Who is HSI?

Started in a garage in a small town in Nevada, Halogen Systems, Inc qualified for a Small Business Innovative Research Contract (SBIR) from the Office of Naval Research (ONR)via a program for the US Navy. Halogen developed sensors that met parameters most industry insiders felt were impossible. In 2021, Halogen began extending this proven technology into additional industries, starting with Drinking Water and Wastewater treatment plants. Halogen sees promise in additional industries such as Environmental Water Recovery (EWR) systems like Rainwater Collection, Cooling Towers, and Graywater Systems, plus Industrial Hot-water Systems.

Nobody thought that an amperometric sensor would be durable enough to handle in-pipe pressures, much less going from 0 to 140 psi in under 4 minutes, in saltwater, in silty harbors without any drift for months; but they did it, and it’s amazing.”– BWMS Engineer

“In 40 years of Wastewater plant experience, I have never seen anything as impressive as the MP5™. The flexibility, functionality, and stability are unmatched. Period.” – DW Systems Engineer

Halogen Systems, Inc is focused on solving difficult water-monitoring issues with innovative technology

For decades, water monitoring technology required complicated flow-control piping, membranes, and reagents. That complexity created a standardized culture of constant maintenance because the chlorine sensors were isolated from the main flow (sometimes hundreds of feet away) which may cause measurements to be delayed by 5 minutes or more. 

Halogen’s amperometric chlorine analyzer technology allows a sensor to be inserted directly into a ballast water pipe or a drinking water flow. Durable and non-reactive, no flow-control or waste drain is needed and the sensor’s calibration remains constant in any pressure or flow. Even a dry pipe won’t shake the calibration. 

Since this technology does not use membranes or reagents, maintenance requirements for chlorine sensors can go from constant to minimal. Manufacturers of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) and Marine regulators saw immediate benefits. The Drinking Water industry is taking note, with NSF-61 Certification and approval for the EPA EPA Method 334.0 compliance reporting. 

Halogen’s technology solved long-standing headaches in ballast water monitoring—even in difficult operating conditions—with simplicity, accuracy, and stability. Now, Halogen is applying everything learned in the challenging Marine Ballast Water Management industry to solve mission-critical problems in industries like Drinking Water, Wastewater, Commercial Hot Water Systems, and Environmental Water Reclamation.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS & MORE

Ballast Water Treatment For Invasive Species

Invasive species (like zebra mussels) create environmental havoc on ecosystems. Many of these organisms are brought in by ballast water from cargo ships crossing oceans or different harbors. These ships discharge, at times, millions of gallons of water during operation. Untreated water can result in overwhelming local ecosystems. Fortunately, vessels are now required to sterilize their ballast water and kill invasive species before discharging it using a treatment system (BWTS). Many BWTS use the Halogen Systems Inc. Ballast Water TRO Sensor to measure the oxidant level for controlling the treatment process. Halogen’s TRO sensor also ensures that the discharged water’s oxidant level is safe to be released. Ballast water chlorine measurement is the most difficult of all applications due to biofouling, high water hardness, high salt levels, and temperature extremes. 

Halogen’s technology allows a sensor to be inserted directly into a ballast water pipe, or a drinking water flow. Durable and non-reactive, no flow-control or waste drain is needed and the sensor’s calibration remains constant in any pressure or flow. Even a dry pipe won’t shake the calibration. 

Halogen’s innovative technology has effectively addressed persistent challenges in ballast water monitoring, even under challenging operational circumstances, by offering a combination of simplicity, precision, and reliability. Today, Halogen is leveraging the valuable insights gained from the demanding Marine Ballast Water Management sector to tackle crucial issues in various industries such as Drinking Water, Wastewater, Commercial Hot Water Systems, and Environmental Water Reclamation.

Municipal Drinking Water Online Chlorine Sensor

It took us several years to generate a reliable sensor for such a harsh environment such as seawater. Since we have successfully provided a sensor for the most strenuous application out there, developing similar sensor technology for wastewater and drinking water treatment plants is comparatively easy.

