Improving Operational Resilience of Municipal Water Treatment Under A Changing Climate

Pam Hoover, P.E. and Janey Camp , Ph.D., P.E., GISP, CFM (presenter) gave a presentation at the Society of Risk Analysis Annual Conference in Arlington, VA in December 2019. The presentation was titled “Improving Operational Resilience of Municipal Water Treatment Under A Changing Climate”.

They presented findings from their research on the relationship between weather, intake source water quality, and the occurrence of the seasonal taste and odors geosmin and MIB at water treatment plants.

Ten years of data from the Metro Nashvillles’ Omonhundro Water Treatment Plant, the Cumberland River, and weather data were analyzed using the random forest decision tree method. Intake water temperature, river flow, pH, and manganese were found to be important factors.

Although trends are observed in the relationship between the presence of the two seasonal taste and odors and intake water quality and weather conditions, this analysis did not adequately describe the complex system of interactions. Research continues to quantify the relationship.