Trussell Technologies, Inc. - An Environmental Engineering Firm : Projects

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued a TMDL for chloride the Santa Clara River and, as a result, is considering limitations on the chloride on the wastewater discharged from the Saugus and Valencia water reclamation plants, operated by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. The Districts retained Trussell Technologies, Inc. to determine the appropriate desalination technology, the amount of flow to be treated at each facility and to do a preliminary design of the required facilities.

In an effort to diversify their water supply portfolio, the District is pursuing the development of a full-scale ocean water desalination treatment facility. This project was to develop a ocean water desalination demonstration facility for the purpose of implementing and evaluating the most viable processes and equipment that will provide superior water quality and operational performance in the most cost effective and environmental friendly manner for a future full scale desalination plant. Trussell Technologies, Inc. has supported the District in the assessment, planning, permitting, and design of their demonstration facility. Trussell Technologies’ scope of services includes: an assessment of all water quality issues and data including piloting, modeling, taste and odor, blending with existing water supply sources, raw ocean feed water, microfiltration and ultrafiltration filtrate along with the backwash water, RO permeate, and RO concentrate; establishing water quality goals to ensure that all applicable compliance requirements are met or exceeded and to ensure that emerging concerns are properly addressed; an analysis of pretreatment technologies to ensure operational capacity while maintaining high product water quality and cost-effective maintenance prior to the desalination process technology; an evaluation of different strategies for post-treatment, encompassing corrosion control including evaluation of alternatives and consideration of other utilities with similar water quality, disinfection including DBPs and strategies to stabilize disinfectant residual, and temperature adjustment of RO product water; aesthetics including impacts on horticulture (e.g. boron, chloride) and taste and odor considerations; and recommendations of pre-treatment and post-treatment (corrosion control and disinfection) strategies for evaluation at the bench-, pilot-, and/or demonstration-scale.

Trussell Technologies, Inc. has been retained by the District as a membrane and process consultant to optimize the performance of a 3 MGD MF/RO reclamation plant. Trussell Tech is tasked with analyzing the performance and condition of the MF and RO membranes, probing the causes of membrane fouling, and identifying the key foulants causing the sub-optimal plant performance. The task also includes development of a cleaning protocol so that foulants from the full-scale RO trains can be removed. In addition, Trussell Tech will provide recommendations on how best to operate the LJVL Facility to minimize future membrane fouling rates.

Marina Coast Water District (MCWD) is evaluating the addition of a surface water treatment plant to treat diverted flow from the Salinas River. This surface water treatment plant would provide 5,000 AFY of potable supply directly to the nearby community. During its 6 months operation (November to April), water would be diverted from the Salinas River at the Salinas River Diversion Facility (SRDF) to the proposed treatment plant. The primary treatment processes proposed for this facility are high rate sedimentation (Actiflo) followed by microfiltration (MF) membranes. RMC hired Trussell Technologies, Inc to prepare a conceptual design of the plant, and assist with the predesign and the Department of Public Health permitting, including the preparation of the sampling plan.

The Municipality of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico (hereinafter the “Municipality”) desires to expand its capability to provide fresh water to meet the rapidly growing demands of the city. Currently, groundwater is the main source of water and the municipality is looking to seawater desalination as a new source water. The study intended to provide an assessment of the possibility of constructing and operating a sustainable municipal-scale seawater desalination facility. Trussell Technolgies, Inc team focused on analyzing the water quality standards and treatment requirements, establishing design criteria for this 11.4 MGD plant expandable to 22.8 and 45.6 MGD. Desalination treatment alternatives were evaluated and one treatment train was selected and a predesign was prepared. Trussell Technologies also contributed to the feasibility analysis of the project that included short and long-term basis sustainability. Sustainability was defined as meeting recognized financial requirements for the economic viability of producing desalinated water as a source of fresh water supply, environmental protection and preservation as defined and regulated by Mexican Federal Law, and the Project’s ability to support the socio-economic well being and growth of the Municipality as determined by the Municipal government. Trussell Technologies, Inc focuses on the technical, human health and water quality impacts of the project.

