Phase six
Tactical and strategic discolouration management
Tactical and strategic discolouration management
The discolouration issue
Within water distribution systems there is a continuous cycle of hydraulically mediated particulate material layer generation and mobilisation from the pipe wall. Discolouration as the foremost customer observed water quality failing is principally a result of flows exceeding the conditioned state of the material layers present. This leads to rapid uncontrolled mobilisation of accumulated material from the pipe wall into the bulk fluid. Thus it is critical to have knowledge of the current layer state and be able to predict the discolouration response for possible hydraulic scenarios. From this, intervention strategies, both tactical and strategic, can be designed and implemented to manage the discolouration risk.
Proposal summary
Through a nationally coordinated set of scientific drinking water distribution system (DWDS) trunk main studies involving a consortium of water suppliers, discolouration behaviour will be investigated and evidence based pro-active tactical and strategic operational tools and strategies developed and validated. Individual site study results will be directly applicable and of benefit to those specific sites, whilst co-ordinating results across the consortium will allow development of a nationwide database to help understand the factors influencing regeneration.
Two independent but complementary computing techniques will be explored and developed for analysis and interpretation of turbidity response to operational changes in flow. These complementary novel approaches will allow the practical and operational effectiveness of tactical and strategic flow/turbidity control to be planned and assessed. The techniques will also allow investigation of regeneration factors between sites including seasonal (temperature?) variation, hydraulic conditions and organic and in-organic water characteristics.
In addition it is hoped that at some selected sites different maintenance strategies may be applied and changed over the period of study, such as short weekly flow increases or longer interval, longer duration flow increments. This will inform development of optimum longer term operational strategies, potentially including information on downstream impacts from the different strategies to mitigate discolouration risk.
Objectives
To undertake field studies to evidence a framework such that tactical and strategic DWDS management policies can be planned and implemented to mitigate for discolouration incidents.
To investigate the use, application and operational requirements of tactical smart alarms developed through machine-learning techniques based on measured flow data to predict discolouration response in trunk mains.
To validate PODDS VCDM (Variable Condition Discolouration Model) modelling tool and parameters, with particular emphasis on movement to continuous modelling with improved predictive capabilities.
To perform a detailed quantification of asset deterioration rates in trunk mains based on PODDS VCDM calibration. This will inform strategic distribution and operation maintenance strategies.
Improve understanding of DWDS discolouration processes and factors influencing asset deterioration rates enabling best intervention decision making for managing discolouration risk within a TOTEX framework.
Project collaborators
Contacts at the University of Sheffield
Dr Stewart Husband
Senior Researcher
s.Husband@sheffield.ac.uk
Professor Joby Boxall
Project Management
J.B.Boxall@sheffield.ac.uk
User area
PODDS related company publications:
June 2016 – Scottish Water Vision magazine, '... £15 million saving...'
September 2016 – Northumbrian Water in Water and Wastewater Treatment, '... 90% capital cost saving...'
PODDS+ proposal. A two-year PODDS Club membership is proposed to enable the ongoing development of research led industry benefits in discolouration management supporting AMP delivery. The aim of the club is to enable participating Companies to continue and enhance reported benefits, including significant cost savings, improved water quality, regulatory compliance and reduced customer contacts. This will be achieved by ongoing technical support that will include provision of discolouration risk analysis, network planning and delivery, monitoring and modelling and leading of a specialist group. A copy of the collaboration agreement is here.
Phosphate dosing: investigating water quality impact in distribution systems. As the water sector progresses towards lead pipe free distribution and premises systems it was suggested that the internationally unique pipe loop system at the University of Sheffield is ideally suited to investigate the impacts of phosphate dosing in real systems, including the microbiological and associated water quality aspects such as discolouration. This document sets out initial thoughts on what could be done.
