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Future Water Quality Improvements

In 2018, GHID began a detailed study of our water quality to determine what is causing our aesthetic and taste/odor issues and what we can do to solve them. This study determined that chlorine, added at all our well sites, was causing iron and manganese to oxidize, which can turn the water yellow and/or black. Higher levels of ammonia can also cause chlorine odor issues. The higher levels of iron, manganese and ammonia are found naturally in our groundwater in the Salt Lake Valley. Currently, GHID uses six wells to supply approximately 25% of all water delivered, with the rest supplied by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. As part of this study, GHID also learned new techniques on flushing at hydrants to temporarily improve water quality.

In 2019, GHID’s consultant performed testing of iron/manganese removal treatment at these six wells. The tests proved successful. Visit the EPA’s website here: https://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/arsenic/arsenictradeshow/arsenic.cfm?action=Oxidation or watch this Youtube video: https://youtu.be/PdN2cxG1ZfA for additional information. However, a detailed cost estimate to construct the full-scale facilities showed that treatment would cost approximately $3 million per well site. See below for a sample process flow diagram.

Flowchart of Ammonia Oxidation and Manganese Treatment

 

In 2020, GHID’s Board of Trustees approved the first consultant contract to design a treatment facility to treat three of the wells at one site. The design of the first facility, the Rushton Groundwater Treatment Plant, will be completed in 2020 with construction to start in 2021.

Other Water Agencies have seen success with this method of treatment, and we expect to see large improvements in our water quality as these facilities are brought on-line. In the meantime, GHID crews will continue to proactively flush waterlines to try to keep system disruptions to a minimum. Please contact Engineering at 801.955.2297 or plans@ghid.org for additional information.

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