Small Water Treatment Plants Research Articles

Assessment of routine operation and maintenance work of a small community water treatment plant in North Guwahati, Assam, India

A water treatment plant's efficiency is reliant on its regular maintenance and operation. Many water treatment plants across the world are outsourced to private enterprises for day to day operation and maintenance. However, the impact of outsourcing may not always be profitable as design of faulty treatment units or carrying out improper routine operation and maintenance works by the private enterprise may ultimately affect the quality of potable water produced. The current study aims to evaluate the routine operation and maintenance tasks performed by an outsourced private enterprise at a small community water treatment facility in Assam. The performance monitoring of the treatment plant indicates that the plant is unable to produce potable water meeting national water quality standards. The turbidity of treated water is not able to meet the BIS acceptable limit of 1 NTU but it complies with the BIS permissible limit of 5 NTU. In general, the plant operators lack the skills required to operate the treatment plant effectively. Coagulant dosing is completely based on personal experience of plant operators instead of using jar test results. The backwashing of filter beds is carried out arbitrarily without considering the turbidity of filtered water. These factors have resulted in malfunctioning of the treatment units ultimately affecting the quality of potable water produced from the plant. The skill set of plant operators and chemist has been enhanced with bilingual stepwise instruction charts and on-hand training at the site. This aids in raising the standard of produced potable water. The turbidity of treated water is observed to be close to the BIS acceptable limit of 1 NTU.

Evaluation of Water Treatment Efficiency of Full-Scale Slow Sand Filtration Process: Comparison of Summer and Winter Season

Objectives : The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of sustainable operation in a conventional full-scale slow sand filter process.Methods : A slow sand filtration process was operated in small scale water treatment plants for valley water. The water quality such as particle matter, dissolved organic matter, the number of bacteria, and disinfection by-product (DBP) were monitored at four designated points once a week and was compared during summer (July-August) and winter season (December-January).Results and Discussion : Although the number of particle matter in summer was higher than in winter by 39% (2.91×10<sup>4</sup> /mL), particle matter in slow sand filter process was removed by 99% regardless of season (temperature). The removal efficiency of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV<sub>254</sub> was higher in summer than in winter by 15% and 21%, respectively. In addition, concerning the organic fraction, higher molecular weight led to higher removal efficiency in the following sequence: BP (biopolymer, MW: 20,000 g/mol) > HS(humic substances, MW : 1,000~20,000 g/mol) > BB(building blocks, MW : 300~500 g/mol) > LMWs(low molecular weights, MW : 350 g/mol. The concentration of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), indicator of DBP, were detected at 12.2 and 9.4 μg/L in summer and 8.1 and 6.3 μg/L in winter, respectively, which would be considered very low concentration related to the drinking water regulation of 100 μg/L. Finally, the active bacteria was removed up to 93 and 92% in summer and winter, respectively.Conclusion : The feasibility of a slow filtration process was evaluated to compare particle and dissolved matter in summer and winter operation. Despite a 39% increase in particle matter in summer, the removal efficiency was maintained at 98% in summer and winter. Due to the increased activation of biofilm in summer, the removal of DOC and UV<sub>254</sub> was higher in summer than winter by 15 and 21%, respectively. The significant low concentration of THMs and HAAs, regardless of season, would be negligible. In addition, achieving over 92% removal of activated bacteria secured the biological safety. These stable operations ensure that slow filtration process is effective in controlling of water quality.

Manufacturing of Small Scale Water Treatment Plant for Household

Water is one of the essential resources in the world. Without water, the world cannot survive. Earth is covered by 71% water and 2.5 % coverd by freshwater. Out of 7 billion peoples, only 1.2 billion peoples are getting fresh water for drinking. The scarcity of water exerts strong effects around the world. The world is working to develop appropriate, cost-effective methods to provide high purified water for drinking purposes. Water contains suspended particles, micro-organisms, bacteria, organic and inorganic compounds as impurities. For purification, lots of methods are available which are widely used all around the world. This research is based on the research and development of water treatment plants which is cost- effective and provides safe drinking water for household purposes. Solar de-salination is one of the best energy efficient methods used for water treatment. In this process, solar energy is utilized to purify saline water. Minerals and salts were quickly removed as a brine solution and vapors condensed and collected to get the product. The energy requirement is low as compare to other methods. The construction of the plant was simple and cheap. This process removes 99.5 % of salts from the water. This research is successful in achieving the objectives and goals of getting potable water that meets the standards of WHO. This research also focuses on a large scale for water treatment as it is cost-effective and can reduce the shortage of freshwater around the world.

