Richard Miller Treatment Plant - thomasmore.edu...Richard Miller Treatment Plant Sources of Algal Blooms Ohio River Settling Reservoirs. RMTP Treatment Today Clarification Turbidity

Richard Miller Treatment Plant Sources of Algal Blooms

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

RMTP Treatment Today

Clarification

Turbidity / Microbial

Removal Natural and

Synthetic Organics

Removal

Disinfection,

Fluoridation,

Corrosion

Control

Inhibitors

Plant Capacity: 240 MGD

Average Pumping: 110 MGD

Normal Ohio River

GCWW IntakeSeptember 16, 2015

Photo courtesy of Mike Baker, OEPA

Differences Between Sources of Algae at RMTP

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

o Diversity of algal populationo Few cyanobacteriao Rare bloomso Low chlorophyllo Rare MIB/Geosmin

o Lack of algal diversityo Cyanobacteria dominanceo Seasonal bloomso Higher chlorophyllo Frequent MIB/Geosmin

Lamella HRS + Backwash Recycling

Ohio River Intakes

Old River Station (ORS)Ohio River Pumping

Station

o Original Intake from 1890’so Gates in Side of Intake Pier

Structure, Bank Side of Piero At Ohio River Pool stage of

26 feet (429.26 AMSL), Opening is 10-12 feet below River’s Surface

o Current Practices do not call for adjusting to River Conditions

o Second Pump Station added in 1950’s

o Open sided Crib Structureo Located on the Ohio River

Bedo At Ohio River Pool Stage,

this is about 23 feet below River’s Surface

Current Monitoring Tools

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

o Extracted Chlorophyll a and Phycocyanin

o EXOsonde Chlorophyll a and Phycocyanin

o Microscopic identification and enumeration

o MIB/Geosmino Cyanotoxinso Cyanotoxin Geneso Ohio River HAB Co-op

o Extracted Chlorophyll a and Phycocyanin

o EXOsonde Chlorophyll a and Phycocyanin

o Microscopic identification and enumeration

o MIB/Geosmino Cyanotoxinso Cyanotoxin Geneso Reservoir Profiling

Algae Sample Schedule

Chlorophyll a PhycocyaninSemi-Quant

Bluegreen Counts

MIB/GEOS**

Toxins*

qPCR* EXO 2

CW1I W

CW1E T

CUVE M,W,F M,W,F T

GACI M,W,F M,W,F W T

FLIN M,W,F M,W,F T

SETT M,W,F M,W,F W W W T

LMEF W W

RAW M,W,F M,W,FW, q-PCR

day W, q-PCR day W T T Continuous

ORS (RRS) M,W,F T Continuous

RES1 M,W,F

RES2 M,W,F

*follows OEPA requested schedule**Collect MWF when levels >3 ppt

Chlorophyll-a and Phycocyanin

o Extracted▪ 3X per week▪ River and Settled▪ Filtration Treatment

Trigger

o EXOsonde▪ Continuous▪ Data intensive▪ Site specific

interpretation▪ Special investigations▪ CA/BG, TEMP/COND,

DO, pH, NTU, and fDOM

Chlorophyll Levels Thru Process

Reservoir Bloom Seasons

Spring Fall

River EXOsonde Data

River EXOsonde Data

Reservoir Profiling

Top 5ft

10-40 ft

o 1X per weeko River and Settledo Sedgwick Rafter BG Counto Semi-Quantitative Count

Microscopic Identificationand Enumeration

Microscopic Identificationand Enumeration

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

o Background debriso Common genera

▪ Cyclotella▪ Melosira▪ Pennate Diatoms▪ Scenedesmus▪ Ankistrodesmus▪ Asterionella

o Common genera▪ Pseudanabaena▪ Planktothrix▪ Raphidiopsis▪ Scendesmus▪ Nitzschia▪ Melosira▪ Cylindrospermopsis

Microscopic Identificationand Enumeration

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

o Cyclotella x 57%o Melosira x 14%o Pennate diatom x 14%o Scenedesmus x 14%

o Aphanizomenon x 1%o Chroococcus x 2%o Coelastrum x 3%o Euglena x 1%o Planktothrix x 1%o Pseudanabaena xx 90%o Raphidiopsis x 1%o Staurastrum x 1%

o Leica StereoZoom

▪ Up to 40X

o Nikon Inverted

▪ Up to 400X

o Zeiss Binocular

▪ Up to 1000X (phase contrast)

All capable of photodocumentation

Microscopes Available

o Algae ID and enumeration

▪ Raw, Settled, Reservoirs

▪ Through treatment plant

▪ Other locations

o Customer Water Quality

▪ Identification of particulates

▪ Samples from customer

▪ Samples collected

Potential Uses

▪ Large specimens

▪ 3-D preparations

▪ Internal and external light source

▪ 7X-40X magnification

Leica Stereoscopic Scope

Leica Stereoscopic Scope

▪ Settled algal specimens

▪ Petri dishes

▪ Tissue culture

▪ Internal light source

▪ 100X-400X magnification

▪ Objectives below specimen

Nikon Inverted Scope

Nikon Inverted Scope

▪ Flat preparations▪ Internal light source▪ 100X-1000X

magnification▪ Brightfield and Phase

Contrast▪ Objectives above

specimen

Zeiss Binocular Scope

Zeiss Binocular Scope

Geosmin and Chlorophyll

Cyanotoxin Monitoring

Ohio River Settling Reservoirs

o OEPA Requirement▪ qPCR▪ Cyanobacteria▪ Genes for individual

toxinso Microcystin,

Cylindrospermopsin & Saxitoxin▪ 4x/quarter

o Microcystin, Cylindrospermopsin & Saxitoxin▪ 4x/quarter

Cyanotoxin Monitoring

Cyanobacteria Screening

o OEPA required monitoring▪ June 2016 - present▪ Biweekly▪ Raw

o Cyanobacteria Screening▪ 16s rRNA gene▪ mcyE gene▪ cyrA gene▪ sxtA gene

Based on 2 HAB seasons, qPCR screening provides a reliable indicator, per OEPA.

River Cyanobacteria Screening

River Toxin Gene Screening

o Microcystin and Cylindrospermopsin Genes▪ <Reporting Limit, 0.18 GC/µL

o Saxitoxin Gene▪ 7.8 GC/µL▪ November 2016▪ No toxin detected

Water Quality Challenges & Treatment

o Water Quality Challenges▪ Turbidity breakthrough (sand filters, GAC contactors)

▪ Short filter run hours/Increased backwashing

▪ MIB, Geosmin episodes

▪ Potential for toxins

o Reactive Treatment▪ Algaecide

▪ Ferric Sulfate - filtration

▪ Potassium Permanganate – oxidation, filtration

▪ Powdered Activated Carbon – reservoir darkening, adsorption

▪ Costly, not consistent performance

Potential Solutions

o Further research▪ Spatial distribution of algae in

reservoirs/areas of growth

▪ Role of sludge/nutrient release/ seeding/fate of cyanotoxins

▪ Early bloom indicators

▪ Seasonal reservoir chemistry/ecology

o Algae control▪ Cyanobacteria grazers/paddlefish

▪ Ultrasonic devices

▪ Localized treatment at reservoirs

▪ Optimized coagulation/removal at HRS facility

▪ Treatment/disposal of backwash water

▪ Hydrogen peroxide

▪ Air flotation