The Clifton Forge Water Treatment Plant is one of very few surface water facilities with no population, industry or agriculture upstream from its intakes on spring-fed Smith Creek. Originating in the heart of George Washington National Forest in Virginia, the cold, pristine water is the plant’s biggest challenge.When the plant opened in 1960, operators thought they were doing something wrong because the water wouldn’t flocculate properly until they replaced the standard ground alum with activated alum. “Cold raw water and low turbidity combined to make floc formation extremely difficult in winter,” says Bobby Irvine, plant manager. “Even in summer, water
