Though safer for personnel, surrounding population and the environment than chlorine gas (Cl) disinfection, NaOCl is highly corrosive which presents problems for pumps and metering equipment. Originally, Tesla Portal used diaphragm pumps. But, Steve Shaw, Chief Stationary Engineer at the East Bay Field Facilities, reported that the facility had to spend $450 per pump to outfit each with check valves plus vibration and pulsation dampeners.
Additionally, they had to devote extra personnel to take care of problems associated with the diaphragms, including frequently blowing the accumulated air and gases out of the pumps. “It took intense supervision to keep them going,” Shaw noted.
