Online Source Water Quality Monitoring for Drinking Water Applications

American Water Resources Association WebinarJune 22, 2017

Steven C. Allgeier1, Ken Thompson2, Joel Allen3, Chris Macintosh2, Matt Umberg1,

Jennifer Liggett2, and Alan Lindquist3

1) USEPA, Office of Water2) CH2M Hill3) USEPA, Office of Research and Development

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Acknowledgments

• Alison Aminto, Philadelphia Water Department• Kelly Anderson, Philadelphia Water Department• Kevin R. Gertig, City of Fort Collins Utilities• Terra Haxton, EPA-NHSRC• Richard Lieberman, EPA-SRMD• Kevin Linder, Aurora Water• Jeffrey McIntyre, WVAW• Howard Rubin, EPA-DWPD• Debabrata Sahoo, Woolpert, Inc.• Rick Scott, Seattle Public Utilities• David Tavers, EPA-WSD• Tom Waters, EPA-SRMD

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Source Water Contamination

TOLEDO, OH• August 2014• Harmful algal bloom• Detection of microcystins• 500,000 residents without tap water

FRONT RANGE, CO• June and July 2012• High Park fire, Waldo Canyon fire, …• Immediate spike in particulate load• Long-term increase in organic load

CHARLESTON, WV• January 2014• MCHM spill into the Elk River• Contaminated the treatment plant

and distribution system• 300,000 residents without tap water

POTOMAC RIVER, DC/MD/VA• November and December 2016• Persistent oily sheen on the river• Resources expended to investigate

and respond• Public concern about impact on

drinking water

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Source Water Monitoring Station

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Source Water Monitoring System

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Real-world SWM Installations

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHDesign goals: Detection of contamination incidents and threats to long-term qualityMonitoring locations: 3 Parameters: DO, ORP, pH, photosynthetic pigments, specific conductance, spectral absorbance, temperature, toxicity, and turbidity

RIVER ALERT INFO NETWORK

Design goals: Detection of contamination incidentsMonitoring locations: 29Parameters: DO, NH3, pH, specific conductance, temperature, and turbidity

WEST VIRGINIA AMERICAN WATER

Design goals: Detection of contamination incidents and treatment optimizationMonitoring locations: 8Parameters: DO, DOC, ORP, pH, specific conductance, temperature, and turbidity

FORT COLLINS, CODesign goals: Detection of contamination incidents and treatment optimizationMonitoring locations: 5Parameters: alkalinity, hydrocarbons, pH, specific conductance, temperature, TOC, turbidity, and UV-254

• Investigation procedures

• Response procedures

• Training• Drills and

exercises

• Data collection and storage

• Data analysis• Data

visualization

• Select monitoring locations

• Select parameters

• Identify SW threats

• Characterize SW threats

• Prioritize SW threats

• Design goals• Performance

objectives• Project

constraints

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SWM Implementation Framework

Design Parameters

Source Water Assessment

SWM Locations & Parameters

Information Management

Procedures and Training

Design Parameters (Goals, Objectives, and Constraints)

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Design Goals

• Optimize treatment processes:– Removal of particulate matter– Removal of organic matter

• Detect contamination incidents:– Spills from chemical storage facilities– Spills from transportation accidents– Harmful algal blooms

• Monitor threats to long-term water quality:– Permitted dischargers– Agricultural and stormwater runoff– Impacts of climate change

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Performance Objectives

• Operational reliability:– Percentage of time that the system is operational– Average response time to fix problems

• Information reliability:– Data accuracy and completeness– Number of invalid alerts

• Sustainability:– Benefit-cost analysis– Business case for continued operation of SWM system

Project Constraints Budget, Personnel, and Schedule

Source Water Assessment

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Source Water Threats

General threat categories:• Stationary vs. mobile• Point-source vs. non-point source• Acute vs. chronic risk

Potential sources of contamination• Municipal and industrial outfalls• Chemical spills• Agricultural and stormwater runoff• Harmful algal blooms

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Conducting an Assessment

• Assessment process1. Delineate the source water protection area2. Identify and characterize potential sources of

contamination3. Determine the risk of contamination

• Resources for identifying source water threats:– State or utility-level source water assessments– Land use maps & aerial imagery– Drinking Water Mapping Applications to Protect Source

Waters (DWMAPS)– Commercial services for source water vulnerability

assessment

Source water risk assessment informs selection of monitoring locations and parameters

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DWMAPS

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DWMAPS

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DWMAPS

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DWMAPS

Source Water Monitoring Locations and Parameters

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Location Selection

Intake

Control Center

A B

CD

1

2

3

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Useful SWM Parameters

• General water quality parameters:– pH– Specific conductance– Temperature– Turbidity

• Broad spectrum measurements:– Spectral absorbance– Total or Dissolved organic carbon– Toxicity

• Specific contaminant classes or indicators:– Hydrocarbons– Nitrate and nitrite– Photosynthetic pigments

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Example Parameter Selection

• Conventional treatment process optimization:– Turbidity– TOC or spectral absorbance– pH– Alkalinity

• Detection of chemical contaminants:– TOC or spectral absorbance– Specific conductance– Toxicity

• Monitoring of long-term threats:– Ammonia– Nitrate/nitrite– Specific conductance– TOC or spectral absorbance

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Station Design

• Racks: wall-mounted or free standing

• Enclosed stations: standard or compact

• Floating platforms

Information Management and Data Analysis

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Information Management Systems

• Establish functional and technical requirements– Information Management Requirements Development

Tool• Develop a system architecture

– SCADA– Dedicated SWM information management system– Cloud-based solution

• Design a user interface– Dashboard Design Guidance

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Data Analysis

• Develop a data management plan and establish data quality objectives– QA/QC for online instruments

• Establish a water quality baseline– Exploratory analysis of time-series water quality data

• Implement an anomaly detection system– Thresholds– Sophisticated algorithms (statistical analysis, predictive

models, pattern matching, etc.)• Perform routine data analysis for long-term trends

– Methods for statistical analysis of trends and correlations in water quality data

Investigation and Response Procedures

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SW Contamination Response Proc.

