zebra mussels invade eastern u.s. waterways

striped double shells. These mussels thrive andmultiply in great numbers, spreading to the sur-faces of nearly every submerged solid object inWestern Lake Erie within a year’s time.

As the U.S. Geological Survey notes on itsWeb site, “because they attach themselves tohard surfaces and can produce millions of off-spring annually, zebra mussels have caused drasticdeclines in native clam and mussel populationsin some locations. Zebra mussels compete withother invertebrates and young fish for plankton,

the primary food source for thesegroups. Industries that use riverwater for cooling and other usesspend millions of dollars annuallyto clean intake structures cloggedby the mussels.’’

Zebra mussels have spreadthroughout the Great Lakes andwaterways in more than 18 states.(See illustrations, page 15.) Rivers,including the Hudson, Mississippi,Illinois, Ohio, Arkansas, Tennessee,and Genessee, have seen widespreadgrowth of the mollusks. And thepests have even recently been spot-ted in California. Zebra musselscan attach themselves to boat hullsand move as stowaways up anddown major rivers and overland,posing a real threat to habitable

waters anywhere in the U.S.Cities and industries fear the spread of zebra

mussels because they are notorious for coloniz-ing and then plugging water intakes at powerplants, water treatment plants, and in other facil-ities using fresh water.

Cleaning and treating these facilities is costly.For example, plant redesign and zebra musselcontrol for 72 nuclear- and fossil fuel-generatingplants in the Great Lakes Basin is anticipated tocost in excess of $860 million over the next 10years. Municipalities and industries in the GreatLakes region also are projected to spend anotherbillion dollars controlling mollusk growth overthe same period.

Zebra Mussels InvadeEastern U.S. WaterwaysColonization Reduces PumpingCapabilities,Causes Shutdowns

by Jamie KnottsOn TapAssistant Editor

Drinking water system operators see it all.And they’ve repaired it all, too. Burst mains insub-zero weather? Sure. Pump failures in themiddle of the night? Probably. Stubborn leaksthat just don’t want to be found? You bet.

But water intakes clogged with massivecolonies of mollusks? You must be joking!

It’s not a joke to operators in and around theGreat Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada.Operators have watched zebra mussel coloniesspread quickly throughout the waterways of theupper Midwest and East, slowing water pumpingcapabilities and occasionally shutting downpumping altogether.

What are these critters?First discovered in 1988 in Lake St. Clair, a

large water body along the coast of southeasternMichigan between Lake Huron and Lake Erie,zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) arenamed for their distinctive black-and-white-

Summer 2000Volume 9, Issue 2

On Tap is a publication of theNational Drinking

Water Clearinghouse,sponsored by the

Rural Utilities Service.Continued on page 14

Drinking Water News For America’s Small Communities

What shouldyou expectwhen OSHAshows up?

IInn tthhiiss IIssssuuee

Page 8

This cutaway of a two-inch water line shows how zebra mussels attachthemselves to hard surfaces, eventually clogging the water’s flow. Young mussels latch onto older mussels, creating a dense mass of shells.

Photo by Don Schloesser, Great Lakes Science Center, National Biological Services

2 On Tap Summer 2000

Volume 9, Issue 2Summer 2000

Sponsored by

Rural Utilities ServiceAdministrator

Wally B. Beyer

Loan SpecialistDeana Plauche’

Established in 1991 at WestVirginia University, the

National Drinking WaterClearinghouse is funded by a grant from the Rural

Utilities Service.

National Drinking WaterClearinghouse

Manager, WVU EnvironmentalServices and Training Division

John L. Mori, Ph.D.

Program CoordinatorSanjay Saxena

Publications SupervisorHarriet Emerson, MSJ

Managing EditorKathy Jesperson

Assistant EditorJamie Knotts

Technical Assistance SpecialistsMohamed Lahlou, Ph.D.Babu Madabhushi, MS

Vipin Bhardwaj

Graphic DesignerMichelle Sanders

Staff WritersM. Caigan McKenzie

Natalie EddyMarilyn Noah

On Tap is a free publication,produced four times a year.Articles, letters to the editor,news items, photographs, orother materials submitted for

publication are welcome.Please address

correspondence to:

Editor, On Tap, NDWCWest Virginia University

P.O. Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506-6064

(800) 624-8301(304) 293-4191

FAX (304) 293-3161http://www.ndwc.wvu.edu

Permission to quote from orreproduce articles in this

publication is granted whendue acknowledgment is

given. Please send a copy of the publication in whichinformation was used tothe On Tap editor at the

address above.

The contents of this publica-tion do not necessarily reflectthe views and policies of theRural Utilities Service, nor

does mention of trade namesor commercial products con-

stitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

ISSN 1061-9291

Equal Opportunity/AffirmativeAction Institution

Printed on recycled paper

On TapThis issue of On Tapis a rather eclectic one.

We’re covering everything from zebra mussels toOccupational Health and Safety Administration(OSHA) issues. Although there doesn’t seem tobe too much rhyme or reason, all of the storiesrelate valuable information.

Zebra mussels appear to be spreading likewildfire across the Northeastern U.S. and are evenmaking their way west. Jamie Knotts, On Tapassistant editor, explores where zebra musselscame from and the future of drinking water systemsthat they inhabit.

Staff writer Marilyn Noah takes a look atflood clean-up issues. Not surprisingly, the timeto prepare for a flood is before it happens. Sheprovides this advice along with several othervaluable tips.

Chris Bazzie, a safety engineer fromRochester, New York, lets readers in on what toexpect when OSHA shows up. Bazzie hasworked as a safety engineer for several years andis a graduate of West Virginia University.

Several National Drinking Water Clearinghouse(NDWC) staff members took a ride to a smalltown in southern West Virginia for the Oceanastory. I am always amazed at the pride drinkingwater system operators take in their work, but Iguess I shouldn’t be. What operators do for a liv-ing sustains entire communities. Where wouldwe be without them?

On Tap Covers OSHA, Floods, and More

This quarter, the Q&A explains GeographicInformation Systems (GIS), which have becomeworthy tools for the drinking water industry.Also, the Tech Brief illustrates slow sand filtersand where they are most useful.

In the last issue, we included a survey, andthey have been pouring in. Thanks to all haveresponded thus far. The story suggestions are atremendous help. And we are taking all of yourthoughts into consideration. As a matter of fact,several readers suggested more articles about pri-vate wells. The Fall issue of On Tapwill coverprivate well topics, including a small West Virginiacommunity that relies on private wells.

Finally, we have an idea for a future article onoperator stories of some of the strangest or funniestthings that they have encountered while on thejob—for example, customer complaints, unusualequipment problems, or anything that made youlaugh or wish you had chosen another profession.Please send your stories to [email protected] (800) 624-8301 and let us know what kindsof things have happened to you.

Thanks!

Kathy JespersonOn TapEditor

All three of the interest rates for RuralUtilities Service (RUS) water and wastewaterloans increased slightly this quarter.

RUS interest rates are issued quarterly at threedifferent levels: the poverty line rate, the inter-mediate rate, and the market rate. The rate appliedto a particular project depends on communityincome and the type of project being funded.

To qualify for the poverty line rate, two criteriamust be met. First, the loan must primarily be usedfor facilities required to meet health and sanitarystandards. Second, the median household incomeof the area being served must be below 80 percentof the state’s non-metropolitan median income orfall below the federal poverty level. As of April1, 2000, the federal poverty level was $17,050for a family of four.

To qualify for the intermediate rate, the servicearea’s median household income cannot exceed100 percent of the state’s non-metropolitanmedian income.

The market rate is applied to projects thatdon’t qualify for either the poverty or intermediaterates. The market rate is based on the average ofthe Bond Buyer Index.

The rates for the second quarter of fiscal year2000, which apply to all loans issued from April1, 2000, through June 30, 2000, are:

• poverty line: 4.5 percent,• intermediate: 5.125 percent, and• market: 5.875 percent.

RUS loans are administered through stateRural Development offices, which can providespecific information concerning RUS loanrequirements and application procedures.

For the phone number of your state RuralDevelopment office, contact the NDWC at (800)624-8301 or (304) 293-4191. The list is also isavailable on the RUS Web site atwww.usda.gov/rus/water/states/usamap.htm.

RUS Announces Loan Rates

On Tap Summer 2000 3

Flood! What to Do Before and After the Rising Waterby Marilyn Noah,Contributing NDWC Staff Writer

Flooding is the most common type of naturaldisaster worldwide, accounting for an estimated40 percent of all natural disasters. Water levelscan rise to flood stage gradually or very rapidlyfrom snow melt or heavy or repeated rains. Highwater conditions can be especially devastating tosmall water treatment systems.

As advantageous as floodplain locations are forwater collection and disposal purposes, these sitescan be very costly in times of high water. Whenfloodwaters inundate treatment systems, electricalconnections short out, records are lost, fittingsand connectors are broken, and stored treatmentchemicals are ruined. Then, as water recedes,great quantities of fine river sed-iment fill and ruin filters andtreatment vats.

Repair and recovery costs tothe community result not onlyfrom physical damage to theplant, but can be incurred fromloss of revenue to businessesthat are forced to close. A well-thought-out preparation andrecovery plan can help to getyou back in line with the mini-mum of damage and cost.

How should you prepare?As odd as it may seem, the

time to sit down and carefully puttogether a response plan to a pos-sible flood situation is while skiesare sunny and the neighboringstream is well within its banks.

Design an emergency pre-paredness guide so all employeescan react to a high-water emergency in a rationalway. The plan should include:

• phone numbers for the local media, • contact information for state regulatory

agencies and assistance providers, • lists of chemicals used in the treatment

processes, and • any general operating procedures that the

plant uses. You also should include current safety and

instruction manuals and records of recent testingresults.

Suggested flood-proofing measures for theplant include:

• having an emergency power source,

• waterproofing sensitive electrical components,• storing extra chemicals for plant start up in

a waterproof area, • providing protection for office records,

computers, and other equipment, and • ensuring that all elevated storage tanks and

reservoirs are filled to capacity and secured. Accurate recordkeeping is essential to expedite

efforts in assessing damage and for evaluatingrestoration costs. During clean-up efforts, clearrecords of recovery expenses will speed reim-bursement from state and/or federal agencies.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA)weather radio is the best source of current warningsfrom the National Weather Service. The NationalWeather Service recommends purchasing a radio

that has both a battery backup and a tone-alertfeature that automatically alerts you when a watchor warning is issued. (See sidebar on page 4 forflood alert descriptions.)

