Process and Water supplies new water purification system to US Marine Corps

US purification and fluid-handling systems firm Process and Water Company has developed and supplied a new rooftop rainwater reclamation and reuse system to the US Marine Corps, for its Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

The system harvests rainwater by collecting it from the facility’s roofs and centrally storing it.

Once collected, the rainwater is processed through a storm filter to remove organic debris like fallen leaves, and then sent into a 37,854l underground storage tank.

When the tank is at capacity, additional rainwater is handled by an overflow system tied into the project’s storm drains. This pumps the previously filtered rainwater through a specialised micron filter subsystem, from where the water is sent to an 1,892l day tank.

To make sure water in the day tank remains bacteria free, another pump continuously cycles it with the help of an ultra-violet (UV) sterilisation system.

The twice-filtered and UV-sterilised water is used to flush toilets and for a wide range of other non-potable uses throughout the facility.

Process and Water CEO Tom Belmont said that the company’s research and development team is focused on developing new technologies that avoid wasting valuable and naturally occurring water sources.

"Our system sidesteps the storm drains, and instead diverts enormous amounts of ‘free’ water through an efficient purification processes, reclaiming it for a variety of non-potable uses," Belmont added.

The Process and Water system helped the facility reduce water use by 40%. It secured a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.

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Image: The rainwater is processed through a storm filter for the removal of organic debris; Photo: courtesy of Pengo.