The Daytona Beach Ralph Brennan Water Treatment Plant Finds On-site Generation to be a Safe and Economical Solution for Water Disinfection

For many years the use of gaseous chlorine at water treatment plants has been an effective and widely used method of disinfection. It is still the most commonly used disinfectant treatment in water treatment plants in the United States. In recent years however, the safety of chlorine gas has come under increased scrutiny. The side effects to chlorine gas exposure at low levels can cause eye, skin and respiratory irritation, while exposure in high enough doses can be fatal. In addition to side effects, the nature of the gas allows migration to distances well beyond the point of release. In 1999, the City of Daytona Beach, Florida, had one potable water treatment and two wastewater treatment facilities within its service area exceeding the 2,500-pound threshold limit for gaseous chlorine. As a result, a Risk Management Plan (RMP) was prepared and submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Risk Management PlanningAccidental Release Prevention Program. While developing the RMP, the City staff further evaluated the chlorination facilities at The Ralph Brennan Water Treatment Plant and determined that the 25-year old system was reaching the end of its useful life. In addition, approximately 40 hours were being spent on site-specific RMP paperwork, maintenance and operational procedures every month for the existing gas chlorination system. Although the RMP brought the facility into federal regulatory compliance, the City felt that staying with a gaseous chlorination system remained a significant health risk. Therefore, the City decided to embark on a program to replace the gaseous chlorination system at the Brennan Plant with a disinfection technology that would put them in better compliance with or eliminate RMP guidelines at that location all together.