What are the risks after a flood?The National Institute for Occupational Safety

and Health (NIOSH) warns that when the seem-ingly endless rain tapers off and the floodwatersrecede, workers will face a number of hazardsassociated with clean-up activities.

“Unfortunately the danger of a flood does notend when the rains cease,’’ says Dr. LindaRosenstock, NIOSH director. “We must workContinued on page 4

Friendsville, Maryland, recently installed a floodwall. The 4-feet high barricade can be com-pletely sealed by two sliding metal gates in case of an emergency.

Photo by Jamie Knotts

O P E R A T O RO P E R A T O R

together to prevent illnesses and injuries that canaccompany cleanup efforts.’’

Workers and volunteers involved with floodcleanup should be aware of the potential dangersinvolved and the proper safety precautions.Because the level of experience varies among theseworkers, clean-up crews must work together andlook out for one another to ensure safety.

The major work-related hazards are: electrical,carbon monoxide, bodily injuries, thermal stresses,heavy equipment, structural instability, hazardousmaterials, fire, drowning, confined spaces, agri-cultural, stress, and fatigue. Suggestions for miti-gating the hazards encountered during the cleanupof a treatment plant follow:

• Electrical hazards: If water has been any-where near electrical circuits and electricalequipment, turn off the power at the mainbreaker or fuse on the service panel. Do notturn the power back on until a qualifiedelectrician has inspected electrical equip-ment. Never enter flooded areas or touchelectrical equipment if the ground is wet,unless you are certain that the power is off.

• Carbon monoxide: Flood clean-up activitiesmay involve the use of gasoline- or diesel-powered pumps, generators, and pressurewashers. Because these devices release car-bon monoxide—a deadly, colorless, odorlessgas—operate all gasoline-powered devicesoutdoors and never bring them indoors.

• Bodily injury: Clean-up workers are at riskfor developing serious musculoskeletalinjuries to the hands, back, knees, andshoulders. Special attention is needed toavoid back injuries associated with manuallifting and handling of debris and buildingmaterials. To help prevent injury, use teamsof two or more to move bulky objects;avoid lifting any material that weighs morethan 50 pounds (per person); and use properautomated-assist lifting devices.

• Structural instability: Never assume thatwater-damaged structures or the ground arestable. Buildings that have been submergedor have withstood rushing floodwaters mayhave suffered structural damage and maybe dangerous. Don’t work in or around anyflood-damaged building until a registeredprofessional engineer or architect examinesand certifies it as safe to work in. Assumeall stairs, floors, and roofs are unsafe untilthey are inspected. Leave immediately ifshifting or unusual noises signal a possiblecollapse.

• Hazardous materials: Floodwaters can dislodgetanks, drums, pipes, and equipment, whichmay contain hazardous materials such aschlorine. Do not attempt to move unidentifieddislodged containers without first contactingthe local fire department or hazardous mate-rials team. If working in potentially contam-inated areas, avoid skin contact or inhalationof vapors by wearing appropriate protectiveclothing and respirators.

• Fire: Fire can pose a major threat to analready badly damaged flood area for severalreasons, such as inoperative fire protectionsystems, hampered fire department response,and inoperable or flood-damaged firefightingwater supplies. Workers and employers musttherefore take extra precautions. At least twofire extinguishers, each with a minimumUnderwriters Laboratory rating of at least10A, should be provided at every clean-up job.

What else should you do?Additional prevention measures that will help

keep workers safe during the cleanup operationsinclude:

• Supply basic first aid. First aid, even forminor cuts and burns, is extremely importantwhen exposure to waters potentially con-taminated with human, animal, or toxic


What to Do Before and After the Rising Water

Continued from page 3

What To Listen for on Your NOAA Weather Radio!

Flash Flood or Flood Watch: Flash flooding or flooding is possible within the designatedwatch area. Be alert.

Flash Flood or Flood Warning: Flash flooding or flooding has been reported or is imminent.Take necessary precautions at once.

Urban and Small Stream Advisory: Flooding of small streams, streets, and low-lyingareas, such as railroad underpasses and urban storm drains, is occurring.

Flash Flood or Flood Statement: Follow-up information regarding a flash flood/flood event.

Continued on next page

According to the

National Weather

Service and the

Army Corps of

Engineers data for

1997, $8.9 million

of damage resulted

from flooding

conditions in

the U.S.



Continued from previous pagewastes exists. Immediately clean all openwounds and cuts with soap and clean water.Most cuts, except minor scratches, sus-tained during flood clean-up activities willwarrant treatment to prevent tetanus. If aworker is injured, contact a physician todetermine the necessary treatment.

• Develop a clean-up plan and schedule. A general plan for the cleanup and restartof a treatment plant also will reduce injuryand increase workers’ effectiveness.

• Set priorities for clean-up tasks, and realisti-cally pace the work over several days (orweeks).

• Determine ways to help workers avoidphysical exhaustion. Workers should beencouraged to resume a normal sleepschedule as quickly as possible. Theyshould be advised to take frequent restbreaks before exhaustion builds up.

• Create a list of disaster relief programs andservices to have on hand. Be alert to emo-tional exhaustion or strain. When familymembers and neighbors are unavailable foremotional support, consult professionals atcommunity health and mental health centers.

What is mitigation?Techniques known as hazard mitigation are

designed to lessen the impact of natural hazards.A variety of agencies are working to mitigate thedamages incurred from flood disasters as well asto speed the recovery time after the event.

While many of the current flood mitigationplans for communities involve the buyout orrelocation of threatened structures, there are someoptions are available to treatment plants in theirimmovable location. Depending on the topography,streambed management is sometimes an option.Dredging, realigning the channel, or upstreamdamming have provided protection to certaintreatment plants. Physical barriers to the plantalso can be effective modifications. Constructingfloodwalls, dykes, or earthen berms might beconsidered protection for special situations.

Where can you turn for help?There are several agencies and programs

available to help design, construct, and financethese types of floodplain management efforts.

The National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP) was created by Congress in 1968 toreduce flood losses and disaster relief costs. TheFlood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 broadenedand modified NFIP, which requires the purchaseof flood insurance as a condition for receiving

any form of federal or federally related financialassistance, such as mortgage loans from federallyinsured lending institutions. The NFIP has mappedfloodplains in more than 20,000 communities andmore than 18,400 communities now participatein the program. Many states and communitieshave established floodplain management programsand adopted floodplain management statutes andregulations that go beyond NFIP requirements.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) can be considered one of the best sourcesfor help, before and after a flooding disaster.FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grants Program isdesigned to break the recurrent cycle of flood-repair-flood and to limit future loss of lives andproperty. Funding is available for projects varyingfrom buying out threatened homes to constructinglevees.

FEMA also has developed another initiativecalled Project Impact, which encourages public/private coalitions to protect their communitiesagainst the long-range effects of disasters. Bybecoming a part of Project Impact, corporationsand businesses have helped their communitiesbecome disaster resistant by providing funding,in-kind services, technical support, and labor toassist in disaster-prevention efforts. Started in 1997with seven pilot communities, today the ProjectImpact program has nearly 200 designated com-munities and more than 1,100 business partners.

The Association of State Flood Plain Managers(ASFPM) encourages flood hazard research edu-cation and training and offers technical adviceabout proposed actions or policies that will rem-edyflood hazards. An organization of professionalsinvolved in flood recovery management, this grouphas become a respected voice in floodplain man-agement practice and policy in the U.S. TheASFPM represents the flood hazard specialists oflocal, state, and federal government, the researchcommunity, the insurance industry, and the fieldsof engineering, hydrologic forecasting, emergencyresponse, water resources, and others.

Maryland Plant Installs FloodwallFriendsville, Maryland, recently completed a

typical mitigation project. “After three floods, oneafter another in 1996, we knew we had to dosomething,’’ says Alan Festerman, director ofoperations with the Garrett County SanitaryDistrict, Maryland. The small, 300-customer plantin Friendsville installed a protective concretewall. The 4-feet high barricade can be completelysealed by two metal sliding gates in time ofemergency. The $52,000 floodwall project, fund-ed mostly by federal and state grants, was given

WWeebb SSiitteess:: FederalEmergencyManagementAgencywww.fema.gov

National Instituteof OccupationalHealth and Safetywww.cdc.gov/niosh/nasd/nasdhome.html

Association ofState Flood PlainManagerswww. floods.org

PPuubblliiccaattiioonn::NIOSH publication:DHHS(NIOSH)Publication No. 94-123

Continued on page 6



Groundwater Disinfection Rule Proposed

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) is proposing a rule about groundwater dis-infection. The rule also addresses other compo-nents of groundwater systems to assure publichealth protection. The Groundwater Rule (GWR)establishes multiple barriers to protect againstbacteria and viruses in groundwater sources anda strategy to identify groundwater systems athigh risk for fecal contamina-tion. EPA plans to issue theGWR as a final regulation inNovember 2000.

Historically, groundwater hasbeen considered free of micro-bial contamination; however,recent research indicates thatsome groundwaters are a sourceof waterborne disease.

Gastrointestinal symptoms,such as diarrhea and vomiting,characterize most cases ofwaterborne disease. And thesesymptoms seldom cause problemsin healthy individuals and rarelyrequire medical treatment.

However, these same symp-toms are much more serious andcan be fatal for persons in sensitive subpopulations,such as young children, the elderly, and personswith compromised immune systems. In addition,research indicates that some viral pathogens foundin groundwater are linked to long-term healtheffects, such as adult onset diabetes and myocarditis.

The GWR applies to public groundwater systems(systems with at least 15 service connections, orthat regularly serve at least 25 individuals dailyat least 60 days out of the year).

This rule also applies to any system that mixessurface water and groundwater—if the ground-water is added directly to the distribution systemand provided to consumers without treatment. TheGWR does not apply to privately owned wells.However, EPA recommends that private wellowners test for coliform bacteria once each year.

