University of Nevada
Advanced Water Treatment Technologies
Demonstration Project
Western Regional Water Commission
June 21, 2017
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Today's Topics
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Reclaimed water use in the Truckee Meadows
Nevada reclaimed water regulations
Regional potable reuse feasibility study
UNR work update
Next steps
Discussion
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Truckee Meadows Regional Water Reclamation
• Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater effluent
• Region has decades of experience using reclaimed water for
irrigation and industrial uses
• 15-million gallons per day in the summer
• 8,000 Acre-Feet Annually
• 10-percent of total regional water supply
• Offers significant environmental benefits
Nevada Reclaimed Water Regulations
• Categories A through E
• Safe for irrigation and industrial uses
• Reno, Sparks, Washoe County reclaimed water systems based
on categories “A” and “B”
• Category A+, or Exceptional Quality [new 2016]
• Drinking water quality achieved
• Advanced water treatment
• Natural purification processes
Exceptional Quality Potential Uses
• Groundwater augmentation, potable, recreational or
environmental uses
• Storing and securing a drought proof water supply
for the future
• Diversify the region’s water supply portfolio while
reducing reliance on the Truckee River
• Governor’s Drought Forum recommended:
– advanced reclaimed water treatment investigations
– Support steering committee to create regulations
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Reclaimed Water Feasibility Study
• Determine if Nevada’s newly adopted Exceptional
Quality Reclaimed Water (Category A+), which
creates a regulatory pathway for indirect potable
reuse, offers water management opportunities
for the Truckee Meadows region.
– 5-Year effort
– $6-8 million
– Stantec, American Water, Water Environment Research
Foundation
– Bureau of Reclamation Grant Funding
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Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System
Anaheim, California
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100 million gallons per day
Provides 25% of regional water supply - serving 2.3 million people
Reduces dependence on imported water
Treatment process includes reverse osmosis (RO)
• Pioneer in creating “agency legitimacy” movement
Successful Projects Have…
Public engagement
– Builds agency legitimacy
Regional effort
– Engages diverse expertise
Clearly defined purpose
– Total water management
Clear regulatory pathway
– Safe and reliable
Feasibility phase conducted
– Demonstration project -“prove concepts”
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Regional Feasibility Phase Activities
Project Development
Community Outreach
Nevada Regulations
Pilot Testing
Technologies
Regional Feasibility
Study created from
recognized best
practices
Demonstration Project
Hydrogeologic
Investigations
Funding
Exceptional Quality Reclaimed Water
Field Demonstration Project
(2017-2020)
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WRWC - UNR Scope of Work
• 3-1/2 year effort –
• $676,000 Contract
• Krishna Pagilla, PhD
– Internationally Recognized Water Expert
– Director - UNR’s Water Innovation Campus
• 3 PhD candidates:
– Laura Haak
– Vijay Sundaram
– Lydia Peri
Advanced Water Treatment Technologies
Demonstration Project Tasks
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Task 1: Project Rationale and Justification
Task 2: Treatment Technologies Evaluations
Task 3: Basis of Design
Task 4: Operating and Testing Plan
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Task 1: Scope of Work
Project Rationale and Justification for Potable Reuse
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Identify regional economic, environmental, and social
benefits
Assess status-quo management of water and recycled
water resources
Develop a statement of opportunity for recycled water
Using “North Valleys” as the study area
Triple Bottom Line Assessment: Value Tree
Task 1 Findings
• Potable Reuse provides greatest benefits through environmental
criteria
– Groundwater quality may improve
• Aquifer replenishment and decreased pumping from depleted wells
– Water stress (indicator of water security) will decrease in the North Valleys
• Increased water resource size through aquifer replenishment
• Potable Reuse also benefits social criteria
– Health risk assessment shows safety expected for removal of pathogens,
regulated, and unregulated contaminants
– Water conservation goals are expected to improve with PR
• Larger pool of water resources available
• Potable Reuse is more expensive than status-quo management
– Capital costs for treatment train upgrades and distribution system
– Value is generated through creation of a new water resource
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Task 1 Recommendations
• Potable Reuse improves future water management
– Developing a new aquifer to increase local water resources
– Adaptable management that can balance flood risk, drought supplies,
