Early Warning and Management of Surface Water Taste-and-Odor Events

📖 The Scoop

The objective of the report was to focus on the detection and management of Taste-and-Odor (T&O) events in source waters prior to reaching the treatment plant and therefore prior to consumer complaints. The goal was to achieve control at the source or through strategic use of storage and conveyance facilities, thus relieving or reducing the burden on the plants. The difficulty in meeting these objectives lies in the extreme sensitivity that many individuals have for the most difficult to manage earthy/musty T&O compounds, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). There is a very narrow window of opportunity to detect a T&O event and implement a management strategy before complaints begin. This study highlights MIB and geosmin because of their widespread occurrence in drinking water and their resistance to removal in the treatment process. The project was divided into several major components: (1) a review and summary of supportive information such as analytical methods, T&O producing algae, and lake simulation models, (2) analysis of a wide variety of participating utility systems (simple to complex) to use as examples to illustrate comprehensive T&O management strategies, (3) a synthesis of demonstrated methods for systematically developing and implementing a T&O early warning and comprehensive management program, and (4) surveys to determine the most effective ways to communicate T&O issues to consumers and to sub-agencies.

Genre: Science / Applied Sciences (fancy, right?)