The GWR will require states to:• conduct system sanitary sur-

veys and identify significantdeficiencies; and • assess hydrogeologic sensitivityfor undisinfected systems.Systems will be required to:• monitor source water micro-bials if they do not disinfect and draw from hydrogeologi-cally sensitive aquifers or havedetected fecal indicators withinthe system’s distribution system;• correct any significant defi-ciencies or positive microbial samples indicating fecal contamination; and• comply with and reliably achieve 4-log (99.99 percent) inactivation or removal of viruses—even if systems do disinfect.

For information, please contact the Safe DrinkingWater Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

For technical inquires, contact Eric Burneson,Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (MC4607), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,D.C. 20460; or call (202) 260-1445.

What to Do Before and After the Rising Water

Continued from page 5a small test this past February 19th when theadjacent river rose 10 inches on the wall.

“Prior to the floodwall, the junction box in thebasement would have been ruined even with thisrelatively small amount of water. We think thewall has been proven and tested and is worthevery penny,’’ says Festerman.

Putting hazard mitigation into action leaves aplant less vulnerable to natural hazards, which, inturn, supports economic and social developmentgoals. Hazard mitigation makes good economicsense, since there will be less disruption, and

less outlay required to recover, repair, and returnthe treatment system to normal after a flood.

References1.) French J.G., K.W. Holt. 1989.“Floods.’’The public

health consequences of disasters.Atlanta: U.S.2.) Department of Health and Human Services, Public

Health Service, CDC, NIOSH Warns of Hazards of Flood Cleanup Work. pp. 69-78.

3.) On Tap.Spring 2000. “Planning Now Improves |Media Relations Later.’’NDWC: Morgantown, West Virginia.

4.) On Tap.Spring 1999.“Preparing for an Emergency: Would you know what to do?’’ NDWC: Morgantown, West Virginia.

R E G U L A T I O N SR E G U L A T I O N S

Photo by Harriet Emerson


The Environmental Finance Center (EFC)Network is a university-based program that pro-vides financial outreach services to regulatedcommunities. The network consists of six EFCsthat share information and expertise on financeissues and engage jointly in projects.

In addition, the EFCs educate state and localofficials and small businesses about lowering costsof compliance and pollution prevention, increasinginvestments in environmental protection, improvingfinancial capacity to own/operate environmentalsystems, encouraging the full cost pricing ofenvironmental services, and identifying and eval-uating financing tools and options.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s(EPA) Environmental Finance Program

www.epa.gov/efinpage/This Web site provides guidance and infor-

mation on sources of financing for state andlocal governments. The Web site also includes aGuidebook of Financial Tools and links to anEnvironmental Finance Center Network.

Region 2 Environmental Finance Center(EFC) at Syracuse University

www.exed.org/EFC/efc.htmlThe Maxwell EFC provides services and

information pertaining to environmental gover-nance, utility rate-setting, capacity development,technical assistance in cost-effective environ-mental management, and facilitation of problem-solving forums.

Region 3 EFC at the University ofMaryland

www.mdsg.umd.edu/EFC/index.htmlThe center promotes alternative and innova-

tive ways to manage the cost of environmentalactivities, provides training and developmentopportunities in environmental management.

Region 4 EFC at the University ofLouisville

cepm.louisville.edu/EFCtext/index.htmlThe center draws on experts in pollution pre-

vention, environmental and civil engineering,environmental education, law, and thehealth and biological sciences in pur-suing economically efficient sus-tainable development andenvironmental protection.

Region 5 Great Lakes EFC at ClevelandState University

www.csuohio.edu/glefc/The center provides the following services

for financial and economic analysis and strate-gies, policy analysis and planning, training semi-nars and conferences, information distributionand exchange, and report and publication series.

Region 6 EFC at the University of NewMexico

nmeri.unm.edu/The New Mexico EFC specializes in providing

technical assistance, expertise, and informationto the public and private sector about environ-mental financing opportunities. This EFC helpsthose decision makers overcome capital marketbarriers and develop and implement innovativefinance techniques to fund environmental man-dates.

Once at the site, select “Strategic Thrusts”from the menu on the left and then select“Environmental Engineering and FinanceCenter.”

Region 9 EFC at California StateUniversity at Hayward

barney.sbe.csuhayward.edu/~efc9/The mission of the EFC is to inform environ-

mental entrepreneurs, investors, and financialmanagers about business and investment oppor-tunities available within the environmentalindustry; and to assist these parties in takingadvantage of the opportunities. Services provid-ed include conferences and seminars, coursedevelopment, advisory panels, and financialresearch.

Region 10 EFC at Boise State Universitysspa.idbsu.edu/efc/The center helps the regulated community to

build and improve the mechanical, managerial,and financial capabilities needed to comply withfederal and state environmental protection laws.

EFCs Provide Financial Outreach Services

R E S O U R C E SR E S O U R C E S


What should you expect when OSHA shows up?by Chris BazzieSafety Engineer

Editor’s note: Chris Bazzie has a master’sdegree in Occupational Health and SafetyEngineering and has worked with OccupationalSafety and Health Administration complianceissues for a number of years. He lives inRochester, New York.

Since July 1972, the federal OccupationalSafety and Health Administration (OSHA) andthe various state OSHA plans have conducted5,109 drinking water system inspections. In justone year—between October 1998 andSeptember 1999—OSHA inspectors issued 506citations for alleged health and safety violations.

If a federal or state OSHA inspector visits yourplant, would you know who they represented? Orwhat they were looking for?

Who is OSHA?In 1970, Congress passed legislation in

response to a rising public outcry about work-place deaths and injuries. This law, known asthe Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct), created a new office under the Departmentof Labor known as OSHA. OSHA promotesresearch into worker safety and health, as wellas setting workplace standards. In addition, thelaw allows for a system of recordkeeping,inspections, citations, and fines. This systemencourages employers to improve safety at theirwork sites and to enforce the new safety andhealth standards.

Congressional authority that regulates com-merce activity among the states made OSHAand the OSH Act possible. Congress realized,however, that many people would think thateach state could more efficiently regulate work-place health and safety. To address this, the OSHAct includes a provision that any state choosingto develop its own version of OSHA can receivefunding.

Federal OSHA defers enforcement to anyapproved state plan as long as its regulations areas stringent as the federal program. Since theOSH Act, 25 states and territories chose to developtheir own state occupational health and safetyplans and to enforce their own workplace safetyand health regulations. (See Table 1 on this pagefor a list of state plans, or visit www.osha-slc.gov/fso/osp/.)

With all of these state plans plus federalOSHA, understanding the differing regulationsand which agency has authority can easilybecome a tangled, confusing mess. Luckily, moststate plans either adopted federal OSHA’s regula-tions word-for-word or made only slight changes.However, unless it is specifically noted, mostinformation, such as this article, will refer to federalOSHA rules and regulations. You shouldcheck withlocal authorities to see if your state has its ownOSHA plan and if its regulations are differentfrom

federal OSHA guidelines.

How do I find out aboutOSHA requirements?

OSHA issues regulationsor standards for several dif-ferent types of industries.The two types of standardsmost likely to impactdrinking water systems arethe General Industry stan-dards and the Constructionstandards. These standards

are found in Title 29 of the Code of FederalRegulations(CFR) in parts 1910, for GeneralIndustry, and 1926, for Construction.

It’s important to comply with every OSHAstandard that applies to your work site. However,certain standards are cited more frequently insome industries than in others. Table 2 lists thetop 10 most-cited standards for the drinking watersystem industry (see facing page). This list is agood place to start learning about OSHA standards.

OSHA Makes Standards User FriendlyIn the last few years, OSHA has put a great

deal of effort into making its standards easier tounderstand. Standards and proposed rules writtenin recent years rely much less on technical jargonand difficult legal language. Instead, they arewritten in everyday language. Still, this doesn’tmean that OSHA standards are always easy tounderstand and apply in the workplace.

Alaska Arizona California Connecticut Hawaii

Indiana Iowa Kentucky Maryland Michigan

Minnesota Nevada New Mexico New York North Carolina

Oregon Puerto Rico South Carolina Tennessee Utah

Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington Wyoming

Table 1:

States with Federal OSHA Approved Occupational Health and Safety Programs



Source: OSHA


Why are standards difficult to understand?Most OSHA standards were written many

years ago and still contain complicated language,making them difficult to interpret. Luckily,OSHA provides some great resources to helpunderstand its standards—information, such asformal letters of interpretation and compliancedirectives, manuals, and other printed informa-tion, as well as the OSHA Consultation Program.

Occasionally, an employer questions a specificpart of an OSHA standard or wants a point clari-fied. When this happens, OSHA issues an inter-pretation letter to the employer and posts theinterpretation on OSHA’s Web site. If manyquestions about the wording of a standard ariseor if there is a policy change on a given topic,OSHA issues a Compliance Directive.

Interpretations and compliance directives canbe very helpful when you are trying to under-stand just what a particular standard intends.Once OSHA issues or publicizes an interpretationor Compliance Directive, it becomes OSHA’sofficial word on the subject, and employersshould comply with the new information as soonas possible.

OSHA offers—through various affiliationsacross the country—a program called the OSHAConsultation Program to employers who needmore help with technical health and safety issues.Consultation Program employees will visit thework site and offer suggestions on improving theemployer’s health and safety program.

The consultation service is free and can, in

some circumstances, exempt the employer fromscheduled OSHA inspections. The ConsultationProgram is separate from OSHA’s enforcementprograms, so using the consultation service willnot usually result in any OSHA citations.However, the consultation service will notifyOSHA’s enforcement branch if it finds a serioushazard that the employer fails to correct.

What will OSHA look for in an inspection?To determine what interests OSHA most at

your work site, you must first find out why youare being inspected. Inspections fit into four majorgroups, each with its own priority and goal. OSHAwill look for different details during an inspection,depending on which group the inspection fallsinto and its priority. The types of inspections are:

• Imminent Danger Inspections, • Fatality/Catastrophe Investigations, • Complaints/Referrals Investigation, and • Programmed Inspections.

Imminent Danger Inspections are OSHA’shighest priority inspections. OSHA carries outthese inspections immediately if it becomes awareof a problem that will likely result in a death ormultiple severe injuries unless it is corrected imme-diately, a danger serious enough for an ImminentDanger inspection does not speak well for anemployer’s overall safety program. If your work-place receives an Imminent Danger Inspection, beprepared for the inspectors to not only pay carefulattention to the immediate problem, but also likelyto your entire work site and safety program.