conjunctive use, and well depletion
– Removes need to export reclaimed water
• Further study of Potable Reuse should fill in gaps and complete a
site and technology specific health risk assessment
– Literature shows wide variability in pathogen removal, DBP formation, and
unregulated contaminant concentrations to influent
• Local control may also correlate to additional external and
internal benefits
– Energy savings, air pollution, carbon footprint
– Water quality improvements
– Local employment
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Task 2: Treatment Technologies that can meet Nevada
DEP Regulations/ Requirements
Scope of Work
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Nevada Proposed IPR Regulations and Requirements
Identify potential advanced treatment options
Evaluate case studies
Select advanced treatment train(s) for demonstration
project
• Provide technological justification for treatment process
selection
Nevada Reclaimed Water Regulations
Indirect Potable Reuse through Infiltration Basins
Nevada Reclaimed Water Regulations
Indirect Potable Reuse through Aquifer Injection
Task 2 Recommendations:
Treatment Trains Recommended for IPR Demonstration
Spreading Basin IPR Project Train
(Category A Effluent + Vadose Zone
Treatment)
Secondary Treatment
Granular Media Filtration with
Pretreatment
UV Disinfection
Chlorination for Residual
Maintenance (if needed)
Spreading
Vadose Zone/Soil Aquifer
Treatment (SAT)
Saturated Zone Travel Time
Injection Well IPR Project Train
(Ozone-BAC AWTF)
Secondary Treatment
Coagulation-FlocculationClarification Granular Media
Filtration (CFC GMF)
Ozone-BAC (O3-BAC)
UV Disinfection
Effluent Polishing
Chlorination for Residual
Maintenance (if needed)
Injection
Saturated Zone Travel Time
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Task 3: Basis of Design for the Demonstration Project
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Determine Flows and Loads
Develop Specific Treatment Requirements
Perform Design Calculations
Evaluate Treatment Equipment Options
Summarize Design Criteria
Develop Conceptual Process Flow Diagram
Prepare Basis of Design Report for Spreading Basin IPR and
Injection Well IPR Demonstration Project
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Task 4: Development of a System Testing Plan
• Contaminant Monitoring Plan
– Specify methods and limits for monitoring of pathogens, regulated and
unregulated contaminants
• Sampling Plan
– Develop a schematic of sampling locations and on line monitoring points
– State a schedule for sampling events
• Critical Control Points (CCP)
– Select CCPs to control hazards and ensure robustness and reliability
– Establish CCP on line monitoring strategies and critical limits
• Instrumentation Plan
– Identify instrumentation needed for on line and sampling event monitoring
• System Testing Plan
– Develop safety procedures, troubleshooting protocols, data validation
QA/QC, and reporting methodology
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Nevada Water Innovation Campus Concept
Water Innovation Campus is a shared vision and effort by
the regional water utilities and UNR to develop and
implement leading edge and integrated water solutions
for the regional needs, and demonstrate national
leadership in the water sector by the Truckee Meadows
region.
The campus is intellectually/administratively housed at
UNR and physically located at the regional water utilities.
UNR research labs serve as the basic and fundamental
research component of the water innovation campus
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Next Steps
• Collaboration with our Independent Advisory Team
• Continue pilot testing treatment technologies
• Preparing for demonstration projects
– Selecting treatment equipment
• Regional team gaining expertise
• Develop Bureau of Reclamation funding plan
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$150,000 Federal Grant
Water Rights
Low Energy Treatment Technologies
Water Markets
Regional Long-Term Climate Variability
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Nevada Water Innovation Campus
Kick off Reception August 24th
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Thank you
John Enloe, Director of Natural Resources
• [email protected]
Rick Warner, Senior Engineer
• [email protected]
Dr. Krishna Pagilla, UNR
• [email protected]
Task 2 Findings
• Nevada IPR Regulatory Concerns Summary
– Pathogens (Giardia, Crypto and Virus inactivation requirements)
– Regulated Contaminants (National Primary and State Secondary Drinking
Water Contaminants)
– Unregulated Constituents Monitoring Plan
• Spreading Basin IPR
– Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) is expected to provide substantial pathogen and
contaminant removals
• Injection Well IPR
– Life-cycle cost of Reverse Osmosis (RO) based treatment option is three
times more than Ozonation – Biological Activated Carbon Filtration (OzoneBAC) option
– Selection of familiar treatment steps (e.g., sand filtration in lieu of
membrane filtration) provides enhanced operational reliability
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