Production of granular activated carbon by thermal air oxidation of biomass charcoal/biochar for water treatment in rural communities: A mechanistic investigation

Small communities in remote areas of the United States often lack adequate water treatment services. Adsorption by granular activated carbon (GAC) is a vital drinking-water purification approach in small water treatment plants and point-of-entry and point-of-use systems. This study shows that rural communities can utilize a simple approach, thermal air oxidation (TAO), to produce their own GAC from locally available biomass materials. Unlike commercial GAC production processes that require high temperatures and activating gasses, activation of charcoals (biochars) by TAO can be achieved at moderate temperatures of 400‒500 °C without a regulated supply of activating gasses. After a brief TAO for 30‒40 min, charcoals/biochars showed significant increases in the surface area by up to 80-fold, oxygen-containing functional groups, porosity, and adsorption of test organic contaminants, including one anionic herbicide, two neutral triazine herbicides, and one natural estrogen. The GAC produced by the TAO process had a N2 B.E.T. surface area of up to approximately 850 m2/g, which is comparable to that of commercial GAC. The pore size distribution (PSD) of TAO-generated GAC was narrow and peaked at an approximate pore width of 0.8‒0.9 nm. Both the surface area and PSD were significantly affected by the conditions of TAO. GAC made from walnut/almond charcoals exhibited the highest adsorptivity, despite a relatively low surface area. This simple, innovative GAC production approach is suitable for use in small community- and household-scale applications, and therefore may benefit rural communities, water treatment professionals, farmers, and the GAC industry as a whole.

Nueva metodología para el diseño rápido de sistemas de potabilización de agua en la enseñanza universitaria en Ingeniería ambiental

A nivel mundial día a día las fuentes de recurso hídrico superficial dotadas con cualidades aptas para consumo humano disminuyen resultando en afecciones a comunidades dependientes de dichas fuentes de este preciado recurso. Dada la situación actual, la opción más viable para favorecer a comunidades aisladas o alejadas es mediante la construcción de pequeñas plantas de tratamiento de agua potable (PTAP´s) con módulos de diseño rápido y sistematizado que permita obtener las especificaciones para su construcción y operación en forma segura y sostenible con el tiempo cumpliendo con el ODS 6 (Agenda 2030, ONU). Dentro de este contexto, el diseño de sistemas para la obtención de agua potable se convierte en una herramienta valiosa que permite la configuración rápida de este tipo de infraestructura para levantar sistemas eficientes y completamente sostenibles en comunidades con escaso recurso hídrico. Actualmente, la enseñanza de este tipo de conceptos y fundamentos se encuadran en las curriculas de programas y escuelas profesionales a nivel universitario que imparten la especialización en ingeniería ambiental con escaso nivel informático y sistematizado decayendo en su aplicación por su manejo tradicional con cálculos tediosos y lentos en la obtención de resultados. Por ello en este estudio se propone una nueva dinámica de aprendizaje utilizando la aplicación de software de modelado 3D para el estudio de casos reales con aplicación práctica y resolución inmediata permitiendo el pleno desarrollo de la capacidad crítica en el grupo de alumnos que la utilizarán.

Model of performance prediction of small water treatment plants using artificial neural networks

As estações de tratamento de água (ETAs) têm um papel fundamental e estratégico no controle de doenças transmitidas pela água por meio da potabilização da água, para atender às necessidades da população que é abastecida por ela. Nesse contexto, a avaliação do desempenho dessas estações é primordial, particularmente para as entidades responsáveis pelo estágio de controle da qualidade da água, uma vez que a ETA deve apre- sentar e operar com condições mínimas necessárias para alcançar seu objetivo. Para o desenvolvimento dos modelos (Modelo 1 - com base na turbidez da água tratada e Modelo 2 - com base na cor aparente da água tratada) foram utilizados dados referentes à qualidade da água bruta e tratada, fatores operacionais e parâme- tros hidráulicos de 3 ETAs, com taxas de fluxo de 50 L.s-1 ou menos. Os modelos foram desenvolvidos usando a caixa de ferramentas do Matlab®, a partir da rede neural do tipo de camadas recorrentes, com função de ativação tansig e purelin. Como resultados, os modelos apresentaram coeficientes de determinação de 0,928 e 0,823 para turbidez e cor aparente da água tratada, respectivamente. Os resultados corroboram a aplicação da Inteligência Artificial em estações de tratamento de água, com o objetivo de otimizar processos e garantir uma maior operabilidade da ETAs, gerando um produto cada vez mais confiável. Palavras-chave: Desempenho da planta de tratamento de água. Processos de otimização. Rede neural artificial. Abstract The water treatment plants (WTP) have a fundamental and strategic role in the control of waterborne diseases through the potabilization of water, to meet the needs of the population that is supplied by it. In this context, evaluating the performance of these stations is paramount, particularly for the entities responsible for the water quality control stage, since WTP must present and operate with minimum conditions necessary to achieve its ob- jective. For the development of the models (Model 1 - based on turbidity of treated water and Model 2 - based on the apparent color of the treated water) data were used referring to raw and treated water quality, operational factors and hydraulic parameters of 3 WTPs, with flow rates of 50 L.s-1 or less. The models were developed usingthe Matlab® toolbox, from the neural network of the recurrent layers type, with activation function tansig and purelin. As results, the models presented regression coefficients of 0.928 and 0.823 for turbidity and apparent color of treated water, respectively. The results corroborate for the application of Artificial Intelligence in water treatment plants, with a view to optimizing processes and guaranteeing greater WTPs operability, generating an increasingly reliable product. Keywords: Water treatment plant performance. Optimization processes. Artificial Neural Network.