Trussell Technologies, Inc. is part of CDM’s team for the Scattergood Desalination pilot project. This project is the next step for LADWP in their evaluation of the feasibility of seawater desalination to augment their available drinking water supply. Trussell Technologies, Inc. is tasked with developing the technical memorandum to identify the process trains that will be pilot tested in the upcoming years along with water quality goals for each treatment process and a final treated water quality goal for distribution. This TM included the selection of an appropriate desalination process, pretreatment and coarse screening process. Trussell Technologies, Inc. is also tasked to perform an analysis on how LT2 SWTR would be applied to the selected treatment train.

Working with MWH, Trussell Tech has been retained along with the University of Southern California to develop and conduct a comprehensive monitoring program for stormwater impacts on the SWRO treatment process and resulting permeate water quality, and marine phytoplankton and biotoxin production impacts on the SWRO process and resulting permeate water quality. The monitoring program will develop real-time monitoring surrogates and utilize state-of-the-art technologies to demonstrate the public health and operational significance of these events. The algal toxin information generate by the project is novel both in the context of seawater desalination, as well as in the context of fundamental research in marine biology and oceanography. Trussell Tech has developed the stormwater monitoring program and is coordinating the RO testing related to the algal toxins identified for study by USC.

Working with SPI, Trussell technologies has been retained to provide a comprehensive water assessment for the West Basin Municipal Water Department (WBMWD) El Segundo desalination pilot plant. The water assessment interprets the collected data to provide water quality predictions for future facilities that will implement full-scale reverse osmosis (RO) modules to desalinate ocean water to provide a new potable water supply. Trussell Technologies’ scope of services includes: perform assessment of water qualities through out the pilot treatment process, compare the raw water, RO permeate and concentrate streams water qualities to the Ocean Plan Regulations and/or Drinking Water Regulations, and prepare bi-annual and annual technical memorandums.

Trussell Technologies, Inc. has been providing technical assistance and support to the Long Beach Water Department (LBWD)’s 300,000 gpd seawater desalination demonstration study that compares a two-pass patented nanofiltration (NF) process, or NF2, to more conventional SWRO. Trussell Technologies, Inc. has assisted with the organizing and automation of the data collection system, provided information on the energy consumption of full-scale seawater desalination facilities to develop realistic objectives, and provided guidance on the experimental design and setup of experiments outlined to evaluate biofouling issues that occur in seawater RO applications.

The Joint Water Reuse & Desalination Task Force, an alliance of national research organizations including the American Water Works Association's Research Foundation (AWWARF), the Bureau of Reclamation, Sandia National Laboratories, and the WateReuse Foundation, has created and begun to work through a Desalination and Water Purification Roadmap Implementation Process. As part of this process, a state of the science report on membrane desalination systems was prepared for a workshop of desalination industry experts to determine research area needs and focus funding efforts. This report summarized the development of all membrane desalting technologies, current limitations and issues, along with on-going developments that will impact membrane desalination processes. This report concludes by identifying critical knowledge and performance gaps in desalination membrane processes and describes specific research topics to fill these gaps.

The City of Carlsbad, CA., is evaluating a proposal where Poseidon Resources, Inc. would provide desalted water to the City. Trussell Technologies, Inc. has been retained by the City to provide advice on the technical aspects of the agreement between Poseidon and the City. This project includes advice on water quality specifications, recommendation and critical review of corrosion study, and investigation of the effects of boron and chloride on local ornamental plants when the City's potable water supply is completely converted to desalinated water.

As part of the City of Carlsbad's evaluation of Poseidon's proposal, Trussell Technologies, Inc. conducted an analysis that compared the cost of desalted water to the cost of imported water over a twenty-year horizon. Additionally, concerns with warm desalinated water temperatures during winter service were addressed and cooling tower costs were determined.

Ionics, Inc. (Project Experience)
Conceptual Pretreatment System Design for the Point Lisas Seawater Desalter
Evaluated treatment alternatives for the Point Lisas Seawater Desalter in Trinidad, the largest and most successful seawater desalination installation in the Western Hemisphere. Dr. Trussell developed a deep-bed dual media filter design that not only improved process performance, but also saved the cost of adding an additional stage of filtration.

Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks (Project Experience)
The Seaworld Ozonation Study
Seaworld had a number of installations where recirculated water was used for the habitat for sea-going mammals such as killer whales and porpoises. Practice had been to disinfect these systems with chlorine, occasionally using breakpoint chlorination as a means for controlling the eye-irritation that stems from extensive exposure to chlorine. Dr. Trussell was hired to evaluate alternatives and, using field and pilot data developed the design criteria that are now used for ozonation in such recirculated seawater system throughout the industry.

