CASE STUDY: QBD1200 TOC ANALYZER IN DWTP APPLICATIONS

Case Study: Upgrading DWTP Operations in

Kansas with the QbD1200 TOC Analyzer
Introduction
For drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs), the EPA’s Disinfection Byproduct With the help of the
Rule (DBP) is a way of life. This standard ensures water quality in the distribution QbD1200, the plant
system by enforcing the removal of organic matter from water, thus
forecasts annual savings
dictating treatment plant operations. Unfortunately, for many facilities the
equipment and operations haven’t evolved with the regulation mandates, of $30,000 to $60,000
leaving facilities in a tough spot. based on improved
With the Disinfection Byproduct Rule being over 10 years old, accurate and processes for TOC
trustworthy total organic carbon (TOC) measurement should be standard for removal, and optimiza-
DWTPs at this point. However, that’s not always the case. For a DWTP in tions for chemical treat-
Douglas County, KS, its challenges with accurate TOC measurement and ment selection, quantity,
testing, along with expensive calibrations and extended downtime with its prior
and frequency.
TOC analyzer led it to trialing the Hach QbD1200 TOC Analyzer.

Plant Profile & Challenges

The utility, owned by Douglas County Rural Water District 3 in
Kansas, operates two DWTPs and 280 miles of distribution
network. It processes approximately 3 MGD with a three-man
team, putting efficiency and ease-of-use at a premium. To meet
regulatory requirements, this facility is responsible for removing a
certain percentage of TOC during the treatment process.
The DWTP evaluates many common parameters such as turbidity
and TOC. However, because the plant is located at the shallow
end of a lake, turbidity from natural organic material (NOM) can
be scarce—particularly in the winter months. This puts extra
importance on TOC measurements, as the plant reports
the percent of TOC removal to the state. Without precise data,
the utility risks failing to remove enough carbon to meet
regulatory requirements.
Like many drinking water facilities, this plant focuses on:
• Meeting percent TOC removal regulations
• Optimizing coagulant treatment while avoiding DBPs in effluent
• Maintaining equipment and minimizing downtime.
Before installing the Hach QbD1200, the DWTP measured TOC
with a membrane-based TOC analyzer, or membrane
conductometric (MC) analyzer. The plant faced several problems
in regard to its TOC equipment. First, the equipment’s readings
didn’t align with the state-certified third-party lab that the facility
sends samples to.

Figure 1: Drinking water treatment plant, Douglas County Rural Water District 3, KS
CASE STUDY: QBD1200 TOC ANALYZER IN DWTP APPLICATIONS

“There was disparity between our results and the state of
Kansas’s results. The difference between 25% removal and
35% removal is literally the difference in alkalinity. We
always try to do at least 40% removal so if alkalinity is not
the same as the state’s we never go out of compliance.
But, we’ve been there where our numbers are good, but
the state isn’t close and we have to go back to the
machine. That’s disheartening.”
—Mike Lucas, Head Operator for Tri-District Water
Treatment Facility
It’s a slippery slope. The DWTP couldn’t trust its measurements,
so forecasting coagulant doses was like predicting the weather.
To stay within compliance, the DWTP overtreated with coagulant
to leave a buffer in case its readings weren’t the same as the
certified lab’s. The facility was doing everything possible to meet
regulations, but devoting a significant amount of operating
expense to coagulant.
Unfortunately, this predicament can lead a DWTP to expending
time and money on damage control when samples fall out of
compliance. “If I don’t make TOC regulations once, it’s about
$15,000; that’s the cost for a mailing to the public,” says Lucas.
However, if a treatment plant can trust its TOC measurements,
an opportunity to optimize chemical treatments surfaces—offer-
ing cost savings, lowering total cost of ownership, and delivering
higher water quality.
In addition to challenges with TOC measurement, service on the
MC equipment created operation and budget issues. “You were
at their mercy if it broke,” says Lucas, “We might be out
thousands of dollars and out of commission weeks. We can’t
afford to be out weeks; we can hardly afford to be out days.”
Lastly, the MC unit does not work with any reagents other than
the manufacturer’s, giving the DWTP no options for cost savings
on purchasing other reagents or making its own. The DWTP
approximates $5,000 for maintenance and reagents, with
increasing costs to replace equipment.

Solution
Recently, the MC provider dropped support for the facility’s TOC
analyzer, leaving the DWTP in a position to switch to equipment.
“We knew Hach was coming out with a new TOC analyzer. We
went to see the analyzer at a convention in Wichita,” says Lucas.
“We got our hands on it and were put on the list for a trial. At the
end of the conference the trial unit was waiting for me. It was
outstanding.”
The QbD1200 offers reliable TOC measurements, giving plants
the data needed to optimize coagulant treatment. “What we saw
during the Hach trial period: We took samples to the City of
Lawrence certified lab, and Hach results mirrored Lawrence’s,”
says Lucas. With newfound trust in the measurements, Lucas’s
team can analyze and optimize coagulant dosing, giving them
control over processes and cutting down on unnecessary chemi-
cal treatments.
Lucas says:
“If we’re running new polymer trials, we’ll run 60 - 70 sets
per day so we can change our process…If I can change a
coagulant and save ten cents per pound—which is about
one dollar per gallon—if I buy 45,000 pounds annually, Figure 2: QbD1200 TOC Analyzer
that’s pretty good cost savings there. We’re only a 3 MGD
facility. Other utilities need to look at this. It will do more
than just keep you in TOC [compliance].”
Using the QbD1200, the DWTP optimized its water treatment process and achieved the following:
• Reduced polymer feed rate by 40%, leading to annual cost savings of $12,400
• Reduced ferric chloride dosing by 25%, leading to cost savings of $2,200
• Saved $14,250 thanks to making reagents in-house and Hach’s maintenance program.
 CASE STUDY: QBD1200 TOC ANALYZER IN DWTP APPLICATIONS

With only three operators at the utility, the DWTP paired the QbD1200 with a Hach autosampler to run high volumes of tests. This
allows the DWTP to set up the sampler and run tests without manually managing the process. “We can set the system up, punch a
button, and see the results,” says Lucas.
Beyond the cost savings and treatment optimizations, the Douglas County DWTP values the QbD1200’s ease-of-use and Hach Field
Support. These two things give the utility the ability to measure TOC reliably with little downtime, frustration, and costs. “It’s easy to
use. I could probably bring a 10 or 12-year-old kid in and have him run it. It’s all color-coded, and you can make your own reagents,”
says Lucas. “We can do real-time data; make real time decisions. You can’t put a cost on that. It’s so much more accurate.”

Conclusion
Accurate measurement, painless operation, fast calibration, and reagent flexibility all contribute to this utility’s improving operations.
With the help of the QbD1200, the plant forecasts annual savings of $30,000 to $60,000 based on improved processes for TOC re-
moval as well as optimizations for chemical treatment selection, quantity, and frequency. That’s what Hach equipment is all about:
easy-to-use instruments with unparalleled total cost of ownership.

DOC042.53.20212.Sep15

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