AMS

In this engaging interview from WEFTEC 2024, Rick Bacon, CEO of AMS, joins Paul Gagliardo, Innovation Director of The Water Entrepreneur Podcast, to discuss the pressing challenges of treating difficult-to-remove contaminants, with a particular focus on PFAS. Throughout their conversation, Rick shares his insights on the prevalence of PFAS discussions at the conference and highlights the complexities faced by consumers when choosing between various treatment technologies—whether extraction, absorption, or destruction. He emphasizes the need for comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that not only capture but also destroy contaminants to prevent them from re-entering the environment.

An insightful dialogue with AMS CEO Rick Bacon and BIOBOX Water COO Joaquín Murría Martín at WEFTEC 2024 where the two met to discuss the BIOBOX® Nitrate Removal technology. Following a successful seven-month pilot in Gilbert, Arizona, BIOBOX is now preparing for future demonstrations in the U.S., with potential collaborations at Cleveland Water Alliance and The Water Tower. With promising results and growing interest, AMS and BIOBOX look forward to continuing their efforts to bring this sustainable denitrification solution to the U.S. market in 2025.

In this episode of AMS Talks, industry consultant and special guest host Nadia Abboud sits down with Rocio Flores, Water Quality Engineer for Golden State Water Company. Rocio shares valuable insights into how Golden State Water has been tackling the challenge of managing a groundwater source with selenium concentrations that exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for their Edna Road System. Watch this interview for an insightful look into managing heavy metal exceedances in areas with limited water sources and the value of investing in real-time selenium monitoring to support the treatment process.

In this episode of AMS Talks, industry consultant and special guest host Nadia Abboud engages in a detailed conversation with Steve Mungari, Business Development Manager for AMS, about the critical issue of hexavalent chromium (Cr6) treatment planning and compliance. The discussion centers around the initiatives Steve is spearheading at AMS to support the nearly 500 sites across California that need to assess, determine, and implement compliance plans to meet the 10 ppb MCL regulation for Cr6. Watch this insightful interview to learn how AMS is positioned to aid utilities in achieving Cr6 compliance.

Watch this insightful interview of Jeff Bower from the Town of Gilbert, AMS CEO Rick Bacon, and BIOBOX Water Director of Operations, Joaquín Murría Martín, about the BIOBOX Nitrate demonstration at the recent Open House in Gilbert, Arizona. They discussed the innovative BIOBOX system’s ability to remove nitrates efficiently with minimal water loss compared to reverse osmosis, which loses about 30% of water and generates contaminating waste. They emphasized the focus on both capital and treatment costs, highlighting BIOBOX Nitrate’s comprehensive solution.

In the latest episode of AMS Talks, Abigail Cantor, P.E., Chemical Engineer at Process Research Solutions LLC. discusses a collaboration project with Madison Water Utility to evaluate real-time monitoring of lead and copper in drinking water. This project is particularly timely given the recent EPA proposal to update regulations for reducing lead and copper exposure through drinking water. The proposed regulation will rely more heavily on using lead and copper monitoring and testing apparatuses that have historically lacked real-time data on water corrosivity, crucial for managing fluctuating lead and copper levels in water. Cantor outlines an innovative testing apparatus approach that mimics residential plumbing and incorporates automated online AMS MetalGuard™  lead and copper monitors to provide more frequent and real-time analysis. Utilities looking to adopt a cutting-edge monitoring and testing approach for lead and copper in drinking water systems will not want to miss this interview.

Rick Bacon, CEO of AMS, recently visited Joaquín Murría Martín and the BIOBOX team at their facility in Zaragoza, Spain, to see the first BIOBOX® Nitrate being prepared for shipment to the US. BIOBOX Nitrate transforms nitrates in drinking or wastewater into harmless nitrogen gas through a biological process, eliminating nitrates without producing polluting byproducts. This fully automated, turnkey containerized nitrate treatment system integrates AMS’ online Instran™ nitrate analyzer for continuous, real-time control of system performance. The patented BIOBOX biological denitrification system, which is certified by SGS and NSF for the treatment of drinking water, urban or industrial wastewater, and reuse, can be deployed rapidly at the thousands of sites in the US where nitrates put at risk human health and the environment. Together, AMS and BIOBOX are delivering a transformative, intelligent and reliable nitrate treatment solution.

The City of Alamosa, Colorado, evaluated the SafeGuard™ H2O arsenic removal technology to replace the use of bulk ferric chloride. The evaluation demonstrated the technology’s ability to provide effective and reliable arsenic removal below 5 ppb with a ferrous dose of 6.5-8 mg/L that was generated on-site and on-demand. The demonstration also evaluated the purity of the in-situ electrogenerated ferrous reagent compared to bulk ferric chloride, showing SafeGuard™ H2O’s ferrous reagent precursor to be of higher quality. In this episode of AMS Talks, Industry Consultant Nadia Abboud speaks with Roy Sanchez, CWP, Water Plant Operator for the City of Alamosa, and Dr. Vladimir Dozortsev, Senior Product Manager for AMS, who discuss insights about this project and what prompted the City of Alamosa to undertake this arsenic removal demonstration.

Ferric chloride is a water treatment chemical widely used to remove impurities in water and wastewater. While ferric chloride is effective and approved for use in a range of applications, there is a lack of adequate quality controls and certification for this bulk chemical. Ferric chloride contains a range of contaminants, including manganese, chromium, arsenic, zinc, lead, and copper that can be found in high concentrations and can be very harmful to human health. In addition, ferric chloride is an extremely corrosive and potentially hazardous substance that requires it to be handled and stored with care, driving the cost of treatment. In this episode of AMS Talks, Rick Bacon, CEO of AMS, and Industry Consultant Nadia Abboud discuss the use of ferric chloride as a water treatment chemical, and the need for alternative solutions that do not contaminate our water supply.

Approximately 50% of water and wastewater utilities experience delays in chemical availability due to supply chain disruptions. According to McKinsey & Company’s January 2023 Chemicals Practice Insight “A new operations formula for the chemicals sector,” 2022 was a tumultuous year for the global chemical sector which faced spiraling costs, looming skills shortage, and pressure for decarbonization. So, what does this all mean for the water industry? In this episode of AMS Talks AMS CEO Rick Bacon and Industry Consultant Nadia Abboud discuss critical chemical supply chain risk and explore solutions to help mitigate exposure to those risks in the water industry.