The district is interested in upgrading and expanding their current wastewater treatment facility by using a staged approach to transition from media filtration and UV disinfection to an integrated membrane/ozonation treatment train. Trussell Technologies, Inc. was hired to develop a complete cost estimate for a 30 MGD low-pressure membrane plant as a retrofit and Greenfield facility. MWH has been selected as the design firm and Trussell Technologies, Inc. will continue to provide technical consulting services throughout the design and construction phase of the membrane plant and ozonation units. Now, the project is in the final design phase.

Trussell Technologies is part of the RMC team selected to provide consulting services to the City of San Francisco Public Utilities Commissions on water reclamation alternatives as part of the 30-year master plan effort.

The power cost for the aeration system blowers at the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority Water Reclamation Facility (SEWRF) averages about 56% of SEJPA’s electric bill. San Elijo Joint Powers Authorities retained the services of Trussell Technologies to provide an estimate of energy saving by implementing an anaerobic selector. The services included GPS-X modeling, selector design, energy saving estimates, and process optimizations.

Trussell Technologies, Inc. has received an unsolicited research grant from the WateReuse Foundation to study the feasibility of an MBfR to achieve low nitrogen levels for water reclamation and reuse purposes. In this study, two pilot scale MBfR units will be operated, on the Grass Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant secondary effluent in Lake Arrowhead, CA, in parallel to determine their ability to produce high quality reclaimed water under a wide range of operating conditions. Applied Process Technology, Inc. will provide the pilot scale MBfR modules.

The Lake Arrowhead Community Services District (LACSD) retained Trussell Technologies, Inc. to provide consultant selection, process review and technical advise for the expansion of the Grass Valley WWTP to produce 1 MGD of reclaimed water and treat average dry weather flows of 3.6 MGD. LACSD was interested in MBR technology to meet their treatment needs, but high wet weather peak flows made conventional wastewater processes more cost effective. In addition to technical process advice, Trussell Technologies, Inc. provided regulatory advice for an emergency wet weather permit to the Grass Valley Creek. CH2MHill has been selected as the design firm and Trussell Technologies, Inc. will continue to provide technical consulting services throughout the design and construction phases of the project.

Teamed with PBS&J, McGuire Environmental Consultants was retained to review alternatives for recycling in the City, specifically reservoir augmentation. Dr. Trussell is part of the technical team and will be providing technical analysis of treatment alternatives and assessment of potential contaminants.

The Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority (ACWWA) and the Cottonwood Water Sanitation District (CWSD) are located in a part of Colorado near Denver that is experiencing extreme water shortages. The two utilities have retained Richard Arber and Associates to assist them in developing an indirect potable reuse project using the alluvium adjacent to Cherry Creek. Dr. Trussell was retained as a member of an Advisory Panel for the project.

City of San Diego (Project Experience)
Repurification Project
The City of San Diego, California, pursued an indirect potable reuse project that would augment the San Vicente Reservoir with highly treated reclaimed wastewater from the North City Water Reclamation Plant. Both Dr. Trussells served extensively on this project in very different aspects. Rhodes Trussell served as the project manager, developing the treatment train, coordinating with the Department of Health Services, and the City of San Diego to organize an extensive pilot testing program. Shane Trussell was an on-site engineer that managed operations, laboratory sampling, and performing specific challenge experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed treatment train. This project concluded at the pilot phase due to the lack of public support.

The San Benito County Water District (Project Experience)
Membrane Feasibility Studies
The San Benito County Water District is interested in examining aquifer storage and recovery as a means for augmenting their water supply in areas where recharge through surface spreading is not possible. Studies will examine the feasibility of membrane filtration as a pretreatment for the injection process.

Working with Boyle, Trussell Technologies, Inc. was retained by the City of Poway to evaluate key water quality and treatment issues related to its Bergland Water Treatment Plant upgrade. Issues examined included investigating the levels of DBPs in the water, costing and ozonation alternative and determining whether it is needed based on the DBP levels in the water, and evaluating ancillary issues like the presence of quagga mussels in the source water.