Number of Citations Standard Number Standard Title45 1910.119 Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals45 1910.134 Respiratory Protection38 1910.146 Permit-required Confined Spaces35 1910.147 The Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout)27 1910.1200 Hazard Communication23 1910.132 Personal Protective Equipment, General Requirements22 1910.151 Medical Services and First Aid18 1910.219 Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus17 1910.303 Electrical, General Requirements17 1910.305 Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment for General Use16 1910.304 Wiring Design and Protection14 1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response

317 Total Citations

Table 2:

Top 10 Most Cited OSHA Standards For Standard Industrial Code 4941, Water Supply Systems Except Irrigation

October 10, 1998 to September 9, 1999

Continued from previous page

Continued on page 10


Source: Compiled by Chris Bazzie



Fatalities and catastrophes are defined as adeath or the hospitalization of three or moreemployees within 30 days of an accident.Employers must report fatalities or catastrophesto OSHA within eight hours of learning about itor face severe penalties. Once an employer reportsa fatality or catastrophe, OSHA will inspect thefacility to determine the cause of the incident.

A fatality may or may not result in a wide-spread inspection of your entire work site,depending on the individual case. For example,if a single fatality occurs but is unrelated toworking conditions, say, a heart attack from apre-existing condition, the OSHAinspector may not see a need tobroaden the inspection.However, it’s unlikely thatmultiple fatalities or acatastrophe wouldbe unrelated towork, so theseincidents willalmost cer-tainly result ina careful,work site-wide inspection.

If anemployee orsomeone else asso-ciated with the work-place, such as another gov-ernment agency visiting the site, shouldcontact OSHA about alleged hazards at yourworkplace, you may get a Complaint/ReferralInspection. These inspections are generallyfocused on the complaint rather than the entirework site and your safety plans.

You can determine the inspector’s interest bycarefully reviewing the written copy of the com-plaint that the inspector gives you. Instead of aninspection, you may receive notice of the com-plaint and be required to respond to OSHA inwriting about the hazard and the steps that youare taking to reduce or eliminate it. You alsomay be required to respond in writing and thenreceive an inspection later, if OSHA thinks thatyour response was not adequate.

The last inspection type is a ProgrammedInspection. These inspections are scheduled inadvance (although the employer still does notreceive notice before the inspection) dependingon many factors. OSHA may schedule a pro-grammed inspection randomly, or they may betargeting certain industries or areas. Programmed

inspections also can be based on an employer’shistory or the history of the entire industry.

These inspections can focus on many differ-ent factors, depending on OSHA’s current inter-ests. For example, if a new standard has recentlygone into effect, the inspector may choose tofocus on your compliance with the new regula-tion, or, if OSHA has announced a focus on aparticular hazard, the inspector may be mostinterested in how you handle that hazard at yourwork site.

In any case, no matter what type of inspec-tion you are subject to, OSHA will be lookingfor one thing—workplace hazards and how your

organization handles those hazards.Good documentation, includingrecordkeeping and written plans,employee training, and an active

safety and health program, willalways helpyou during aninspection. On

the other hand,bad recordkeep-

ing, no writtenplans, or a his-

tory of accidentsmay signal the

inspector to widenthe scope of the

inspection—which isalways the option of the inspector

if he or she thinks it is justified.

Help, I’m being inspected! Now what?

One of the most important things to remem-ber when dealing with federal or state OSHAinspectors is that they ultimately act more as rep-resentatives of your employees than representa-tives of the state or your management.Inspectors can typically inspect any area whereyour employees work, interview any employeewithout having a member of management pres-ent, and require that a union representative be apart of the inspection if your workplace is union-ized. OSHA also has broad authority to reviewany company records that may be relevant to theinspection and to take photographs and collectother evidence.

Management usually cannot interfere withthese activities or hinder an inspector’s contactwith employees without a court order. On theflip-side, management can bar an OSHA inspectorfrom the work site if the inspector does not have

What should you expect when OSHA shows up?


★


Management usually

cannot interfere with

these activities

[inspections] or

hinder an inspector’s

contact with

employees without a

court order.

Chris Bazzie, Safety Engineer


Continued from previous pagea warrant, similar to a police search. Eventhough employers can technically require OSHAto obtain a warrant before inspecting, this is usu-ally not in the employer’s best interest.

OSHA inspectors have very little troubleobtaining the needed warrant and the inspectionwill likely proceed anyway. Worse still, byrequiring the warrant, the inspectors may feelthat an employer must have problems that it

The National Environmental Training Centerfor Small Communities (NETCSC) is acceptingregistration for its premiere training event—Environmental Training Institute for SmallCommunities—scheduled for July 31 to August 5,at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown,West Virginia.

This six-day event for trainers, technicalassistance providers, and local officials will featureNETCSC’s training courses on managing waste-water, drinking water, and solid waste services insmall communities. It also will provide uniquenetworking opportunities, facility tours, exhibits,

and presentations on key issues in environmentalsystem management, training, and technicalassistance.

For registration information, please contactSandy Miller at (304) 293-4191 ext. 5799 or(800) 624-8301 or by e-mail at [email protected] co-sponsor information on the institute pleasecontact Sandra Fallon at the above numbers,extension 5582 or by e-mail at [email protected].

For detailed information concerning theinstitute, including course descriptions, institutefaculty, fees, and hotel information, you mayvisit the NETCSC Web site at www.netc.wvu.edu.

NETCSC Offers Training Institute

To find OSHA standards, visit the OSHA Web site at www.osha.gov/, scroll down toRegulations and Compliance, and click on standards. OSHA standards also can be boughtindividually or on CD-ROM by writing the Superintendent of Documents at P.O. Box 371954,Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or going to www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html on the Web.Many other OSHA documents, such as a guide to understanding OSHA regulations, are avail-able from these sources as well. If you are covered by a state plan you will need to contactyour state government for information on its safety and health regulations.

OSHA offers many different publications to help employer’s comply with federal standards.Many of these publications are available on the Web at www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Additional.html. Two particularly useful OSHA publications are: the Field Inspection Manual(www.osha-slc.gov/Firm_osha_toc/Firm_toc_by_sect.html) and the OSHA Technical Manual(www.osha-slc.gov/dts/ osta/otm/otm_toc.html).

The Field Inspection Manual provides guidance on OSHA’s policies and practices before,during, and after an inspection. This publication covers items such as setting inspection priori-ties, gathering evidence and information during an inspection, documenting the inspection,determining violations and citations, and setting penalties.

The OSHA Technical Manual provides information on identifying and assessing hazards inthe workplace. This publication covers topics, such as how to perform air sampling, or how toinvestigate an indoor air quality problem. A thorough knowledge of both of these publicationswill help you make your workplace safer and help you understand OSHA’s policies and procedures.

wishes to hide or that it doesn’t have a goodproactive approach to employee health and safe-ty. This feeling could well cause the inspectorsto look at the work site more closely and coulddamage their perception that your company ismaking a “good faith’’ effort to protect itsemployees.

Lastly, cooperate with the inspector. After all,the two of you have the same goal—a healthy,safe, and productive workplace.

Where can I find additional OSHA information?


SSaaffeettyy FFaaccttTop management

support and

commitment as well

as the involvement

of all employees

are essential to

an effective

safety plan.

Occupational Safetyand Health

Administration


New Hampshire TA Concentrates on Trainingby Kathy Jesperson, On TapEditor

New Hampshire is best known as the“Granite State.’’ However, geographers oftenrefer to it as the “Mother of Rivers’’ because somany of New England’s rivers are born there.

The Connecticut River begins in NewHampshire’s northern region and winds along thestate’s western border for nearly 100 miles. ThePemigewasset River starts in Profile Lake in theWhite Mountains and joins the Winnipesaukee at

Franklin, forming the Merrimack. And the Conchecoand Salmon Falls rivers join at Dover to form thePiscataqua.

In addition, two of Maine’s principal rivers,the Androscoggin and the Saco, have their begin-nings in northern New Hampshire. And five ofNew England’s streams originate in the state’sgranite hills. All totaled, New Hampshire hasmore than 40,000 miles of rivers and streams, aswell as 1,300 lakes or ponds. Not surprisingly,fishing is a major tourist attraction.

Two Agencies Work TogetherTo protect the state’s drinking water systems

for its more than 1.18 million residents, the NewHampshire Department of EnvironmentalServices (NHDES) supervises its public watersystems (PWS). The state has 2,211 PWS’s, ofwhich 683 are community systems. NHDES pro-vides technical assistance for drinking wateroperators through its own offices, in addition to acontract with the Northeast Rural WaterAssociation (NeRWA).

Unlike most other states and territories, NewHampshire has an administrative rule that requiresthe owner of a public water system to enter intoa written agreement with a certified laboratory toreport drinking water quality analyses directly tothe Water Supply Engineering Bureau.

In the majority of states and territories, it is thePWS that submits water quality results from thecertified lab to the primacy agency. The primacyagency and federal government may never knowof a maximum contaminant level (MCL) violationin that situation since the PWS may opt to resample

or incur a monitoring violation ratherthan receive an MCL violation. NewHampshire PWS’s do not have thisoption. The intent of this law is to pro-tect consumer health from risks thatcould be caused by fraudulent data/sam-pling.

Working with NHDES, NeRWA’sgoal is to help rural drinking water sys-tems provide safe, affordable, cleanwater for their customers. To accom-plish this goal, NeRWA provides onsitetechnical assistance and trains operatorsto meet the requirements of the SafeDrinking Water Act for drinking watersystems and the Clean Water Act forwastewater systems.

The assistance offered to meet theserequirements covers a broad spectrum.The technical assistance and training

program includes:• developing source water protection pro-

grams, • assisting with State Revolving Fund loan

(SRF) processes, • providing onsite training on all aspects of

operations, • establishing MCL violation resolutions,• providing onsite training for continuing

education, and• supplying onsite training about specialized

equipment—such as leak-detectors, linelocators, confined space monitors, TV cam-eras, and chemical feed pumps.

Regulations Can Be ConfusingBoth organizations also provide technical assis-

tance when regulations become too confusing. “In terms of sheer numbers, from a regulatory

point of view, there are more problems with bac-teria than with other contaminants,’’ says JackShields, New Hampshire SRF technician forNeRWA. “It’s difficult for small systems to keepContinued on next page

Saco River in Conway, New Hampshire, renders some breathtaking scenery in theGranite State.

