F loods, hurricanes, power outages and high winds are just a few obstacles overcome by operators at the Octoraro Water Treatment Plant in Nottingham, Pa.
“Weather is our biggest challenge, especially with the changes it brings to the raw water quality,” says Patricia Stabler, chief of treatment and pumping for the Chester Water Authority, the plant’s owner. “We had three major floods in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.” When there is a flood, the reservoir detention time shortens from weeks to hours, turbidity rises above 100 NTU, and dissolved organics increase. A dry winter can bring high nitrates in the
