Drinking Water Distribution System Laboratory

Director: Professor James G. Uber

The drinking water distribution system (DWDS) laboratory is equipped to support research for improving the understanding of DWDS hydraulics, and disinfectant decay and by-product formation. The laboratory is used: 1) for performing bench-scale disinfectant decay and by-product formation studies; and 2) as a staging area to prepare for large-scale field studies. Bench-scale laboratory equipment for performing disinfectant decay and by-product formation experiments include four HACH colorimeters (two model 820 units; two model 850 units), four HACH pH meters, and associated glassware and chemicals. Field study equipment for monitoring disinfectant decay and by-product formation, and fluoride and conductivity [e.g. NaCl, CaCl2] tracers in the distribution system include: nine continuous conductivity/temperature analyzers [ATI; to be increased to fourteen units]; two water quality analyzers that include continuous chlorine/pH, ORP, and temperature analyzers [Rosemount], and an automatic sampler for collecting headspace free samples to measure disinfectant by-product concentrations; two continuous chlorine analyzers [ATI]; and the HACH colorimeters [for chlorine and fluoride analysis] and pH meters.