Photo courtesy of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services



up with U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyrules as far as routine tests and monitoring areconcerned because most small PWSs don’t haveprofessional operators. If a system has an MCLtheyare not aware of, the consequences are monitor-ing in subsequent months and if the bacteriaproblem continues, the number of tests requiredjust compounds,” Shields says.

“When I talk about professional operators, I meanpeople who operate water systems for a living,”explains Shields. “Being certified is different frombeing a professional operator. If you can pass a test,you can be certified. Professional operators have alarger degree of knowledge or exposure. That’scompared to, for example, a homeowner’s organi-zation where once a week or once a month someonegoes down and looks at the pump.

“The water business is a complicated one. Andit takes time and effort to stay current. Professionaloperators also can have difficulty staying on top ofregulations—regardless of their experience. Watersystems sometimes have to seek outside help, suchas an engineer or NeRWA, to grasp what they needto be doing,” says Shields.

But training may help. “Many water systemshave staff members who could use more training,”says John Lukin, program specialist for NeRWA.“As a matter of fact, 90 percent of New Hampshire’sdrinking water operators need much more trainingthan they currently have.

“Additionally, operators across the state havedifficulty keeping up with paperwork,” says Lukin.“Whether it’s a municipality or a mom and popoperation, the amount of paperwork is the same.”

Agencies Offer TrainingShields explains that NeRWA and

NHDES work together to provide trainingsessions throughout the year. “NHDES hasvarying grades of operator certification. NewHampshire operators have had a certifica-tion requirement for many years,” saysShields. “NeRWA provides training in allaspects of water treatment and distribu-tion—and particularly, we do a lot in oper-ator certification.”

The state also has different training andemployment requirements for each level ofcertification. “Currently, New Hampshirerequires 10 hours of Training ContactHours (TCH) every two years for opera-tors of very small systems of less than 500customers,” says Lukin.

TCHs Provided Onsite“NeRWA staff provide onsite technical assis-

tance and can also provide TCHs for operators ofvery small systems.” continues Lukin. “We goout and work with those people who can’t get tothe training or whom our standard trainingwouldn’t necessarily benefit, such as the managerof a mobile home park, school custodian, etc. Webring the training to them.

“We want to be helpful,” says Lukin, adding,But some guys will take advantage of you. That’swhy we only offer this option to operators of verysmall systems.”

According to Lukin, most operators knowhow to treat the water, but they don’t know whythey are treating the water. “We want to changethat,” he says. “We want them to know whythey’re treating the water. So we send somebodyto them with that knowledge.”

Shields explains that he wants New Hampshire’sdrinking water operators to know that they have aplace where they can get their questions answered.

“We are a friendly organization,” he says.“We are not there to do enforcement. We wantoperators to be happy to see us.”

For more information, contact the NewHampshire Department of Environmental Services,at 6 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95, Concord, NH03302-0095; or call (603) 271-3503 or visit themonline at www.des.state.nh.us/.

Contact the Northeast Rural Water Association(Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont),at P.O. Box 622, Colchester, VT05446; or call(802) 660-4988, fax (802) 660-4990,[email protected]; or visit them online atwww.neruralwater.org/associated.html.


Albany, New Hampshire’s, Whitten Pond illustrates the beauty of this NewEngland state.

Photo courtesy of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

“The water business

is a complicated

one. And it takes

time and effort to

stay current.

Professional opera-

tors also can have

difficulty staying on

top of regulations—

regardless of their

experience.”

Jack Shields, New HampshireSRF technician

NeWRA



Zebra Mussels Invade Eastern U.S. Waterways


Where did they come from?Zebra mussels are not native to the U.S., but

likely came from an area in Russia near theCaspian Sea. Historians say that canals built inthe late 1700s in Eastern Europe spurred themussels to spread throughout the region.Widespread growth occurred throughout Europewhen additional canals were built in the 1800s.By the 1830s, the mussels had colonized muchof the continent and even invaded Britain.

Biologists say that the mussels probablyentered the U.S. in 1985 or 1986 as stowawaysin ballast water discharged from a transoceanicship reaching port in lower LakeSt. Clair. In all likelihood, theship had taken on ballast waterin an infested European portbringing along zebra mus-sel larvae and possiblyjuveniles.

Rapid Growth OccursOnce in the U.S., the

freshwater critters foundthe plankton-rich waters ofthe St. Clair and ErieLakes to be perfect growingand breeding grounds.Mature female musselsmay produce up to onemillion eggs per season.When waters warm toapproximately 54 degreesFahrenheit, femalesrelease their eggs. This spawning can occur

as early as May and end as late as Octoberin the Great Lakes.

Eggs are fertilized outside of themussel’s body and within a few daysdevelop into free-swimming larvaecalled veligers. These larvae swimusing their hair-like cilia for three tofour weeks, drifting with the currents.

Veligers die if they don’t settle ontofirm objects in that time. Most actually do

suffer this fate. It is estimated that only oneto three percent survive to adulthood. Those

that find a hard surface quickly attach and trans-form into the typical, double-shelled mussel shape.At this stage, they are called juveniles.

Within a year, mussels reach adulthood andsexual maturity. They grow rapidly, nearly aninch in their first year, adding another 1/2 to 1inch their second year. European studies reportmussels may live four to six years. Three years

seems to be the maximum life span in Lake Erie,but there is insufficient data to know what toexpect in other North American bodies of water.

Zebra mussels attach themselves to surfacesusing a tuft of fibers known as a byssus, orbyssal threads that grow from a gland in the foot.These threads attach to hard surfaces withan adhesive secretion that anchors themussels in place. Small juveniles canbreak away from their attachments andgenerate new, buoyant threads that allowthem to drift again in the currents andfind a new surface.

Colonizing on any non-toxic firm sur-face, zebra mussels adhere themselvesto rock, metal, wood, vinyl, glass,rubber, fiberglass, paper, plants, andother mussels. Beds of mussels in

some areas of Lake Erie nowcontain more than 30,000—andsometimes up to 70,000—mus-

sels per square meter. Coloniesgrow rapidly wherever oxygen

and particulate food are availableand water currents are nottoo swift (generally lessthan 6 feet per second).Thus, colonies are rare inwave-washed zones,

except for sheltered nooksand crevices. In most European

lakes, the greatest densities of adultmussels occur at depths ranging from

6 to 45 feet.

Colonies Cause DamageBecause they adhere to hard surfaces and

multiply rapidly, the mussels soon became a nui-sance for municipal water facilities, power gen-eration plants using water for cooling, and pleas-ure boaters. A number of facilities have reportedsignificant reductions in pumping capabilities andoccasional shutdowns since infestationsbegan inthe late ‘80s.

One of the best-known infestations in adrinking water system occurred in the Monroe,Michigan, water treatment plant, which servesapproximately 50,000 customers. Likely enteringwater intakes in 1987 or 1988, zebra musselsrapidly spread throughout the system’s 10-milewater intake line leading to numerous interruptionsand shutdowns in 1989. One outage lasted 56 hours.

Wilfred LePage was the system’s superin-tendent at the time and recalls the endless problemshe faced in battling the mussels. “We took ourContinued on next page

Pho

to b

y J.

Elle

n M

arst

en

“By the time you

find them [zebra

mussels] in your

system, you’re

already in trouble.’’

Wilfred LePage, former superintend-ent, Monroe Water

Works, Monroe, Michigan


ozonation system out of service for routineinspection in January 1989 and found substantialnumbers of the animals,’’ says LePage. “We didn’tknow what they were then, and merely removedand disposed of them.’’ It wasn’t until monthslater that they were identified and system staffrealized the extent of the problem they faced.

The first serious outage happened rightbefore the Labor Day holiday weekend in 1989.The plant had been pumping water at the rate of10 million gallons per day for more than 16 hourswhen suddenly, the raw water pumps totally lostsuction. “We lost everything; not a drop of waterwas to be had,’’ LePage says. “We nursed it backat a reduced pumping rate while massiveamounts of mussel debris washed into the screenchambers.” Even after crews regained waterflow, headloss continued to increase through theraw water pipeline, eroding its carrying capacity.

During an outage in December 1989, plantpersonnel rigged emergency pumping facilitiesto obtain a limited supply from the “less-than-pristine” river running behind the treatment plant.

In time, system staff discovered that the mus-sels had colonized the entire length of thepipeline from the raw water intake crib to theplant—all 10 miles. Workers installed a chlorinefeeder at the raw water pump station to disinfectthe portion of the raw water line between thepump station and the treatment plant, a distanceof about nine miles. But as LePage says, thatcaused another unexpected problem.

“A tremendous amount of empty shellswashed through the system, lodging in the firststages of the ozone contact chamber,” he says.“There were many, many cubic yards of shells.Then came the animals’ soft tissue. The slimy,gelatinous matter plugged strainers and instru-ment piping and about any small diameter orificesubjected to raw water flow.”

LePage says they later extended the chlorina-tion system to apply chlorine first at the raw

water intake crib and again at the raw waterpump station. The system provides a 0.2

milligrams per liter free chlorine residualin water arriving at the treatment plantto protect the entire raw water system.

LePage says these and other meas-ures helped to temporarily fight the

zebra mussel problem until the MonroeWater Works could design and install new

raw water facilities that specifically addressthe zebra mussel problem.



Graphics courtesy of the National Aquatic NuisanceSpecies Clearinghouse

Zebra Mussels Rapid Spread

In June 1989, the mussels were largely confinedto lower Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.

By October 1992, all of the Great Lakes were see-ing zebra mussels colonies while the Mississippi,Illinois, and Tennessee rivers also were beinginvaded.

By September 1999, widespread mussel infesta-tions were seen throughout eastern U.S. waterways.


Treating the ProblemLike the Monroe Water Works, utilities find-

ing zebra mussels in their system face an uphillbattle to combat them. “Get with it before youfind them,” suggests LePage. “By the time youfind them in yoursystem, you’realready in trouble.Preventive treat-ment is often thebest way operatorscan approach theproblem.”

Research offersoperators severalcontrol measuresfor the spreadingpopulations. Tocontrol mussels onintake structures,studies have shownprechlorination,preheating, electri-cal shock, and sonicvibrations to be use-ful. Other control methods include ozonation,potassium permanganate injection, and sand bedfiltration.

