Evaluating a composite cartridge for small system drinking water treatment

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Public Health

Background:

• Household water safety is crucial, especially during contaminant events.
• Existing water treatment systems may be insufficient or compromised during distribution.
• A multi-barrier approach is needed for robust household water security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel multi-layer, cartridge-based home water treatment system.
• To assess the system's efficacy against a range of biological and chemical contaminants.
• To determine the suitability of Bacillus subtilis spores as a Cryptosporidium surrogate.

Main Methods:

• Pilot-scale testing at the EPA T&E Facility.
• Challenging the system with varied turbidity, biological agents (Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, MS2, PSL beads), and chemical contaminants (super-chlorination, MTBE, DBPs, diazinon).
• Performance analysis based on contaminant type and concentration.

Main Results:

• System performance varied significantly depending on the specific contaminant.
• Bacillus subtilis spores proved to be a more conservative surrogate for Cryptosporidium than Polystyrene Latex beads.
• The system demonstrated potential as an additional barrier for household water safety.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated system shows promise for enhancing household water quality and safety.
• It can serve as a valuable treatment barrier against accidental or intentional contamination.
• Further validation of Bacillus subtilis spores as a Cryptosporidium surrogate is supported.