You ask and we answer! MgWater Technical Director Matt Madolora offers solutions to common water treatment problems.

QUESTION: Does adding magnesium hydroxide in wastewater cause struvite scale?

ANSWER: Understanding the specific condition of your wastewater system is critical for addressing struvite-related challenges effectively. Struvite precipitation occurs when there are high concentrations of phosphate, ammonium and magnesium present. Struvite tends to form in pH ranges between 7.0 and 10.0, when conditions are warmer, and when ion concentrations exceed solubility limits. With proper modeling and strategic adjustments to chemistries and pH, wastewater treatment facilities can move struvite through a system without creating scale, and even recover it as a valuable fertilizer.

The MgWater group of Premier Magnesia developed and patented MgBalance™ to tackle wastewater treatment challenges exactly like this. MgBalance is a custom tailored process technology that systematically adjusts Mg and pH to enhance phosphorus uptake, balance phosphorus and nitrogen, and improve struvite recovery so it avoids the conditions that preferentially form scale.

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