AWWA WQTC71599

The Suncor Voyageur (SV) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is located in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The raw source water for the 0.5 MGD plant is obtained from the Athabasca River and will provide potable water for a work camp of approximately 3,500 people. Some of the challenges associated with the process design were the very high daily water consumption peaks, intermittent operation of the facility, and a wide range of source water quality. During the initial phase of the project a number of treatment alternatives were evaluated, including MIEX® pretreatment and ballasted flocculation, followed by microfiltration membranes. The objective was to implement a process that could operate well under a wide temperature range, provide for adequate DBP precursors removal and could undergo as many start/stop cycles as necessary, without compromising performance. Iron removal was also targeted. As part of this project a number of bench-scale tests were performed using ballasted flocculation and MIEX under a variety of conditions, including ambient and cold temperatures. These results were compared to operational data of Big Elk Meadows Water Treatment Plant (WTP), Colorado, a 50 gpm MIEX/membrane filtration WTP. This plant deals with similar challenges as the SVWTP, such as 32ºF temperatures and total organic carbon (TOC) up to 16 mg/L. Includes 2 references, tables, figures.