Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Germantown Complies with EPA Radium Regulations

by Todd Butz
Tonka Equipment Company

Germantown, Wisconsin has a small-town rural atmosphere, but its easy access to Milwaukee offers suburban amenities that attract many newcomers. The residential and business growth of the area has been steady, allowing this unique community to maintain its rural charm and distinct German heritage.


A major concern of the community was the need to remove radium from its potable water source and bring the water treatment plant into compliance with current USEPA regulations. After consultation with Ruekert-Mielke Engineering, the village chose the Hydrous Manganese Oxide (HMO) radium removal technology offered by Tonka Equipment Company.  HMO is a chemical that can be fed into the raw water that binds with radium. The HMO/radium particle can then be filtered through a conventional pressure or gravity filter.