AWWA ACE56176

What are the options when a small community water system discovers elevated nitrate levels coming from its groundwater wells? This paper describes the sequence of events leading to a solution when nitrate levels exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 m/liter. The sequence of events includes: preparing a public notice; providing bottled water to customers that desire it; investigating source water alternatives; choosing the most feasible option based upon system circumstances; designing, permitting, and constructing the preferred solution, and then resampling to verify results; and, notifying customers of improved water quality and discontinuing bottled water refunds. Includes appendix.