Tim Walz, Minnesota State’s Governor, recently toured a Kurita America municipal installation at the City of Bemidji Drinking Water Treatment Plant. The project was among those funded by a recently passed $1.9 billion state bonding bill. Tonka Water, a Kurita Brand, provided five (5) 11’- 6” diameter vertical pressure filters for iron and manganese removal, as well as a PLC control panel and appurtenances for a fully automated treatment system. The filtration system acts as pre-treatment to Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) adsorption vessels that will address PFAS concerns, and prior removal of iron and manganese will reduce life cycle costs by ensuring the longest usable life of the GAC media. The vertical pressure filter system includes Kurita America’s Simul-Wash™ backwash method, which provides optimal filter media cleansing while minimizing water waste to around half that of conventional methods. Waste minimization was of considerable importance due to current site discharge limitations, and our Simul-Wash process allowed for more flexibility in operation and smaller waste storage tanks.



Photo courtesy of Rice Lake Construction. Video courtesy of Lakeland PBS.