The City of Glendale Department of Water and Power (GWP) has been faced with significant
nitrification problems in most of its distribution system reservoirs. The objectives of the study
were to evaluate nitrification control by continuously feeding sodium chlorite to an isolated area
of the distribution system, to determine the associated cost of that treatment, and to gather other
information for system-wide application of chlorite ion control of nitrification. The first phase of
this demonstration-scale study showed that chlorite can be added to systems that are not
undergoing nitrification and it will prevent any future nitrification occurrence. The study also
found that chlorite cannot be added to highly nitrified systems and reliably control nitrification.
It is strongly recommended that nitrification be completely eliminated by a free chlorine "burn
out" prior to the addition of chlorite ion. Includes 11 references, tables, figures.