Working with CDM, Trussell Technologies was retained by the City of Camarillo on a project to expand the groundwater supply for the City to reduce its dependence on imported water, while improving the quality of water ultimately discharged to the Calleguas Creek watershed. They are developing a groundwater treatment system that is capable of addressing current water quality concerns and also flexible enough to adjust to potential future water quality changes as they occur in the aquifer. Trussell Technologies evaluated emerging contaminants for the project The purpose of the pilot study is to demonstrate and select the most cost-effective treatment approach, providing specific information on operating performance, water quality, and projected treatment costs for the proposed treatment processes. Trussell Technologies is also involved in optimization of the desalination process and is evaluating a wide range of “new-era” low energy NF/RO membranes for the treatment of contaminated groundwater.

The City of San Juan Capistrano (henceforth referred to as the “City”) has been receiving persistent reports of colored water in its distribution system. The City has retained the services of Trussell Technologies to provide troubleshooting and resolution of its colored water issues. Trussell Technologies, Inc. scope of services includes: development of sampling plan to monitor the raw water quality, water quality throughout the treatment plant as well as in the distribution system; performing data analysis and pretreatment alternatives evaluation; providing recommendations to enhance treatment process and distribution system operations based upon the sampling results.

The Southwest Water Company owned and operated a desalting facility to treat up to 5 mgd of highly mineralized groundwater for the City of San Juan Capistrano. The groundwater is also contaminated with iron and manganese. Trussell Technologies, Inc. has been assisting the Southwest Water Company in a project to rehabilitate the desalter. Trussell Tech diagnosed the cause of membrane fouling, identified changes in chemical feed methods to prevent clogging of pipelines with calcium carbonate, recommended changes in pretreatment to prevent future fouling, selected new membranes to replace old membranes which had ceased to meet requirements, met with CDPH and Southwest Water to discuss CDPH requirements and continues to provide support to Southwest during implementation.

Dr. Trussell is a member of a five member Board of Senior Consultants retained by the San Diego Water Authority to act as an
independent expert body to support the Water Authority during its effort to proceed with a design-build-operate procurement for a 50 to 100 mgd water treatment plant in northern San Diego County. He has also served as a special consultant to the Water Authority during the development of water quality criteria for the RFP.

The UWRC, created to address the challenges of water in the urban environment, convened a committee of five experts to review available information on perchlorate and comment on it's distribution, it's health significance and on methods for its removal.
Dr. Trussell was one of the five panelists.

Portland Water Bureau (Project Experience)
Conduct of Bench Studies with Medium and LowPressure UV
The Portland Water Bureau, as a conduit for a group of several of the largest unfiltered water agencies has asked MW to conduct bench studies to confirm the inactivation of Cryptosporidium with medium pressure UV, to establish if infectivity studies will show that same inactivation with low pressure UV, and to determine if these technologies will also cost effectively address Giardia and viruses.

AwwaRF/EPA/MWH (Project Experience)
Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using MfBR Technology--Phase III
The pilot-scale design from the earlier study was revised and improved. The process continued to remove perchlorate and showed considerably more promise for scale up. Nevertheless, significant scale-up issues remain. The process was also shown to be capable of removing perchlorate and nitrate from ion exchange brine.

AwwaRF/EPA/MWH (Project Experience)
Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using MfBR Technology--Phase II
The pilot scale design for a membrane fiber biological reactor (MfBR) to remove both nitrate and perchlorate from groundwater was built and operated at a La Puente well site. The study established the feasibility of the process, but raised some significant
scale-up issues.

AwwaRF/EPA/MWH (Project Experience)
Title: Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using MfBR Technology--Phase I
Northwestern University had developed and patented a biological process for the removal of perchlorate and nitrate using only hydrogen gas. This study was to further develop the process at bench scale and to design the reactor for a further pilot-scale study.

AwwaRF/EPA/MWH (Project Experience)
Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using Ion Exchange Technology--Phase II
Studying an optimized ion exchange process at pilot scale to assess its performance in treating low concentration perchlorate
contamination of groundwater.

