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New York’s Sharon Process Operational

March 4, 2010

A 52,000 gallon methanol supply system at the New York Ward’s Island Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is up and running, forming an integral part of the vast effort to limit nitrogen discharge into Jamaica Bay and the upper East River.

Nitrogen from WPCPs in the waters of Long Island Sound is the major cause of hypoxia, a low dissolved oxygen condition caused by algal blooms. The Netherlands-developed Sharon (Single reactor system for High Ammonia Removal Over Nitrite) process installed at Ward’s Island uses methanol for enhanced denitrification, and allows the removal of 5,000 kg ammonium-nitrogen per day, nearly 40% of the plant’s total nitrogen load, while reducing 25% of the energy required for a conventional nitrification process, due to lower oxygen demand.

Working together with the Sharon technology developers, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, AECOM, and Methanex (Vancouver, BC), NORAM designed and supplied the equipment to store and distribute the methanol to two treatment tank locations: the Sharon process, and a step feed BNR process, which is easily retrofitted into existing facilities.

Nitrogen removal at the upgraded facility commences just as the City of New York announced a further $100 million to install new nitrogen control technologies at WPCPs located on Jamaica Bay, to address the 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater produced by the City daily.

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