Funding drive launches nine DPR research projects

Nearly US$ 3 million has already been allocated by the WateReuse Research Foundation to nine high-priority direct potable reuse (DPR) research projects and more new DPR research funding will be announced later this year.

Nearly 50 water agencies, consulting firms, and suppliers have pledged almost US$ 6 million to support research to advance DPR as a water supply option in California, according to the Spring/Summer 2014 DPR Initiative Update released this week by WateReuse.

The nine projects are:

WRRF-13-02: Model Public Communication Plan for Advancing DPR Acceptance
The objective of this project is to establish a framework communication plan and develop an implementable, strategic communication plan to achieve DPR acceptance for the State of California.

Two model communities have been selected are San Diego and Santa Clara. The team will survey and interview these communities to test and refine their messaging. A workshop is being held in July to review findings from all of the interviews and focus groups and begin to plan for Phase II (development of a toolkit of materials to be used for outreach).

WRRF-13-03: Critical Control Point Assessment to Quantify Robustness and Reliability of Multiple Treatment Barriers of DPR Scheme
Objectives:

1. Conduct hazard assessment for key unit operations for two or more direct potable reuse (DPR) treatment trains, including the following:

a. MF/UF – RO – UV/H2O2 – Cl2 – Engineered Storage
b. O3 – BAC – GAC – UV – Cl2 – Engineered Storage

2. Develop best design, monitoring, and operational practices by evaluating critical process control points in each of the DPR treatment trains evaluated to meet overall system robustness and reliability
3. Develop standard design approaches and response strategies (ie, operations plan and standard operating procedures) to mitigate upset events to strive towards ‘fail-safe’ operation of a DPR plant.

The Hazen & Sawyer project team began work on 3 December 2013.

WRRF-13-12: Evaluation of Source Water Control Options and the Impact of Selected Strategies on DPR
The goals are to evaluate upstream wastewater treatment impacts on DPR source water quality and DPR process, and to evaluate impact of hydraulic control mechanisms on influent water quality and flow variations that “stress” the DPR process.

Proposal selection has occurred and contracting is in process so that an award should be announced shortly.

WRRF-13-13: Development of Operation and Maintenance Plan and Training and Certification Framework for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Systems
The object of this project is to develop a standard operations and maintenance plan for various DPR treatment processes, including appropriate portions of the upstream secondary wastewater treatment processes providing feedwater to the DPR processes. A DPR Training and Certification framework for DPR system operators will also be developed.
Proposal selection has occurred and contracting is in process so that an award should be announced shortly.

WRF 4536: Blending Requirements for Water from DPR Treatment Facilities
The objective of this project is to optimize, with respect to water quality, the blending of DPR water with existing water supplies based on existing information. Phase II will conduct case studies of selected blending strategies. Proposal selection has occurred and contracting is in process so that an award should be announced shortly. Water Research Foundation will fund and manage this project.

WRF 4508: Assessment of techniques for evaluating and demonstrating safety of DPR product water
The objectives of this project are to evaluate known techniques/methodologies (and potentially develop new technologies) for the assessment of DPR water safety (work with public outreach group to identify key criteria by which public would evaluate safety); to evaluate the effectiveness of currently accepted and alternative treatment trains for the production of DPR water using the developed techniques; and to develop tools and methods for utilities to demonstrate water safety to the public, elected officials etc. Proposal selection has occurred and contracting is in process so that an award should be announced shortly. Water Research Foundation will fund and manage this project.

WRRF-14-01: Integrated Management of Sensor Data for Real Time Decision Making and Response
The objective of this project is to develop an operation support tool that integrates diverse sensors within the treatment process for immediate feedback/alerts. Integrate existing sensors as an early warning system for a DPR treatment process to provide:

· Real time sensor network for tracking system performance and key quality parameters
· A tool for early detection of system anomalies prior to any compromise in water quality
· Build on criteria developed in WRRF-13-03 and 13-13 for decision making based on established critical control points
· Develop framework for sensor data integration based on above criteria.

WRRF-14-02: Establishing additional log reduction credits for WWTPs
The objectives are as follows:

· Obtain more accurate picture of the microbial treatment requirements by addressing the major source of uncertainty–the concentration of pathogens in raw wastewater and secondary effluent.
· Establish if there is any correlation between the number of pathogens in raw wastewater and secondary effluent.
· Establish removal credit for biological treatment provided (eg, activated sludge) for protozoa, bacteria, and viruses.
· Determine validity of pathogen log-removal requirements identified by CDPH for potable reuse projects.

WRRF-14-03, Develop Methodology of comprehensive (fiscal/triple bottom line) analysis of alternative water supply projects compared to DPR
The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate an assessment method (spreadsheet, database, or other) to provide information to decision makers in considering the full economic, social, and environmental impacts of a DPR water supply versus other alternative supplies.