Spatial distribution of water quality in the Amazonian region: implications for drinking water treatment procedures.

Riparian communities in the Amazon suffer from water-borne diseases due to the lack of adequate water treatment capabilities. Therefore, small local water treatment plants are necessary, but the selection of treatment procedures depends largely on the physico-chemical characteristics of the water. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the physico-chemical characteristics of the water in the Amazon River and its tributaries, in order to determine customized processes for water treatment. Data from 54 fluviometric monitoring stations were organized and used to construct distribution maps. The parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, and the concentration of suspended matter, turbidity and flow rates were evaluated. Results showed that pH was very acidic (4-5) in the northwestern portion of the region while conductivity was quite low in the entire Amazonian region (<140 μS cm-1). Both parameters were strongly influenced by geological settings and sources of organic matter. Suspended matter and turbidity were affected by weathering processes. It was concluded that considering the acidity of the waters, mechanical procedures like filtration or slow settling should be applied to remove suspended matter rather than chemical procedures. For disinfection, instead of chemicals, solar energy should be applied.

UV LED water disinfection: Validation and small system demonstration study

AbstractDisinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light via non‐mercury light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) may be a sustainable solution for drinking water disinfection in small systems. The world's first commercial UVC LED water disinfection reactor (the PearlAqua by Aquisense) was studied over a year‐long demonstration test, and performance was compared side by side with an existing chlorination system at a small water treatment plant in Colorado. The UVC LED disinfection system was validated using MS2 bacteriophage inactivation over a range of flow rates and water UV transmittances. The reactor was also challenge‐tested with MS2 periodically during the year‐long demonstration. During lab tests and the field study in challenging conditions without any maintenance, the reactor demonstrated viral and bacterial disinfection efficacy and resilience equivalent to the chlorination system, providing proof of concept for application of UVC LEDs for municipal water treatment.

A Regional-Scale Index for Assessing the Exposure of Drinking-Water Sources to Wildfires

Recent human-interface wildfires around the world have raised concerns regarding the reliability of freshwater supply flowing from severely burned watersheds. Degraded source water quality can often be expected after severe wildfire and can pose challenges to drinking water facilities by straining treatment response capacities, increasing operating costs, and jeopardizing their ability to supply consumers. Identifying source watersheds that are dangerously exposed to post-wildfire hydrologic changes is important for protecting community drinking-water supplies from contamination risks that may lead to service disruptions. This study presents a spatial index of watershed exposure to wildfires in the province of Alberta, Canada, where growing water demands coupled with increasing fire activity threaten municipal drinking-water supplies. Using a multi-criteria analysis design, we integrated information regarding provincial forest cover, fire danger, source water volume, source-water origin (i.e., forested/un-forested), and population served. We found that (1) &gt;2/3 of the population of the province relies on drinking-water supplies originating in forested watersheds, (2) forest cover is the most important variable controlling final exposure scores, and (3) watersheds supplying small drinking water treatment plants are particularly exposed, especially in central Alberta. The index can help regional authorities prioritize the allocation of risk management resources to mitigate adverse impacts from wildfire. The flexible design of this tool readily allows its deployment at larger national and continental scales to inform broader water security frameworks.

