Nanton, Alberta

Year

2023

Nanton raw water reservoir aeration

Project Summary 

Our team worked closely with engineers to supply and install a 24 Can-Air Mega diffuser aeration system into the Town of Nanton's raw water reservoir, as part of the town's drinking water upgrade project. The system was designed by our team of biologists and engineers to ensure that it provides adequate oxygen to help improve the raw water quality. Along with the in-water equipment supply and installation, we partnered with a local construction company to design and construct an impressive 12' x 30' blower building, fully equipped with industrial blowers, after-coolers, heating, and ventilation. This building will allow operators to comfortably operate and maintain the aeration system while providing enough space to house additional chemical dosing systems for future upgrades.

Town Of Nanton Raw Water Reservoir Aeration 

Project Objective 

  • Improve and maintain water quality within Nanton's raw water drinking reservoir

  • Water quality must adhere to provincial drinking water safety standards​

Planned Solutions 

  • To work with fluctuating water levels, and adhere to the scope of work (which called for surface floats on marine grade rope), we proposed alternative submersible floats. This minimizes the chance of diffusers being dragged by ice-catching surface floats or ropes. We have also advised operators to keep an eye on the water levels. if levels are too low we will need to plan for partial system removals or re-placement. 

  • Depth measuring technology was used to find equal depths to place pairs of diffusers to make sure they performed evenly.

  • To test the placement and system operation without power, we brought numerous small rocking piston compressors and a generator which allowed us to test 8 diffusers at a time. 

Timeline

System installation & comissioning: 2023

Challenges 

  • Fluctuating water levels: With Nanton being a dry, southern Alberta community, the town relies on the reservoir's capacity to get them through the winter. This means that the reservoir is continuously filled during the warm months to prepare for winter usage. Depending on the water usage, the reservoir's water level can drop significantly. If the water and ice level drops too drastically, diffusers can risk getting caught in the ice, which can cause damage. 

  • Uneven reservoir bottom: the bottom of the reservoir has proven to be uneven which makes diffuser installation challenging.

  • Electrical servicing of the site: we experienced delays with getting the site serviced so the diffuser placement and initial testing of the system were very challenging. 

Methods 

  • Install 24 Can-Air Mega diffusers with float kits and custom lengths of AquaTube airline

  • Install two 15 HP Aerzen blowers (total system HP= 30; total system CFM @ 14 PSI= 200) 

    • Blower 1 is on-duty 

    • Blower 2 is on stand-by

  • Install VFDs and line reactors 

  • Install an intricate air cooling system ​

  • Build a custom 12' x 30' blower building which would house all associated aeration equipment

  • Supply a custom 12-way manifold 

Results 

  • The town will continue to monitor the results with the system in operation.

Nanton, AB raw water reservoir aeration system
Aerial shot of fine bubbler system installed in Nanton, AB
Blower building interior with aeration equipment
nanton blower building interior
Air coolers and air distribution hub
Blower buildign with aeration equipment and space for chemical treatment for drinking water reservoi
Blower building with over head door
Blower building side view
Aeration building
Nanton AB raw water reservoir before aeration
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