AWWA MTC64612

The Anones, Sana Muerto, and Hatillo-Camuy Filtration Plants are owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). The three facilities have a treatment capacity of 0.25, 0.5, and 3.4 million gallons per day (MGD), respectively. Treatment at each of the facilities currently consists of aeration followed by conventional treatment (coagulation, clarification, and filtration). Each is located on a small river and can see raw water turbidity spikes from less than 10 NTU to more than 5000 NTU in a matter of hours. This, combined with rising demands, the age of the existing equipment, and climate have made it difficult to consistently and reliably achieve finished water turbidities less than 0.3 NTU as required by the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1ESWTR). As a result of the above and even more stringent future treatment and disinfection requirements, the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 2 required PRASA to develop a plan to improve finished water quality and comply with current and future drinking water regulations. It was ultimately decided that the final treatment scheme at each of the three facilities would include upgrades to the existing conventional treatment processes, addition of membrane filtration, disinfection improvements, and other miscellaneous process improvements. To complete these projects, PRASA was granted nearly $12 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Includes table, figures.