Date of Last Revision

2023-05-02 18:59:01

Major

Civil Engineering - Cooperative Education

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2016

Abstract

Chlorination is one of the most common methods of treating pathogens and ensuring microbial water quality in water treatment and distribution. As chlorinated water leaves the source and travels through the water distribution system, the chlorine reacts with both the organic compounds (dissolved organic carbon, DOC) in the source water and the corrosion or biofilm of the pipe walls. The chlorine concentration, or chlorine residuals, at any point in the water distribution system is a good measure of water quality. At the same time, chlorination produces disinfection byproducts as the chlorine also reacts with other naturally-occurring materials in the water. Some of these byproducts, including trihalomethanes (THM), pose health risks. There are three primary operational management methods of controlling chlorine residual and THM formation; varying the chlorine dose at the water treatment plant, changing the water quality leaving the water treatment plant, and altering the water quality sampling time. By using a calibrated EPANET model of the City of Akron’s water distribution system and operational data from the City of Akron’s Water Treatment plant a Matlab model was developed to analyze chlorine residual and THM formation. The results show that chlorine dose is more of a driver of THM formation than the water quality leaving the plant or water sampling time and is where the city should focus is operational optimization.

Research Sponsor

Dr. Christopher Miller

First Reader

Dr. Stephen Duirk

Second Reader

Dr. William Schneider

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.