In January 2023, Bay County Utilities Services (BCUS) successfully tested and implemented an alternative water treatment product approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that cut costs and ensures the continued availability of treatment materials due to ongoing supply-chain shortages.

The product, Polyaluminum hydroxychloride (ACH), serves as an alternative to ferric sulfate, a coagulant that removes solids from the water during the treatment process and is necessary for the provision of safe drinking water throughout the county.

BCUS will soon begin a trial of a new coagulant – Hyperion 4064 – that is in the same family as ACH but a different blend, Bay County Utilities Water Division Superintendent Sean Lathrop said.

“This new blend will give us the capability to handle a wider range of raw water conditions,” Lathrop said, “but it will not cause any water quality changes. What it will do is give BCUS a broader range of water treatment options as raw water conditions vary.”

Lathrop said the new product will allow BCUS to optimize settling in clarifier basins at the plant, allow longer filter run times and more efficient solids removal.

As a result of the 2023 testing, BCUS realized cost savings of more than $130,000 annually and increased employee safety with the elimination of a dangerous chemical.

“This has been a win for Utilities,” Lathrop said, “and we anticipate those cost savings and safety improvements to continue with this new product.”

Testing is set to begin on February 5, 2024 and is necessary to determine how well Hyperion 4064 will work with the county’s treatment and distribution system. During the trial, only half of the water treatment plant will be used, with one treatment basin and up to four filters on standby and ready to quickly switch back to normal operations should unfavorable conditions arise.

For more information, please call Bay County Utilities Services at (850) 248-5010.