There is currently a great need to expand the understanding of land use policy’s impact on water quality. The purpose of this thesis is to examine local policy in place in Covington, Louisiana in order to find out if it is having an impact on land use, which then has an impact on water quality. Methods used included reclassification of land use categories within a Geographical Information System and analysis of changes in the city over a four year period. Policy was assessed using a pre-existing evaluation method from The Center for Watershed Protection as well as by a more flexible instrument developed by staff and faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Mississippi State University. Three water quality parameters were examined for impairment due to their known correlation to urban runoff. It was determined that Covington’s water quality related policy is insufficient and is having little effect to curtail the types of development occurring within its boundaries. Impervious cover within the city is rising and surface waters both within and around the city are impaired.

Two approaches for the examination of microbially-caused degradation of water quality within water distribution systems were considered: the results of a questionnaire were analyzed and a sampling technique utilizing a concentrator was evaluated. A questionnaire, completed by water treatment plant operators in Virginia, was analyzed to ascertain what complaints regarding water quality were being received and what the causes of the complaints were. The most frequently reported complaints were those of taste and odor. Although they were not the sole factor, it appears nuisance bacteria were causative agents in degradation problems related to turbidity and red water. The Pellicon cassette system concentrator was evaluated for use during sampling in water distribution systems. The evaluation included determining the range of percent recovery in the retentate to be expected and the factors affecting this recovery. Thirty to sixty percent recovery of bacteria (Pseudomonas cepacia or Escherichia coli) in the retentate can be expected. The percent reduction in volume was the system parameter which most affected the percent recovery. / Master of Science

