Montreal studies magnetic coagulation for water treatment

Montreal is hoping to implement a “magnetic coagulation” process at its drinking water production plants. In April, the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal, the body in charge of water in the city, issued a call for tenders for firms to do a feasibility study on the process.
The magnetic coagulation process would enable the city to produce its drinking water “with practically no chemical additives,” said Alan DeSousa of the executive committee.
The process would be applied to water drawn from the river before it is filtered at the Atwater and Charles J. Des-Baillets plants. The magnetic force would attract miniscule particles in the water in order to more easily remove them. Traditional techniques use chemicals like aluminum sulphate and ferric chloride to bind the particles together.
The new process would also enable the city to conform to the stricter regulations governing the production of water in the province. The $80,000 feasibility study is being partly funded by the city and partly by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
For further information: Department of Infrastructures and the
Environment, Jacques Tremblay, 514-872-5465;