Water that is retained longer within storage has been related to taste and odor
problems, loss of disinfectant residual, and increased disinfection byproducts (DBPs).
In Champlain Water District's (CWD's) case, an oscillating thermocline at the plant intake introduces buoyant water
into system storage, possibly displacing the older water from storage into the distribution
system. CWD modeled and reconfigured a standpipe storage tank to enhance our
operational approach to retention time and DBP formation management. The project was
intended to model, design, build and test a standpipe mixing system. Contracted
computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling visualized that stratification would occur
under existing negative buoyancy and isothermal conditions with "pockets" of higher
DBP and lower disinfectant residual water throughout the tank and indicated the
existence of both a retained zone, and a turnover zone within the tank. A proposed tank
modification was modeled showing that the retained zone would likely be eliminated. A
mixing system was retrofitted to the previous single inlet/outlet configuration. A grab
sampling plan to investigate and understand any possible turnover zone water quality
changes was implemented. The testing plan determined HAA5s, TTHMs, and
disinfectant residuals at several tank draw down stages during four separate trials in July
2002, before tank modification, and July 2003, after tank modification, under similar
operational and raw water DOC and temperature conditions. Background data was
collected to gauge similarity in before and after tank modification background water
quality conditions. Includes 11 references, tables, figures.