• Contact information for response partners • Contact information for potential sources• Roles and responsibilities• Process for investigating possible contamination• Responding to credible contamination• Risk communication

2: Investigate the validity of the alert

8: Collect samples for laboratory

analysis

9: Evaluate response actions using a “Contamination

Incident Response Decision Tree”

7: Evaluate the need to modify

treatment using a “Treatment Roadmap”

NO

3: Is the alert valid and indicative of a

real change in water quality?

YES

NO

1: SWM alert notification received

LEGENDStart of Process

Action Performed

Decision Step

End of Decision Tree

5: Investigate the cause of the water quality change

4: Close investigation and correct issue that caused the invalid

alert

6: Is source water contamination

possible?

YES

Investigation Process

• Alert notification• Determine if the alert is

indicative of a real change in source water quality

• Determine the most likely cause of a change in water quality

• Evaluate the need to modify treatment

• Respond to a possible source water contamination incident

1: Source water contamination is possible

2: Can the intake be closed?

4: Can the intake remain

closed until the contamination

incident passes?

3: Close the intake and

continue the investigation

YES

6: Is the identity of the contaminant

known?

YES

5: Verify that the contamination incident has

passed, open the intake, and resume normal operations

NO

NO

YES

8: Can the treatment plant

remove or neutralize the contaminant?

YES

9: Modify treatment as necessary and monitor finished water quality

10: Has the contaminant

concentration been reduced to

acceptable levels?

YES

11: Continue to treat and monitor for the

contaminant until the contamination incident

has passed

NO

YES

7: Continue the investigation

NO

13: Activate “Distribution System

Contamination Response Plan

12: Will contaminated

water enter the distribution

system?

NO

14: Verify that the contamination incident has

passed and resume normal operations

NO

Response ProcessLEGEND

Start of Process

Action Performed

Decision Step

End of Decision Tree

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Response Planning

• Contact local, state, regional responders– Familiarize responders with utility facilities– Share response procedures with response partners

• Identify available response resources– Water Contaminant Information Tool– Local and State health departments– Water Laboratory Alliance– Water & Wastewater Agency Response Networks

• Conduct a tabletop exercise– Involve all key response partners– Exercise procedures and resources– Conduct hotwash and develop an improvement plan

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Build Emergency Sampling Kits

• Pre-labeled sample bottles

• Preservatives• Dechlorinating agents• Packaging materials• Chain of custody form• Sampling procedures• Delivery instructions

Sample Bottle Kit• General sampling

supplies• Depth samplers• Rapid field testing

equipment• Personal protective

equipment• Field notebook

Supply Kit

See Guidance for Building Field Capabilities to Respond to Drinking Water Contamination

Summary and Resources

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Source Water Monitoring Guidance

Target audience:• Drinking water quality professionalsOverview of guidance document:• Identifying Source Water Threats and Assessing Risk• Selecting Monitoring Locations• Selecting Water Quality Parameters• Designing Source Water Monitoring Stations• Developing Requirements for an Information

Management System• Developing Investigation and Response Procedures

Online Source Water Quality MonitoringFor Water Quality Surveillance and Response Systems (SRS)

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SW Assessment Template

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Design Document Template

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SWM Procedures Template

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Practical Recommendations

• Assess the applicability of source water monitoring to treatment process optimization

• Conduct/update your utility’s source water assessment

• Plan for emergency response to spills or other unpredictable releases into the source water

• Collaborate with potential source water monitoring partners and watershed stakeholders

• Develop a master plan for an online source water monitoring system – implement in phases

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Links to Resources

• Online Source Water Quality Monitoring (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/online_source_water_monitoring_guidance.pdf)

• Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters (https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/dwmaps)

• USGS Guidelines for Continuous Water Quality Monitoring (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/2006/tm1D3/pdf/TM1D3.pdf)

• AWWA G300-14 Source Water Protection (https://www.awwa.org/store/productdetail.aspx?productid=39814230)

• Building Field Capabilities to Respond to Water Contamination(https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/field_capabilities_guidance_january2017.pdf)

• Water Laboratory Network (https://www.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork)

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Links to Resources (cont.)

• USGS National Field Manual for Collection of Water Quality Data (https://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/)

• Exploratory Analysis of Time-Series Data to Prepare for Real-time Online Water Quality Monitoring (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-11/documents/exploratory_analysis_of_time-series_data_for_owqm.pdf)

• Water Contaminant Information Tool (https://www.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork/access-water-contaminant-information-tool)

• Drinking Water Treatability Database (https://iaspub.epa.gov/tdb/pages/general/home.do)

• Exercise Development Toolbox (https://www.epa.gov/waterqualitysurveillance/water-quality-surveillance-and-response-system-exercise-development-toolbox)

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Links to Resources (cont.)

• Information Management Requirements Development Tool (https://www.epa.gov/waterqualitysurveillance/information-management-requirements-development-tool)

• Dashboard Design Guidance (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/srs_dashboard_guidance_112015.pdf)

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Water Quality Surveillance & Response

https://www.epa.gov/waterqualitysurveillance