Addressing Water

Discolouration
Issues

Asim Masaud, P.Eng., PMP

Engineering Services
Water (Potable) Discolouration
• Organic: natural organic natter (NOM); TOC
10 to 20 mg/L
• Inorganics: Iron (Fe) and/or Manganese
(Mn);
( ); 0.1 to 10 mg/L
g/
• Pipe corrosion
• Discolored water – consumer confidence
• Winnipeg water discoloration: September
2013
• And many others that are not in the news
• 2012 onwards, especially in shallow lakes
(Lake Erie,, Nipissing,
( p g, etc.)
)
• Context of discussions: Mn in shallow lakes
Lake Behaviours
• Thermal Stratification: Spring and summer
solar heating,
heating surface warming
warming, density
variation, cooler (dense) water remains at the
bottom
• Wind mixing: Subject to density differential to
an extent
Lake Behaviours (cont’d)
• Higher density differential – lake remains
stratified in summer
• Epilimnion to hypolimnion zones
Metalimnion (thermocline) is a transition
zone
• Fall turnover with temperature changes –
trapped nutrients in the hypolimnion are
released
Lake Stratification Cycle
Lake Stratification
• Water plant intake on stratified lake:
hypolimnetic zone – longer elevated Mn
epilimnion zone – shorter elevated Mn

• Algae bloom could be common with taste

and odour
Mn Incursion
• Isolation of hypolimnion from oxygen by
th
thermocline
li creating
ti anoxic
i conditions
diti
(dead algae)
• Eutrophic lakes = Anoxia and dissolved Mn
releasing from sediments
• Mn cycling process : Mn oxidizers looking
f
for oxygen. Dissolved
Di l d Mn
M is
i released
l d into
i t
the water column
• Correlation of Mn to DO is very important:
DO>6 = no Mn
DO between 3 and 6 = some Mn
DO < 3 = significant Mn
 Mn: 12th most abundant element on
earth
Elemental chemistry and microbiology
p
of Mn is complex
Mn Oxidation States in Water
• Manganous ion (Mn2+ ) – clear (Mn II).
S l bl ffree metal
Soluble t l
• Manganese dioxide (MnO2) – solid black
(Mn IV).
( ) Insoluble oxide
• Permanganate (MnO4-) – Purple (Mn VII)
• Mn II and Mn IV naturally occurs in
water
t
• Mn Species presence is based on ORP and
p
pH
• Drinking water systems pH (6-8)
satiability of soluble Mn2+ depends on
oxidation/reduction state and carbonate
presence
Mn Oxidation States in Water
• pH <5 Mn is highly soluble

• pH 5-8
5 8 Mn is soluble under
reducing conditions and
insoluble under oxidation

• pH >8 Mn is insoluble
Major Issues for Utilities
• Typical water treatment quality and
operating conditions (pH
(pH, oxidation/
reduction) range to cycle Mn between
soluble and insoluble forms.
• Oxidation state of Mn (Mn II and Mn IV) is
dependent on oxidation/reduction and pH
conditions
• Mn generally not oxidized/precipitated with
free Chlorine
• Cationic sorption increases with a pH
increase
• Removed through the process of sorption
and catalyzed surface oxidation
Health and Regulations
Regulatory Requirements: Environment Canada
(GCDWQ 2012) and Ontario MOE (Technical Support
Document 2003): Manganese: 0.05 mg/L (AO)
Health Issues:
• No known health effects from Manganese at levels
generally present in the raw water supplies
• Fe and Mn bacteria/coating in the water mains
• Environmental Health Perspective
Children Health (Bouchard, et al., January 2011): Mn
at levels in groundwater is associated with
intellectual impairment in children.
• Typical Mn levels in Canadian Shield: Around 0
0.05
05
mg/L
Callander Water Plant
• Callander Water: Conventional treatment
system with raw water intake line about 200 m
long
g and 9 m deep
p in a sink hole.
• Summer 2012: water discoloration triggers the
study for options; raw water quality changed
during summer: high Mn coming into the system
• Options: Chemical oxidation (ClO2), relocation
of intake,
intake etc.
etc
• Afterthought: optimizing the system before
intake relocation assess the trophic conditions of
the lake
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
• Seasonal date collection in lake: fall, winter,
spring summer
spring,
• DO, Turbidity, Mn, and Fe at various depth levels
• Turbidity: decreases with increased DO during
the winter but increases with increasing DO in
the spring: typical of spring turnover
• Fe and Mn: decrease with increasing DO,
especially in summer
• DO in the lake’s
lake s water column consistent in the
winter but fluctuates during summer/early fall.
• The birdcage could be raised 10-15 ft from the
lake bottom
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
Depth vs. DO and Mn
12 0.6

10 0.5

nese (mg/L)
evel (mg/L)

8 0.4

6 0.3

Mangan
D.O. Le

4 0.2

2 0.1

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Depth (ft)
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
Manganese
g and Iron Level: Seasonal Comparison
p
0.180

0.160
Mn in Winter
0 140
0.140
Mn in Spring
Concentrattion (mg/L)

0.120
Mn in Summer

0.100 Fe in Winter

0.080 Fe in Spring

Fe in Summer
0.060

0.040

0.020

0.000
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00
D O Level (mg/L)
D.O.
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
Depth vs. D.O. Level: Seasonal Comparison

14.00

12.00
mg/L)

Fall

10.00 Winter
D.O. Level (m

Spring
Summer
8.00

6.00

4.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Depth (ft)
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
• Conventional system with alum and
polymer injection and caustic soda pH
adjustment at the discharge with off site
water stand pipe
Callander Water Plant (cont’d)
Raw Water Data
July 2012 and July 2013 (averages)
• Turbidity: 1.1 and 1.5 NTU
• pH: 6.9 and 6.6
• Temperature: 21.7 and 18.7
• Colour (apparent): 41 and
d 55
• Mn: 0.110 and 0.061 mg/L
• Alkalinity: 20 mg/L (2013)
• Raw water flows: 10 L/s (158 gpm)
• Alum dose: 48 mg/L
Overall Approach
• Process review
• Piloting with soda ash addition at the front
end (end up installing a full scale system)
• Coagulation was improved
• Filter media replacement
p
• Stand pipe was cleaned out with passive
mixing
g system
y
• Distribution system flushing
Manganese in Raw, Treated , and Distribution
July 2012 vs. July 2013

0.250

Jul-12

0.200
e (mg/L)

0.150
Jul-12
Manganese

Jul-12

0.100

Jul-13

0.050 AO AO AO
Jul-13
Jul-13

0.000
Raw Treated Distribution
 Maintain a free Keep pH before Plan media If necessary, retain
chlorine residual the filters above replacement to the top 4 inches of
after the filters of 7.0 avoid peak the old media,
0.5 to 1.0 mg/L (add carbonates) manganese place on top of the
episodes (allow 3 new media, retain
months) until the new
media has been
coated

22
Methodology of Addressing the Mn
Related Issues
• Sampling: Mn, Fe, DO, pH and alkalinity,
temperature, TOC, ORP
• Holistic Process Review: improve
coagulation/flocculation. Filter media may
require replacement. Chemical adjustments
• Distribution system review: flushing
(directional), storage reservoir mixing and
cleaning
• Intake location review
• Active removal inc. aeration, using
g
oxidizing agents (chlorine dioxide, etc.)
 Thank You

Questions?
Asim Masaud, P.Eng., PMP
[email protected]