Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc.
Celebrating 26 years of serving Water Utilities
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January - February 2023| Volume 26 |
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Since 1997 Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. has been proud to serve the water utility industry. We offer three different inspections of water storage tanks and towers to meet your needs: 1. Our underwater remote video and lighting system allows you to get a good look at your tank both above and below the waterline; 2. Our Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are equipped to swim to the back of the tank to acquire more information; 3. Diver inspections are available to look at specific areas for the most detailed inspection. All of our inspections include photos of all AWWA and State required inspection points and a narrated video showing interior conditions. Please give us a call for a free proposal: 817-377-4899 or toll-free at 888-481-1768. |
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Chlorinated Water Discharge During Diver Cleaning.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has established Water Quality Criteria (WQC) for ‘total residual chlorine’ (TRC) concentrations permissible in receiving waters, to protect aquatic life and water quality. These concentrations are based on acute and chronic toxicity effects for aquatic life. Under the acute toxicity criterion, the 1-hour average chlorine concentration of the stream should not exceed 19 mg/L more than once every three years, on average. Under the chronic toxicity criterion, the 4-day average concentrations should not exceed 11 mg/L more than once every three years, on average.
Most states in the U.S. use 19 and 11 mg/L as the acute and chronic criteria for TRC for receiving streams. Some states have adopted a toxicity-based criterion as the water quality criterion for TRC. The state regulatory agencies require water utilities to abide by the receiving water quality criterion while discharging chlorinated waters. In addition, the regulatory agencies use WQC to develop maximum allowable chlorine concentrations while issuing general/individual permits for the discharge of chlorinated water into streams.
The permit processes used by state regulatory agencies to regulate chlorinated water discharge vary significantly from state to state.
California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Maryland, and West Virginia have stringent regulatory discharge limits for chlorinated waters. Chlorine discharge limits in all water releases into receiving streams must not exceed 0.1 mg/L (or a more stringent limit) in these states. Other states have more than one general permit to regulate various chlorinated water releases. However, these permits do not include all potable water discharges.
Nebraska and Texas regulate hydro testing waters through a general permit or an administrative rule.
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Chlorinated water discharge during diver cleaning is minimal if at all.
Sucking the sediment up from the floor of a tank uses a minimal amount of chlorinated water to move it. Sediment and the water near the bottom of a water storage tank seldom have any chlorine residual left due to Bacteria, Protozoa, viruses, and other contaminants depleting chlorine residuals.
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This is why cleaning your tanks is so important in the first place. Sunlight will also deplete chlorine. If the chlorine does not exceed 0.1 mg/L coming out of a tank there is no issue. After the treated water is mixed with the sediment being sucked through the pump and discharged into the yard there is seldom any chlorine to be found. Sediments will often fill up low spots in the yard. Sunlight will deplete any remaining chlorine as the discharge water makes its way across the utility yard. Link
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Like Everyone Else, Our Prices Are Being Forced Up!
For years we have maintained very low prices for our services. The world is changing fast.
Inflation in combination with a labor shortage has hit every sector of our economy. I would rather be writing about contaminants that can grow in your tank sediment and why you should call us to clean your water storage tanks.
However, I feel it is important our customers understand what is behind our price increases. While it is true that fuel, insurance, and travel cost have all increased, labor costs are at an all-time high, and a shortage of Commercial Divers has driven costs up. Our labor cost for trained personnel has more than tripled over the past year and is still increasing. We are dedicated to providing great service to our customers. This will come at a higher cost mainly due to the wage demands of commercial divers.
Be sure to get a new proposal for your 2023 budget, prices will be valid for only 60 days. Our price increases insure we will be here when you need us to serve you in the future.
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New Bank
The new year also finds us with a new bank. Please contact us before you pay with an ACH.
If you have questions or need a new proposal please contact Robert Perrin at [email protected] or call 817-377-4899. |
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NOROVIRUS
Norovirus has been found in many water storage tanks, but what is it?
