HESCO ProactiView - A Look at Water and Wastewater Issues You can Use

Taking a “proactive view” on fundamental and emerging water and wastewater issues has enabled HESCO to provide the most effective and affordable process and technology solutions to our clients.

A staggering amount of information is available on innovative technologies and processes for water and wastewater treatment. Unfortunately, few people have the time, patience or expertise to sort the critically important from the unnecessary noise.

Therefore, HESCO sees the value and opportunity to share its technical knowledge, expertise and process experience with the water and wastewater professional community through the monthly ProactiView of distinct industry issues and concerns.

HESCO ProactiView on: Water Quality Concerns in Storage Facilities

Finished water storage facilities are coming under increased scrutiny due to their potential to adversely impact water quality in drinking water distribution systems. These facilities, including above ground and elevated storage tanks, have traditionally been designed chiefly with hydraulic considerations in mind, but can in fact cause significant water quality problems if they are not properly designed, operated, and maintained.

Water quality problems associated with finished water storage facilities can be biological, chemical, and/or physical in nature, and can have both direct and indirect negative consequences upon public health. Specifically, these problems can include:

• Biological Problems
  • Microbial growth
  • Nitrification
  • athogen contamination
• Chemical Problems
  • Disinfectant decay/low disinfectant residual concentrations
  • Chemical contaminants
  • Disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation
• hysical Problems
  • Corrosion
  • Stratification
  • Sedimentation
  • Icing.

Serious public health impacts directly attributable to poor water quality in storage facilities have been well documented, and include several disease outbreaks and even some deaths amongst more vulnerable water system users.

In addition, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recently promulgated Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproduct Rule (Stage 2 DBP Rule) places an increased emphasis on DBP monitoring and compliance. The Stage 2 DBP Rule requires water system operators to first identify locations within their distribution systems with high DBP concentrations, and then designate these locations as compliance monitoring sites. Water storage facilities, when improperly designed or managed, can be sources of high DBP levels within distribution systems.

All of the above problems are commonly triggered by excessive water age, and are compounded by inadequate mixing and stratification of the water within the storage facility. HESCO can help effectively manage and eliminate these problems through unique, fully-integrated mixing systems specifically designed to address the water quality considerations particular to elevated storage tanks, in addition to the hydraulic operational requirements commonly placed on such facilities. HESCO combines their deep technical expertise with high quality components and controls to create a complete solution specifically engineered to suit your facility and system needs. Typical system components, and their role in water quality protection, are outlined below.

• Altitude valves from GA Industries: enables better operational control of tank water levels, turnover, and age
• Tank mixing systems from BIF: induces thorough mixing on both tank fill and draft cycles, preventing stagnation, stratification, and dead zones while incurring minimal head loss
• Tank coatings from Madison Chemical: prevents corrosion and growth of biological films on tank surfaces
• Telemetry and controls from Healy Ruff: enables tank monitoring and smart, flexible operation optimizing performance against both water quality and hydraulic considerations.

What issues have you seen that call for a “proactive view” from HESCO?

Let us know, and we will discuss them with you personally, or write a future ProactiView on your recommended issues.

HESCO, 28838 Van Dyke, Warren, Michigan 48093
www.hesco-mi.com

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/tcr/pdf/storage.pdf (white paper cited above)

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