Engineering Commons^™

Impacts Of Water Sources On The Effectiveness Of Point-Of-Use Water Treatment, Robert Brophy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Disinfection of drinking water provides a safe, reliable, and clean water supply and has been protecting public health successfully throughout the 20th century. However, factors such as deteriorating infrastructure, introduction of microbial pathogens, or disinfection byproducts create problems and reduce the effectiveness of a drinking water treatment plant. Every day the public is drinking known carcinogens that are regulated by the EPA and tested for quarterly by treatment plants. To combat rising costs involved with upgrading source water treatment, point-of-use treatment is a popular option that treats water as it leaves the distribution system instead of being treated before discharge. …