Innovative Strategies for Meeting Emerging Contaminant Requirements at an Indirect Potable Reuse Facility

The Town of Oak Bluffs currently operates a water reclamation facility and treated effluent discharged to spreading basins and the effluent percolates to a groundwater aquifer. The Town is currently funding research to determine the optimum process improvements required to meet the Department of Environmental Protection's stringent standard for total organic carbon. A detailed characterization of the wastewater influent and secondary effluent was conducted. The results showed that the hydrophilic organics were extensively degraded across the treatment. The hydrophobic fraction was not altered significantly. Bench-scale studies revealed that a combination of the MIEX process and optimized coagulation resulted in 50-60% removal of the TOC. Optimized coagulation alone removed 50% of the TOC. Ferrate treatment at pH 6.3 resulted in 65% removal of the TOC. Pilot testing is being considered to evaluate the multipurpose properties of ferrate, specifically as a coagulant and oxidant for effective TOC removal.