When Should Filter Media Be Cleaned?

by Dave Anderson
Customer Service, Tonka Equipment Company

Tonka has been asked this question by plant operators: 
"Should I chemically clean my filter media?"

On the surface this sounds like something that should be beneficial, but it may not be right for your filter.  This is especially true if you have Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™ filter media.


Greensand™ and Ironman Sand™ are coated with an active, beneficial coating of manganese dioxide which, when charged, oxidizes manganese as water flows through the filter. Unfortunately, chemicals that are used
to clean media of other precipitated compounds (calcium and magnesium hardness deposits, for instance) will remove the beneficial active coating on the Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™. For this reason Tonka strongly recommends against chemically cleaning filters that have Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™.


If you have concerns about media cleaning or your media not performing, please call our customer service department at 1-800-530-1887, and we’ll help you assess your needs and evaluate your filter operation.

Delivering High Rate Media and Low Backwash Waste

by Alan Schneider
Tonka Equipment Company



The Spanaway Water District, located near Tacoma, Washington, needed a solution to manganese problems at a 900 GPM well, and a filter design that would fit into their new treatment building layout. They also wanted to minimize the backwash waste set up for discharge into a small infiltration basin. The District had previous failures of off-the-shelf standardized skidmounted vertical pressure filter systems, so they contacted Tonka, looking for a fresh, more robust approach.

Protecting Your Filter Media from Mudball Formation

by TJ Stroebl
Tonka Equipment Company

Marble size mudballs on the surface of a filter

Mudballs! 
The word sounds innocent enough, but mudballs indicate problems in your filter bed. These solids accumulate within a filter and agglomerate into a ball of solids combined with the filter media.  These masses block the passage of water, causing higher velocity filtration and uneven distribution.  Ultimately, they affect filter performance and effluent quality, while shortening filter run lengths—all signs of problems.

Tonka Adds Water Industry Expertise

Plymouth, Minnesota -- Tonka Equipment Company, a leader in the manufacture of customized water treatment systems, is pleased to announce the hiring of Kurt Johnson to the position of Manager, Customer Service and Field Production.

  

Although new to Tonka, Johnson is not new to the water treatment industry. His experience encompasses an extensive 35-year consulting engineering career in the water treatment industry with design and construction management experience. In his new role, Johnson will lead the in-house and field technicians in start-ups and troubleshooting solutions in the field.

A Revolutionary Green Ion Exchange Technology -Tonka Pur-IX™

It is now possible for designers to take advantage of the high efficiency of ion exchange without producing large volume wastewater by using the Tonka Pur-IX™ system.


This fully-automated system consists of twenty small, stationary ion exchange vessels. All are piped through a single multi-port valve. Each vessel is at a different stage of resin exhaustion, allowing complete exhaustion of the resin without disrupting treated water quality. This means less resin volume is required than a conventional system and less wastewater is produced. Six of the twenty vessels are in different stages of regeneration, which sends the regenerant solution through multiple vessels for maximum exchange and minimum brine consumption.


The heart of the Pur-IX™ system is the patented PuriTech multi-port valve*. The valve contains an inner disc that indexes periodically to redirect flow and move the individual vessels through treatment and exchange. The internal valve disc itself is the only moving part, which accommodates true counter-current ion exchange while eliminating complicated valve nests and indexing carousels.


The Tonka Pur-IX™ system is applicable to any ion exchange process including nitrate, hardness, and organic removal.

Ion Exchange Removes Uranium

by TJ Stroebl
Tonka Equipment Company


Bridgeport, a town of 1594 people, is located in Western Nebraska equidistant among Sidney, Alliance, and Scottsbluff.  Not long ago, Bridgeport was pumping water directly out of the ground and into the distribution system, with no treatment required. It was then discovered that the water had elevated levels of uranium, and treatment would be required. The town worked with their engineer, Olsson Associates, to come up with a solution to handle the situation.

Healing Waters Steeped in History

by John Berrigan
Tonka Equipment Company

Roosevelt Warms Spring Institute

The healing properties of the warm springs in Georgia were utilized by Native Americans and many others throughout history, but it was President Franklin D.  Roosevelt whose visit in 1924 made the greatest impact. Since 1927, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute has provided comprehensive rehabilitation “to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal independence.”  President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the institute originally to treat persons affected by polio. The Institute provides rehabilitation to as many as 5,000 individuals a year from all over the United States.  Tonka Equipment Company was selected to soften the mineral waters of Warm Springs and provide facilities on the beautiful 950 acre campus with softened water—reducing the hard mineralized water and radionuclides to healthful levels.  

Maintenance Tip - Time for a Spring Tune-up!

by Steve Kari

Nitrate Removal at Hastings, Minnesota

by Todd Butz
VP Sales, Tonka Equipment Company

Hastings Ion Exchange System for Nitrate Removal

Set along the rugged and colorful scenery of the Mississippi, St. Croix and Vermillion Rivers, Hastings is a river town steeped in tradition. With a rich heritage of progress, Hastings has grown to meet the needs of its population without forgetting its past. This certainly rings true for how the community has handled its water treatment system.  


Nitrates in the groundwater supply 
Hastings is fortunate to have a plentiful groundwater source capable of supplying the community of over 22,000 residents with adequate water capacity. The groundwater quality is pristine with very little iron and manganese – below secondary standard levels. However, Hastings is located in a highly agricultural area, and over time, the nitrate concentration in several of its wells has increased to levels near the EPA mandated MCL of 8 mg/l. To remain in compliance, the town made the decision to construct a new water treatment plant for nitrate removal, the first of its kind in Minnesota.


Anion exchange treatment 
Working closely with the consulting engineer throughout the design phase of the project, Tonka supplied the entire anion exchange treatment system including: anion exchange vessels, valves, facepiping, instrumentation, brinemaker, brine delivery components, control system methodology, and a softening system for brine make-up water to prevent calcium sulfate precipitation.



Hastings finished water meets EPA standard now and in the future
The plant utilizes four anion exchange vessels, each rated to treat up to 400 gpm. A portion of the 2400 gpm total plant flow is treated through the units while the balance is bypassed around the anion exchange vessels and blended with the treated water to produce a consistent finished water with nitrate concentration below the EPA’s MCL of 8 mg/l.  The bypass/blend allows the town to remain in compliance today, as well as having the flexibility to adjust the treated/bypassed proportion for future compliance, should the raw water nitrate level continue to increase.