Defining Potential Chemical Peaks and Management Options
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PROJECT NO. 4991 Defining Potential Chemical Peaks and Management Options Defining Potential Chemical Peaks and Management Options Prepared by: Jean Debroux Kennedy Jenks Consultants Megan H. Plumlee Orange County Water District Shane Trussell Trussell Technologies, Inc. Co-sponsored by: California State Water Resources Control Board 2021 The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is a nonprofit (501c3) organization which provides a unified source for One Water research and a strong presence in relationships with partner organizations, government and regulatory agencies, and Congress. The foundation conducts research in all areas of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and water reuse. The Water Research Foundation’s research portfolio is valued at over $700 million. WRF plays an important role in the translation and dissemination of applied research, technology demonstration, and education, through creation of research-based educational tools and technology exchange opportunities. WRF serves as a leader and model for collaboration across the water industry and its materials are used to inform policymakers and the public on the science, economic value, and environmental benefits of using and recovering resources found in water, as well as the feasibility of implementing new technologies. For more information, contact: The Water Research Foundation 1199 North Fairfax Street, Suite 900 6666 West Quincy Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314-1445 Denver, Colorado 80235-3098 www.waterrf.org P 571.384.2100 P 303.347.6100 [email protected] ©Copyright 2021 by The Water Research Foundation. All rights reserved. Permission to copy must be obtained from The Water Research Foundation. WRF ISBN: 978-1-60573-555-9 WRF Project Number: 4991 This report was prepared by the organization(s) named below as an account of work sponsored by The Water Research Foundation. Neither The Water Research Foundation, members of The Water Research Foundation, the organization(s) named below, nor any person acting on their behalf: (a) makes any warranty, express or implied, with respect to the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report or that such use may not infringe on privately owned rights; or (b) assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of, any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report. Prepared by Kennedy Jenks Consultants, Orange County Water District, and Trussell Technologies, Inc. Funding has been provided in full or in part through an agreement with the California State Water Resources Control Board. The California Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) authorizes $7.545 billion in general obligation bonds to fund ecosystems and watershed protection and restoration, water supply infrastructure projects, including surface and groundwater storage, and drinking water protection. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the foregoing, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This document was reviewed by a panel of independent experts selected by The Water Research Foundation. Mention of trade names or commercial products or services does not constitute endorsement or recommendations for use. Similarly, omission of products or trade names indicates nothing concerning The Water Research Foundation's positions regarding product effectiveness or applicability. ii The Water Research Foundation Acknowledgments The project team would like to thank the Orange County Water District, the Orange County Sanitation District, the Public Utilities Board of Singapore, and the City of San Diego for sharing operational information for the contents of the case studies portion of this report. We would also like to thank the Southern Nevada Water Authority for their research contributions to complete the Evaluation of TOC Meters (Chapter 6 and Appendix A). And, lastly, we would like to acknowledge the commitments of the Technical Working Group, the Project Advisory Committee, technical staff at California’s State Water Resources Control Board, and The Water Research Foundation, as their support and review led to deeper inquiry and a better alignment with the Expert Panel’s research recommendations. Research Team Principal Investigators: Jean Debroux, PhD Kennedy Jenks Consultants Megan H. Plumlee, PhD, PE Orange County Water District Shane Trussell, PhD, PE, BCEE Trussell Technologies, Inc. Project Team: Stephen Timko, PhD Kennedy Jenks Consultants Aleks Pisarenko, PhD Trussell Technologies, Inc. Rodrigo Tackaert, PE Trussell Technologies, Inc. Coordinating Committee Robert Brownwood Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board James Crook, PhD, PE, BCEE Environmental Engineering Consultant Adam Olivieri, Dr. PH, PE EOA, Inc. Claire Waggoner Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board Expert Reviewer Mehul Patel, PE Orange County Water District WRF Staff John Albert, MPA Chief Research Officer Julie Minton Research Unit Leader Defining Potential Chemical Peaks and Management Options iii Abstract and Benefits Abstract: In response to research recommendations from the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Expert Panel on Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), this research addresses the presence and cause of chemical peaks that can escape full advanced treatment (FAT) of recycled water. A literature review, three case studies at full-scale FAT facilities, and the results of experimentation on commercial total organic carbon (TOC) analyzers are presented in this report. It was found that FAT does an excellent job of removing contaminants from recycled water, yet low molecular weight (< 200 Daltons), uncharged volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can escape FAT at full-scale facilities. Chemical monitoring and source control programs at the Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System, the Public Utilities Board of Singapore NEWater Program, and the City of San Diego Pure Water Program provide examples of strategies that should be considered by utilities implementing potable reuse systems without environmental buffers. Online monitoring of TOC with no more frequent than a fifteen minute sampling interval is recommended for DPR projects as a feasible option for capturing chemical peaks. Additional treatment barriers in conjunction with FAT should be considered, for example ozone/biological activated carbon, air stripping, activated carbon, and additional reverse osmosis and/or advanced oxidation. Where possible, “small reservoirs” should be considered given the benefits for chemical peak “averaging” due to blending. Overall, utilities implementing DPR should pursue a balanced approach to control chemical peaks that includes an appropriate combination of two or more of the following: source control, enhanced monitoring, additional treatment barriers, and/or blending. Benefits: • This research addresses some of the key concerns identified by the Expert Panel on Direct Potable Reuse. • The literature review identifies families of compounds that can escape FAT at full-scale facilities. • Additional treatment processes (including blending) that are appropriate to dampen potential chemical peaks are presented. • Full-scale FAT facility case studies describe how these utilities address chemical peaks. • Results are presented from the review and experimentation of commercial on-line TOC analyzers to measure chemical peaks. • This research, along with the other State of California sponsored DPR research, will help regulators and utilities address the challenges of potable reuse without significant environmental buffers. Keywords: Direct Potable Reuse, DPR, Chemical Peaks, Full Advanced Treatment, Total Organic Carbon, TOC Analyzer iv The Water Research Foundation Contents Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................................ iii Abstract and Benefits................................................................................................................................... iv Tables ........................................................................................................................................................... vii Figures......................................................................................................................................................... viii Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ x Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Potable Reuse ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Chemicals in Wastewater and Potable Reuse .................................................................... 3 1.3 Research Objectives............................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review ......................................................................................................................