AWWA MTC61137

Ever since the Cuban government cut off the water supply to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in February 1964, the Base has been relying on seawater desalination as the only means of water supply for over 40 years. Over the course of these years, there have been four multistage flash evaporator desalination units, two multiple effect evaporator units, and six reverse osmosis (RO) units installed, with a total capacity of 10 million gallons per day (mgd). After operating the thermal units for two decades, all of the multistage flash evaporators were dismantled and the multiple effect evaporators were decommissioned. The Base is now operating with all six of the seawater RO units. Prior to the decommissioning of the Aqua Chem multiple stage flash evaporators (identified as units RO1 and RO2) and the IDE multiple effect evaporator units in 1990, two x 300,000 gpd Aqua Design RO units were the first of a series of RO units installed at Guantanamo Bay. After the Aqua Design RO units were successfully operated, the steam turbine-generator power supply was replaced along with a diesel-generator. In February 2000, two x 200,000 gpd Burns and Roe Matrix units (identified as units RO3 and RO4) were installed. These two units were each upgraded to a capacity of 235,000 gpd in June 2002. Due to an increase in the Base's population, a fifth unit was awarded to Burns and Roe to design, construct, install, and operate within seven months. In September 2002, Burns and Roe got the RO5 unit installed and operating in four-and-one-half months. In January 2003, one x 100,000 gpd Brown and Root/Matrix unit (RO6) was installed. Burns and Roe upgraded this unit to a capacity at 235,000 gpd in December 2003. In order to conserve energy, this unit was upgraded with a new energy recovery system. Includes tables, figures.