AwwaRF/University of Houston/MW (Project Experience)
Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater by Ion Exchange Technology-Phase I
Evaluated, through proof-of-concept laboratory studies, the feasibility of an optimized ion exchange process for treating low concentration perchlorate contamination of groundwater. Further research will be conducted in project

Aerojet General (Project Experience)
GET/E/F Treatment Study on Perchlorate Removal
Aerojet performed a three year study developing and testing a biological process for Perchlorate Removal at pilot and full-scale. Dr. Trussell served as a member of a Blue Ribbon Panel that reviewed the progress of the study

Northwestern University/Montgomery Watson (Project Experience)
Application of Bioreactor Systems to Low-Concentration Perchlorate-Contaminated Water
Evaluated the efficiency of a biological process to reduce perchlorate concentrations of up to 1,000 micrograms per liter to levels of 4 - 18 micrograms per liter. Evaluated the impact of co-contaminants on process performance, characterize process effluents, and define post treatment requirements. Included pilot-scale testing. Process received a U.S. Patent.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (Project Experience)
Filtration Avoidance Criteria
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is under direct order from the California Department of Health Services to filter the water at Stone Canyon Reservoir. Local citizens hired an outside consultant that recommended that medium pressure UV be
used in place of filtration. MW was retained to review the consultant's recommendation and later, to help the Department pursue an application for avoiding the filtration requirement.

The North Holland Water Authority (PWN) Amsterdam, Netherlands (Project Experience)
The PWN Hermskeerk WTP
Dutch water utilities are facing increasingly strict standards for the drinking water. Meanwhile, the quality of the River Rhine, their principle supply, continues to decline due to municipal, industrial and agricultural discharges from countries upstream, particular France and Germany. PWN, a drinking water utility that serves a part of Amsterdam, draws an increasing portion of its supply indirectly from the Rhine and faces increased mineralization, more organics, and more microbiological contaminants. Meanwhile new Dutch drinking water standards have been established. Dr. Trussell served the technical reviewer for a scoping study MW and it's Dutch partner, Witeeven + Bos, recently completed. Two basic alternatives were chosen for further study, conventional treatment followed by reverse osmosis, post ozonation, and GAC and conventional treatment followed by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. As a result of that effort, the MW/W+B team is now embarked on a predesign study for a 75 mgd plant which includes choosing among these processes. Dr. Trussell assembled a unique team from MW's operations in the U.S., Australia, Holland, and England to complete the project.

The Rotterdam Water Authority, Rotterdam, Netherlands (Project Experience)
The Berenplaat Expansion
The Berenplaat, the largest water treatment plant in Holland (155 mgd) and the place where the THMs were originally discovered, takes water from the River Rhine, treats it, and serves it to the City of Rotterdam. The water is currently treated with conventional lime softening, filtration and chlorine disinfection. Dutch citizens are very concerned about the unpleasant chlorine taste in their water and about the potential health risk associated with the by-products of chlorination. As a result, Rotterdam has set a goal of treating River Rhine water so thoroughly that no chlorine residual is necessary in the distribution system. Dr. Trussell was a key technical reviewer on a MW/W+B team from three countries that worked with staff at the Berenplaat as well as KIWA, the Dutch Water Research Center, to develop the process for the plant. The proposed process, which includes ozonation, biologically active carbon, aeration, a second stage of physiochemical carbon adsorption, and disinfection with ultraviolet light has been verified with large scale pilot studies.

Sydney Water Board, Sydney Australia (Project Experience)
Sydney Water Board Drinking Water Program
At the present time virtually all the water supplying the City of Sydney, Australia receives chloramination as its only treatment. As a result of more restrictive regulations as well as rising consumer standards, a decision was made to treat the water supply. Ultimately Sydney plans on building four new water plants ranging from 60 to 950 mgd in capacity. The Sydney Water Board is self-regulating and Dr. Trussell, as part of The Prospect Group, a venture involving MW, CDM and two Australian engineering firms, worked with the Board to help resolve certain key elements of their water quality standards and to conduct pilot, prototype studies and a predesign work for two of the four plants - including the 950 mgd Prospect Plant. Eventually it became clear that Sydney would privatize the construction and operation of these plants. Dr. Trussell was instrumental in bringing together members of Australian Water Services (AWS), the company that won the contract for the largest of the four plants.