Understanding and managing metals and organics through reservoirs and their impact on distributed water quality. This project proposal aims to understand the fate and transport of metals and organics from the treatment works through the water distribution network so that appropriate and cost effective management strategies can be implemented. Specifically, the study seeks to identify how and when different source and sink behaviours occur and how final treated water quality influences these behaviours.
Discolouration and chlorine research in drinking water distribution systems. This report details the research developed in conjunction with the PODDS V project by the University of Sheffield and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW). The primary aim of this project was to explore in detail the impact of chlorine concentrations upon biofilm structure, accumulation and mobilisation behaviour in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). This was to be undertaken in the University of Sheffield's internationally unique pipe-loop research facility. In addition field trials were conducted to compliment the laboratory work with a view to investigating disinfectant residual impact upon material accumulation/regeneration rates in trunk mains.
Regulating discolouration in the UK. This document has been produced to stimulate discussion regarding the current regulation of discolouration related issues in the UK. It attempts to capture some key aspects that have arisen during PODDS events. The questions raised are substantive and potentially controversial.
PODDS VI project proposal, August 2015. Tactical and strategic discolouration management. Through a nationally coordinated set of scientific drinking water distribution system (DWDS) trunk main studies involving a consortium of water suppliers, discolouration behaviour will be investigated and evidence based pro-active tactical and strategic operational tools and strategies developed and validated. Individual site study results will be directly applicable and of benefit to those specific sites, whilst co-ordinating results across the consortium will allow development of a nationwide database to help understand the factors influencing regeneration. This project officially commenced 1 December 2016.
PODDS V project summary 2015. The PODDS V research project has been hugely successful in bringing together multiple aspects of research. Increased scientific knowledge from nationwide and laboratory studies has resulted in cost effective and efficient operational strategies that improve asset performance in water distribution systems with regards to safeguarding water quality. The work and subsequent impact has been recognised academically, by water practitioners internationally and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). This has only been possible with the active participation of project members helping organise trials that consistently demonstrate the hydraulically manageable and predictable discolouration behaviour whilst facilitating identification of governing processes.
DWI presentation, June 2015. The DWI invited the PODDS group to London to present our research. It was commented by the organisers that 29 (out of 40+ staff including clerical) was best turnout to date for this type of dissemination event.
REF 2014 The Research Excellence Framework (guide). REF is the new system for assessing UK Universities' research. PODDS was submitted as an Impact Case Study and subsequently showcased (one of only five from 514 case studies) as an excellent example of contributions by engineering research to the better provision of public services in a report prepared by Technopolis with the EPSRC, Royal Academy of Engineering and overseen by Professor John Fisher CBE FREng – 'Assessing the economic returns of engineering research and postgraduate training in the UK'.
NTU equivalence – set of plots that demonstrate how turbidity correlates with iron and manganese from national and international PODDS trials.
PODDS flow cytometry protocol. A protocol has been written (by Kat Fish and Stewart Husband) that uses sodium ascorbate for dechlorinating. Sodium ascorbate has been selected as it is basically vitamin C so is safer to handle, store, AWWA approved and not an oxygen scavenger like sodium thiosulphate.
PODDS guiding principles. Based on over a decade of industry leading international research. Includes key innovative priorities for developing efficient, cost-effective pro-active discolouration management strategies and a flowsheet methodology for identifying and prioritising trunk main conditioning.
Some examples of PODDS mediated savings are highlighted in table above (click table to get the PDF document).
Documents
PODDS Epanet model parameters can be seen here.
PODDS Epanet Model and PODDS Epanet Manual (2009) available here.
Steering group meetings
Inaugural meeting 29 October 2015, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Second meeting 19 January 2016, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Third meeting 14 April 2016, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Fourth meeting 3 August 2016, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes. Additional presentation from Atkins (on behalf of Severn Trent Water) detailing a very large and intensively monitored successful conditioning exercise increasing flows from 25ML/d to 40ML/d as part of the Birmingham Resilience Project. Scottish Water June 2016 'Vision' customer magazine, including a report on PODDS.