Since this technology does not use membranes or reagents, maintenance requirements for chlorine sensors can go from constant to minimal. Manufacturers of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) and Marine regulators saw immediate benefits. Now the Drinking Water industry is taking note, with both NSF-61 Certification and approval for EPA EPA Method 334.0 compliance reporting. 

The Halogen Sensor has been granted 11 patents worldwide and is the only online chlorine sensor with NSF61 certification. This allows it to be inserted directly into a drinking water pipe without a required waste stream. It can do this because it is the only sensor unaffected by fluctuating flow speed or pressure. The flow-generating technology also means that Halogen’s sensors work just as effectively when suspended or simply placed in a water tank. 

Standard Membrane and reagent residual chlorine sensors (such as the Hach CL17) require a waste stream of roughly 69,000 gallons of water per year to obtain their readings. Besides excessive water consumption, the cost of the treated water simply going to waste is, on average, $150 per year per sensor. Some utilities have over 100 analyzers operating with waste streams, resulting in a significant wasteful expense. The waste stream from such old-technology sensors cannot simply be discharged into the environment and so require the use of additional chemical reagents, typically adding an average of $700 per year per analyzer plus labor. 

With NSF61 Certification and no need for waste streams or reagents, Municipal drinking water utilities in Florida, California, and Nevada are already evaluating the sensor for deployment.

Wastewater Treatment Chlorine Analysis & Monitoring

Much of treated wastewater is “reclaimed” or recycled for other uses like irrigation. These are tricky applications for conventional sensors that require frequent recalibration. For example, in one Orlando, Florida USA wastewater treatment plant, their current sensors (one of our competitor’s units) must be calibrated three times per day (each work shift) to obtain accurate readings. However, Halogen Systems sensors do not require calibration for over one month of operation and read accurately straight out of the box with factory-set calibrations. Calibration remains infrequent with our sensors due to our patented, continuous, self-cleaning system. Our approach to residual chlorine sensors keeps the sensing surface free of organics and other forms of build-up.

Halogen Systems Inc. modified its sensor for wastewater purposes and shipped its first sensor in May of 2021. Multiple wastewater treatment plants in Florida have applied for approval with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for using our sensor for compliance reporting. Orlando, Florida, is the first city to gain DEP approval. Other municipalities will soon receive these same approvals from the Florida DEP, at which point Halogen Systems Inc. equipment will replace their old technology. “This enables much tighter control of the plant process, with less labor, more reliability, tighter accuracy, and less chemical usage,” says Jason Erskine of HASK, Inc.

Since this technology does not use membranes or reagents, maintenance requirements for chlorine sensors can go from constant to minimal. Manufacturers of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) and Marine regulators saw immediate benefits. Now the Drinking Water industry is taking note, with both NSF-61 Certification and approval for EPA EPA Method 334.0 compliance reporting. 

The Halogen Sensor has been granted 11 patents worldwide and is the only online chlorine sensor with NSF61-level certification. This allows it to be inserted directly into a drinking water pipe without a required waste stream. It can do this because it is the only sensor unaffected by fluctuating flow speed or pressure. The flow-generating technology also means that Halogen’s sensors work just as effectively when suspended or simply placed in a water tank. 

Standard Membrane and reagent residual chlorine sensors (such as the Hach CL17) require a waste stream of roughly 69,000 gallons of water per year to obtain their readings. Besides excessive water consumption, the cost of the treated water simply going to waste is, on average, $150 per year per sensor. Some utilities have over 100 analyzers operating with waste streams, resulting in a significant wasteful expense. The waste stream from such old-technology sensors cannot simply be discharged into the environment and so requires the use of additional chemical reagents, typically adding an average of $700 per year per analyzer plus labor. 

With NSF61 Certification and no need for waste streams or reagents, Municipal drinking water utilities in Florida, California, and Nevada are already evaluating the sensor for deployment.

Designed for Simplicity and Flexibility

Whether designing a full Ballast Water Management System (BWMS), or a remotely-monitored Environmental Water Recovery System (EWRS) architects, engineers, and operators appreciate the confidence they gain from Halogen’s remarkable calibration stability as much as they enjoy the flexible installation types and near-zero maintenance. Contact Halogen today to learn more about designing your system for flexible simplicity.