Biological Drinking Water Treatment Perceptions and Actual Experiences in North America Web Report #4129 Subject Area: Water Quality Biological Drinking Water Treatment Perceptions and Actual Experiences in North America ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. About the Water Research Foundation The Water Research Foundation (formerly Awwa Research Foundation or AwwaRF) is a member-supported, international, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to consumers. The Foundation’s mission is to advance the science of water to improve the quality of life. To achieve this mission, the Foundation sponsors studies on all aspects of drinking water, including resources, treatment, distribution, and health effects. Funding for research is provided primarily by subscription payments from close to 1,000 water utilities, consulting firms, and manufacturers in North America and abroad. Additional funding comes from collaborative partnerships with other national and international organizations and the U.S. federal government, allowing for resources to be leveraged, expertise to be shared, and broad-based knowledge to be developed and disseminated. From its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, the Foundation’s staff directs and supports the efforts of more than 800 volunteers who serve on the board of trustees and various committees. These volunteers represent many facets of the water industry, and contribute their expertise to select and monitor research studies that benefit the entire drinking water community. The results of research are disseminated through a number of channels, including reports, the Web site, Webcasts, conferences, and periodicals. For its subscribers, the Foundation serves as a cooperative program in which water suppliers unite to pool their resources. By applying Foundation research findings, these water suppliers can save substantial costs and stay on the leading edge of drinking water science and technology. Since its inception, the Foundation has supplied the water community with more than $460 million in applied research value. More information about the Foundation and how to become a subscriber is available on the Web at www.WaterResearchFoundation.org. ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Biological Drinking Water Treatment Perceptions and Actual Experiences in North America Prepared by: Patrick J. Evans, Eva M. Opitz, Phillippe A. Daniel, and Chris R. Schulz CDM 14432 S.E. Eastgate Way, Ste 100, Bellevue, WA 98007-6493 Jointly sponsored by: Water Research Foundation 6666 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235-3098 and Department of Defense 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400 Published by: ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISCLAIMER This study was jointly funded by the Water Research Foundation (Foundation) and Department of Defense (DOD). The Foundation and DOD assume no responsibility for the content of the research study reported in this publication or for the opinions or statements of fact expressed in the report. The mention of trade names for commercial products does not represent or imply the approval or endorsement of the Foundation or DOD. This report is presented solely for informational purposes. Copyright © 2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise utilized without permission. ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix  LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi  FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................ xv  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................... xvii  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... xix  CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1  CHAPTER 2 OVERVIEW OF BIOLOGICAL DRINKING WATER TREATMENT ................ 3  History and Impetus for Use ............................................................................................... 3  General Types of Processes ................................................................................................ 4  Slow Sand Filtration ............................................................................................... 4  Rapid Biological Filtration (RBF) .......................................................................... 4  Ozone-Enhanced Biological Filtration (OEBF) ...................................................... 4  Granular Activated Carbon Biological Adsorption (GBA) .................................... 5  Biological Perchlorate/Nitrate Process (BPNP) ...................................................... 5  Other Processes ....................................................................................................... 5  CHAPTER 3 METHODS ............................................................................................................... 7  General Approach ............................................................................................................... 7  Electronic Survey ................................................................................................................ 7  General Electronic Survey Questions ..................................................................... 8  Electronic Survey Case Studies .............................................................................. 8  Telephone Case Studies .................................................................................................... 10  CHAPTER 4 ELECTRONIC SURVEY RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .................................. 11  Electronic Survey Demographics ..................................................................................... 11  Use and Acceptance of Biological Treatment .................................................................. 12  Use and Acceptance among Different Professions ............................................... 12  Barriers to Acceptance .......................................................................................... 13  Overcoming Acceptance Barriers ......................................................................... 17  General Attributes of Biological Treatment ..................................................................... 19  Contaminant Removal .......................................................................................... 19  Finished Water Quality ......................................................................................... 22  Levels of Effort Required for Design and Operations .......................................... 22  Additional Regulator Perspectives .................................................................................... 24  Additional Consultant, Academic, and Vendor Perspectives ........................................... 28  Electronic Survey Case Studies ........................................................................................ 32  Plant Demographics and Characteristics .............................................................. 32  Source Water Type and Quality ............................................................................ 32  v ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. vi | Biological Drinking Water Treatment Perceptions and Actual Experiences in North America Process Types and Distribution ............................................................................ 35  Process Attributes ................................................................................................. 35  CHAPTER 5 TELEPHONE CASE STUDIES ............................................................................. 51  Locations ........................................................................................................................... 51  City of Salem, Oregon: Slow Biological Filtration .......................................................... 