Thu, 05/17/2018 - 16:14

WASCO, Calif. – MembranePRO Services and Watershed Tech Services announced expansion plans to double production capacity by year-end at the Wasco Treatment Plant, California’s first-of-a-kind merchant facility to treat produced water for reclamation and beneficial reuse. Strategically located near multiple active oil fields surrounding Bakersfield, the facility provides significant environmental and economic benefits to the region. Local oil and gas producers now have a reliable, economical and sustainable option for converting billions of gallons of produced water each year into high quality clean water for reuse. Oil and gas producers, agriculture and industry throughout Kern County and Central Valley can now use this recycled water for their operations, reducing the need to utilize precious freshwater resources. At present, the facility has established a daily capacity of 210,000 gallons per day of produced water for reuse and will rapidly scale to 420,000 gallons per day, which has been approved under the current permit and business license. The facility completed setup, testing and commissioning in February 2018, after initially treating 25,000 gallons per day under a pilot program permit issued in 2017. “This state-of-the-art facility is a game-changer on multiple levels. From an environmental standpoint, it clearly helps conserve water resources, with 95 percent of all water processed now being reclaimed for reuse. It also uses game-changing water treatment technologies to optimize operations and reduce energy consumption: artificial intelligence-based IntelliFlux Controls® software that maximizes plant performance and improves energy efficiency and overall OpEx, and PolyCera membranes, a breakthrough in membrane technology, engineered with Nobel Prize winning chemistry and proven to lower energy costs by as much as 40 percent and reduce the need for consumables, such as chemicals, by an estimated 19 percent below our projections. We believe this facility offers a sustainable and attractive model that can be replicated around the United States,” said Arian Edalat, president and general manager, MembranePRO Services. “This commercial operation brings a myriad of economic benefits to the region,” said Dundee Kelbel, consultant manager for Watershed Tech Services. “Industry, agriculture and oil and gas producers are able to use the treated water in their operations and the post-treatment water is so clean that it actually meets potable water standards. In addition, the brine stream that is a product of the treatment process also meets the needs of local brine consumers and users. Another significant economic benefit is that when large commercial users utilize the reclaimed water rather than drawing on municipal resources, they can help the city meet mandated water reduction targets, while taking the burden off local citizens. We have had excellent response to date, supporting the goal of running multiple water recycling facilities in Kern County and the greater Central Valley, capable of treating up to four million gallons per day."