AWWA JAW70293
Journal AWWA - Designing Pretreatment to Control Arsenic Leaching in ASR Facilities
Journal Article by American Water Works Association, 06/01/2009
Bell, Katherine Y.; Wiseman, Lee; Turner, Leslie A.
Full Description
Arsenic leaching in aquifers has become aproblem for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR)operations. The highly oxidative nature of finishedwater causes arsenic in naturally occurringminerals to leach from aquifer formations. Theauthors evaluated the effects of lowering dissolvedoxygen concentrations and removing chorineresidual in injected potable water on arsenicleaching in storage aquifers. Using geochemicalmodeling, they predicted interactions betweeninjected water and the stored aquifer formationand native water quality. The authors found thatreturning finished potable water to native groundwaterquality through wellhead pretreatment mayprevent naturally occurring arsenic from leachingfrom aquifers. In addition, existing pretreatmenttechnologies can be implemented that make theinjected water more compatible with the nativeaquifer quality. These pretreatment technologiescould allow utilities to operate their ASR facilitiesin compliance with federal underground injectioncontrol regulations and drinking water criteria,thereby avoiding consent/administrative ordersfrom regulatory agencies. Includes 41 references, tables, figures.