The City of Brantford, Ontario, has been running four new reverse osmosis (RO) mobile unit trailers at its water treatment plant as a pilot project to combat elevated nitrate levels in the Grand River.
While naturally present in soil, water, air and plants, nitrate increases in the City’s water supply are largely attributed to upstream agricultural runoff, livestock operations, and wastewater treatment facilities that discharge into the Grand River or its tributaries. Levels can spike in the winter and early spring months, although never exceeding the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of 10 mg/L (measured as nitrate-nitrogen), local officials said.
Provided by Veolia Water Technologies, the new RO units will run until May, when Brantford can evaluate their effectiveness since implementing the units in February. Typically, the units will run for a couple of days following heavy rain to lower nitrate levels.
“Implementing a system of this scale typically takes up to five months,” announced Selvi Kongara, City of Brantford Director of Environmental Services, in a statement. “Thanks to the dedicated, around-the-clock efforts of water operations staff, we fast-tracked the commissioning and installation process in just six weeks. We are already seeing positive results, with the units effectively reducing nitrate levels in the City’s drinking water.”
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The technology works by using high pressure to push water through a specialized semipermeable membrane that removes contaminants, including nitrates.
Brantford officials added that the reverse osmosis units will serve as an important short-term mitigation measure while the city continues to explore and advance long-term solutions, including groundwater blending and broader upgrades to water treatment infrastructure.