Small scale sea water treatment plant

Small scale sea water treatment plant

Interplay of factors involving chlorine dose, turbidity flow capacity and pH on microbial quality of drinking water in small water treatment plants

In an endeavour to ascertain the interplay of factors involving chlorine dose, turbidity and flow capacity on microbial quality of drinking water in small water treatment plants (SWTPs), data from a previous study were analysed. The findings showed that most of the SWTPs were not producing water of safe microbial quality. Fifty one percent (51%) and seventy three (73%) of the SWTPs were below the stipulated limits for residual chlorine in final water and water at the point of use respectively. Current flow capacity was a major determinant of the microbial water quality indicators but no association was found between the dose of chlorine used for water treatment and the microbial water quality indicators. However, a combination of the amount of chlorine dose used up during treatment, flow capacity and change in turbidity contributed to about 65% of the amount of heterotrophic plate counts removed from raw water. Current flow capacity contributed less than 14% of the variation in chlorine dose used in water treatment at the plants. Turbidity tended to correlate and contribute more to the prediction of total coliform counts while faecal coliform counts were determined by current flow capacity and conductivity. Treatment plants with current flow capacity of over 50 Ml / d tended to be more efficient in heterotrophic plate count removal. In conclusion, this study noted that most of the SWTPs were using a chlorine dosage that was below the amount required by their respective current flow capacity; possible micro-organism resistance to chlorine and the significant effect of the level of turbidity on the microbial quality of treated water.

Design, development and performance evaluation of small scale grey water treatment plant

The design, development of grey water system was done by using locally available filtration and adsorbent media and its performance was evaluated. The media size and depth decided by experiment were sand (0.42 mm), grit (6-8 mm), gravel (15-25 mm), brick pieces (25-30 mm) and charcoal (12-16 mm) (Zainudin and Abundi, 2011) having layer thickness of 450 mm, 450 mm, 150 mm, 300 mm and 30 mm, respectively.The hydraulic retention time (HRT) of designed filter was 1.33 hours at hydraulic loading rate of (HLR) of 3.77 m day -1 . The filtration area of one square meter would have capacity of 3770 lit.day -1 .At steady state head of 1.5 m, the overall performance of the combined systemwas 82.70 per cent BOD removal, 85.10 per cent COD removal, 78.78 per cent oil and grease removal, 69.23 per cent residual sodium carbonate removal (RSC), 21.33 per cent reduction in sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and 31.19 per cent TDS removal, respectively, were noted. The pH of the entire system remained stable (7.32 ± 0.5) throughout the experiment. The calcium, bicarbonate, potassium, nitrogen, magnesium, sodium, were also reduced after filtration by 20, 44.82, 48.76, 5.55, 33.33, 31.42 per cent, respectively. Generally, the final effluent was found to be suitable for a range of uses such as toilet flushing, irrigation and fire protection.

Feasibility of wastewater as mixing water in cement

This paper presents the feasibility of wastewater from small scale water treatment plants located in residential buildings as mixing water in Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Fourteen water treatment plants were found out in the Narasaraopet municipality region in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Approximately, from each plant, between 3500 and 4000 L/day of potable water is selling to consumers. All plants are extracting ground water and treating through Reverse Osmosis (RO) process. During water treatment, plants are discharging approximately 1,00,000 L/day as wastewater in side drains in Narasaraopet municipality. Physical and chemical analysis was carried out on fourteen plants wastewater and distilled water as per [1]. In the present work, based on the concentrations of constituent’s in wastewater, four typical plants i.e., Narasaraopeta Engineering College (NECWW), PatanKhasim Charitable Trust (PKTWW), MahmadhKhasim Charitable Trust (MKTWW) and Amara (ARWW) were considered. The performance of four plants wastewater on physical properties i.e., setting times, compressive strength, and flexural strength of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) were performed in laboratories and compared same with reference specimens i.e., made with Distilled Water (DW) as mixing water. No significant change was observed in initial setting time but significant change was observed in finial setting time. No significant change was observed in 90 days compressive strengths in four plants wastewater compared to that of reference specimens. XRD technique was employed to find out main hydration compounds formed in the process.

