The impending Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2 DBPR)
is focused on limiting disinfection byproducts (DBPs) to acceptable levels throughout
the entire distribution system. In order to comply with the impending Stage 2 DBPR and
reduce DBP levels at the far ends of their distribution systems, some utilities have already
converted and many are considering converting from free chlorine to chloramines for
secondary disinfection.
For many utilities, the addition of ammonia to water with a free chlorine residual to form
chloramines is an automated process. Traditionally, utilities have programmed their
control systems so that the amount of ammonia being added depends on flow, free
chlorine residual, and a set chlorine to ammonia ratio. Chlorine reacts with ammonia in
the stoichiometric mass ratio of 4.2:1, equivalent to chlorine to ammonia-nitrogen mass
ratio of 5.1:1. The traditional approach is to add ammonia at a chlorine to ammonia ratio
less than 4.2:1 so that some excess free ammonia remains in the water after the formation
of chloramines. However, this approach to dose control can lead to fluctuations in
finished water free ammonia levels if the free chlorine residual in the finished water
fluctuates. This paper provides tables comparing three approaches to dose control: resulting excess free ammonia using traditional ammonia dose control
approach; resulting excess free ammonia using new ammonia dose control
approach; and, example operator inputs and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) outputs for new chlorine
and ammonia feed control approach. Includes tables.