AWWA ACE59912

The Taunton River Desalination Plant will be the first desalination facility to be permitted in theCommonwealth of Massachusetts. The plant is being designed to provide up to 5 mgd of water forseveral cities in southeastern Massachusetts. This area of Massachusetts has suffered chronic watershortages over the last several decades and existing freshwater surface and groundwater supplies areoverstressed.The proposed facility will be located on the shores of the Taunton River in the town of Dighton,Massachusetts. This lower reach of the river is tidally influenced. During the months of July toNovember, salinity levels in the river typically exceed drinking water thresholds, thus desalination isrequired. The remainder of the year, the river water will receive membrane based ultrafiltrationtreatment. Because the facility will be the first desalination facility to be permitted in theCommonwealth, the proposed project has received a significant amount of scrutiny as it hasproceeded through the planning and design phases. Both the regulatory and public interestcommunities have had a number of concerns regarding the operation of the facility, particularly withregard to potential effects of the intake structure on fisheries, and potential impacts of the freshwaterwithdrawal and discharge of brine concentrate on salinity levels in the river.The project team has addressed these concerns through design of an intake structure specificallytargeted to control against entrainment and impingement of aquatic organisms, through modeling ofthe impact of the freshwater withdrawal on the movement of the salt wedge in the river, and throughdesign of a blended brine discharge program. In addition, the project team has developed acomprehensive water quality, fisheries, and vegetation monitoring program to satisfy therequirements of permit conditions.Coordination with the regulators and public interest groups has been an important element of thedesign and permitting effort. While some concerns remain to be addressed, this coordination andcommunication has been critical in addressing fundamental concerns about the operation of theproposed desalination facility on the Taunton River, a sensitive freshwater estuary. Includes 3 references, tables, figures.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

06/17/2004

Number of Pages:

14

File Size:

1 file , 6 MB