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Check out our New TAP TALK Video Series.
We have put together great videos from our dive crew that you will want to see.
Check it out at:
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Is there a STANDPIPE in your water system? Our underwater cameras make quick work out of inspecting it. We can get a look all the way down to the bottom!
We also have the perfect tool to clean it! Wallie is our ROBOT Standpipe Cleaner for tanks over 70 feet deep.
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These structures present many problems for our potable water dive crew. Wallie is able to work at depth until the tank is clean. He is equipped with two cameras and a cleaning tip so he can not only clean the tank but get great documentation as he goes. |
At Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. we use underwater cameras to perform water tank and tower inspections. This gives you a look at what is really going inside your storage facilities with no disruption in service and no water loss. If your tanks do need to be cleaned we can deploy a potable water dive crew that can make quick work out of tank cleaning by removing the sediment with minimal water loss. When sediment is removed from water storage all contaminants including microbes and pathogens that have been using that sediment for a safe habitat are also removed. Our crew can keep your system safe. We continue to keep our crew safe by putting safety first, providing the right equipment, and allowing our people to have the time they need to do a job completely and without being rushed.
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Photo Right: Diver entering GST. Photo Above: Diver cleaning a potable Water GST. For a free Proposal Call
817-377-4899
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Recreational or drinking water can get contaminated with norovirus and make you sick or contaminate your food.
This can happen:
- At the source such as when a septic tank leaks into a well
- When water isn't treated properly, such as not enough chlorine
You can get norovirus illness many times in your life because there are many different types of noroviruses. Infection with one type of norovirus may not protect you against other types. It is possible to develop immunity to (protection against) specific types. However, it is not known exactly how long immunity lasts. This may explain why so many people of all ages get infected during norovirus outbreaks. Also, whether you are susceptible to norovirus infection is also determined in part by your genes.
In 1990, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB), an independent panel of experts established by Congress, cited drinking water contamination as one of the most important environmental risks and indicated that disease-causing microbial contaminants (i.e., bacteria, protozoa, and viruses) are probably the greatest remaining health risk management challenge for drinking water suppliers (USEPA SAB 1990). This view was prompted by the SAB's concern about the number of waterborne disease outbreaks in the U.S. Between 1980 and 1994, 379 waterborne disease outbreaks were reported, with over 500,000 cases of the disease. During this period, a number of agents were implicated as the cause, including protozoa, viruses, and bacteria, as well as several chemicals. Most of the cases (but not outbreaks) were associated with surface water, and specifically with a single outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Milwaukee (over 400,000 cases). This statement from the SAB in 1990 is still true today and is still used by the USEPA to justify regulations.
The USEPA has acknowledged tank sediment is a breach in a water system. Tank sediment can provide a habitat for bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. If we keep water storage tanks and towers clean, chlorine and other disinfectants can do their job and kill pathogens that make their way into your water system. Tank sediment often has organic matter. When mixed with chlorine, it may cause Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) and Trihalomethanes (THM). Less chlorine means lower DBP levels and fewer TTHM violations. Keep your water system safe by keeping your water tanks clean.
Our basic inspection process uses a remotely operated underwater video camera to get a good look at underwater conditions. This gives you a look at the inside roof, walls, and floor of the tank and allows you to see for yourself if there is sediment build-up or not. If your tank is over a million gallons we would recommend a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The underwater vehicle is also equipped with an underwater video camera to record the condition of your tank. The ROV can maneuver throughout the tank and record the condition of walls and floors. We offer this service at extremely low rates, so now you do not need to wonder. We recommend an inspection that includes an underwater video of the tank annually. If you are checking on a painting contract we suggest you wait 4 to 6 months before performing the inspection, allowing time to see if newly formed corrosion or peeling starts on the underwater areas.
Call our office at 817-377-4899 or toll-free at 1-888-481-1768 and get a free quote today.
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