Water purification specialists make magic liquid so fresh and so clean

Courtesy Photo | California Army National Guard Soldiers from the Merced-based 1040th Quartermaster Company and 159th Quartermaster Team set up a water purification station near the Nacimiento River on Camp Roberts during annual training, June 6-21, 2014. The citizen-Soldiers were able to produce cleaner water than what the main training facilities water source and bottled water at the Post Exchange were offering. Pictured are the various stages of the purifying process, water storage and distribution. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Cameron Hedberg)  

CAMP ROBERTS, CA, UNITED STATES

06.16.2014

Story by Master Sgt. Paul Wade 

California National Guard Primary   

CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. -- When the wet bulb reaches its — wait, you don’t know what a wet bulb is? Okay, forget that. When you’re dressed in full battle rattle at Camp Roberts in the sweltering month of June and the air is stagnant and chock full of dirt and dust particles, nothing sounds better than a cool, refreshing drink from the tap. No?

Well how about dirty river water? During annual training, June 6-21, troops mainly drank from either Deja Blue bottled water they bought at the Post Exchange or from a water buffalo, filled with water from the Sherwood Forest water source.

The 1040th Quartermaster Company from Merced would prefer that you drink water from the Nacimiento River that meanders through the training area instead. After, of course, their water treatment mixologists push a little reverse osmosis, clear up the turbidity, calibrate pH balance and measure the oxidation reduction potential with their Ultrameter.

Maybe this is better explained by Sgt. Alex Haik, a Vallejo resident who works in water and waste treatment for the Coca-Cola Company.

“We’re practically filtering our water down at the molecular level,” said Haik.

Okay, maybe not.

“We conducted a test of the water the troops are using at the Sherwood Forest supply point and the bottled water from Deja Blue against the water we’re filtering from the [Nacimiento] river and ours is cleaner,” Haik continued.

Now keep in mind Deja Blue is owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, a competitor of Coca-Cola, so Haik might have been paid to make this outlandish statement.

Now don’t go boycotting Deja Blue bottled water the next time you head to old Camp Bob. In the Olympics of total dissolved solids and parts per million it fell just short of the top podium spot.

Now the stuff coming out of the Sherwood Forest — that’s another story. It didn’t even qualify for a spot on the team.

But as much as test numbers on the readout don’t lie, the proof is in the pudding — well, the water in this case.

“We’re pretty proud of our results and even more excited to get this water out to the troops in the field,” said First Sgt. Cory Nygord. “We just need some customers.”

After finding a suitable access point to the easy flowing river the unit basically ran a hose to their Tactical Water Purification Systems and started pumping clean H2O into massive water collectors. Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.

While at annual training, the 1040th made more than just tasty water, they had one of those “first time” moments. An environmental science officer, Capt. Christopher Scott, from the 297th Area Support Medical Company in San Mateo, who is trained to help prevent illness and is all about health and hygiene, blessed off on the liquid.

“We proved we could make super clean drinking water on a mass scale by getting certified from an outside source,” said Nygord.

In just two days they purified more than 10,500 gallons based on supply and demand from the field and are capable of much, much more.

They could essentially quench the thirst of a brigade-sized unit, roughly 5,000 troops, or in terms that we can understand, unlike reverse osmosis, they could hydrate every Soldier training at Camp Roberts, daily, barring the river doesn’t run dry due to the ongoing drought.

Fellow Merced-based 159th Quartermaster Tactical Distribution Team delivered Hippos, 2,000-gallon water tanks, and other water carriers to various resupply points, including one by the chapel, to push out their product.

“We even go back out regularly to test the water in those Hippos that could be sitting there for a few days,” said Haik.

Haik then explained what happens with stagnant water and then went into explaining oxidation, particle deposits and even something about backflushing microns.

All I know is, I was hot, I was parched and I was buying what he was selling.

Just like a good bartender, the troops enjoy seeing a smile on the customers’ face after that first sip. Haik was no different.

“You have to try it. Our crew did a great job and we just hope more units come for our water,” Haik said.

I downed a half-empty bottle of water and filled it with their magical elixir using a spigot made for water bottles and hydration packs. They even had a flow center sprouting various sized nozzles for all your customer filling needs.

Nice. And so was the water. A very slight chlorine, but clean, taste. This military correspondent downed the entire bottle and is still alive to write this article.

• Date Taken: 06.16.2014
• Date Posted: 07.11.2014 17:48
• Story ID: 135910
• Location: CAMP ROBERTS, CA, US
• Hometown: MERCED, CA, US
• Hometown: PASO ROBLES, CA, US
• Hometown: VALLEJO, CA, US