AWWA WQTC64094

Drinking water utilities continue to be driven toward complex decisions about competingwater quality objectives in the context of rapidly changing rules and increasingly rigorouscustomer expectations. Moreover, these decisions routinely include regulatorycompliance actions which themselves create the potential for conflicts and unintendedconsequences. Conflicts and unintended consequences can be related to new technologyimplementation, residuals management and wastewater discharges, as well as aestheticssuch as taste, odor and color. The Authors are currently engaged in several full-scaleprojects involving implementation of new technology and optimization of existingtreatment with the objective of balancing multiple water quality goals.Under AwwaRF Project 3115, a team of engineers and scientists are currently developinga decision tool to assist utilities in evaluating appropriate technology choices to complywith multiple and/or conflicting water quality goals. The specific objectives of Project3115 are: identify and prioritize potential conflicts and technology solutions faced byU.S. water utilities; develop a decision framework to assist utilities in making moreinformed decisions and understanding potential simultaneous compliance conflicts; and,develop an electronic decision tool that will allow utilities to navigate these multiplewater quality planning objectives. As part of AwwaRF 3115, a diverse group of 24drinking water utilities, regulatory agencies and engineering consultants were assembledto review and prioritize potential simultaneous compliance conflicts (and otherunintended consequences), and to identify those technologies and operational responsesmost appropriate for addressing these issues. During 2006, a broad range of technologyand response issues and concerns were distilled and prioritized for inclusion in thedecision tool framework.The work thus far on AwwaRF 3115 has identified several arrays of utility-drivenpriorities and their implications for long-range water quality planning. The results alsoserve to assist water systems in understanding, anticipating, and avoiding unintendedconsequences of treatment or operational modifications which could impact distributionsystem water quality. Includes 5 references, tables, figure.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

11/01/2006

Number of Pages:

10

File Size:

1 file , 390 KB