The Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) recently completed a pilot testing project with the Township of Tay to address seasonal taste and odour events.
Tay is a township in Central Ontario, Canada, located in Simcoe County in the southern Georgian Bay region. The township comprises the villages and rural hamlets of Ebenezer, Elliots Corners, Melduf, Mertzs Corners, Ogden’s Beach, Old Fort, Paradise Point, Port McNicoll, Riverside, Sturgeon Bay, Triple Bay Park, Vasey, Victoria Harbour, Waubaushene and Waverley.
The community has been experiencing seasonal taste and odour events, such as geosmin and methyl-isoborneol (MIB) in the raw and treated water. The community’s ultrafilter effluent was used to test an advanced oxidation process (AOP) (high UV dose + hydrogen peroxide) and granular activated carbon (GAC) to reduce taste and odour compounds. WCWC confirmed that both AOP and GAC removed the taste and odour compounds to below the odour threshold; however, additional chlorine was needed after the AOP process.
The township and engineering consultant will use the results to select the appropriate treatment for their system upgrades.
WCWC conducts pilot tests for clients to enhance their understanding of source water characteristics and the performance of treatment processes and alternative treatment options. Bench or pilot scale projects can be undertaken at a client’s location or at the Technology Demonstration Facility in Walkerton.
WCWC has years of pilot testing experience in areas such as natural organic matter, disinfection by-products, iron and manganese treatment, arsenic, and coagulation. Pilot testing reports are available on WCWC’s Drinking Water Resource Library at www.DrinkingWaterResourceLibrary.ca, which is a free online portal that assists drinking water professionals find information on various topics.
To learn more about WCWC’s pilot testing services, please visit https://wcwc.ca/services/pilot-testing/ or contact us at 866-515-0550.
Background: WCWC is an agency of the Government of Ontario, established in 2004, to help ensure clean and safe drinking water for the entire province. WCWC coordinates and provides education, training and information to drinking water system owners, operators and operating authorities, and the public, in order to safeguard Ontario’s drinking water. To date, high-quality drinking water training has been provided to more than 90,000 participants across Ontario. Through partnerships, WCWC also provides training for the 134 First Nations communities in Ontario. For more information please visit www.wcwc.ca.
