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Fast drinking water analyser helps Anglian Water optimise treatment
first UK water company to adopt Parker’s real-time analyser technology
compact analyser provides rapid measurement of trihalomethane (THM) concentration
December 10, 2015 — An advanced precision analyser has dramatically reduced the time and complexity of measuring trihalomethane levels in drinking water at Anglian Water.
Capable of analysing samples in less than 30 minutes, with no reagents or sample preparation, the powerful instrument has been supplied by the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin – the global leader in motion and control technologies.
Anglian Water is the first water company in the UK to install the technology. During the last five years, the company has invested more than £100 million in drinking water improvements, surpassing some of the most stringent quality targets in the world. In July 2015, Anglian Water took the strategic decision to further enhance its water treatment and supply processes by installing an in-house trihalomethane (THM) sample monitoring and analysis system.
In England and Wales, water supply regulations enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) set a maximum limit of 100 micrograms/litre for total THM concentration. Water supply companies therefore closely monitor THM levels to ensure compliance with this regulatory limit and maintain water quality and safety.
Until now, like many water supply companies, Anglian Water has relied on a laboratory for THM analysis. This involved sending samples to the laboratory and waiting for the results. Anglian Water therefore decided to look for an alternative on-site method which would take pressure off its laboratory and deliver a same-day result.
The THM Analyzer that Parker has supplied is an integrated purge-and-trap system connected to a compact gas chromatograph column and a very sensitive surface acoustic wave (SAW) detector. It provides a completely self-contained solution for real-time measurement and analysis of THM concentration levels, down to as low as 1 part per billion (ppb) for each individual species of THMs. The analyser can measure chloroform, dichlorobromomethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform – the four species that make up total THMs – to within 10% accuracy.
Mark Berry, Innovation Project Manager for Anglian Water, said: “Using the Parker THM analyser we are now able to measure THM concentrations in-house, and in less than 30 minutes. We are currently analysing over 20 samples a week and have found the system to be very easy to use. Aside from the potential cost-saving benefits, the much faster analysis capabilities provide scope for further improvements in operational efficiency.”
Mark Berry adds, “We’re always looking for new technology and innovation to help us deliver a more efficient service for our customers, keep bills down and ensure we protect our environment and drinking water quality. This is a great way to do that, and we’re really pleased to be the first water company in the UK to use it.”
Graham Johnson, Downstream Applications Product Manager for Parker’s Instrumentation Product Division, highlights the significance of the Anglian Water order, “This is the first THM analyser that we have supplied in Europe, following its recent CE marking. The feedback from Anglian Water is very positive and we believe that there is a ready market for this versatile type of water quality monitoring and analysis equipment throughout Europe. Along with its speed and simplicity of use, the analyser’s annual running costs are very low – the only consumables are high purity helium and concentrated standard solutions for verification runs.”
Parker supplies the THM analyser as a complete turnkey package. The high purity pressure regulators and precision control valves for its helium carrier gas system are manufactured by the company’s Veriflo Division.
ENDS
Background information for Editors
A key advantage of Parker’s THM analyser is that it does not require sample preparation – a tedious task traditionally associated with gas chromatography. The analyser’s purge-and-trap function automates the measurement process to the extent that the user simply connects the collected water sample to the analyser’s sparging system and pushes the ‘start’ button. All sample purging, TTHM component separation and data analysis operations are then performed entirely automatically. Individual species and total THM information is displayed on a front panel LCD touchscreen and on the associated laptop computer, as analysis progresses.
After each analysis run, the system’s PC-based software displays the processed chromatogram showing the compound peaks and corresponding chromatography data. Analytical results, including measured concentration and detailed chromatography data, as well as optional data such as carrier gas pressure, GC column and pre-concentrator temperature profiles, are automatically archived for more in-depth data analysis and review.
About Anglian Water
Anglian Water is the largest water and water recycling company in England and Wales by geographic area, covering some 27,500 square kilometres. It supplies water and water recycling services to more than six million domestic and business customers in the east of England and Hartlepool, providing almost 1.2 billion litres of drinking water every single day. Anglian Water operates 1,257 water and water recycling plants and its service region stretches from the Humber north of Grimsby to the Thames estuary, and from Buckinghamshire to Lowestoft on the east coast. For more information visit: www.anglianwater.co.uk
About Parker Hannifin
With annual sales of approximately $13 billion in fiscal year 2015, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 55,000 people in 50 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 59 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. www.parker.com
For more information please contact:
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Ltd, Riverside Road, Barnstaple EX31 1NP, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1271 313131; ipd@parker.com; www.parker.com
Editorial contact: Charles Harris, +44 (0)7527 470613; charris@parker.com
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