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Foundation Technology Transfer Workshop - Controlling Distribution System Water Quality in a Changing Environment

Tampa, Florida, May 13-14, 2004

In the Tampa Bay area, as elsewhere in the United States, water utilities increasingly must augment or replace existing drinking water sources with alternatives. Due to aquifer depletion and related state regulations, water suppliers in the Tampa Bay area are shifting from a historical reliance on groundwater to a blend of treated groundwater, surface water, and saline sources.

The challenge is to properly treat each of these disparate sources, blend them effectively, and deliver finished water through a diverse array of distribution systems that meets the high expectations of consumers accustomed to a relatively pure groundwater source.

While blending source waters is common practice in the United States, the impact of blends on water quality in the distribution system had not been sufficiently studied prior to the current project. In the Tampa Bay area, local governments maintain distribution systems that vary in age, size, pipe material, and quality. Thus Tampa Bay Water, which supplies finished drinking water to local governments and agencies, entered into an agreement with the University of Central Florida to study the issues. Because other utilities face similar issues, the Water Research Foundation provided partial funding – about $200,000 out of nearly $3.4 million – through its Tailored Collaboration research program.

At the Tampa Bay workshop, ten presentations were given. Those presentations are provided here as Adobe PDF files for subscribers' use .

"Tampa Bay Water: Framing the Challenges," by Christine Owen, water quality assurance officer, Tampa Bay Water, provides background on TBW's challenges. Includes photographs of the project's treatment systems and test facilities. [PDF 4,000 kb]

"Controlling Distribution System Water Quality in a Changing Environment," by the University of Central Florida project team, includes the workshop's agenda, the project's objectives and aspects of its operational details. [PDF 1,400 kb]

"Modeling Release of Iron Corrosion Products in Potable Water Distribution Systems," by the University of Central Florida project team, discusses water quality factors and their effects on various pipe materials. Key findings presented. [PDF 1,500 kb]

"Residual Modeling," by James Taylor and Jorge Arevalo, examines both chlorine and chloramine residual decay as affected by pipe material, temperature, organic content, pipe diameter, flow velocity, along with key findings. [PDF 1,130 kb]

"Lead," by the University of Central Florida project team, discusses identification of corrosion products, thermodynamic model development, statistical model development and Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) compliance, a scale and release transition study, sensitivity analysis, and key findings. [PDF 1,800 kb]

"Copper," by the University of Central Florida project team, discusses identification of corrosion products, thermodynamic model development, statistical model development, simulation of Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) compliance, a transition study, sensitivity analysis, and key findings. [PDF 1,580 kb]

"Biological Stability," by the University of Central Florida project team, covers distribution system biostability (in bulk phase and biofilms), biological annular reactors, process biostability, and key findings. [PDF 6,900 kb]

"Nitrification," by the University of Central Florida project team, discusses nitrification stoichiometry, details on a nitrification episode, results of a controlled nitrification study and related parameters, biologically active carbon filter study, and modeling.

"Chlorine and Chloramines Comparison," by James Taylor, John Dietz, and Jorge Arevalo, explores the objectives and key findings of a three-month study of free chlorine vs. chloramines using eight pilot distribution systems and four source waters. [PDF 536 kb]

"Tampa Bay Water: Utility Applicability and Benefits," by Christine Owen, water quality assurance officer, Tampa Bay Water, discusses the impacts on TBW of altering its source water blends, resulting changes in water chemistry, changes in compliance with regulations, and practical impacts from the project's key findings. [PDF 1,200 kb]



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