Quality Survey of the Lock Haven Public Drinking Water Headwater System
Start Date
12-11-2016 1:30 PM
End Date
12-11-2016 4:00 PM
Description
Surface water within the McElhattan Creek watershed serves as the source of drinking water for 18,000 subscribers of the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Plant. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of source water within the system. Grab samples at 5 locations were collected on a monthly basis throughout the summer of 2016. Utilizing ArcGIS mapping software, a Hydrolab MS5 MiniSonde, and Hach laboratory equipment, data was collected, processed, and analyzed to evaluate baseline water quality. A special focus was given to total organic content due to its impacts on the final outcome of the treatment process. Field parameters included temperature, pH, conductance, TDS, DO, ORP, and chlorophyll-a. Additional lab analysis yielded results for COD, BOD, TOC, hardness, alkalinity, NH3-N, NO3-N, NO2-N, PO4-P, Cl-, and SO4-2. Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated using the results (Vincente et al., 2009). The WQI values ranked the system as excellent. Throughout the course of the study period, none of the parameters tested presented results that warranted alarm when compared to published drinking water standards. Parameters such as NO3-N topped out at less than 1/10 the MCL of 10 mg/L, with other parameters following similar patterns of results well below the EPA’s MCL. On average, nutrients such as NH3-N and NO3-N were below or equivalent to the natural background levels suggested by USGS literature (U.S. Geological Survey, 1999). Understanding the seasonal and daily fluctuations of various biological and chemical parameters in a drinking water system is imperative to effective and efficient water treatment. Analytical methods, geospatial representations, operations performed, and equipment used in this study will have similar application for understanding drinking water source systems in other regions.
Keywords
drinking water assessment, water filtration, McElhattan Creek watershed
Type
Presentation
Session
Watersheds and Water Use
Language
eng
Quality Survey of the Lock Haven Public Drinking Water Headwater System
Elaine Langone Center, Forum
Surface water within the McElhattan Creek watershed serves as the source of drinking water for 18,000 subscribers of the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Plant. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of source water within the system. Grab samples at 5 locations were collected on a monthly basis throughout the summer of 2016. Utilizing ArcGIS mapping software, a Hydrolab MS5 MiniSonde, and Hach laboratory equipment, data was collected, processed, and analyzed to evaluate baseline water quality. A special focus was given to total organic content due to its impacts on the final outcome of the treatment process. Field parameters included temperature, pH, conductance, TDS, DO, ORP, and chlorophyll-a. Additional lab analysis yielded results for COD, BOD, TOC, hardness, alkalinity, NH3-N, NO3-N, NO2-N, PO4-P, Cl-, and SO4-2. Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated using the results (Vincente et al., 2009). The WQI values ranked the system as excellent. Throughout the course of the study period, none of the parameters tested presented results that warranted alarm when compared to published drinking water standards. Parameters such as NO3-N topped out at less than 1/10 the MCL of 10 mg/L, with other parameters following similar patterns of results well below the EPA’s MCL. On average, nutrients such as NH3-N and NO3-N were below or equivalent to the natural background levels suggested by USGS literature (U.S. Geological Survey, 1999). Understanding the seasonal and daily fluctuations of various biological and chemical parameters in a drinking water system is imperative to effective and efficient water treatment. Analytical methods, geospatial representations, operations performed, and equipment used in this study will have similar application for understanding drinking water source systems in other regions.