The total and noncarbonate hardness were 86 and 49 mg/Las CaC0 3 (calcium carbonate), respectively ( Wiitala 1963). The 50th percentile pH, color, and turbidity of the finished (tap) water were 10.3, 2, and 0.1 ppm (silica scale approximately equivalent to 0.02 Jtu), respectively. The plant was rated at a capacity of 59 mgd, with a maximum overload capacity of 86 mgd. Taste-and-odor-causing compounds were removed using activated carbon, along with the addition of ammonia and sodium chlorite. At that point, treatment of the Flint River included prechlorination, coagulation with alum, lime-soda ash softening, recarbonation, filtration, the addition of polyphosphate for corrosion control, and postchlorination. Construction on a new treatment plant for the City of Flint began in 1952 and was completed in 1954. By 1930, Flint River water was being treated using alum coagulation before sand filtration, with the plant rated at 28 mgd ( Hardin 1932). The City of Flint purchased the Flint Water Company in 1912. On July 8, 1897, the City of Flint passed an ordinance requiring lead pipes: “all connections with any water mains shall be made with lead pipe” ( Anon. The first water distribution system in Flint was privately owned and incorporated as the Flint Water Works Company in 1883 ( Dunbar & May 1995). This analysis is based on an extensive review of the monthly operating reports (MORs) and other reported documents from the water treatment facilities, and from personal communications with plant operators and managers. We have investigated the chemistry and engineering behind what happened to Flint’s water, why it was corrosive, and the extent to which the system appears to be recovering. The crisis, tragic in so many respects, also presents an opportunity for lasting benefit-benefit from recognizing that we are Flint” ( Rothstein 2016). Rothstein so aptly stated, “Flint matters because the water utility industry can do better. The elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water of residences in Flint have had a profound effect on the level of trust within the community and the state, the economy of the region, and the health and well-being of the residents of Flint and the surrounding communities. There has been much in the news about the water crisis that began in 2014 in Flint, Mich., and the length of time it took for government officials to react. THE FLINT RIVER IS A VARIABLE WATER SOURCE AND THUS A CHALLENGE TO TREAT OVERSIGHTS AND MISSTEPS COMBINED WITH INHERENT CHEMICAL CONDITIONS SET THE STAGE FOR THE HISTORIC WATER CRISIS IN FLINT, MICH.
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