Fifth meeting 3 November 2016, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Sixth meeting 7 February 2017, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Seventh meeting 9 May 2017, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Eighth meeting 14 September 2017, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Ninth meeting 27 November 2017, University of Sheffield: agenda, presentation and minutes.
Publications
E Kazemi, S Mounce, S Husband and J Boxall (2018)
Predicting turbidity in water distribution trunk mains using nonlinear autoregressive exogenous artificial neural networks. HIC 2018, Palermo, Italy.
S Husband and J Boxall (2017)
Real time modelling of pipe wall material and managing the discolouration risk in distribution systems. WQT 2017, Portland, Oregon USA.
I Sunny, S Husband, G Moore, N Drake, K Mckenzie and J Boxall (2017)
Discolouration risk management and chlorine wall decay. CCWI 2017, Sheffield.
D M Cook and P S Husband (2017)
Rusby wood a smart network for sustainable discolouration risk reduction. CCWI 2017, Sheffield.
I Sunny, S Husband, N Drake, K Mckenzie and J Boxall (2017)
Quantity and quality benefits of in-service invasive cleaning of trunk mains. Drinking Engineering Science, 10, pp. 1–8. DOI
S Husband and J Boxall (2016)
Corrosion and Water Quality. Water and Sewerage Journal 96, pp. 42–43.
S Husband and J Boxall (2016)
Understanding and managing discolouration risk in trunk mains. Water Research, vol. 107, pp. 127–140. DOI
S R Mounce, E J M Blokker, S P Husband, W R Furnass, P G Schaap, J B Boxal (2016)
Multivariate data mining for estimating the rate of discolouration material accumulation in drinking water systems. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 18, pp. 96-114. DOI
E J M Blokker, W R Furnass, J Machell, S Mounce, P G Schapp and J Boxall (2016)
Relating water quality and age in drinkingwater distribution systems using self-organising maps. Environments [Online], 3, 10 DOI
K Fish, A Osbourn and J Boxall (2016)
Characterising and understanding the impact of microbial biofilms and the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix in drinking water distribution systems. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology. DOI
P S Husband, K Fish, I Douterelo and J Boxall (2016)
Linking discolouration modelling and biofilm behaviour within drinking water distribution systems. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, 16.4, pp. 942–950. DOI
D M Cook, P S Husband and J B Boxall (2016)
Operational management of trunk main discolouration risk. Urban Water Journal. DOI
S R Mounce, R B Mounce and J B Boxall (2016)
Case-based reasoning to support decision making for managing drinking water quality events in distribution systems. Urban Water Journal. 13 (7), pp. 727–738.
S R Mounce, J W Gaffney, S Boult and J B Boxall (2015)
Automated data driven approaches to evaluating and interpreting water quality time series data from water distribution systems. ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. vol. 141 (11), pp. 1–11.
E J M Blokker and P G Schapp (2015)
Particle accumulation rate of drinking water distribution systems determined by incoming turbidity. Procedia Engineering, 119 (CCWI), pp. 290–298.
S Jones, R Collins and J Boxall (2015)
Do transients contribute to turbidity failures of water distribution systems? Pressure Surges 2015, Dublin, Ireland.
K Ellis, S Mounce, J Edwards, V Speight, N Jakomis and J Boxall (2015)
Interpreting and estimating the risk of iron failures. Procedia Engineering 119 (CCWI), pp. 299–308.
S Husband, M Jackson and J Boxall (2015)
Identifying material accumulation processes in drinking water distribution systems with extended period epanet MSX turbidity simulations. Procedia Engineering vol. 119, pp. 398–406. DOI
S Husband and J Boxall (2015)
Predictive water quality modelling and resilience flow conditioning to manage discolouration risk in operational trunk mains. IWA Publishing Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-AQUA 64.5, pp. 529-542. DOI
S Husband, I Douterelo, K Fish and J Boxall (2015)
Biofilms and discolouration material accumulation processes in drinking water distribution systems and modelling the hydraulic mobilisation. IWA Specialized Conference Biofilms in drinking water systems Arosa, Switzerland August 2015.