Understanding bioswale as a small water and wastewater treatment plant: A theoretical review

Understanding bioswale as a small water and wastewater treatment plant: A theoretical review

Non-Metropolitan Drinking Water Suppliers’ Response to the Diagnostic Tool for Non-Technical Compliance in Limpopo, South Africa

Without the planning of non-technical issues, water treatment plants may face challenges in sustaining safe drinking water. Parameters such as the planning of financial resources, human resources, a lack of professional process controllers, poor working conditions, staff shortages and a lack of appropriate training of process controllers contribute to the underperformance of drinking water treatment plants. This study aimed at applying the Diagnostic Tool for Non-Technical Compliance to assess the compliance of small drinking water plants with management norms. Six water treatments (Vondo water scheme, Malamulele, Mutshedzi, Mutale regional water treatment plant, Tshedza and Tshedza package plant) were selected from the Vhembe district municipality of the Limpopo province in South Africa. From the abovementioned non-technical parameters, the results showed that during the first assessment period (August 2008 and June 2009) selected water treatment plants scored between 53% and 68% and fell under Class 2, indicating serious challenges requiring attention and improvement. During the second assessment period (November and December 2010), a slight improvement was observed as all plants scored between 72% and 80%, falling under the Class 2 category. Even after corrective actions and remeasurement, none of the plants met the compliance standards, which range from 90% to 100% to obtain the Class 1 compliance standard. The study recommended that tactical and strategic plans that clearly define the operational procedures, process controlling, financial planning, maintenance culture, emergency preparedness and regular monitoring and evaluation should be entrenched for the smooth running of the small water treatment plants. Furthermore, all water services providers and water services authorities should apply the diagnostic tools as developed, which provides guidance on a stepwise procedure on plant operations and management on a daily basis.

IMPROVING CYANOBACTERIA AND CYANOTOXIN MONITORING IN SURFACE WATERS FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

Cyanobacteria in fresh water can cause serious threats to drinking water supplies. Managing cyanobacterial blooms particularly at small drinking water treatment plants is challenging. Because large amount of cyanobacteria may cause clogging in the treatment process and various cyanotoxins are hard to remove, while they may cause severe health problems. There is lack of instructions of what cyanobacteria/toxin amount should trigger what kind of actions for drink-ing water management except for Microcystins. This demands a Cyanobacteria Management Tool (CMT) to help regula-tors/operators to improve cyanobacteria/cyanotoxin monitoring in surface waters for drinking water supply. This project proposes a CMT tool, including selecting proper indicators for quick cyanobacteria monitoring and verifying quick analysis methods for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin. This tool is suggested for raw water management regarding cyano-bacteria monitoring in lakes, especially in boreal forest climate. In addition, it applies to regions that apply international WHO standards for water management. In Swedish context, drinking water producers which use raw water from lakes that experience cyanobacterial blooms, need to create a monitoring routine for cyanobacteria/cyanotoxin and to monitor beyond such as Anatoxins, Cylindrospermopsins and Saxitoxins. Using the proposed CMT tool will increase water safety at surface water treatment plants substantially by introducing three alerting points for actions. CMT design for each local condition should integrate adaptive monitoring program.

Performance management of small water treatment plant operations: a decision support system

AbstractA decision support system (DSS) is developed to optimise the performance of different operations of small water treatment systems to improve day‐to‐day decisions. The support system includes a data management system, knowledge‐based system, performance assessment of different unit processes, fault tree analyses, preventive and corrective actions and event tree analysis (ETA). Performance assessment identifies the critical events (failures) and fault tree analysis identifies the interrelationships between the critical events and the root causes. Fault trees are developed based on the information obtained from events of waterborne outbreaks, responses to questionnaires by the participating smaller utilities, state‐of‐the‐art literature review and personal communication with the operators. ETA is used to identify the potential health outcomes which are further integrated with the quantitative microbial risk assessment. The developed DSS is advanced to an automated user friendly program that can be used by treatment plant operators to assess system performance.

