AWWA ACE59874

As utilities are implementing perchlorate, nitrate, and arsenic treatment technologies to meet increasingly stringent regulations, using/finding effective means for residual management is becoming more important. The goals of this project were: to develop and evaluate alternatives to minimize production of residuals and wastes generated during treatment of drinking waters containing arsenic, perchlorate, or nitrate; and, to treat residuals that are generated from the drinking water treatment processes. As more stringent state and federal drinking water regulations are adopted to limit these contaminants in drinking water, critical evaluation of not only the primary treatment methods but also the brine management and disposal issues need to be carefully addressed to implement new treatment systems. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to: identify different types of residuals generated from perchlorate, nitrate, and arsenic treatment processes; identify approaches required to meet overall perchlorate, nitrate, and arsenic treatment goals in drinking water and residuals; develop and evaluate processes to minimize, manage, and treat concentrate waste streams; review pertinent regulations and compare costs and implementation issues associated with various treatment and disposal scenarios; and, summarize the results of this work in a format that will serve as a guidance tool for helping utilities develop effective residual minimization and handling strategies. This project provides treatment alternatives for residuals from nitrate, perchlorate, and arsenic treatment processes. Some of the results presented here are based on the technologies that are already available while new and innovative methods and concepts have also been demonstrated during the project. An important aspect of this project was to collect and disseminate information on residual treatment, which is often overlooked in making a process selection. Includes reference, tables, figures.