S Husband, M Jackson and J Boxall (2015)
Identifying material accumulation processes in drinking water distribution systems with extended period epanet MSX turbidity simulations. 13th Computer Control for Water Industry Conference, CCWI, Leicester, UK September 2015.
K Fish, R Collins, N Green, R L Sharpe, A Osbourn and J Boxall (2015)
Characterisation of the physical composition and microbial community structure of biofilms within a model full-scale drinking water distribution system. PLOS ONE, 10.
I Douterelo, J Boxall, P Dienes, R Sekar, K Fish and C Biggs (2014)
Methodological approaches for studying the microbial ecology of drinking water distribution systems. Water Research, 65, pp. 134–156.
I Douterelo, R L Sharpe and J Boxall (2014)
Bacterial community dynamics during the early stages of biofilm formation in a chlorinated experimental drinking water distribution system: implications for drinking water discolouration. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 117, pp. 286–301.
S R Mounce, P S Husband, W R Furnass, J B Boxall (2014)
Multivariate data mining for estimating the rate of discolouration material accumulation in drinking water systems. 16th Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis, WDSA 2014, Bari, Italy. (Conference presentation can be found here)
I Douterelo, S Husband and J Boxall (2014)
The bacteriological composition of biomass recovered by flushing an operational drinking water distribution system. Water Research, vol. 54, 1 May 2014, pp. 100–114. DOI
W R Furnass, R P Collins, P S Husband, R L Sharpe, S R Mounce and J B Boxall (2014)
Modelling both the continual erosion and regeneration of discolouration material in drinking water distribution systems. IWA Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, vol. 14 (1), pp. 81–90.
S Husband, J Mistry and J Boxall (2013)
Modelling and flow conditioning to manage discolouration in trunk mains. 12th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, CCWI2013, Perugia Italy 2–5 September 2013.
I Douterelo, R L Sharpe and J Boxall (2013)
Influence of hydraulic regimes on bacterial community structure and composition in an experimental drinking water distribution system. Water Research, vol. 47, issue 2, 1 February 2013, pp. 503–516. DOI
W R Furnass, R P Collins, P S Husband, R L Sharpe, S R Mounce and J B Boxall (2012)
Modelling both the continual erosion and regeneration of discolouration material in drinking water distribution systems. IWA New Developments in IT and Water Conference, Amsterdam 4–6 November 2012.
S Husband and J B Boxall (2012)
Misleading Velocity Analysis for Water Quality Management in Transmission Mains. EWRI 2012, Albuquerque 20–24 May.
S Husband, Y Xin and J B Boxall (2012)
Long term asset condition and discolouration modelling in water distribution systems with epanet MSX. EWRI 2012, Albuquerque 20–24 May.
S Husband, M Jackson and J Boxall (2011)
Trunk main discolouration trials and strategic planning. Computing and Control for the Water Industry (CCWI) 2011, Exeter, 5–7 September.
S Husband (2010)
Discolouration in water distribution systems; understanding, modelling and practical applications. Doctoral Thesis, University of Sheffield.
S Husband and J B Boxall (2011)
Asset deterioration and discolouration in water distribution systems. Water Research 45, pp. 113-124. DOI
S Husband, R Williams and J B Boxall (2010)
Risk managed trunk main operation. Water Distribution System Analysis 2010, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 12–15 September.
R Sharpe, C J Smith, C A Biggs and J B Boxall (2010)
Pilot scale laboratory investigations into the impact of steady state conditioning flow on potable water discolouration. Water Distribution System Analysis 2010, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 12–15 September.
