1. Source Water monitoring

2. Source Water Monitoring
It serves two needs to customers:
Drinking water protection
Treatment control “early-warning” information
Highlighted by recent news events

3. The Basics
“Water treatment is the one of only processes in the world where you can’t control your inputs, but have to make a perfectly controlled output.”

5. Detect Changes in Water Quality
Dissolved organic matter
Intrusion of another source
Spring
Municipal or industrial waste
Acid mine drainage
Produced water from oil and gas drilling operations
Algal blooms
Reservoir stratification
Storm events
Malicious contamination of the source water

6. In the news: Elk River Contamination Freedom Industries Tank Spill

7. In the news: Group to Launch Campaign for Public Takeover of Water Company

8. In the news: Potomac River Algae Bloom

9. In the news: Oil Spill – Patuxent River
Chalk Point, Maryland: On April 7, 2000, a leak was detected in an underground pipeline that supplies oil to the Potomac Electric Power Company Chalk Point generating station in Aquasco, Md. Approximately 140,000 gallons of fuel oil spilled into Swanson Creek, and about 40 miles of environmentally-sensitive downstream creeks and shorelines were oiled as a result. This case was settled in 2002, and the trustees have undertaken a series of restoration projects to address natural resource and lost use injuries associated with the fuel pipeline leak. 

10. In the news: Verso Paper Mill – Latex Spill Potomac River

11. In the news: Mine Waste Contamination By EPA- Colorado River

12. And then.. there’s Flint:

13. Flint facts: There was no Lead in the river
The Lead was leached from existing pipes and fixtures from a change in water chemistry
Many utilities manage this threat by managing passivating chemicals (Phosphates) and pH
It’s damaged utilities reputations everywhere
Lead services are very expensive/impossible to remove. In some areas, illegal for utilities to access

14. What are you looking for?
Changes in Water Quality
Dissolved organic matter
Reservoir stratification
Storm events
Malicious contamination of the source water
Intrusion from another source
Spring
Municipal or industrial waste
Acid mine drainage
Produced water from oil and gas drilling operations
Algal blooms
Train derailments
Vehicle accidents

15. What are the emerging contaminants in source water:
Toxic Alga- Cyanobacteria
Microbiological contaminants-Naegleria fowleri (brain eating amoeba)
Taste and odor contaminants
TOC in source water causing DBP formation
Drinking water intakes are largely unregulated:
Remote from treatment plants
Excellent opportunity for continuous solutions- monitoring

16. More of what’s changed recently in source water?
Enhanced attention due to spills
utrification of watersheds (non-point pollution)
In-reservoir treatment for alga- aeration, copper use
“Lead” monitoring in source water? No, but the sources of corrosion change: pH, Alkalinity, Conductivity, Temp
Using surrogates for monitoring such as:
DO for diurnal cycles to gauge alga growth
UVAS for TOC
Non-reportable tests for monitoring
More of what’s changed recently in source water?

17. Many possible parameters to test
Microbiological tests- including LuminUltra
Nutrient tests-
Phosphate
Nitrogen
Ammonia
Turbidity pH
Conductivity
ORP
Oil-in-water probe
Dissolved Oxygen
HydroLab sondes within watersheds
Tests kits
Hand held instruments
Lab methods
Source Water Monitoring Panel
TOC – Lab and Proces
UVAS

18. NOM Naturally organic matter

19. Naturally occurring ammonia
Always had a problem getting a free residual
Chlorine dosage rate seemed high
Converts free to total
Run a free and total chlorine test at POE
If high total and low free you probably have natural ammonia.
Not all organics are ammonia

20. Used with permission, Golden State Water
Breakpoint chlorination dose of 16.4 mg/L is needed for complete removal of free ammonia
Used with permission, Golden State Water

21. Pretreatment for less than ideal source water
Chlorine Dioxide
Ozone
Chemical addition
Filtration

22. The key is early identification of potential problems
Frequent testing
Continuous monitoring if the problem is big enough
Be aware of your history to be ready for seasonal changes
Be prepared to make changes to your treatment
process based on changes to source water

23. Questions?