Testing Water Quality in a Municipal Wastewater Effluent Treated to Drinking Water Standards

Project Summary

The goal of this project is to test the quality of wastewater effluent that has been treated to drinking water standards at the Raw Water Production Facility, a full-scale potable water reuse facility at Big Spring, TX. Samples from various locations in the treatment train will be analyzed for pathogens, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other constituents of emerging concern. Surrogates will be monitored and correlations developed between surrogate concentrations and the corresponding primary constituents. The main deliverable for the project will be a resource document that provides monitoring guidelines for direct potable reuse projects in Texas.

TWDB Contract Manager:
Erika Mancha
Funding Recipient:
Carollo Engineers, Inc.
Principal Investigator:
Eva Steinle-Darling, Ph.D., P.E.
Co-Principal Investigator:
Andrew Salveson, P.E.
Project Administrator:
Hisham (Hutch) Musallam, P.E.
Project Start Date:
August 15, 2013
Project Completion Date:
December 31, 2016
Total Project Cost:
$464,389
TWDB Share of Project Cost:
$300,000
Benefits:
The overarching goal is to demonstrate that direct potable reuse is safe and a viable alternative for producing potable water in Texas. The resource document produced for this project can be used by other communities interested in exploring or pursuing direct potable reuse.

Project Details

Participants:

Carollo Engineers, Inc., The University of Texas at Austin, Trussell Technologies, Inc., Southern Nevada Water Authority, LLC, Bio Vir Laboratories, Inc., Hazen and Sawyer, and Nalco Company

Funding Sponsors:

Carollo Engineers, Inc.
Hazen and Sawyer
Nalco Company
Texas Water Development Board
Trussell Technologies
Water Environment and Reuse Foundation
WateReuse Association, Texas Section

Funding Recipient:

Carollo Engineers, Inc.
8911 Capital of Texas Highway North
Suite 2200
Austin, Texas 78759
512-453-5383

Project Manager:

Eva Steinle-Darling, Ph.D., P.E.
Carollo Engineers, Inc.
8911 Capital of Texas Highway North
Suite 2200
Austin, Texas 78759
512-453-5383

Milestones

Event Date
Announcement of Request for Proposals in Texas Register July 5, 2013
Initial Statement of Interest received by TWDB July 19, 2013
Study approved by TWDB August 15, 2013
Contract executed November 22, 2013
Kickoff Meeting January 22, 2014

Progress Reports

Final Deliverables

Educational Resources

  • Sustainable Solutions...for a Thirsty Planet: A website that provides tools to better understand the need and application of sustainable water practices.
  • Downstream: A video relating to the public the water cycle and the role of upstream discharges.
  • Recycled Water, Putting the Risk into Perspective: A video addressing the safety concerns of recycling water.
  • WateReuse: The WateReuse Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the beneficial and efficient use of water resources through education, sound science, and technology using reclamation, recycling, reuse and desalination.

For More Information

Texas Water Development Board
1700 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78711

Erika Mancha - Project Contact
512-463-7932

Merry Klonower - Media Contact
512-463-8165

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