Portland Water Bureau, Portland, OR (Project Experience)
Filtration Study
Following the passage of the EPA Surface Water Treatment Rule, the Portland Water Bureau retained MW to do pilot and predesign studies of the Bureau's Bull Run Supply. Extensive pilot and predesign studies were conducted, including extensive work establishing the effectiveness of free chlorine, combined chlorine and ozone on the disinfection of Giardia lamblia. Dr. Trussell was a regular technical advisor on this effort which involved interaction with two blue ribbon panels composed of technical experts from around North America (one on water treatment and one on disinfection of Giardia lamblia). Both of the technical panels had representatives from the Oregon State Department of Health Services and the EPA. Public input was also important and included workshops and focus groups with stakeholders as well as ordinary citizens.

MWH Constructors built a 40 mgd water purification plant to treat water from Lake Houston and serve portions of the City of Houston. Dr. Trussell was retained to provide consulting services on the treatment process during startup.

Australian Water Services (Project Experience)
Cryptosporidium Crisis
Early in the 1990's MW was part of a four-firm consortium that designed the Prospect Water Filtration plant, a 3,800 mL/day water treatment plant that is the largest of three plants serving the Metropolitan Area of Greater Sydney. In July 1998, a local laboratory reported levels of Cryptosporidium in the distribution system that were unusually high. Recognizing that its client may be at risk, MW appointed Dr. Trussell to follow up. Dr. Trussell followed the issue through the crisis and, in consultation with the client, sent two specialists to Sydney. One, a nationally recognized expert in treatment for cryptosporidium removal worked in the client's offices for three months, helping them deal with the crisis. The other, MW's principle engineer with the most recent experience in designing a large scale ozone system, went to Sydney and worked with the local office to produce a predesign and cost estimate for this important treatment alternative. By assisting the client to stay ahead of the problem, MW was able to help them stay out of trouble during the crisis.

Richard Brady and Associates has retained the services of Trussell Technologies to provide troubleshooting and resolution of the waste washwater system performance issues and settling problems at the Area 24 Iron and Manganese Water Treatment Plant located at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. The Area 24 WTP is a 6.5 mgd plant that was designed to remove iron and manganese from groundwater via pre-oxidation with chlorine and removal through greensand filters. The waste washwater from filter backwashing was to be reclaimed in a settling tank and recycled to the head of the plant. However, since the plant was put into service, the waste washwater system has not performed as anticipated and settled water quality is unacceptable for returning to the head of the plant. Trussell Technologies was hired to determine the cause of the substandard performance of the washwater reclamation system, and then develop and design an upgrade to the system to enhance performance. This includes on-site troubleshooting; jar testing of alternative coagulants to enhance settling; and design of the appropriate chemical feed system necessary to accomplish the settling goals

Working with MWH, Trussell Technologies was retained to prepare a comprehensive report on corrosion control ands the lead and copper rule in the San Francisco Water System (SFWS) and in the Regional Water Systems also served by SFPUC. In 2004, the SFPUC implemented system-wide chloramination and in 2005, the SFPUC implemented system-wide fluoridation. Trussell Technologies was hired to study the impacts of system-wide chloramination and fluoridation on corrosion control for the SFWS and the RWS. The phase 1 report addresses the current practice, and compares it to the practices of several other U.S. cities treating similar water supplies. The phase 2 report reviews water conditioning alternatives for protecting concrete and mortar-lined surfaces in the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct. Dr. Rhodes Trussell and Dr. Hokanson played the lead role in developing both reports.

For more than twenty years, MWRA has been struggling to find the water treatment necessary to control the corrosion of lead to levels that will allow it to comfortably meet the EPA lead and copper rule. In the Fall of 2004, the utility faces a particularly important milestone where it must meet the lead action level. MWRA staff organized a member of a five-member Panel of nationally-recognized experts to review their past actions to provide advice on future actions that might be taken. Dr. Trussell was a member of that panel.

Environomics (Project Experience)
Review of Washington D.C. Lead Problem
In July 2002 and in two subsequent samplings, the lead levels in Washington, D.C. tap water have suddenly increased. On behalf of the EPA office of Water, the firm of Environomics has retained Dr. Trussell and three additional national experts to review the efforts being made to address the problem.