51  Background ........................................................................................................... 51  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 51  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 51  Performance .......................................................................................................... 52  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 52  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 53  Greater Cincinnati Water Works: Rapid Biological Filtration and GAC ......................... 53  Background ........................................................................................................... 53  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 53  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 53  Performance .......................................................................................................... 54  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 54  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 55  Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: Ozone Enhanced Biological filtration (Anthracite) ................................................................................................................. 55  Background ........................................................................................................... 55  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 55  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 55  Performance .......................................................................................................... 56  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 56  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 56  Henrico County: Ozone Enhanced Biological filtration (GAC) ....................................... 56  Background ........................................................................................................... 57  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 57  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 57  Performance .......................................................................................................... 57  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 58  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 58  Santa Clara Valley Water District: Ozone Enhanced Biological filtration (GAC) .......... 58  Background ........................................................................................................... 58  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 59  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 59  Performance .......................................................................................................... 59  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 60  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 60  Arlington, Texas: Ozone Enhanced Biological filtration (GAC) ..................................... 60  Background ........................................................................................................... 60  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 60  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 61  Performance .......................................................................................................... 62  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 62  ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Contents | vii Public Perception .................................................................................................. 62  France: Biological Denitrification Overview .................................................................... 62  Background ........................................................................................................... 63  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 63  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 63  Performance .......................................................................................................... 64  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 65  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 65  Western Municipal Water District: Biological Denitrification ......................................... 66  Background ........................................................................................................... 66  Rationale for Process Selection ............................................................................ 66  Design and Operating Parameters ......................................................................... 66  Performance (pilot plant data) .............................................................................. 67  Regulatory Perspectives ........................................................................................ 67  Public Perception .................................................................................................. 67  CHAPTER 6 WORKSHOP .......................................................................................................... 69  Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 69  Definitions and Terminology ............................................................................................ 69  Article Development ............................................................................................. 69  Article Manuscript ................................................................................................ 69  Research Roadmap ............................................................................................................ 76  What is Known ..................................................................................................... 76  Identified Research Topics ................................................................................... 76  CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................. 89  Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 89  General Survey...................................................................................................... 89  Electronic Case Studies ......................................................................................... 91  Telephone Case Studies ........................................................................................ 92  Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 93  CHAPTER 8 RECOMMENDATIONS TO UTILITIES ............................................................. 95  APPENDIX A SURVEY QUESTIONS ....................................................................................... 97  APPENDIX B COMPLETE SURVEY DATA .......................................................................... 105  APPENDIX C CONTACTS LIST.............................................................................................. 243  APPENDIX D WORKSHOP AGENDA ................................................................................... 247  APPENDIX E WORKSHOP ATTENDEES .............................................................................. 249  APPENDIX F BIOLOGICAL DRINKING WATER TREATMENT EXPERT WORKSHOP PRESENTATION ON THE SURVEY RESULTS .......................................251 ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. viii | Biological Drinking Water Treatment Perceptions and Actual Experiences in North America APPENDIX G WATER RESEARCH FOUNDATION BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT PROJECTS ...........................................................................................................................291 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 299  ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................... 301  ©2010 by Water Research Foundation and Department of Defense. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.