Disinfection & Basic Lab Procedures 1/27/2009 2:30 PM

Basic Water Lab Procedures

Disinfection & Basic Lab
Procedures „ Water treatment processes cannot be
controlled effectively unless the
operator has some means to check and
Small Systems Operations & evaluate the quality of water being
Maintenance treated and produced
Presented by Delaware Rural Water
Association

Basic Water Lab Procedures Basic Water Lab Procedures

„ By relating the lab results to
„ Laboratory quality control tests
Provide the necessary information to
„
monitor the treatment processes and
ensure a safe and good-tasting drinking
water for all who use it
treatment operations, the operator
can
Select the most effective operational
„
procedures
„ Determine the efficiency of the
treatment processes
„ Identify potential problems before they
affect finished water quality

Water Laboratory Equipment –

Basic Water Lab Procedures “Tools of the Trade”

„ Beakers
„ Most common pieces of lab equipment
„ A clear understanding of laboratory
„ Graduated Cylinders
procedures is a must for every water
„ Also basic to any lab
operator

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Water Laboratory Equipment – Water Laboratory Equipment –

“Tools of the Trade” “Tools of the Trade”

„ Pipets
„ Volumetric Pipet
„ Laboratory Notebooks and
„ used to deliver a single volume Worksheets
„ Serological Pipet „ Used to record data in an orderly manner
„ will deliver fractions of the total „ AVOID recording on scrap pieces of paper
volume indicated on the pipet „ No standard lab form
„ Pipet Filler or Pipet Bulb „ Each water system will have different needs for
collecting and recording data
„ Used to draw liquid up into the
pipet

Measurement Measurement
„ Meniscus
„ The curve of the surface of a liquid in a „ “Milli” means 1/1000
small tube

Laboratory Safety Methods of Sampling

„ Safety is just as important in the lab as „ Water Tap Sampling

it is outside the lab „ Samples should not be taken from:
„ Drinking fountains
„ Occupational Safety and Health Act „ Restrooms
(OSHA) and state laws demand that „ Taps from aerators
proper safety procedures be exercised
in the lab at all times WHY?

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Methods of Sampling Methods of Sampling

„ Water Tap Sampling (continued) „ Water Tap Sampling (continued)
„ Aerators can „ Samples should not be taken from:
„ Change water quality indicators such as: „ Taps surrounded by leaves
„ pH „ Taps that are
„ Dissolved oxygen „ Dirty
„ Harbor bacteria under certain conditions „ Corroded
„ Leaking

Methods of Sampling Sampling Techniques

„ Distribution System Sampling „ There are several ways of sampling

„ Many water systems have designed and „ Surface sampling
installed special sampling stations throughout „ Depth sampling
their distribution systems „ Water tap sampling
„ Provide excellent location to collect a representative „ Remember to clearly identify the
sample in the distribution system „ Sample location
Is a true indication of your system water quality
Date and time of collection
„
„
„ Water samples should be collected from a
„ Name of collector
sampling station
„ Other important information

Laboratory Tests Laboratory Tests

„ pH (continued)
„ pH scale
„ pH plays an important role in the water
0 < Increasing acid ---- 7 ---- Increasing base > 14 treatment processes such as
1 < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 <6 Neutral 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 12 > 13 „ Disinfection
„ Coagulation
„ The pH scale indicates the acidity or alkalinity „ Softening
of the sample on a scale from 0 to 14 „ Corrosion control
„ Water having a pH of 7 is at the midpoint of „ Indicates changes in raw and finished
the scale and is considered neutral water

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Laboratory Tests Laboratory Tests

„ Follow the
manufacturer’s „ It is a good practice to:
instructions for „ Change buffers daily
preparing the „ Replace the electrode on a yearly basis
electrodes and
operating the
instruments

What Are Coliform Bacteria? Coliforms

„ A group of bacteria found: „ Fecal coliforms are a specific class

„ in the intestines of warm-blooded of bacteria which may inhabit the
animals (including humans)
intestines of warm-blooded animals
„ Plants
„ Soil
„ Air
„ Water

Coliforms Coliforms

„ The presence of coliform bacteria is „ The maximum contaminant level

an indication that the water: (MCL) for coliforms is 1 organism
„ Is polluted per 100 milliliter (1/100 ml)
„ May contain pathogenic (disease-
causing) organisms

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Disinfection & Basic Lab Procedures
Hardness
„ Hardness is caused principally by
the calcium and magnesium ions
commonly present in water
Temperature
„ One of the most frequently taken tests
because of its influence on
„ Chemical reaction rates
„ Biological growth
„ Dissolved gas concentrations
„ Water stability
Chlorination
„ Application of chlorine to water,
generally for the purpose of
disinfection, but frequently for
accomplishing other biological or
chemical results:
„ Aiding coagulation
„ Controlling tastes and odors
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1/27/2009 2:30 PM
Jar Tests
„ Jar tests are tests designed to
determine the correct coagulant
dosages in a water treatment facility
Turbidity
„ An expression of the physical cloudiness
of water
„ Caused by the presence of suspended
matter such as
„ Silt
„ Finely divided organic and inorganic matter
„ Microscopic organisms
„ algae
Chlorination
„ A neutral pH (7.0) is needed to work
more effectively in water
„ Soda Ash is used to raise pH
„ Is NOT an agent used for disinfection
„ Before a water main is disinfected, the
main should be flushed for at least 30
minutes with a flushing velocity of 2.5
ft/sec
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Chlorine Disinfection