The most common treatment method isprechlorination because the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency already approves its use.Water systems also use high pressure spraying toremove accumulated shells from equipment.

Zebra mussels are very sensitive to high temperatures. Some thermoelectric plants areexperimenting with diverting waste heat into intakestructures to kill zebra mussels or prevent settlement.

What are the costs of fighting infestations?The New York Sea Grant and the National

Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse studiedthe economic impact of the zebra mussel’s

growth in North America. Researchersdiscovered that between 1989 and

1995, of the 436 facilities thattook part in the survey, 339had spent more than $69 mil-lion to combat their individ-ual problems.

Economic Impact of ZebraMussels in North America:

Results of the 1995 NationalAquatic Nuisance Species

Clearinghouse Surveyincluded such

industries as electric generation plants, nuclearpower plants, and water treatment facilities.

Of the 160 drinking water treatment plants in30 states and two Canadian provinces whoresponded, 100 facilities reported spending morethan $21 million for zebra mussel treatment; 31

percent of all the facilities responding reportedzebra mussel economic impact. Thirty-eightfacilities reported they were infested andhad spent a total of $6.5 million, whileuninfested facilities spent more than$14 million.

For municipal water treatmentplants, retrofit costs accounted formore than 90 percent of total zebramussel monitoring and control costs.

The Monroe Water Works alone spent$321,795 between 1989 and 1992 dealing withthe problem. In Monroe’s new raw water facility,the portion directly related to mussel managementcost more than $465,265. Total costs through1992 exceeded $787,000.

For more information about controlling zebramussels, you may download a research study thatexamined six control methods. The report is locatedat www.georgianbay.ca/gbafoundation/zebra/.

To order a copy of the economic study notedin the article or numerous other zebra mussel-related documents, contact the National AquaticNuisance Species Clearinghouse at (800) 285-2285 or (716) 395-2516 or visit their Web site atwww.entryway.com/seagrant/ index.cfm.


Zebra Mussels Invade Eastern U.S. Waterways

Masses of zebra mussel shells wash along the shores of the Great Lakes. Banks of shellsoften reach 2 to 3 feet thick along Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York.

Photo by Jamie Knotts

“A tremendous

amount of empty

shells washed

through the

system... Then

came the animals’

soft tissue. The

slimy, gelatinous

matter plugged

strainers and

instrument piping

and about any small

diameter orifice

subjected to raw

water flow.”

Wilfred LePage, for-mer superintendent,

Monroe Water


Pipeline, a newsletter published by the NationalSmall Flows Clearinghouse (NSFC), explains smallcommunity wastewater treatment issues and tech-nologies to the general public. Eachissue featuresseveral articles on a single wastewater topic, pre-sented in an easy-to-readnontechnical style. Readersare encouraged to reprint articles in local newspapersor include them in newsletters, brochures, andhandouts. Current Pipelineissues are free to U.S.residents, and back issues cost 20 cents each.

The Summer 1999 Volume 10, Number 3Pipelineissue (Item #SFPLNL18) discusses moundseptic systems. The issue includes descriptions ofhow mound systems work, their advantages anddisadvantages,proper maintenance, and contactsfor additional information. The newsletter alsoincludes tips for landscaping a mound system.

The Fall 1999 Volume 10, Number 4 Pipelineissue (Item #SFPLNL19) is dedicated to helpingsmall communities locate funding for wastewatertreatment projects. It outlines the most commonlyused funding sources, such as the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency and other federalagencies. It also provides information about lesswell-known funding avenues, such as regionalprograms and nonprofit organizations. It evenincludes information about funding sources forhomeowners. In addition, a case study detailshow one small community persevered and secured

Pipeline Discusses Wastewater-Related Topicsfunding for its wastewater treatment project, anda funding expert offers his advice.

The Winter 2000 Volume 11, Number 1 Pipelineissue (Item #SFPLNL20) focuses on two versionsof evapotranspiration systems 1) the lined systemthat disposes of wastewater without permittingeffluent to move into the soil, and 2) the evapo-transpiration/absorption system that is constructedwithout a liner to permit a very slow rate of seep-age into the ground. This issue describes how thesystems are designed, how they treat wastewatereffluent, and what climate and soil situationswarrant their use.

The latest Pipelineissue—Spring 2000Volume 11, Number 2 (Item # SFPLNL21)—explains the importance of a site evaluation andhow testing determines the type of onsite systemthat is appropriate. The issue also discusses whoperforms the evaluation, what steps are taken inthe process (including the percolation test), andhow the evaluator uses the test results.

To order any of these newsletters, call the NSFCat (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191. To order bye-mail, send the name, address, phone number, andthe quantity you wish to order to [email protected]. Or visit the NSFC’s Web site atwww.nsfc.wvu.edu.

Representatives from the Clean Water Fundand Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)recently participated in the release of In Harm’sWay, a new national report linking chemicalswidely used at home and in industry to develop-mental disabilities,including behavioral andlearning disabilities. These chemicals are toxic tothe developing brain and can lead to hyperactivi-ty, attention deficit, lower intelligence, andmotor skill impairment.

Among the chemicals evaluated in thisgroundbreaking study are the metals lead, mercury,cadmium, and manganese; pesticides; dioxins andPCBs; solvents used in gasoline, paints, glues,and cleaning solutions; and nicotine and alcohol.

The report found that one million children inthe U.S. currently exceed the accepted lead levelabove which affects behavior and cognition. Thereport also found that more than 80 percent of adultsand 90 percent of children in the U. S. haveresiduesof one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies.

“It is critical that we understand and, as amatter of public policy, address the impact of theseneurotoxic chemicals on developmental and learning

disabilities,” said Dr. Ted Schettler, a practicingphysician and one of the report’s co-authors.“The urgency of this issue is underscored by thefact that between five and 10 percent of schoolchildren in America have learning disabilitiesand at least an equivalent amount have ADHD[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].”

Robert Wendelgass, Pennsylvania director ofthe Clean Water Fund commented, “The concernsraised by this report suggest the need for a newprecautionary approach that protects the health offuture generations by reducing exposure to theseneurotoxicants.” He added: “One place we can startis by passing state legislation that would reduce theuse of pesticides in our schools, makingsure thatthe school environment doesn’t put our childrenin harm’s way.”

“Steps can be taken immediately to help preventdisabilities arising from exposure to these chem-icals,” said Robert K. Musil, Ph.D., CEO andexecutive director of PSR. “Prevention is possible,and it’s the right thing to do.”

The full text of the report is available onlineat www.preventingharm.org.

Chemicals Linked to Certain Disabilities

N E W S & N O T E SN E W S & N O T E S

Is GIS useful in small system management?by Babu MadabhushiNDWC technical assistant specialist

What is a GIS?A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a

computer system that is capable of assembling,storing, manipulating, and displaying geographi-cally referenced information. A GIS allows usersto integrate, manage, and analyze large volumesof spatially referenced data and correspondingattribute data.

A GIS can link spatial data with geographicinformation for a particular location on the map.For example, water samples can be collected fromlocations A and B, and later combined with infor-mation regarding their water quality parameters.

A GIS lets the user analyze data visually,such as seeing patterns, trends, and relationshipsthat might not be visible in any other form. AllGISs incorporate a database management system.In fact, this is the main difference between a GISand drafting a map. GIS may be very useful invarious water system operation, maintenance,and planning applications.

Why use a GIS when I have maps?A GIS is the electronic equivalent of a map.

Paper maps are static and expensive to keep up-to-date. Also, they are often very complex and mayrequire an expert to extract the data of interest.

A GIS can construct maps that show what theuser wants. It has the ability to extract information

from a map, such as roads, settlements,and vegetation. In addition, the data

can be stored on a computer,making analysis and modeling

easier.

What are the com-ponents of a GIS?

The major compo-nents of a GIS includea user interface, hard-ware, software, database managementsystem, and displaygeneration equip-ment (printers).

Hardware: Thisis the computer

system onwhich theGIS oper-ates. The

hard-

ware supports the GIS software and includes acomputer, monitor, and printer. Hardware can becentralized computer servers, desktop comput-ers, or a networked computer system. Theadvantage of a desktop GIS is that it allowsusers at all levels to access the GIS via PCs.

Software: The software integrates geographiccoordinates and their attributes or characteristics.It also lets the user analyze and manipulate rela-tionships between geographic data and attributedata. The user also may interact with data and pro-duce high-quality maps. Software costs can rangefrom a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Data: Data is the most important componentof a GIS. The system can manage a wide varietyof data that are essential to environmental deci-sion-making. Data in the GIS can be classifiedinto two parts: a) the geographic data that repre-sents physical places, such as cities, rivers, andlakes; and b) the attribute data that describes thecharacteristics of the geographic features, suchas population, length, and area. Combining eachunique geographic feature with its correspon-ding attribute data is the essence of a GIS. Thegeographic data and the related attribute datacan be developed in-house or purchased fromgovernment agencies. The data can be collectedusing satellite imagery and a Global PositioningSystem (GPS).

User: The user is the person who managesthe system and develops plans for tackling real-world problems. Users can be technical specialists,who can design and manage the system or whouse the system to help them perform their day-to-day work.

How is a GIS used in water systems?Water systems can use GISs for a variety of

operation, maintenance, and planning applications.A GIS can integrate water-related information,such as water mains, pumps, reservoirs, and aerialphotography. A GIS allows the system manage-ment to view spatial areas of high water con-sumption, and possible contamination sources.

The most important aspect of a GIS is theopportunity to store, retrieve, and communicateenvironmental information effectively in rapidtime. A GIS can be used to answer simple ques-tions like: How many people live in an area that aparticular contaminant affects? Or, how much of asite’s area does a particular contaminant impact?

Many states use GISs for various purposesrelated to water system management and waterquality maintenance. A GIS can be used insource water assessment, susceptibility assess-



QUESTION & ANSWERQUESTION & ANSWER


ment, characterization of disinfection byprod-ucts, vulnerability assessment, delineation ofcontaminant contributing areas, determinationof salt water contamination, contaminant occur-rence assessment, and determination of aquifercharacteristics.

