Severn Trent Water Adopts Malvern’s Zetasizer WT

Severn Trent has conducted the UK’s first trials which have successfully demonstrated the ability of online zeta potential measurements to provide reliable, continuous and fully automated clarification monitoring. Plans are now in place to extend application of the technology to other WTWs across the Severn Trent Water group.

The Zetasizer WT is a stand alone, fully automated analyzer that continuously monitors the properties of water during coagulation to provide precise and reliable data for optimizing chemical dosage levels. The associated optimization of charge neutralization processes results in substantial financial benefits due to a reduction in chemicals usage. The new system delivers highly sensitive analysis, via continuous monitoring with associated alarms, which enables a proactive response to changes in the process, resulting in minimal manual input whilst enhancing plant stability and reducing the risk of significant events from rapid naturally occurring changes in raw water quality.

Emma Sharp, Water Treatment and Quality Lead at Severn Trent Water, comments, “We’ve been investigating the ability of zeta potential measurements to enhance water treatment control for close to a decade at Severn Trent now. The successful outcome of recent trials at Tittesworth  has confirmed that online analysis provides a far more robust platform for effective process control, than traditional techniques such as jar tests. The installation of Malvern’s Zetasizer WT has been extremely beneficial in providing numerous improvements over lab based measurement in terms of rapid, real time data acquisition, while at the same time reducing reliance on manual analysis.”

“At Tittesworth this technique has now been adopted as our lead measure of clarification performance, as online zeta potential has securely established its ability to enhance coagulation control. Additionally, the data provided by the Zetasizer WT can be easily interpreted and responded to with appropriate action, providing a robust platform for effficient process control. We are now looking to roll the technology out to other sites with comparable source water quality/properties.”