A biological treatment process to remove nitrate from groundwater, called the Hall BioProcess™, received an approval of its effectiveness from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
The validation stems from a recent pilot study of the process by MIH Water Treatment Inc. (MIH) and the Fontana Water Company (FWC) in Fontana, California. Thanks to the MIH's patented process, nitrate in the area’s groundwater had lowered to nearly non-detectable levels. The reduction will allow FWC to put decommissioned groundwater wells back into service, expanding water its supply options.
The process uses a three-chamber system with bacteria that digest nitrate, perchlorate and other contaminants. The inventing company’s patented Hall BioReactor™ also does not create contaminated waste or by-products.
MIH completed similar projects for San Antonio Water Company in Upland, California, and West Valley Water District in Rialto, California, both also approved by the SWRCB. State regulations require a separate approval when treatment projects are proposed on different groundwater sources.
The water treated at FWC exceeded water quality requirements for nitrate levels and the pilot study was cleared by the SWRCB’s Division of Drinking Water.
Nitrate groundwater contamination, common throughout California and other agricultural areas throughout the United States and globally, is largely associated with historical farming practices and the use of fertilizer in agricultural fields which has migrated over time into aquifers. Nitrate pollution in groundwater can pose serious health risks to pregnant women and infants if consumed at concentrations above the State’s Maximum Contaminant Level.