Once a GIS is prepared, the user can querythe attribute data regarding issues, such aschemical contamination in water and soil, thepossible sources of these contaminants, andother facts related to contaminants. For exam-ple, the user can observe a pattern that manyhighly contaminated wells are in proximity to aparticularindustry. Or the user could even drawinformation about how many water wells maybecome contaminated, and how many peopleare potentially at risk.

A GIS can determine the suitability of vari-ous sites for development, evaluate environmen-tal impact, and identify the best location for anew facility. A GIS can explore relationshipsbetween permitting data, geology, soil types,and the results of water quality sampling forwells. They can identify areas of groundwaterthat are susceptible to pollution. The GIS canincorporate spatial interactions to determine theextent of potential pollution loading on the basisof area and land types.

A GIS can be handy for county governmentsthat need to integrate multiple land uses intoplanning and deal with issues that have spatialcomponents, such as property boundaries, costsassociated with distance to utilities, and envi-ronmental issues.

Another area in which a GIS may be helpfulis watershed analysis. The attributes of water-shed features stored in a GIS database can beused to develop a hydrologic model to deter-mine the runoff hydrograph. Using this model,the effect of any change in watershed character-istics on the magnitude or spatial distribution ofrunoff from the watershed could be evaluated.

More than 50 percent of the pollution enter-ing the nation’s waters comes from non-pointsources, and it is responsible for almost two-thirds of pollution of the water resources.Groundwater contamination can be determinedand stopped with proper prediction of move-ment of pollutants in soil. Models of pollutanttransport developed using a GIS may be used topredict contaminant movement in soil.

A GIS also may be used to store and managehistorical data of a system. Data about systemmanagement issues, such as low pressure, mainbreaks, and rusty water complaints can be col-

lected and stored. If a problem is noticed, it canbe noted on the map with the associated data forhistorical purposes.

The Long Island Water District in New Yorkhas been using a GIS for maintaining customerservice/billing data. Each connection in the dis-trict is located on the map and this data is inte-grated with the details, such as the mailingaddress and water meter locations.

The Florida Water Management District hasbeen using a GIS for conducting groundwaterassessments. Low-level groundwater contamina-tion from chlorinated pesticides and volatileorganic compounds affects the water quality.Spatial data about the wells and details of wellconstruction as well as water quality details werecollected. A software package is being used tointegrate these two sets of data to predict thecontaminant transport and the risk of wellsbecoming contaminated.

In today’s high-tech world, information maybe obtained in many ways. The more informationone has, the easier it is to make a better andinformed decision. To make a better decision, onehas to be able to access accurate and up-to-datedata, as well as be able to effectively use this data.A GIS allows the user to apply this informationand to make a better decision more quickly.

GPS: Is a constellation of 24 satellites thatprovides worldwide accurate position coordi-nates. The GPS uses satellites and computers tocompare positions anywhere on earth.

Non-point source pollution: It is the pollu-tion originating from urban runoff, construction,hydrologic modification mining, agriculture,irrigation return flows, solid waste disposal,atmospheric deposition, and individual sewagedisposal.

References:1. GIS: ESRI Canada Limited: www.esricanada.com/k-12/GIS/.2. What Is GIS? www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/research/whatisgis.html.3. What Is GIS? www.epa.gov/reg5oh2o/fields/gis/pages/whatisgis1a.htm.4. Richards, C.J., H.P. Rozza, and T.R. Pratt. 1996. “Applying geographic

information systems to groundwater assessments,” AWRA Symposium on GISand Water Resources.

5. Zalak, A.J. “GIS.” August 1996. Public Works. pp: 42-43.6. Loague, K., D.L.Corwin, and T.R. Ellsworth. March 1998. “The Challenge

of Predicting Nonpoint Source Pollution,” Environmental Science andTechnology, pp: 130-133.

7. Kaufman, M.M. and M. Wurtz. August 1998. “Small System Maintenanceand Management Using GIS,” Journal AWWA, pp: 70-76.

8. Cannistra, J.R. “Converting Utility Data for a GIS,” February 1999. JournalAWWA, pp: 55-64. Denver: AWWA.

9. Estees-Smargiassi, S.A., G.J. Vicens, and P.R. Chernin. February 1996. “GISHelps Water Supplier Meet Objectives Cost Effectively,” Public Works, pp: 58-59.

10. Rodriguez, L.A. August 1998.“Philadelphia’s Emerging GIS,” Public Works,pp: 22-24.

11. Desai, C. “GIS: It’s the Future of Maps,” On TapSpring 1998, pp: 5.Morgantown, West Virginia: NDWC


QUESTION & ANSWERQUESTION & ANSWER

Mohamed [email protected]

Babu Srinivas [email protected]

Vipin Bhardwaj [email protected]

Tech Assistance

Small Town Installs Modern Water Systemby Kathy Jesperson, On TapEditor; andVipin Bhardwaj, NDWC Technical AssistanceSpecialist

State-of-the-art may not be a term that comesto mind when thinking of West Virginia. However,two operators in Oceana, West Virginia, beg todiffer, and have only good things to say abouttheir new drinking water treatment system.

Just two years ago, operators Kenneth Grahamand Mike Morgan hated going to work. Everydaya different piece of plant equipment broke downand making repairs was virtually impossible. Theold system was a mess and produced poor qualitywater. Customer complaints were a daily occurrence.

To top it off, a 1983 incident continued tohaunt the pair—even though neither was employedby the Oceana Municipal Water Works when the“dreaded accident” occurred.

Graham says they felt like the “RodneyDangerfields” of the drinking water industry foryears, and they still often get the cold shoulderfrom many of the town’s residents and evensome state residents who only heard about whathappened.

“After more than 1,300 people got sick whenthe city’s lift station dumped raw sewage into thedrinking water supplies, getting respect wasalmost impossible,” says Graham. “They blamedthe water operators for something that couldn’thave possibly been their fault. And, pointing fin-gers never solves a problem.”

Graham and Morgan were employed after theincident. Graham has been with the system for18 years—he was employed shortly after theaccident—and Morgan for 15 years. “But people

still looked at us like it was ourfault, and we weren’t even

there,” he explains. “Somepeople just can’t forget.’’

The Future Looks BrightFortunately, the incident was a part of the his-

tory of the old system. And now Graham andMorgan can begin a new history with a brandnew system. The new Oceana Municipal WaterWorks system is polished and modern. The floorsappear freshly swept and the equipment shines.

Obviously, the operators take pride in theirwork as well as their system. “There is no com-parison between this plant and the old one,” saysGraham. “You couldn’t do anything with the oldsystem. We may as well have not been there forall the good we could do.”

Morgan agrees: “When I started there it wasbad. And it never got any better. You would’vehad to seen what we were working in before toreally understand the difference. It’s a pleasurecoming to work these days.”

While operating the old system, Oceana wasunder an administrative order from the WestVirginia Bureau of Public Health to upgrade theirwater treatment facility, as well as a continualboil water order until the system was finished.

The old facility was constructed on a floodplain,and the source water had extreme turbidity swingsin very short periods of time. For example, turbiditywas measured from 10 to 1,000 nephelometric tur-bidity units (NTUs) within two hours.

In addition, the town had to overcome twoother problems:

1) being able to double the drinking wateroutput without destroying an aging distri-bution system constructed primarily ofasbestos cement pipe; and

2) developing a treatment plant that a smallcommunity with limited resources couldoperate and maintain for the projectedlife of the facility.

Dunn Engineering in Charleston, West Virginia,designed the new system. And West VirginiaPipeline, Inc., in Princeton, West Virginia, con-structed the facility.

The city secured a $3.5-million loan from theWest Virginia Water Development Authority tofinance the system. West Virginia Pipeline’s con-struction bid came in at a little more than $2.5million, leaving the system enough money to changemany of the valves on existing storage tanks.

“Last year, we spent $75,000 in operationand maintenance for the new system,” saysSharlene Cook, recorder and treasurer forOceana. “Our minimum monthly bill is $8 andthe average water bill is $10 to $11 a month.”

The new system is a Class B plant. WestVirginia requires a Class III operator to be on



T E C H N O L O G I E ST E C H N O L O G I E S

“You couldn’t do

anything with the

old system. We

may as well have

not been there for

all the good we

could do.”

Kenneth Graham,Oceana WaterWorks system

operator


the system’s staff. Graham holds that position,while Morgan is a Class II operator.

Under state regulations, public drinking watersystem classification is determined by the amountof revenues a system brings in.

Oceana produced its first consumer confidencereport last year. And Graham was very proud ofthe results. “So far, we haven’t had a violation,”he says.

How was the Oceana plant built?The Oceana Water Works in Wyoming

County is a state-of-the-art, surface water treatmentplant. It draws water from the Laural Fork Riverat a location known as Devil’s Hole. The two-year-old plant has 1,800 connections and servesnearly 6,000 customers.

The plant serves Oceana, Lynco, Lillydale,Lillyhaven, Turkey Dip, and Kopperston inWyoming County, West Virginia. “We actuallysell water to Kopperston Public ServiceDistrict,” says Graham.

The plant can treat up to 1 million gallons ofwater per day, but currently produces approxi-mately 600,000 gallons. The plant has a settlingtank, two filters that run in parallel with built inflocculation and settling chambers, a settlingtank, and a bag filtration system for solidifiedsludge disposal.

The treatment process begins at the rawwater intake, which consists of a single 16-inchdiameter stainless steel tee screen with 1/4-inchopenings. The screen is located at a level 3 feetabove the stream bottom to obtain best water

quality. The screen is equipped with a compressedair self-cleaning system. The raw water flowsfrom the screen to a precast concrete pumpingstation. The raw water pumps are submersiblenonclog wastewater pumps. Single speed pumpsequipped with an electronically operated butterflyvalve regulate the flow. A magnetic flow metermeasures the flow. The meter is located just aheadof the butterfly valve.

Chemicals Aid in TreatmentRaw water is pumped up to the above-ground

settling basin. Prior to the water entering thesettling basin, chemicals are introduced. Thesechemicals include potassium permanganate(KMnO4) as an oxidant, lime or soda ash for pHadjustment to optimize coagulation, a polymer asa coagulant, and powdered carbon for taste and

odor control. TheKMnO4 is injectedbefore all otherchemicals—at theelectric-flow controlvalve pit—due to itslonger reaction time.The other chemicalsare introduced in achemical injectionpit, ahead of an in-linestatic mixer.