„ Greenish-yellow gas
„ Penetrating and distinctive odor „ Purpose is to destroy harmful organisms
that may be present in water
„ 2 ½ times heavier than air

Disinfection Disinfection
„ Processes used to remove harmful
„ Chemical removal (other than chlorine)
organisms include:
„ Ultraviolet rays „ Iodine
been used since 1920
Heat
„
„
„ Costs are high
„ Ultrasonic waves
„ Pregnant women can suffer serious side effects
„ Chemical removal
„ Chlorine
„ Bromine
„ Iodine „ Use is limited
„ Bromine „ Causes skin burns on contact
„ Bases
„ Ozone

Factors That Influence

Disinfection Disinfection
„ Chemical removal (other than Chlorine)
„ Bases
„ Sodium hydroxide and lime are effective „ Temperature
High pH leaves bitter taste in the finished water
pH
„
„
„ Ozone
„ Been around since 1900s, especially in France „ Iron
„ U. S. used it for taste and odor control „ Manganese
„ Limited because of
„ Costs „ Nitrite
„ Lack of residual
„ Difficulty in storing
„ Maintenance requirements

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Reactions of Chorine With

Disinfection Impurities in Water
„ Points of application:
„ New Wells
„ Disinfect the well, pump, and screen
„ Two substances can complicate use of
„ Sodium hypochlorite is recommended for 24 hours of chlorine for disinfection purposes
contact time „ Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
„ After 24 hours, pump well until all evidence of chlorine
residual is gone „ Ammonia (NH3)
„ Take a sample and test for Total Coliforms to Why?
determine effectiveness of chlorine dosage
„ Once is usually enough, but since more groundwater „ H2S and NH3 are reducing agents
sources are becoming contaminated it is becoming a „ Give up electrons easily
standard practice to disinfect wells on a continuous
basis

Chlorine Gas vs Hypochlorite

Compound Breakpoint Chlorination
„ To reach breakpoint chlorination, you
„ Reaction of chlorine gas tends to lower need to add chlorine to water until the
pH chlorine demand has been satisfied
„ Hypochlorite raises pH „ If residents complain because they
smell and taste chlorine in their water,
„ Sodium hypochlorite by itself is not
you may not have met the breakpoint
flammable or explosive
and more chlorine needs to be added
„ Safer to handle than chlorine gas

Breakpoint Chlorination Record Keeping & Reporting

Responsibilities
The state primacy agency
for Delaware is:

DHSS, Division of Public Health

Office of Drinking Water
Blue Hen Corporate Center
655 Bay Road, Suite 203
Dover, DE 19901
Add more chlorine to get free available Phone: 302-739-5410
residual chlorine

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Reporting Laboratory Reporting

„ All water test results within the 10 days
following the month or monitoring period— „ In the State of Delaware
Regulations Governing Public
whichever is shorter
Drinking Water Systems,
„ Primary MCL exceedence within 24 hours dated July 10, 2003, it is a
„ Including failure to comply with monitoring requirement that the labs
requirements also report MCL exceedences
to the Office of Drinking
„ Results of unregulated contaminant
Water
monitoring within 30 days to the Division
„ 90 days to report to persons served by the system

Surface Water System

Private Labs Reporting

„ Must be Certified by the Division „ Total number of turbidity

of Public Health
„ EPA method must be an
approved Safe Drinking Water Act
method—not Clean Water Act
„ Is lab currently certified for
method?
measurements taken during the
month
„ Number of readings less than or equal
to the turbidity limits
„ Date and value of any turbidity
measurement which exceeds 1 NTU

Surface Water System

Reporting Surface Water System Recording
„ For each day the lowest amount of
disinfectant residual entering the „ Turbidity levels on the individual filters
distribution system for the day every 15 minutes
„ Date and duration of water entering the „ Maintain for 3 years
distribution system with less than 0.3
mg/L free residual chlorine
„ V = c + d + e * 100
a+b

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Surface Water System Recording Fluoridation

„ Trigger points „ Optimum range of 0.8 to 1.2 mg/L
Over 1 NTU in 2 consecutive 15 minute
Take daily readings
„
„
intervals
„ Must report „ Send in monthly reports
„ 3 consecutive months—self assessment
„ Over 0.5 NTU in 2 consecutive 15-minute „ ODW collects monthly check samples
intervals after 4 hours of operation and has them analyzed at the Delaware
„ Over 2 NTU in 2 consecutive months then Public Health Lab
comprehensive performance evaluation

Disinfection Nitrate Removal Systems

„ Maintain 0.3 mg/L
„ Record of the „ Take daily readings
amount of chlorine
used
„ Send in monthly reports
„ Take daily free
chlorine residuals
with an approved
test kit
„ Report to the
Division monthly

Test and Approve Any

Reporting of Chemical Changes
Overfeed Incidents or Unusual „ New water mains
Events
„ New or freshly repainted tanks

Within 24 hours of a chemical „ New treatment processes

overfeed or unusual event

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Reporting and Public

Notification
„ PWS reporting requirements
„ Analytical results
„ 10 days following the month
„ 10 days following the monitoring period Questions?
„ MCL failure or monitoring requirement
„ Copies of Public Notice

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