Many industries are dependent on raw water from lakes and rivers for use in their cooling process equipment. However, the recent invasion by various foreign mollusks (zebra mussels, Asiatic clams and others) into domestic inland waterways has led to the biofouling of water intake facilities at electric power generation stations and other industrial sites. If not controlled, these infestations can completely clog water intake facilities and lead to plant shutdowns.
Zebra mussels, the most prolific of the foreign mollusks, grow to about one inch in length and remain suspended in the water column for one to three weeks, drifting with currents. As they collect, they cause reductions in water flow by plugging inlet lines, process exchangers or surface condensers, and fire water systems.
Common methods for controlling include mechanical and thermal treatment methods, as well as maintenance cleaning, special coatings, drying out the pipes, and chemical oxidizers and non-oxidizers.
Evoqua offers a comprehensive range of disinfection technologies including gas chlorinators, UV systems, liquid feed, chemical induction, and chorine residual monitoring solutions which can be used to control invasive species.