Grantee Research Project Results

2017 Progress Report: Water Conservation and Water Quality: Understanding the Impacts of New Technologies and New Operational Strategies

EPA Grant Number: R836880
Title: Water Conservation and Water Quality: Understanding the Impacts of New Technologies and New Operational Strategies
Investigators: Gurian, Patrick , Haas, Charles N. , Olson, Mira S. , Summers, R. Scott , Clancy, Jennifer , Masters, Sheldon , Treado, Steven
Current Investigators: Gurian, Patrick , Olson, Mira S. , Haas, Charles N. , Summers, R. Scott , Clancy, Jennifer , Masters, Sheldon , Treado, Steven
Institution: Drexel University , University of Colorado at Boulder , Pennsylvania State University
Current Institution: Drexel University , Pennsylvania State University , University of Colorado at Boulder
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019 (Extended to September 30, 2021)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2016 through September 30,2017
Project Amount: $1,989,000
RFA: National Priorities: Impacts of Water Conservation on Water Quality in Premise Plumbing and Water Distribution Systems (2016) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Climate Change , Water

Objective:

The project will combine literature information with novel experimental results to develop and validate predictive models of the risk of failing to meet water quality goals for premise plumbing. The models will be encoded in a web-based decision support tool usable by facilities managers and utility personnel to identify high risk conditions for premise plumbing water quality and potential remedial actions.

Progress Summary:

The team has constructed two pipe rack installations, one at Drexel and one at UC-Boulder. Preliminary sampling has revealed the presence of some pathogens in influent water which will continue to be monitored over the course of the project. Bench-scale experiments were conducted for disinfectant and pathogen inactivation, providing boundary cases for further experiments and data for fitting decay rate models. A reverse QMRA has been conducted for identifying switchover points for Legionella and MAC in premise plumbing, and an additional QMRA has been drafted for modeling the risks from water heaters set at various temperatures. Data provided by a systematic literature review of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks was conducted to provide context for the risk models developed. Twenty-one subject matter expert interviews have been conducted, with issues in premise plumbing identified and cross-referenced with over 70 in-building water quality management documents. As a result, use cases for the decision support tool have been identified. A meta-analysis of water quality data has been initiated and over 2000 references have been gathered for this effort. Trends in water demand and use over time have been summarized to inform models of water quality and stagnation time and preliminary models were proposed for integrating these factors in premise plumbing.

Future Activities:

Planned activities for year 2 includes conducting interviews with facilities managers and utility personnel; the majority of the sampling program for pipe racks and water heaters with microbial, DBP, and metals analysis; field sampling at the NIST Smart House; and beginning construction of the decision support tool.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 42 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

quantitative microbial risk assessment, Legionella, green buildings

Relevant Websites:

BUILDING WATER Website Exit

Building Water Quality Web Log Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.