U.S. EPA STAR National Center For Innovation In Small Drinking Water Systems:
Summers, R. Scott 1
1 UC-Boulder
The Design of Risk Reducing, Innovative Implementable Small System Knowledge(DeRISK) Center?s overall objectives will focus on applying principles of risk reduction, sustainability and new implementation approaches to innovative technologies that will reduce the risk associated with key contaminant groups and will increase the chance of adoption and sustainable use in small systems. Through the utilization of a new cumulative risk assessment methodology, the Relative Health Indicator, we have identified two contaminant groups: microbial and disinfection by-products (DBPs); and one inorganic compound: nitrate, which collectively pose the greatest risk to drinking water consumers. The innovative technologies to be evaluated have been selected based on: a) their potential to reduce the risk posed by these contaminants, b) the lack of required chemical addition, and c) the likely hood of being successfully implemented and sustained by small systems. First and foremost the Center will focus on the development of new strategies for technology assessment and implementation. The technologies to be examined are either photon, biological or distribution system based: a) control the prioritized contaminants with a range of photon- based treatment processes, b) control of particulate matter surges, DBPs and DBP precursors by novel biotreatment processes, and c) control of DBPs and DBP precursors in the distribution system by biological and physical removal, and the optimized maintenance of chlorine residuals.