First Ultrafiltration with Preozonation in the Country

Spectacle Pond Water Treatment Facility Littleton, Massachusetts

The Spectacle Pond Water Treatment Facility removes iron and manganese from a 1.5 mgd source well, utilizing a combination of preozonation for oxidation followed by ultrafiltration membranes.

This combination of treatment processes provides secondary benefits for this well, which is under the influence of surface water from the adjacent Spectacle Pond. The secondary benefits include superior water quality, barrier protection from contaminants and microorganisms, significant reduction in chemical use, and minimal waste production. Because the water quality is superior, the Town was granted a waiver for chlorination from the MassDEP, which was the first such waiver in Massachusetts. The plant was the first of its kind in the United States and the first municipal application of ultrafiltration in Massachusetts.