Case Study

Enhanced Process Control of Ion Exchange Systems

for NOM Removal and DBP Management
Background Table 1: Overview of Palm Beach County Water Utilities
Department Water Treatment Plant #8 1,4
Palm Beach County, the third largest water utility in Florida
with over five million customers, needs to treat water safely Location Palm Beach County Water Utilities in West
and efficiently for its large customer base.1,4 The County’s Palm Beach, FL
Water Utilities Department treats shallow groundwater in its Source Water Shallow Groundwater Wells ( ~ 100 ft deep)
Water Treatment Plant #8, located in West Palm Beach, by
using ion exchange resin systems to remove organic material Plant Capacity 30 MGD
and reduce disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in the Plant Process • Lime Softening and Ferric Chloride
distribution system.1 Coagulation
• Anion Exchange Resin Systems for Organics
When chlorine is added to water as a disinfectant, it reacts
Removal
with natural organic material (NOM) inherent in source
water to form carcinogenic and EPA-regulated DBPs such as • Ozone Disinfection
trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA).2,3 Removal Water Quality • Influent TOC: 9–12 ppm
of organic content before the addition of chlorine limits the - Total Organic • Post-softening & Coagulation TOC: 7–7.5 ppm
formation of DBPs and makes the drinking water safe and Carbon (TOC) • Post-Resin TOC: 2 ppm
compliant for even the furthest point in the distribution
system. • Combined Effluent TOC: 4–5 ppm
• Future TOC Effluent Goal: 2–3 ppm

Ion Exchange Treatment

Currently, the Palm Beach County Water Treatment Plant #8
treats approximtely one-third of the incoming water with
ion exchange resin systems and the remaining water with
ozone disinfection.1,4 In order to save energy and meet
increasing water demand, Palm Beach County plans to
expand their daily capacity and treat 80% of their water with
ion exchange resin systems. Ion exchange resin systems offer
cost-effective and efficient-treatment solutions to remove
organics with minimal energy use, waste, and downtime.
Palm Beach County’s use of the ion exchange treatment
systems not only reduces DBP organic precursors, but also
limits the need for chlorine demand, thereby saving chemical
costs.1

GE Power & Water

Water & Process Technologies
Analytical Instruments
Process Optimization Using TOC Analysis The Americas
GE Analytical Instruments
6060 Spine Road
Installation of a TOC Analyzer helps optimize the use of ion exchange resin. Over time, Boulder, CO 80301-3687 USA
resin binding sites will fill with organic material and require brine regeneration to strip T +1 800 255 6964
T +1 303 444 2009
the organics from the resin. Palm Beach County uses a GE Analytical Instruments
F +1 303 527 1797
Sievers* 5310 C Laboratory TOC Analyzer to indicate when the resin needs to be geai@ge.com
regenerated.

Plant operators measure the amount of organics coming into the plant to adjust Europe/Middle East/Africa
chemical dosing for lime softening and coagulation. After chemical treatment, plant GE Analytical Instruments
operators measure the level of organics in the water entering the resin system. In Unit 3, Mercury Way
an effort to maintain optimal performance of the resin and avoid resin fouling due Urmston, Manchester
UK M41 7LY
to excessive organic content, they also monitor the TOC leaving the resin. Once the
T +44 (0) 161 864 6800
resin reaches its ionic capacity, the plant operators take that tank offline for resin F +44 (0) 161 864 6829
regeneration. After the vessel is brought back online, they can see how the TOC removal geai.europe@ge.com
compares to fresh resin and historical performance of that tank. The brine regeneration
waste is either sent to a deep well or more commonly sent to a local wastewater facility
for reuse. The amount of waste produced from a resin system is significantly less than Asia Pacific
waste generated by regenerating a membrane or reverse osmosis system.1 GE Analytical Instruments
7/F, Building 5, No.2 Hua Tuo Rd,
ZhangJiang Hi-Tech Park,
Ion exchange resin systems are an excellent solution for effectively removing DBP Pudong
organic precursors and minimizing the chlorine used for disinfection. Resin systems are Shanghai, China 201203
cost-effective and environmentally friendly. By using a TOC analyzer to measure the T + (8621) 38777735
organic loading of the resin, as well as the TOC levels of the water after resin treatment, F + (8621) 38777469
geai.asia@ge.com
the process can be easily maintained and optimized for efficient water treatment.

References
1. McAleer, Tim. Personal Communication. July 2015.
2. “Disinfection Byproducts: A Reference Resource.” USEPA Information Collection Rule
(ICR). http://www.epa.gov/envirofw/html/icr/gloss_dbp.html.
3. “Water: Stage 2 DBP Rule—Basic Information.” USEPA. http://water.epa.gov/
lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/stage2/basicinformation.cfm
4. “Water Treatment Plant #8.” Palm Beach County Water Utilities Facilities.
http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/facilities/treatmentplant8.htm

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Water & Process Technologies
Analytical Instruments
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