Periphyton was monitored monthly at four sites on the Waipara River from July 1999 to January 2002. Interactions with river flows, nutrients and invertebrates were examined to determine how these factors controlled periphyton development. Comparison of the Waipara River to other New Zealand streams indicated that periphyton biomass at the uppermost site (Site 1) was generally low to moderate. Further downstream, moderate to high biomass occurred at sites 2 and 4. Biomass at Site 3 was generally low, although some very high values occurred on occasions. Periphyton biomass at sites 2 and 4 exceeded periphyton guidelines for the protection of aesthetic/recreational values at least once during each full year monitored. In contrast, the guidelines were rarely exceeded at Site 1. Dissolved inorganic nutrients were generally poor indicators of the nutrient status of the river because of plant uptake. Cellular N and P values indicated nutrient enrichment at sites 2 and 4, which correspondingly had the highest biomass values. Conductivity tended to positively correlate with temporal and spatial patterns in periphyton biomass and was useful as a surrogate indicator of nutrient supply regimes. It correlated negatively with river flows, indicating higher nutrient concentrations may occur during reduced flows. Notable differences occurred in biomass development between periods of contrasting flow regimes. In particular, annual mean and maximum biomass at the three downstream sites was considerably higher during a period of low stable flows compared to a period of higher base flows. However, at the uppermost site, differences in biomass between these periods were much less pronounced. Invertebrate densities increased significantly with increasing periphyton biomass at the three downstream sites. There was little indication that invertebrates had any major control on periphyton biomass at these sites. However, at the uppermost site, although the invertebrate densities were generally much lower than at the other sites, they are more likely to have a controlling influence on periphyton biomass. Overall, the nutrient supply regime of the Waipara River is the primary controller on biomass development. Flow regimes (both frequency of disturbance and extent of low flows) operate as secondary controls of biomass.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A PhD thesis submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering. Johannesburg / This study involves the investigation of the paint wastewater treatment using inorganic coagulants such as FeCl3, Fe2(SO4)3, AlCl3 and Al2(SO4)3 in a jar test during rapid and slow mixing for 250 and 100 rpm respectively, settled the samples, measure the pH and turbidity. The pH, turbidity and area covered by the flocs were used as measurements in this study to determine the quality of treated paint wastewater. In the first experiment, 200 mL sample of 169.2 g of paint wastewater dissolved in 1L of potable water was poured into six 500 mL glass beakers sample dosed with FeCl3 only, combined FeCl3 and Ca(OH)2 or Mg(OH)2 as well as FeCl3-Ca(OH)2 and FeCl3-Mg(OH)2 polymers respectively, run through a jar test with rapid and slow mixing. The supernatant was extracted after 1 hour settling to measure the pH and turbidity. The observations showed that combined FeCl3 and Mg(OH)2 as well as FeCl3-Mg(OH)2 polymers yielded identical and slightly higher turbidity removal than combined FeCl3 and Ca(OH)2 and FeCl3-Ca(OH)2 polymers. Another batch of experiments was carried out using the same metal salts with Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2 respectively for pH adjustment. The samples were treated in a jar test using various dosing patterns such as dosages, dosing prior or during mixing, combined dosages interchangeably, retention time. A third batch of experiments was carried out by dosing synthetic polymers of FeCl2-Ca(OH)2 and FeCl2-Mg(OH)2 respectively using similar dosing patterns. The results obtained in first set of experiments, were Fe3+ and Al3+ salts were added in paint wastewater showed that the changing pH correlates with turbidity removal. It was also observed that dosing prior or during mixing do not play any significant role in wastewater treatment. Another observation showed that flocculation of the paint wastewater dosed with FeCl2-Ca(OH)2 or FeCl2-Mg(OH)2 polymers do not show correlation between the pH and turbidity, which indicates that the pH is not an indicator of turbidity removal in a more alkaline solutions such as paint wastewater. A second study was carried out using the same paint wastewater samples (200 mL) and samples dosed with Fe3+ and Al3+ salts treated in a jar test and immediately two drops of supernatant were placed on a microscope slide and view it under a microscope connected to a camera, images were captured after 1, 60 and 90 minutes respectively (Exp A). Samples were prepared from the original paint wastewater and the standard solution of Fe3+ and Al3+ in a small scale using identical metal salt/paint wastewater volume ratios as above. Two drops from the paint wastewater and metal salt solution were place on a microscope slide and images were captured as above using 1, 60 and 90 minutes respectively (Exp B). All the visuals were printed and the visuals obtained in Exp A were compared with their corresponding visuals in Exp B in accordance with time. The results obtained showed that the percentage area covered by flocs treated in a jar test (Exp A) correlates linearly with the percentage area covered by the flocs from a microscope slide (Exp B). The results obtained using this technique also confirm that the reaction between the drops of a sample and the drops of coagulant produces well-developed solid hydrolysis species. A third study was carried out by pouring 200 mL of the same paint wastewater samples into six 500 mL glass beakers and with Fe3+ and Al3+ salts as above, run through a jar test during 30, 45 and 60 seconds rapid mixing (250 rpm) only for 2 minutes respectively. The samples settled for 1 hour, and then pH and turbidity were measured. Another experiment was carried out using the similar method as above with samples run through a jar test at 250 rpm during 30, 45 and 60 seconds rapid mixing (250 rpm) for 2 minutes followed by slow mixing (100 rpm) for 10 minutes (combined rapid and slow mixing). The samples settled for 1 hour, and then pH and turbidity were measured. The results obtained from the jar tests (comparison between flocculation during rapid mixing only and combined rapid and slow mixing) showed that the pH in the samples with rapid mixing shows an insignificant change compared to their corresponding samples with combined rapid and slow mixing; turbidity in the samples with 30, 45 and 60 seconds rapid mixing showed that most of the flocs are formed within 30 seconds. There is a correlation between the pH and turbidity when paint wastewater is dosed with Fe3+ or Al3+ metal ions in their respective metal salts without pH adjustment. The Fe3+ and Al3+ of the same concentration yield a similar pH and turbidity trend.

This research evaluated corrosion and scale deposition in steel and copper pipe sections from apartment complexes located in Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA), and Maryland (MD). Piping samples from these locations had corroded at an accelerated rate and consisted of HVAC piping, and domestic copper pipes. Pipes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to quantify the elemental composition of the samples. The water chemistry of each system was compared to the elemental data to determine correlations. Particular elements from the EDS analysis in comparison to the water quality parameters, Langelier Saturation Index, and Larson Skold indices exhibited inverse and direct correlations. The deposition of corrosion product and scales occurred in all systems that had implemented corrosion control in the form of pH adjustment and inhibitors to prevent infrastructure degradation. Although measures were taken to prevent corrosion, the current practices were not effective at the current dosing rate showing that the municipalities could consider other options such phosphate blend inhibitors and lime as effective corrosion control mechanisms.