MINNETONKA, Minn., June 19, 2002 -- Osmonics Inc. (NYSE: OSM) has received an order from the city of Clearwater, Fla., to provide two Osmo MUNI Series reverse osmosis (RO) systems including a pretreatment filtration system.
The compact, energy-efficient Osmo® MUNI Series RO systems will remove arsenic and treat the city's drinking water supply, improving three million gallons of water per day and serving more than 100,000 residents. Each RO will utilize 180 Osmonics MUNI-RO-400 membrane elements that have NSF-61 certification.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mandates that a city's drinking water may have no more than ten parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic. Currently, Clearwater has arsenic levels as high as 40 ppb. The RO systems will use four multi-media filters as a pretreatment step to filter a portion of the arsenic from the city's drinking water. The Osmonics MUNI RO system will then provide over 98% removal of the remaining arsenic while also removing dissolved solids, softening the water and improving its overall quality.
The RO systems will be part of a new water treatment plant being installed in late 2002 and expected to be operational in 2003. Each of the two MUNI Series RO systems will be constructed at Osmonics' ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility located in Minnetonka, Minn. The MUNI Series systems are shipped as a fully tested package and ready for immediate installation, saving Clearwater the cost of on-site development and integration.
"With residential growth in Clearwater continuing to accelerate, the city needed a system capable of meeting the demand for consistently clean water, without a significant cost increase," said Curt Weitnauer, vice president and general manager of Osmonics' Process Water Group. "By installing the low-energy, low-maintenance MUNI RO systems, the city will receive high quality drinking water and minimize their cost of operation."
For more than 30 years, Osmonics has been known for high-quality membrane equipment used in industrial processing. The company has recently released the MUNI Series line of municipal water treatment systems designed to help communities meet the 1996 SDWA amendments.
For further information on Osmonics' membrane systems and contaminant removal solutions for municipalities, visit the company's web site designed exclusively for municipal customers, www.muni-ro.com.
Osmonics is a manufacturer and worldwide marketer of high-technology water purification and fluid filtration, fluid separation and fluid handling equipment, as well as the replaceable components used in purification, filtration, and separation equipment. These products are used by a broad range of industrial, commercial, household and institutional customers. Osmonics is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OSM.
