Sustainable Products & Services
Solving Global Water Challenges
For Layne Christensen, solving water challenges is the foundation of who we are, stretching back to 1882 when Mahlon Layne began drilling water wells for his neighbors in North Dakota. Today, the global water challenges we face are more complex — from access to clean drinking water to sustainable use of this vital natural resource. With the innovative spirit of Mahlon Layne as a guide, Layne Christensen’s Water Infrastructure group provides a suite of sophisticated solutions that address issues across the water identification, production and treatment continuum.
Developing water sources
Before Layne Christensen can begin to drill a well, we need to find the water, determine how much is available and the rate at which the source can be sustainably utilized. We partner with communities and clients to identify and understand their water needs. With this information, Layne works to design the most efficient system possible — one that minimizes the impact on the environment and produces the required water without depleting the source.
Our Layne Hydro team uses sophisticated modeling and technology to identify and assess the most sustainable production and use of water supplies. We help our clients develop water conservation strategies and work to find solutions that may enable them to utilize non-potable water for applications that they never before considered. Through Layne’s consultation and guidance, we help our clients to improve their own water footprints. Once a water source has been identified and the potential impacts are understood, the Layne Water Resources team will design, drill and construct the appropriate well system.
As the largest U.S. provider of water well drilling, well maintenance and environmental drilling services, Layne Christensen has the expertise to effectively utilize our fleet of 700 rigs to handle the most demanding drilling projects. With population and economic growth mounting in areas of water scarcity, the demand for specialized water well drilling is increasing. Our history of efficient water resource development enables Layne Christensen to help bring water to areas of the world that need it most.
Beyond new water well development, Layne Christensen also improves the sustainability of existing water resources. Our well and pump rehabilitation and repair services help maintain the viability of established well systems. In addition, our aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects enable municipalities and water districts to replenish limited water resources. This water is critical to the economic health of growing communities, and our expertise allows communities to make informed decisions about sustainable resource use.
Water treatment
Once water has been sustainably produced from a source, it must be treated to become a usable resource. The Layne Christensen Water Treatment group designs and constructs high capacity water purification systems to provide safe, environmentally compliant water supplies.
Our water treatment systems address a variety of contaminants, including radium, arsenic, nitrates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Layne’s treatment initiatives focus on reducing water waste, reducing treatment chemical usage and responsible handling of treatment residuals. We design our systems with sustainability in mind, considering how an organization might recycle or reuse its current water supply while working to create a system that requires less energy and minimizes waste. Our high efficiency ion exchange systems produce 90% less waste than conventional systems while occupying approximately half the space. By generating less waste, more of the water is treated to meet drinking level standards.
One new sustainable solution we have developed for water treatment is the LayneRT absorption media. This filtration media is designed to remove arsenic and serve as a reusable solution. Traditional absorption products, once full, are typically discarded into landfills. The LayneRT product can be regenerated off-site and reused, resulting in 10-20 cubic feet of waste or 97% less waste than that associated with the disposal of traditional filtration media. In addition, the media regeneration costs are significantly less than media replacement costs, and it eliminates contaminated filtration media from entering into landfills. As municipalities and water districts seek to upgrade aging facilities or meet increasingly stringent regulations, we envision LayneRT media to be a preferred, sustainable solution.
Another unique attribute of Layne Christensen water treatment systems involves recycling water used in the treatment process. Once filter beds have reached capacity for removing contaminants, they are typically backwashed with clean water. Layne systems are designed to take this water and pump it into a holding tank, where particulate matter settles to the bottom. The water that remains in the tank is pumped back into the system for treatment, which reduces the volume of wastewater discharged from our systems by more than 95%.
Wastewater treatment
Layne Christensen’s expertise in wastewater treatment facility and equipment design and construction supports the sustainability performance of clients across public and private sectors. We are actively involved in developing and implementing technologies to help municipalities, food and beverage manufacturers, power producers, and oil and gas development companies comply with environmental regulations related to wastewater reduction and discharges.
The breadth of our technology offerings enables Layne to support our clients in addressing key wastewater issues. We were the first and only company to introduce PTFE membranes for wastewater treatment, which are stronger and more chemically resistant than traditional membranes. Given the characteristics of this technology, we help our clients treat more wastewater with significantly less capital equipment. More recently, Layne Christensen’s Intevras acquisition expands our technology and service solutions for the treatment and reuse of frac water from oil and gas drilling activities.
Deep injection technology presents an opportunity for Layne Christensen to utilize our historic drilling competencies to complement our wastewater treatment activities. For municipal wastewater treatment clients, Layne delivers deep injection technology to safely dispose of waste. In 2010, Layne began work drilling carbon dioxide (CO2) injection wells to provide power utilities with options for carbon sequestration that comply with regulations to protect underground sources of drinking water.
Opportunities for the Future
Over the next 50 years, water scarcity and sustainable water use will emerge as the dominant sustainability challenges facing the world. With population growth, emerging economies and other factors increasing demand on this vital natural resource, Layne Christensen is prepared to provide advanced solutions to this global challenge.
We anticipate two key areas in which Layne Christensen can deal with water scarcity: 1) development of alternative water supplies for industrial applications; 2) and, the desalination of sea water. In some instances, industrial applications may not need water deemed potable. Our ability to consult with clients and develop alternative, non-potable sources of water will ease the stress on municipal drinking water supplies in water scarce regions. Although many of the world’s largest cities are located close to an abundant source of water, that source, more often than not, is salt water. In addition to our design and build capabilities for desalination facilities, our expertise in well drilling allows us to create small-footprint, out-of-sight intake wells. With the installation of discrete intake wells in prime coastal locations, Layne Christensen supports cities in meeting their water needs without making environmental sacrifices.
Relative to the drinking water market, regulatory changes in the United States will drive demand for Layne Christensen’s products and services. Specifically, trihalomethanes (THMs), a group of organic chemicals that occur in drinking water as a result of chlorine disinfectant treatment, are currently regulated with a maximum contaminant level. Changes to the compliance measurement process will require water utilities to test levels at discrete points within their systems, rather than using an average to calculate levels. Layne Christensen has begun testing a new technology that appears to be effective in reducing THM levels, does not create any wastewater and may be retrofitted into existing systems. While specific to the municipal drinking water market, this technology could prove important to supporting sustainable drinking water supplies.
Our recent activity in the industrial water and wastewater treatment sector represents a growth area for our business. Layne Christensen’s focus on technology development and strategic acquisitions in this space will enable us to expand and enhance the treatment solutions we provide. Developing a deeper understanding of the sector’s sustainability challenges and needs will help position Layne as a leader in this space.