AB&H, A Donohue Group and the City of Algonquin, Illinois, received an Honor Award in the 2007 ACEC Illinois Engineering Excellence competition. The award recognizes the design of a new water treatment facility that uses a low-pressure immersed membrane system. The membrane system effectively treats shallow aquifer water that is filled with high concentrations of iron bacteria. The membranes also provide superior, reliable removal of harmful microorganisms and other nuisance particles.

The application of this type of membrane system to treat the iron-rich water is remarkably innovative. The Algonquin facility is the first of its kind in Illinois and one of the first in the nation. The new facility produces water that exceeds expectations for iron removal and finished water quality. Due to site constraints, the equipment was placed within a 40,000-square-foot building. The facility was also design with a sophisticated process control system to minimize operator requirements.