Modeling and Validating the Effective Hydraulic Detention Time for a 10 mgd Ozone Contactor at the Lake Washington Surface Water Treatment Plant, Melbourne, Florida

Abstract

Ozonation has been added to the treatment process at the 20 mgd Lake Washington Surface Water Treatment Plant (SWTP), Melbourne, Florida to improve finished water quality, control taste and odor, and provide greater than 0.5-log credit for inactivation of Cryptosporidium. The new ozone contactors (2 parallel 10 mgd trains) are located between the existing ActifloTM clarifiers and the filters on a relatively congested site. Prior to construction, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study indicated that the proposed contactor design was not optimized to provide the targeted Cryptosporidium log inactivation. Based on the CFD modeling, the design was modified to reduce the baffle heights (increasing end gaps at turns) and the baffle ends were chamfered to improve flow patterns within the contactor. Internal access platforms were rotated from parallel to the flow (along outside walls) to perpendicular to the flow (along baffle walls). These small design changes increased the modeled effective detention time (t10) for disinfection and the corresponding hydraulic efficiency (baffling factor) by 22 %. In addition, the dosing location for the ozone quenching chemical (hydrogen peroxide) was modified to provide extra ozone detention. The ozone contactors were then constructed to incorporate the design changes optimized from the modeling. During the start up of the ozone system, fluoride tracer tests were completed to validate the effective detention time (and baffling factor) calculated by CFD. Furthermore, a series of modifications are planned for the ozonated water sampling regime to take greater advantage of Ct10 credits and reduce the required ozone dose, thereby saving energy and operating costs. This paper discusses several calculation methods for Cryptosporidium inactivation Ct10 reporting in compliance with the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR) and the LT2ESWTR Pre-proposal Draft Regulatory Language for Stakeholder Review (USEPA, 2002). The selection of the method will depend upon ease of implementation, modifications required to the ozone-in-water residual sampling system, long-term results of bromate sampling and actual Cryptosporidium bin classification under the LT2ESWTR. The article describes the CFD studies, improvements made to the contactor design, the tracer validation of the design, Ct10 reporting methods and modifications to the ozone residual sampling system that the City is considering.