Handheld Instrument Offers Quick Water Quality Testing

Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) are faced with the challenge of processing waste streams from multiple sources, including residential, industrial, and environmental. Under laws governing pretreatment, the ultimate responsibility in determining whether or not industrial effluent meets criteria for treatment belongs to the POTW. Once the POTW has the waste within its treatment facility, it is accountable to the federal, state, and local regulations governing the quality of the wastewater it discharges.

Myron L Co. has designed a handheld instrument that gives users instant measurements of pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), oxidation reduction potential (ORP)/redox, resistivity, and temperature to simplify POTW water quality evaluation. The Ultrameter II^TM, which will be on display at WEFTEC ‘07, can be used in the field for testing industrial waste streams as part of a pre-treatment program, to test incoming waste streams before they enter the wastewater treatment plant, or within the plant to test and optimize plant performance.

As an example, the instrument is useful for checking the pH of water in the various stages of treatment and to screen influent streams. It provides an electrometric measurement of pH that conforms to the methods prescribed by Public Code 40 Section 136. The Ultrameter II is useful for checking disinfection and dechlorination performance, as well. Monitoring and controlling ORP/Redox is the best way to determine the levels of any chemical oxidizer or reducer used in wastewater treatment.

Whether in the lab or the field, users simply fill the instrument’s cell cup with a sample, push a parameter key and take the reading. Temperature compensation and range selection are both rapid and automatic.

The Ultrameter II has a minimum two-point, maximum three-point calibration for precise results. All calibrations are accomplished by pressing the up or down keys to agree with Myron L’s NIST traceable Standard Solutions. When calibration is necessary, the display prompts simplify pH calibration. All parameters (excluding factory-set temperature) have an internal electronic standard that can be used for field calibration and as a check on pH/ORP sensor life. The extended life pH/ORP sensor is user replaceable in the field.

User adjustable temperature compensation (up to 9.99%/°C) can be disabled for those applications requiring non-compensated readings. User adjustable conductivity/TDS conversion ratio is offered for greater accuracy when measuring solutions not contained in the microprocessor.

The meter stores up to 100 date-time stamped readings in memory that can be download to a computer using the optional uDock accessory package. Auto-shutoff maximizes the life of the single 9V battery to more than 100 hours/5000 tests. Non-volatile microprocessor memory provides data back-up, even when the battery is changed. This assures all calibrations and memory data will be retained. For more information, visit the Myron L website at www.myronl.com.