URS Corporation has completed pilot testing on an integrated membrane system (IMS) utilizing
Zenon Ultrafiltration (and later US Filter ACTIFLOC) followed by Nanofiltration (NF) to treat a
difficult high turbidity "groundwater" source for the community of Bluffton, Ohio. Sampling,
desktop analysis with computer projections, and actual field pilot testing from July 2001 to
February 2002 showed that this groundwater would require advanced pretreatment and
nanofiltration to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Secondary Standards for sulfate and TDS and reduce the
hardness to an acceptable level.
Overpumping of the town's two wellfields by overuse and potentially by a local quarry's
dewatering efforts have created a significant drawdown which has resulted in a cascading effect
in the uncased wells that promotes the introduction of dissolved oxygen (DO). The introduction
of DO to these wells results in immediate and significant oxidation of hydrogen sulfide gas to
elemental sulfur (turbidity). The high turbidity has resulted in increased taste and odor
complaints, distribution system biological growth, polysulfides, turbidity, discoloration, and
corrosion.
The Village of Bluffton retained URS Corporation to investigate the necessary treatment options
to provide acceptable water quality for its residents. The resultant investigation produced a
comprehensive sampling matrix, testing protocol, and pilot testing to confirm the assumptions
and provide the necessary data for full-scale design. This paper highlights the significant
challenges that this feedwater creates, details some of the findings of the piloting efforts, and
describes some of the unique approaches that this project required. Includes tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 330 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 20 |
| Published : | 03/05/2003 |
