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Video: A Novel Phosphorus-Free Cooling Water Treatment Solution

POWER Associate Editor Aaron Larson recently interviewed LaMarr Barnes, vice president of marketing and business development for U.S. Water Services Inc.

U.S. Water is a Minnesota-based integrated water treatment solutions provider that has developed a phosphorus-free cooling water treatment solution, which may be beneficial for power generation companies. Many power plants add phosphate-based treatments to cooling water systems to reduce scale and minimize corrosion, but release of these chemicals to the environment is becoming a source of controversy.

U.S. Water also recently won the California Game Changer Company of the Year award for other reasons. It has been actively working with businesses in the state to conserve freshwater resources with a statewide goal of a 20% reduction by 2020.

“We set aside the Game Changer award to specifically call out a company or individual whose story and/or contributions are making, or are poised to make, a significant difference to the economy, environment, or an industry,” said Jon Gregory, managing director of California’s North State Innovation HUB. “We had about 200 nominations for the various awards, and then culling through that group we singled out U.S. Water for this year’s Game Changer of the Year award.”

A representative of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development presented the award, which Alexandra Causey accepted for U.S. Water during the 1st Annual Vanguard 100 Awards Dinner held in late November on the campus of California State University in Chico (Figure 1).



1. Alexandra Causey accepts the California Game Changer of the Year award at a dinner held at California State University–Chico. Courtesy: U.S. Water

During a December conference in Orlando, Fla., U.S. Water announced the development of its phosphorus-free cooling water treatment solution. With environmental regulations constantly under review, limiting the discharge of phosphorus into the environment is gaining support in many parts of the country.

U.S. Water began work on a solution a couple of years ago, and the result is a product it calls “Phos Zero.” The company believes Phos Zero provides equivalent, or better, protection than a stabilized phosphate cooling water program or an all-organic phosphate program.

In an interview with POWER Associate Editor Aaron Larson, Barnes talks about the company, the Game Changer award, and the Phos Zero solution.

Aaron Larson, associate editor (@AaronL_Power, @POWERmagazine)

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