Alternating Drought and Wet-weather Conditions Cause Dramatic Changes in Raw Water Quality and New Treatment Challenges throughout Southeast Texas and Western Louisiana that Require New Treatment Approaches – A Real Life Case Study

Abstract

In the Gulf region of the US many large industrial complexes own and operate their own raw water treatment facilities. These industries, like many communities and public water utilities, are solely dependent upon surface water supplies. In some cases dramatic changes in raw water quality have a more significant impact on downstream treatment processes for industrial users. These industrial users can have requirements for purified water that exceed domestic drinking water standards. So, climatic changes and extreme weather conditions that create highly variable raw water quality can have a significant impact on productivity and profitability.