Introduction
The purpose of this project is to provide Flagstaff residents with adequate clean water which they could use for domestic purposes. This initiative is prompted by the needs of the many residents in the area who constantly lack regular supply of clean water in their houses on a daily basis. This project entirely focuses on meeting the needs of the citizens who by and large need this precious resource in their livelihoods. In order to decrease waterborne diseases in this city, a water treatment program will be implemented by the development and research groups. This project will ensure efficiency in delivering the right service to Flagstaff.
Background
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona southwest of the United States with a population of 60,611 people. The city location is adjusted to the San Francisco Peaks to the south and to Mount Elden. Home to W.L. Gore Associates, the city are a center of attraction. Also, Flagstaff is rich in tourism as it is strategically located with several centers of attraction. For so long the idea of supplying adequate clean water in the locality has been overlooked by the State government. Flagstaff city has quite a number of rivers, streams and other sources which if well utilized, would serve the residents accordingly. It is therefore an urgent matter to solve this long term issue by starting a clean water project that will supply the entire city with sufficient clean water throughout the year. The following project outlines the steps in the water treatment from the time it’s collected from sources to when it’s finally treated and is ready for supply.
Contaminated water with high nitrate concentration has reached alarming levels and is hence a major health concern. This contaminated water is a direct threat to mankind and more importantly a silent killer to aquatic life. It is therefore a matter of concern that needs to be addressed straight away for the betterment of Flagstaff. Sources of water in this region have reached maximum levels of contamination of (MCL) hitting 45 mg/l and nitrate getting to (10 mg/l). There is a major health concern with the extent to which domestic water is exposed to the nitrate which is a threat to nature. Health risks emerge consequently where pregnant women and infants are seen to get exposed to methemoglobinemia which is very dangerous and could lead to health complications.
Water Treatment
- Pre-chlorination
Water treatment entails the industrial-scale processes which have been proven to make water sufficient to the end-user. In this project, treatment method of water purification will be used. At this stage water is collected from the river and stored in large tanks. The water is then treated using chlorine a chemical that kills algae and controls biological growth. Still at this stage, treatment will be used that will include ion exchange (IX), electrolysis, reverse osmosis (RO) and chemical identification (CD). Cost considerations and design will then be addressed to develop guideline that will determine the best method of treatment based on water system characteristics and the source of water. Alongside this method, treatment equipment methods are also to be considered such as Point of-Entry (POE) and Point-of-Use which are compliant to the project design methodology. When all systems are put in place, the treated water will be passed from the pre-chlorination stage to aeration stage for further treatment and purification using formulated methods.
- Aeration
Along with pre-chlorination, aeration will be used in the second stage to remove the dissolved manganese and iron. In order to cut costs, blending which is a cost effective will be applied to dissolve harmful substances in the collected water by diluting the nitrate. Blending relies on rich sources of nitrate used equitably with surface water were using surface water to blend it. Though relatively effective, there could be a drawback in implementing the blending procedure especially when determining the nitrate concentration.
- Sedimentation
At this stage, Ion Exchange a method commonly used in removing the nitrate contained in water will be applied alongside the Ion exchange to remove suspended solids and other particles in water. This technique however replaces cations that are divalent in hard water leaving behind the nitrate and passing the treated water to the next stage of post-treatment for disinfection and stabilization.
- Coagulation
Using a fixed bed, the IX system method can then be operated with key parameters configured to control the system flow rate, depth of the bed, bed swelling and rinse requirements. Nitrate impacted sources in Flagstaff have levels of arsenic that are above MCL that would influence installation of IX. Three pressure vessels containing purolite A300E which removes arsenic and purolite A520 resin are installed to reduce nitrate levels that are less than 22 mg/l. Equipped with system online nitrate analyzers, the system causes the shutdown of nitrates from penetrating to further levels. Minimizing of waste brine can be accomplished by use of generation batch resin. The loaded resin is then extracted from IX bottom and moved to regenerate while the regenerated resin is constantly added to the vessel’s top. Reversed osmosis could be a good option of removing the nitrate. At this level, water is forced to use a semi-permeable membrane with high pressure. As this process proceeds to different levels, water purification is also seen to take place with the elimination of chemicals and particles contained in the water.
- Filtration
At this stage, particles in the saturated water will be removed using large sieves. The water will be passed through gallons with sieves at top leaving residues and particles behind. The water will then pass through pipes and turbines to another unit of purification.
- Desalination
Desalination is the stage where the filtered water drains. At this stage, salt which is concentrated in water will be removed and any other chemical in the final concentration neutralized. Water purification is vital in reducing the contraction of diseases caused by drinking contaminated water. This process therefore focuses more in the treatment process to ensure 100% efficiency alongside cutting cost in implementing the entire water treatment process.
- Disinfection
This is the last stage where the treated water will be boiled to dissolve oxygen while maintaining the correct pH and alkalinity levels. The boiling water is left to cool and is carefully covered and sealed to keep away harmful bacteria and germs from penetrating the treated water.
If this project is used in Flagstaff, most of its residents will benefit greatly from it with a regular supply of clean water that is safe to drink. This initiative however will meet the needs of the common citizen who entirely rely on the government for services. It will change the lives of these residents and give them a comfortable and flexible new way of life. In order to sustain this project entirely, a number of issues in management will be factored. Proper maintenance of the machinery should be done to utilize the resources and facility of the project. This maintenance should be prioritized in order to cater for the needs of all residents in Flagstaff.
Similarly a few steps will be taken in order to improve this system. To start with, the residents of Flagstaff and the workmanship of the program ought to be aware of current methods of treatment which they should incorporate in the system in order to keep it up to date with its functioning machinery and recent methods in that methodology. The project will have to be well protected and guarded throughout to in order protect the machinery from malicious individuals or groups.
Works Cited
Giorgi, John. Wastewater Operator Certification Study Guide: A Guide to Preparing for Wastewater Treatment Certification Exams. Denver, Colo: American Water Works Association, 2009. Internet resource.
Gis Implementation for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.
Larsen, Bob. Math Handbook for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators: Math Fundamentals and Problem Solving. Denver, Colo: Outskirts Press, 2010. Print.
