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MEMORANDUM 

TO: Public Record for the 2010 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 

 EPA Docket Number EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0517 (www.regulations.gov) 

FROM: Carey A. Johnston, P.E. 

USEPA/OW/OST 

ph: (202) 566 1014 

johnston.carey@epa.gov 

DATE: 27 July 2010 

SUBJECT: Summary of EMIT Water Discharge Technology (an Exterran Company) held on 

18 February 2010 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is collecting a variety of technical, financial, 

and environmental data as part of EPA’s detailed study of the coalbed methane (CBM) extraction 

sector (http://www.epa.gov/guide/cbm/). EPA is collecting information on available technologies 

used for CBM produced water. This memorandum summarizes an 18 February 2010 

teleconference with EMIT Water Discharge Technology (EMIT). 

EMIT staff briefly described the history of the company. Founded in 2002, EMIT licenses 

Higgins Loop Continuous Countercurrent Ion Exchange (CCIX) Technology from Severn Trent 

Services, and applies the CCIX technology to CBM produced water. 

EMIT staff described a system designed for treatment of sodium bicarbonate water that produces 

less than 1 percent brine volume, is efficient and robust, and performs with runtimes greater than 

99 percent. EMIT staff described the system as turnkey, automated, and modular in nature (i.e., 

units are identical in size and additional units are added to meet flow requirements (EMIT staff 

described set up within 90 days)). 

EMIT staff reported that they have deployed 25 units, primarily in the Powder River Basin 

(PRB) (Wyoming and MT). Emit has also deployed units in the Atlantic Rim area of the Greater 

Green River Basin (Southwest WY) and one unit in Colorado. EMIT staff stated that they have 

treated close to 360 million barrels of water, and that they are largest treatment company in the 

PRB in both the volume of water treated and the number of units deployed. EMIT staff reported 

units treating as little as 6,000 bbls/day, and that they recently completed a 125,000 bbl/day 

treatment system. 

EMIT staff confirmed that there are three primary inputs needed for system design: 

1) Flow rate and duration of water treatment; 

2) Water quality; and, 

3) The discharge standard. 
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EMIT requires a complete water characterization (cations, anions, metals, hydrocarbons) in order 

to determine the treatment and pretreatment necessary (e.g., pretreatment is necessary if oil & 

grease if present). 

EMIT staff stated that for the PRB standards that they have been requested to evaluate, they have 

been able to treat water to those standards. EMIT staff noted that they may need to add gypsum 

to meet sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) requirements. EMIT staff also described that they have 

enough experience and data to accurately model how their treatment systems will perform for 

given water characteristics. EMIT has a wealth of performance data to use in predictive 

modeling because they regularly sample incoming and outgoing water from their systems (as 

well as some intermediate water sampling). 

EMIT noted the sensitive nature of their cost data but shared that they contract to treat a range of 

water quality and that the contract is also based on the quantity of cations removed. EMIT does 

require a minimum fee or water quantity requirements under their contract requirements. EMIT 

also noted that they consider monitoring data as sensitive customer data. 

Participant Information 

Carey A. Johnston, P.E. Paul Hanson 

U.S. EPA, Office of Water PG Environmental LLC (US EPA Contractor) 

ph: (202) 566 1014 607 10th St, Suite 307 

fx: (202) 566 1053 Golden, CO 80401 

johnston.carey@epa.gov Phone: 303 279-1778 

Douglas Beagle Brian Barrett 

Manager, Business Development Manager, Operations 

EMIT Water Discharge Technology EMIT Water Discharge Technology 

2665 Aviation Drive 

P.O. Box 6795 

Sheridan, Wyoming 82801 

+1.307.675.5135 - direct 

+1.307.673.0807 - fax 

+1.307.752.4196 - mobile 

Doug.Beagle@Exterran.com