Municipalities of all sizes are faced with increased pressures to provide clean water in volumes necessary to accommodate their growing populations. For the better part of a century, Electrocoagulation (EC) has proven to be the technology of choice for the removal of suspended solids in municipal wastewater treatment facilities without the need of chemical additives. It has been effective in treating sewage water and sludge.
Traditional EC technology provides numerous benefits to municipal treatment facilities with its ability to:

  • Break emulsions
  • Destabilize colloidal particles
  • Remove a broad range suspended solids
  • Assist in the destruction of bacteria and pathogens
  • Meet discharge requirements in a single treatment.

This breakthrough technology targets the removal of more than 35 different contaminants from periodic table elements, including silica and arsenic, while helping to lower water hardness in potable water. These elements are noted in light blue.

Electrocoagulation Technology – Elemental Contaminants Removed


Electrocoagulation (EC) works most effectively on the elements in the middle of the Periodic Table. Silica and arsenic are readily removed. In many waters hardness is also lowered.

Traditional EC, however, has a problem that has hampered its use. It has the susceptibility for anode and cathode passivation and scale buildup which can cause operating inefficiencies, premature systems shutdowns and high electrical usage.

Water Vision’s new Thincell® technology adds a new dimension to traditional EC treatment. Thincell provides a cost-effective, in-situ solution to contaminant removal without the problems connected with passivation.

HOW THINCELL WORKS TO TREAT MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER

Thincell’s Process – Stage 1-2

  • Suspended, stabilized and emulsified contaminants exist in fluid
  • Patented proprietary Anode and Cathode prevent electrode passivation
  • Suspended and stabilized contaminants are destabilized, and break into smaller particles.  Emulsified fluids are de-emulsified
  • Bi-polar “Sacrificial Electrodes” release metal ions to form in-situ coagulant

Thincell’s Process – Stage 3

  • Sacrificial electrodes completely dissolve and releases metal ions to form in-situ coagulant
  • Contaminant particles react with in-situ coagulant and form floc.
  • Hydrogen and oxygen bubbles formed at the proprietary cathode and anode carry floc to top of chamber for removal.

Thincell – “The Conductivity Bridge”

  • Patented non-passivating anodes and cathodes – 6” spacing
  • Bi-polar Sacrificial electrodes separated by water molecules form a “conductivity bridge”
  • Thincell treatment is efficient in low conductivity environment
  • Low conductivity treatment is not hindered by passivation.

Thincell’s many advantages make it the best solution for municipal wastewater processes.

Thincell Advantages

  • Low capital costs
  • Inexpensive to operate
  • Increased flow rates
  • Minimal maintenance downtime
  • Small equipment footprint
  • Eliminates passivation
  • Fewer & thinner plates reduce weight
  • Treatment of multiple contaminants
  • Low power requirements
  • Minimal operator engagement needed
  • Improved personnel safety
  • Eliminates trucking of water for disposal
  • Not limited by process volumes
  • Consistency of operation
  • No chemicals required
  • Modular design
  • Variety of automated packages available

how does
thincell technology work?

What else can Thincell Handle?

Raw vs. Treated Sewage

As noted in the well-recognized Vanderbilt study results, removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater containment tests consistently exceed 95 percent.

Potable Water Results

Thincell causes a broad range of impurities to become separable from potable water.