P Dienes, R Sekar, S Husband, J B Boxall, A M Osborn and C A Biggs (2010)
A new coupon design for simultaneous analysis of in situ microbial biofilm formation and community structure in drinking water distribution systems. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 87, pp. 749–756. DOI
S Husband, J Whitehead and J B Boxall (2010)
The role of trunk mains in discolouration. Journal of Water Management, ICE. DOI
S Husband and J B Boxall (2010)
Field studies of discolouration in water distribution systems: model verification and practical implications. Journal of Environmental Engineering 136(1), pp. 86–94. DOI
A Seth, S Husband and J B Boxall (2009)
Rivelin Trunk Main Flow Test. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, CCWI, 1–3 September, Sheffield, UK.
S Husband, J Whitehead and J B Boxall (2009)
Long term trunk main monitoring yields operational dividends. 3rd Biennial Conference of the UK Network on Potable Water Treatment and Supply, Buxton, 1–2 June 2009.
S Husband, J B Boxall and A J Saul (2008)
Laboratory studies investigating the processes leading to discolouration in water distribution networks. Water Research 42(16), pp. 4309–4318.
P S Husband and J B Boxall (2008)
Water distribution system asset deterioration and impact on water quality - a case study. ASCE World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, May 13–16, Ahupua'a, Hawaii, USA.
J H G Vreeburg and J B Boxall (2007)
Discolouration in potable water distribution systems: a review. Water Research 41, pp. 519–529.
S Husband and J B Boxall (2007)
Repeat DMA flushing operations: discolouration comparison, modelling and management. Proceedings of EPSRC Developments in Water Treatment and Supply, 4–5 July 2007, Bath, UK.
J B Boxall and R A Prince (2006)
Modelling discolouration in a Melbourne (Australia) potable water distribution system. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology - AQUA, IWA, 55.3, pp. 207–219.
S Husband and J B Boxall (2005)
Material accumulation and mobilisation in a pipe loop system. Proceedings of EPSRC Developments in Water Treatment and Supply, 5–6 July 2005, York, UK.
J B Boxall and N Dewis (2005)
Identification of discolouration risk through simplified modelling. Proceedings of ASCE, EWRI, World Water and Environmental Resources Congress, May 15–19, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
J B Boxall and A J Saul (2005)
Modelling discolouration in potable water distribution systems. Journal Environmental Engineering ASCE, vol 131, no. 5, pp. 716–725.
J B Boxall, A J Saul and P J Skipworth (2004)
Modelling for hydraulic capacity. Journal of the American Water Works Association, vol. 96, no. 4, pp. 161–169.
J B Boxall, P J Skipworth and A J Saul (2003)
Aggressive flushing for discolouration event mitigation in water distribution networks. Water Science and Technology - Water Supply, vol. 3, part 1 of 2, pp. 179–186.
J B Boxall, D M Unwin, P S Husband, A J Saul, N Dewis and J D Gunstead (2003)
Water quality in distribution systems: rehabilitation and maintenance strategies. Proceedings of International CCWI conference, Advances in Water Supply Management, 15–17 September 2003, Imperial College London, UK.
J B Boxall, A J Saul, J D Gunstead and N Dewis (2003)
Regeneration of discolouration in distribution systems. Proceedings of ASCE, EWRI, World Water and Environmental Resources Conference, 23–26 June 2003, Philadelphia, USA.
A Seth, R T Bachmann, J B Boxall, A J Saul and R Edyvean (2003)
Characterisation of materials causing discolouration in potable water systems. Water Science and Technology, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 27–32.
J B Boxall, P J Skipworth and A J Saul (2001)
A novel approach to modelling sediment movement in distribution mains based on particle characteristics. Water Software Systems: v. 1: Theory and Applications (Water Engineering and Management), B Ulanicki, B Coulbeck and J P Rance Research Studies Press, Hertfordshire, UK, pp. 263–273.
If you have any issues accessing a file or document please email Dr Stewart Husband: s.husband@sheffield.ac.uk.