09/17/02City of Aurora Treatability Index Provides Operational Guidelines By Pam Benskin & Kevin Linder City of Aurora, CO

09/17/02City of Aurora OVERVIEW Where we started The Challenge Our Answer - The Treatability Index How it Works How it can work for you

09/17/02City of Aurora Where We Started Lab performing lots of analysis on source water quality Data not being translated into an operational tool We needed to make the connection

09/17/02City of Aurora Utilities confront a common problem: Laboratories perform a multitude of analyses Data is complex and awkward Data generated rarely reaches the operators until after the measured water parameters have changed.

09/17/02City of Aurora The Challenge Utilities face the challenge of getting relevant laboratory data on source water quality to the operators in a timely, concise, and understandable format.

09/17/02City of Aurora Existing Indices weren’t the ticket Existing technical descriptions of source water quality, do not relate quality level to treatability. Trophic State Index (TSI), is a tool to indicate the overall condition of lakes or reservoirs. This index does not take into account many parameters, (such as problematic algae species), that may affect treatment.

09/17/02City of Aurora What We Did The city of Aurora, CO, water utility staff investigated the issue of timely transfer of relevant data from the laboratory to the operators.

09/17/02City of Aurora Our Goal Improve and increase usage of valuable, underused data generated in the laboratory to help optimize plant performance.

09/17/02City of Aurora We explored several options Giving operators copies of algal enumeration –This data provided limited insight because algal biomass is not reflected in an algae count, and if an operator isn’t familiar with algae identification, the data could be confusing. Giving operators chlorophyll-a values - This data reflects total algal biomass, but does not address the presence of individual problematic species of algae.

09/17/02City of Aurora Back to the drawing board Finding that none of the indices we investigated served our purpose, operations and laboratory personnel collaborated to develop a tool that considered many source water parameters that affect treatment.

09/17/02City of Aurora Our Objective Combine the effects of all these variables Present the information in a format that is: Easy to understand Timely Concise Comprehensive

09/17/02City of Aurora Our Answer The tool we developed is called the Treatability Index.

09/17/02City of Aurora How It Works Define parameters with lab and operational staff Parameters need to be measured in a timely manner Determine relative weight of parameters Develop effective format Collect data Generate report Distribute to operators

09/17/02City of Aurora Define Parameters Important To Your Treatment Process Algae Chlorophyll-a Ortho-Phosphate UV-254 Mn & Fe Our important parameters are:

09/17/02City of Aurora Weigh Parameters Weigh the parameters according to relevance to treatment Produce two numbers relating treatability: –one number addresses taste and odor (T&O), –the other reflects filter clogging (FC) tendencies.

09/17/02City of Aurora Parameters of concern Ranges and weights Scoring

09/17/02City of Aurora

09/17/02City of Aurora Ensure Parameters Can Be Measured in a Timely Manner Find methods that allow for quick determination of parameter levels Example- We use HACH methods, (rather than waiting for atomic absorption results), to determine the level of Fe and Mn in our source water. Set a goal to summarize the data within 48 hours of sampling

09/17/02City of Aurora Develop Format Easy to read Pictures and diagrams Comments section Try to keep it to one page

09/17/02City of Aurora How It Looks Gate data Parameters of Concern comments Index value

09/17/02City of Aurora Operations staff use this information to: Decide which source to use Change withdrawal gates Prepare treatment for potential T&O problems.

09/17/02City of Aurora Ideal Scenarios for Treatability Index: Wildfire burn area in watershed

09/17/02City of Aurora Ideal Scenarios for Treatability Index: Drought

09/17/02City of Aurora How it Works - Burn in Watershed Scenario

09/17/02City of Aurora Results We immediately saw results Quantitative data to operators to make solid source decisions Improved and increased communication between lab and operations Learning tool Forces timely review of data so important changes do not go undetected

09/17/02City of Aurora TI is flexible The real beauty of the TI is the flexibility it allows any user. Individual utilities can change and modify the weighting and parameters as required for their system.

09/17/02City of Aurora Keys to success Synergize Identify the parameters that are most problematic Weigh parameters according to their impact on treatment Re-evaluate parameters regularly for relevance Measure parameters in a timely manner

09/17/02City of Aurora CONCLUSION Lots of data not being utilized for optimization We faced the challenge of getting this data to operations in a manner that is beneficial Treatability Index - Qualitative as well as Quantitative How to make it work for you