Thincell® EC Treatment – Potable Water Applications

Potable Water

Contaminant Before EC After EC % Removal
Aldrin (pesticide) 0.063 mg/I 0.001 mg/I 98.4%
Aluminum 224.00 mg/I 0.69 mg/I 99.7%
Americium-241 71.99 pCi/l 0.57 pCi/L 99.2%
Arsenic 0.30 mg/I < 0.01 mg/I 96.7%
Bacteria 110,000,000 cfu 2,700 cfu 100.0%
Barium 0.0145 mg/I < 0.0010 mg/I 93.1%
Boron 4.86 mg/I 1.41 mg/l 71.0%
Cadmium 0.1252 mg/I < 0.0040 mg/I 96.8%
Calcium 1,321.00 mg/l 21.40 mg/l 98.4%
Chlorieviphos (pesticide) 5.87 mg/I 0.03 mg/I 99.5%
Chromium 139.00 mg/I < 0.10 99.9%
Cobalt 0.1238 mg/I 0.0214 mg/I 82.7%
Copper 0.7984 mg/I < 0.0020 99.7%
Cypermethrin (pesticide) 1.30 mg/I 0.07 mg/I 94.6%
DDT (pesticide) 0.261 mg/I 0.002 mg/I 99.2%
Diazinon (pesticide) 34.00 mg/I 0.21 mq/l 99.4%
E coli Bacteria > 2,419.2 mpn 0.0 mpn 100.0%
Lead 0.3497 mg/I < 0.0250 mg/I 92.9%
Lindane (pesticide) 0.143 mg/I 0.001 mg/l 99.3%
Magnesium 13.15 mg/I 0.0444 mg/I 99.7%
Manganese 1.061 mg/I 0.0184 mg/I 98.%
Mercury 0.01 mg/I < 0.002 80.0%
Contaminant Before EC After EC % Removal
Molybdenum 0.18 mg/I 0.04 mg/l 77.8%
Nickel 183 mg/I 0.07 mg/I 100.0%
Nitrate 11.7 mg/l 2.6 mg/I 77.8%
Nitrite 21 mg/I 12 mg/I 42.9%
Nitrogen TKN 1,118.88 mg/l 59.08 mg/l 94.7%
Petroleum Hydrocarbons 72.5 mg/l < 0.2 mg/I 99.7%
Phosphate 28 mg/I 0.2 mg/I 99.3%
Plutonium-239 29.85 pCi/l 0.29 pCi/l 99.0%
Potassium 200 mg/I 110 mg/I 45.0%
Proptamphos (pesticide) 80.87 mg/I 0.36 mg/I 99.6%
Radium 1093.0 pCi/l 0.1 pCi/l 100.0%
Selenium 68 mg/L 38 mg/I 44.1%
Silicon 21.07 mg/I 0.10 mg/I 99.5%
Sodium 8,690 mg/I 5,770 mg/I 33.6%
Sulfate 104 mg/I 68 mg/I 34.6%
Tin 0.213 mg/l < 0.0200 mg/l 90.6%
Total Coliform Bacteria > 2,419.2 mpn 0.0 mpn 100.0%
Uranium 10.8 mg/I 0.1 mg/I 99.1%
Vanadium 0.2621 mg/I < 0.0020 mg/l 99.2%
Zinc 221.00 mg/I 0.14 mg/I 99.9%

Electrocoagulation causes a wide range of impurities to become separable from potable water.

Electrocoagulation application results from online content and literature review.

Bacteria, Pathogen and Virus Removal

In a municipal wastewater facility, the Thincell electrocoagulation technology helps with bacteria, virus, and pathogen destruction as well as the removal of suspended solids in a single, efficient treatment. Its electrochemistry allows Thincell to be a natural in-situ disinfectant that upsets the ionic balance of the bacteria and removes dead bacteria through settling or flotation.

Thincell electrocoagulation cleans wastewater in municipal treatment facilities through a combination of electrolytic oxidation, emulsion destabilization, electrocoagulation, and flocculation in a single chamber. The technology easily adapts to existing plants without the need for costly retrofitting.

Thincell® EC Treatment 

Bacteria, Pathogens, and Virus Removal

Thincell’s unique electrochemical processes are extremely effective disinfectants. More importantly, the Thincell system disinfectants in one step where Traditional EC requires a second technology (electro-oxidation) to complete the disinfectant process.

Thincell electrochemistry produces an in-situ disinfectant that:

  • Upsets the ionic balance of the bacteria via electrocution
  • Generates sodium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid, and ozone, known disinfectants.
  • Dead bacteria are removed via in-situ generated electro – coagulants through settling or flotation
Feed Sample Treated Water Removal Efficiency
Bacteria (cfu) 110,000,000 2,700 99.998%
Coliform (cfu) 318,000 2,390 99.25%
E Coil Bacteria (mpn) 2,419 0 100.00%
Enterococcus Bacteria (mpn) 83 10 87.95%


Electrocoagulation application results from online content and literature review.

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