(Tables 1 and 2 below are from
http://www.ionics.com/products/WaterFoodChemical/municipal/buckeye/default.htm)

*from http://www.ionics.com/products/WaterFoodChemical/municipal/buckeye/default.htm

Abstract
In 1962 the Town of Buckeye, Arizona became the first U.S. community to treat all of its municipal water supply by desalting. This electrodialysis (ED) desalting plant had a capacity of 650,000 GPD and operated continuously until 1988 when the town installed a new 900,000 GPD Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) system. This paper will review the Town of Buckeye water requirements, the needs for desalting the municipal supply, and the total system cost including operating and maintenance costs. Operational characteristics will be discussed based on data from the new EDR system such as flow rates, monthly water analysis, water recovery and applied power.

The Need for Desalination
Buckeye, Arizona, is a quintessential small town America. Its 4,000 residents reside mainly in a one square mile townsite surrounded by some of the world's most productive cottonfarming country. Located about 35 miles west of Phoenix, the area enjoys a mild winter and hot summer climate with only about seven (7) inches of rainfall annually. It is served by an excellent transportation network and lies along major routes from Phoenix to San Diego and Los Angeles. It is known for its warm, friendly people and family-oriented lifestyle.

Despite Buckeye's numerous advantages, however, water quality remains a problem. (Please note that I emphasized the word "quality." Even though it is situated in a water scarce desert, geological conditions of the Salt River/Gila River Valley have blessed the community with a high water table, so high in fact that the Buckeye Irrigation Company has to operate dewatering wells to prevent waterlogging of thousands of acres of prime farmland.) All of the water used for domestic purposes in the Buckeye area comes from wells or bottles—no surface water is available. Almost all of the well water, although organically safe, is loaded with minerals. Typical well salinity varies from 1,500 to 4,000 ppm TDS, which at best is more than three times the Federal standard. Salty water ruins pipes and appliances, contains unhealthy quantities of some minerals and just plain tastes bad.

History of Desalination in Buckeye
In 1958 a study committee appointed by the Buckeye Town Council told elected officials what everybody already knew—the water was bad. The next two years were spent in studying the problem from all aspects. It was decided after surveying available technology and companies building systems, that the lonics, Inc. electrodialysis (ED) system would be best for Buckeye. A lengthy educational effort was launched, culminating in a 2 to 1 positive vote on a $300,000 bond issue to build Arizona's first municipal desalination plant, which was completed in 1962.

The plant continued to operate effectively for about 20 years. By the early 1980's, the combination of growth and age of equipment made it obvious that a new plant was needed. In 1987, a $1.1 million bond issue, part of a $3.3 million dollar election which also included sewage treatment improvements, was approved, again by a 2 to 1 margin. The new desalting plant began operating in January 1988, the year following final retirement of the 1962 bond issue. The new Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) facility stands right next to the 1962 plant, which has been converted to an auto maintenance shop.

Available in capacities from 2 to 4,000 cubic meters per day, AQUAMITEŽ Systems utilize Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) technology to electrically remove salts and minerals from water. Each AQUAMITEŽ package is a complete demineralization system composed of three major modules: AQUAMITEŽ I AQUAMITEŽ III AQUAMITEŽ V AQUAMITEŽ X AQUAMITEŽ XV AQUAMITEŽ XX AQUAMITEŽ 50 AQUAMITEŽ 100 The Family of AQUAMITEŽ Systems includes: MEMBRANE STACKS Consisting of high efficiency ion transfer membranes, water flow spacers and electrodes - computer designed to optimize system operation based on feed water composition and temperature and product water requirements. HYDRAULIC MODULE Including low pressure centrifugal feed and concentrate pumps, a 10 micron cartridge filter, plastic piping and control valves, factory assembled on epoxy coated steel skids. ELECTRICAL MODULE Containing automatic control circuits, rectifiers for AC to DC power conversion, motor starters and system alarms enclosed in separate corrosion resistant cabinets. Chemical flushing for membrane stack maintenance and product water chlorination units are standard sub-systems. AQUAMITEŽ Systems are completely assembled and tested to customer specifications at the factory. Color coded and matched hydraulic/electrical and membrane stack modules are easily reassembled in the field, thus minimizing installation and start-up time.   FOR APPLICATION AND DESIGN INFORMATION Address: 65 Grove Street PO Box 9131 Watertown, MA 02272-9131 Phone: (617) 926-2500 E-Mail CorpMark@postoffice.ionics.com

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AQUAMITE XX