Joint Water Purification Plant
The JWPP is operational 24 hours a day.
The Joint Water Purification Plant (JWPP) is a cooperative venture between the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority (ACWWA) and the Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District. The plant will provide potable water to 12,000 residents and 30,000 commercial employees. The two water providers developed this cooperative project to meet their customers increasing potable water demand and reduce reliance on deep ground water supplies that will eventually be depleted. The plant will provide up to 12 million gallons per day of very high quality water from the Cherry Creek alluvial aquifer, a renewable water source. The new plant increases the use of surface water from Cherry Creek by treating ground water using reverse osmosis – the same purification process commonly used for bottled water. This process filters out even the smallest constituents and additional advanced treatment processes, including advanced oxidation and air stripping, purify the water even more.
JWPP Ribbon Cutting and Dedication
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Cartridge Filters / Chemical Addition – Cartridge filters remove large particles through screening of the raw water and antiscalants / antifoulants are added to protect the RO membranes.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) – RO is a filtration process that removes large molecules and ions (constituents) from water by applying pressure to the water on one side of a membrane. The concentrate (water containing constituents) remains on one side of the membrane and is discharged to waste. The water that passes through the membranes, permeate (water containing less or no constituents), continues on for further treatment. This process is typically used to remove salts and metal ions.
Advanced Oxidation (AO) – AO is a chemical treatment process that combines the addition of hydrogen peroxide with ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. Constituents in the water are oxidized by the hydrogen peroxide and irradiated by the UV light. This process is designed to remove organic materials (aromatics, pesticides, petroleum constituents, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) through oxidation.
Air Stripping (AS) – AS is a process in which air is introduced into the water to allow for the stabilization of the water and to transfer volatile components from the water into air. The air is then released from the treatment process and the finished water continues on for further treatment. This process is typically used to remove dissolved gases (radon and carbon dioxide) as well as volatile compounds.
Final Chemical Addition / Disinfection – Sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride and sodium silicofluoride are added to the finished water for pH control and fluoridation. Sodium hypochlorite is used for disinfection of the water prior to final distribution to customers.