소규모 수도시설의 역삼투(RO), 나노여과(NF), 전기흡착(EA), 전기응집(EC) 공정의 질산성 질소 및 불소 이온 제거 성능 비교

소규모수도시설에서 수질기준을 자주 초과하는 질산성질소(NO3-N)와 불소(F-)를 제거하기 위해 역삼투(RO), 나노여과(NF), 전기흡착(EA), 전기응집(EC) 공정을 비교평가 하였다. RO는 질산성질소 72~92%, 불소 74~85%의 제거율을 나타내었고 NF는 질산성질소 5~15%, 불소는 1%의 제거율을 나타내었다. MWCNT를 코팅한 전극을 이용한 EA의 질산성질소는 99%, 불소는 44% 제거율을 보였다. 구리와 MWCNT 복합물 소결전극을 이용한 EA의 질산성질소는 82%, 불소는 77%의 제거율을 보였으나 구리가 용출되는 문제점이 발견되었다. EC의 질산성질소는 11~46%, 불소는 69~99%을 보였다. 결론적으로 RO는 질산성질소와 불소의 높은 제거율이 가능하나 에너지 비용이 부담된다. EC는 질산성질소와 불소의 효과적인 제거가 가능하나 슬러지 발생 부담이 있다. 반면 MWCNT를 활용한 EA는 전극 제조방법에 따라 제거율에 큰 차이를 보였으며 전극의 지속적 사용을 위한 안전성 확보가 시급한 개선점으로 나타났다. Comparison of removal performance between reverse osmosis(RO), nanofiltration(NF), electrocoagulation(EC) and electroadsorption(EA) for removal of nitrate and fluoride often exceeded the limits of water quality in small water treatment plants. Removals of nitrate and fluoride were 72-92% and 74-85% in RO, 5-15% and 1% in NF, 99% and 44% in EA equipped with MWCNT coated electrodes, 82% and 77% in EA equipped with Cu-MWCNT electrodes, and 11-46% and 69-99% in EC. Consequently, high removals of both ions were anticipated in RO. Effective removal of both ions are possible for EC, but great production of sludge is a big burden. EA equipped with the MWCNT electrodes showed a great fluctuation in removal efficiency, and electrode stability should be upgraded.

Artificial neural network modeling for predict performance of pressure filters in a water treatment plant

Abstract Pressure filters are popular in small municipal water treatment plants. One of the principles for designing and using the various units of water treatment plants is the ability of assigning and predicting the performance of those units under different and various conditions that could be verified by making pilot scale tests and could be modeled by means of available programs and software such as artificial neural network. The goals of this study that was conducted to predict pressure filter efficiency are: (1) evaluations of pressure filter efficiency for turbidity removal under different conditions such as turbidity of raw water, filtration rate and filter pressure changes; (2) statistical analysis of results and determination of the minimum and maximum and maximum effluent turbidity from filter; (3) application of Artificial Neural Network as a suitable model of filter efficiency for turbidity removal; and (4) determination of considered model index for the prediction of similar filters efficiencies. For approaching those goals, pilot designation, sampling and analysis were done for 1,300 samples, and the maximum and the minimum effluent turbidity from filter were determined based on statistical analyses. Different structure of Artificial Neural Network were evaluated based on results, and the best structure was selected and its indexes was proposed for future studies; for example the best value for different network schemes like momentum coefficient and training rate were 0.5 and 0.2, respectively.

Performance of small water treatment plants: The case study of Mutshedzi Water Treatment Plant

The performance of small water treatment plants (SWTPs) was evaluated using Mutshedzi WTP as a case study. The majority of SWTPs in South Africa (SA) that supply water to rural villages face problems of cost recovery, water wastages, limited size and semi-skilled labour. The raw and final water quality analyses and their compliance were used to assess the performance of the Mutshedzi WTP. Electrical conductivity (EC), pН and turbidity were measured in the field using a portable multimeter and a turbidity meter respectively. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Ion Chromatography were used to analyse metals and non-metals respectively. The results were compared with the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) guidelines for domestic use. The turbidity levels partially exceeded the recommended guidelines for domestic water use of 1NTU. The concentrations of chemical parameters in final water were within the DWA guidelines for domestic water use except for fluoride, which exceeded the maximum allowable guideline of 1.5mg/L in August 2009. Mutshedzi WTP had computed compliance for raw and final water analyses ranging from 79% to 93% and 86% to 93% throughout the sampling period, respectively. The results from earlier studies showed that the microbiological quality of final water in Mutshedzi WTP complied with the recommended guidelines, eliminating the slight chance of adverse aesthetic effects and infectious disease transmission associated with the turbidity values between 1 and 5NTU. The study concluded that Mutshedzi WTP, though moving towards compliance, is still not producing adequate quality of water. Other studies also indicated that the quantity of water produced from Mutshedzi WTP was inadequate. The findings of the study indicate that lack of monitoring of quantity of water supplied to each village, dosage of treatment chemicals, the treatment capacity of the WTP and monitoring the quality of water treated are some of the factors that limit the performance of Mutshedzi WTP. These have been confirmed in literature to be widespread in similar WTPs in SA. It is recommended that water meters be provided and the community be advised to subsidise the cost of water supply. The study recommended that the treatments of turbidity and fluoride should form critical functions of the plant to ensure that final water for domestic use is always safe from any harmful substances or disease causing pathogens. The study concluded that the WTP only needs minor improvement to boost its efficiency with regard to the treatment of raw water. This will also ensure that the plant achieves 100% compliance for final water.