The in-line mixerensures that all ofthe chemicals will becompletely mixedwith the raw waterstream for maximumefficiency. A provi-sion also is made forinjecting chlorine.While the injection

of chlorine before the filters may cause the for-mation of trihalomethane compounds, this provision allowsthe filters to be shocked periodically to preventbacterial problems on the filter.

The next step is a 178,000-gallon-capacitysettling basin, which is a circular, glass-fused-to-steel tank, cast to a concrete floor. The tank wasmanufactured by A.O. Smith Corporation. Thetank is a stainless steel, spiral flow-type designthat includes a series of over/under baffles at thebeginning of the spiral to increase flocculationefficiency. This unit provides the required four-hour detention time for settling prior to filtrationand it is designed with no moving parts, exceptthe floor-mounted mud valves for tank cleaning.



Photo courtesy of Dunn Engineering, Charleston, West Virginia


The Ocean Municipal Water Works treatment plant produces 600,000 gallons water perday and serves approximately 6,000 customers.

WWaatteerr FFaaccttIn the United

States, we use

approximately

25 trillion gallons

of fresh water

each year.

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Natural ResourcesConservation

Service

The valves have stems that extend up to thewalkway that spans the center of the tank.

The unit provides efficient settling, and theoperations staff does not have to maintain manymoving parts. The settling time is four hours at

42,000 gallons perhour (gph). The set-tling tank also actsas a buffer for anyupsurges in the influ-ent water’s turbidity.The plant maintainsaverage turbiditylevels well below theallowable limit of 0.5 NTU.

The raw water enters the basin along theouter edge of the tank and continues inwardthrough an ever-increasing area and dischargesfrom the basin at the center of the tank througha 4-feet diameter, pre-cast concrete manhole sec-tion. The clarified water with turbidity rangingfrom 1 to 5 NTUs pours into the manhole,where the fine floc decreases prior to enteringthe filter building.

Flow Splits Inside the BuildingOnce in the filter building, the flow splits

and enters a dual-train modular treatment sys-tem. Microfloc Products Division of U.S. FilterCorporation manufactures these units. They aregravity-type units and normally operate in paral-lel, with each unit capable of treating 350 gallonsper minute (gpm). The units are made of paintedcarbon steel and each unit is equipped with ahorizontal flocculator, high-density polyethylenetube settlers, 75-square feet of mixed filter

media supported on stainless-steel, wedge-wire-type underdrains and topped with granulatedanthracite filter topping.

The filtration capacity is 700 gpm. Each fil-ter uses compressed air from a regenerative tur-bine blower to fluidize the filter during backwash,which reduces the amount of water required forwashing the filter by approximately 50 percent.The filters are backwashed once every two daysusing compressed air.

A pre-filtration flocculation enhancer, orpolymer, is added to the clarified water as itenters the flocculation basin. The floc is settledin the tube settling area just prior to final filtra-tion. A 20-horsepower (hp) horizontal split-casepump (one per basin) pumps the filtered waterfrom each filter to a 43,000 gallon above-ground-glass-fused-to-steel clearwell that is baffled with

high-density poly-ethylenesheets. A.O.Smith Corporationmanufactured theclearwell.

Gaseous chlo-rine is injected intothe filtered waterprior to entering theclearwell. Theclearwell is sized toprovide enoughstorage for filterbackwash andallow for continuedhigh service pumpoperation. However,

not all of the required “CT”(concentration xtime) for finished water is provided here.

A 500,000-gallon distribution tank and 5,300feet of dedicated 8-inch line going to the tankprovide the required CT. This tank is constructedon the hill across the Laurel Fork River from theold treatment plant

One of two vertically mounted, double-suction,split-case pumps siphons the finished water to thedistribution tank. PACO Pump Company manufac-tures these pumps. A radio telemetry system controlsthe units, which are manufactured by the ConsolidatedElectric Products Division of U.S. Filter Corporation.

Finished water enters at the top of the tankand exits through a pipe in the bottom. The tankis unbaffled and is sized to allow the existingdistribution system to accept flow at a rate of400-500 gpm, while the plant produces water ata rate of 700 gpm. This allows the town to pro-duce water from the new plant while it makesupgrades to its distribution system over time.


Small Town Installs Modern Water System



Mike Morgan (center) and KennethGraham (right) explain Oceana’s newtreatment system to NDWC’s VipinBhardwaj.

The Aquitrol system controls filter operation.Photo by Michelle M. Sanders

Photo by Michelle M. Sanders



Start-up Is SimpleA simple start/stop button on the control sys-

tem—known as the Aquaritrol II—controls thetreatment plant. When the plant is started, a com-puter controlled chemical feed system—drivenby a Great Lakes Instruments turbidity meter—adjusts the chemical feed pumps to produce thebest water possible.

Continuous monitors record all finished waterparameters on circular charts, including turbidity,chlorine, pH, and flow. If the finished water nearsa monitored West Virginia Bureau of PublicHealth parameter, alarms sound and water pro-duction stops prior to exceeding that parameter.

The chlorination system is housed in a self-contained fiberglass structure located outside thefilter room along the north end of the operationsbuilding. A separate structure was built to mini-mize corrosion to metal in the event of a chlorineleak. The chlorine is purchased in 150-poundcylinders, two of which are connected to thechlorinators. Wallace and Tiernan Corporationmanufacture these chlorinators. The building isequipped with a continuous chlorine monitor forleak detection.

Filter backwash flows by gravity to a duplexsubmersible pre-cast concrete pumping station.Each pump is a 50-hp submersible sewage pumpwith a capacity of 1,800 gpm. The backwash andsediment from the settling tank are pumped to a144,000-gallon backwash storage tank. The tank isa glass-fused-to-steel unit with a cast-in-place con-crete floor manufactured by A.O. Smith Corporation.

The backwash water is allowed to settle oncebefore it is pumped into the tank, with clearsupernatant being discharged back into the LaurelFork River through a 6-inch swivel pipe. A Fischer& Porter ultrasonic flow meter and circular chartrecorder measure and record the flow.

Sludge Is BaggedThe sludge is allowed to accumulate on the

bottom of the tank, and a mixer nozzle located inthe center of the tank and mounted to the floorperiodically re-suspends the sludge. A 15-hp sub-mersible sewage pump pumps the solids througha nozzle at 300 gpm. Once resuspended, thesolids are pumped to a sludge bagger unit, whichis manufactured by Resitech, Inc.

The bagger has 12 disposable bags attachedthat are filled and allowed to drain back to thebackwash pumping station. The bags are drainedfor four to six hours, and then they weighapproximately 80 pounds. The partially dewateredsludge bags are stacked under a shed roof and

allowed to dry further prior to disposal in theWyoming County Landfill. Approximately 6 tonsof sludge per year are disposed of at the landfill.

Automation Makes Work EasierThe complete automation of the plant is a

benefit that the operators enjoy. “Everything canbe done through the computer control system,which makes our job much easier,” says Graham.

However, he maintains that the operatorscontinue to check the system by hand to makesure that everything is working as it should, andto make certain that the computer is functioning

properly. ”If we ever get into trouble, it’s good toknow how to treat the water manually,” he says.

The next step in upgrades for the system willbe in the distribution lines. “All the lines are atleast 50 years old,” says Morgan. “I’m workingto try to find a leak right now that I don’t haveany idea where it is. West Virginia Rural Waterpeople are trying to help us locate it. But I thinkwe still have a job ahead of us.”

For more information about Oceana’s watersystem, call Graham or Morgan at (304) 682-6248.

For more information about the system’sdesign, call F. Wayne Hypes, P.E., at DunnEngineering, Inc., at (304) 342-3436.


Photo by Michelle M. Sanders

Bagged sludge is disposed of in the Wyoming County Landfill.


National Drinking Water ClearinghouseWest Virginia UniversityP.O. Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506-6064

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. 34

MORGANTOWN,WV

Features

Zebra MusselsInvade Eastern U.S.

Waterways,Page 1

Flood! What to DoBefore and After the

Rising Water,Page 3

What should youexpect when OSHA

shows up?Page 8

Tech Brief: Slow Sand Filters,

center pages

New Hampshire TAConcentrates on

Training, Page 12

Small Town InstallsModern Water

System, Page 20

Departments

NDWC Page,Page 2

RUS Rates,Page 2

Q&A: Is GIS useful insmall systemmanagement?

Page 18

NDWC Mission StatementThe National Drinking Water Clearinghouse

assists small communities by collecting,developing, and providing timely information

relevant to drinking water issues.

C O N T E N T SC O N T E N T S

Note: Call (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191 toorder products and verify prices. Please allowthree to four weeks for delivery. Actual shippingcharges are added to each order. NationalDrinking Water Clearinghouse products also maybe ordered via e-mail at ndwc_orders@ mail.estd.wvu.edu.Products are subject to availability.

Water Testing ScamsItem #DWBLPE97This fact sheet offers suggestions to consider

before getting a water sample tested. There aremany sales people who use scare tactics andfraudulent methods to market their water testingor treatment devices.

Water on Tap: A Consumer’s Guide tothe Nation’s Drinking WaterItem #DWBKPE92Providing information on various aspects of

drinking water, this 1997 document covers watersources, consumption patterns, supply protection,and solutions to minor contamination problems.It also discusses how drinking water is protectedand water quality is maintained.

Fact Sheet on Home Drinking WaterTreatmentItem #DWBLPE96This 1988 fact sheet explains the most common

types of home water treatment units, and theircapabilities. Technologies examined include filters,softeners, activated carbon filtration, reverse osmosis,and UV disinfection.

NDWC Offers Consumer-Related ProductsWater Protection at Home: What YouCan Do To Prevent Water Pollution inYour CommunityItem #DWBLPE90This four-page fact sheet urges homowners to

fight to prevent water pollution at home. It includesa poster that describes ways to protect waterquality, and it also includes information aboutconserving water; pollution from rooftops;reducing toxic chemicals in the home; pollutionfrom cars, pesticides, lawn care; drains tostreams; and using water in the yard and garden.

Springs: Early Warning Systems for OurGroundwaterItem #DWBLPE89This four-page fact sheet stresses the impor-

tance of preventing pollution to natural springs.A poster depicts the anatomy of a spring, includingspring flow, springs as pollution barometers, losingstreams, swallow holes, dye tracing, sinkholes,and recharge areas.