Portland Water Bureau/US EPA (Project Experience)
Panel to Review Methods Copper Lead Rule Compliance
Portland, Oregon has been having difficulties meeting the lead rule, inspite of changes made in chemical treatment. With the U.S. EPA, the Water Bureau convened a blue ribbon panel of experts to review recent treatment practices and recent lead sampling data and to help the Bureau consider alternatives for addressing the issue

Portland Water Bureau, Portland, OR (Project Experience)
Corrosion Study:
The Portland Water Bureau retained MW to conduct an evaluation of treatment and non-treatment alternatives for optimizing the reduction of lead and copper corrosion byproducts in consumer plumbing. The study involved pilot studies of elevating the pH,
elevating the pH and the alkalinity, adding orthophosphate, and adding silicates as well as an extensive evaluation of non-chemical options.

East Bay Municipal Utilities District, Oakland, CA (Project Experience)
Blue Water Project
Black Hawk, CA: A mysterious corrosion problem developed in the copper plumbing of approximately one thousand homes in some of the most expensive developments in the EBMUD service area. The problem manifested itself when water with a deep blue color sporadically emanated from taps in these homes. It took three years and substantial resources to solve the problem in a cooperative effort between, EBMUD, the developers, the plumbers, the manufacturers of building materials, various City and County building authorities, and the Alameda County Department of Health Services. A large number of corrosion specialists were involved and a number of public meetings, press conferences and TV interviews were also held. At one point a local talk show host came on site and made it his mission to solve the problem. As the lead technical advisor to EBMUD, Dr. Trussell provided guidance for the technical investigation and helped the District represent itself to citizens, to other outside experts, to the developers, and to the Health Department.

Portland Water Bureau (Project Experience)
Corrosion Study
In the early 1980's the Portland Water Bureau was challenged by the Citizens for a Lead-Free Environment who asserted that the Portland water supply resulted in excessive lead levels in consumer plumbing. After extensive interviews, the Water Bureau retained MW with Dr. Trussell in charge to conduct a study to examine the question. The progress of the effort, which included extensive sampling in consumer's homes, was reviewed by a Panel of local Citizens convened for that purpose. As a result of the study, 50/50 lead solder was banned in the State of Oregon. MW is still working with the Water Bureau on the corrosion issues today.

Agoura Hills, CA (Project Experience)
Pitting of Galvanized Pipe
MW was retained to examine the cause of failure of new galvanized pipe in several hundred homes in a development in the Agoura area. The cause was determined to be copper-induced pitting of the new galvanized pipe. Dr. Trussell was the project Manager.

City of Santa Paula wastewater treatment plant was constructed in 1939. Due to aging of the facilities and consent decree discharge requirements, City of Santa Paula wastewater treatment will be rebuilt using a state of the art membrane bioreactor (MBR) process. The project was awarded to a team of PERC. Trussell Technologies was retained by PERC to provide process engineering design for the facility during the proposal phase. Trussell Technologies selected the Koch Membrane System’s (KMS) Puron MBR for the MBR process for the new facility. Trussell Technologies will work closely with PERC to design, build and operate the new facility for 30 years.

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) retained Trussell Technologies, Inc. to provide a preliminary evaluation and feasibility of expanding the capacity of the Regional Water Recycling Plant 4 (RP-4) using membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. Trussell Technologies, Inc. evaluated the current facilities for conversion to an MBR process and provided IEUA with an ultimate facility layout. The adequacy of existing facility dimensions and tank volumes was considered to develop a static biological model and determine the ultimate plant capacity using MBR technology. The additional required facilities were identified and described as a part of this project.

Water Environment Research Foundation (Project Experience)
Effects of Biosolids Properties on Submerged Membrane Bioreactor (SMBR) Performance and Solids Processing
In this WERF funded project, a pilot-scale MBR and two completely mixed activated sludge (CMAS) units were operated in parallel to compare solids properties and evaluate process performance over a wide range of operating conditions. The effect of the food to microorganism ratio on membrane fouling and process performance was evaluated. The effect of high MLSS concentration and associated changes in mixed liquor properties were evaluated to determine critical parameters for controlling membrane fouling. The solids properties were quantified for differences in particle size distributions, colloidal content, filamentous content, soluble microbial products, and extracellular polymeric substances between MBR and CMAS at steady state conditions for a range of solids retention times (SRT). The differences in solids thickening and dewatering was also determined for MBR and CMAS sludges for a variety of thickening processes. Shane Trussell served as a Graduate Researcher on this project.

City of San Diego (Project Experience)
Optimization of Various MBR Systems for Water Reclamation - Phase III
In this U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funded study, the City examined four different alternative OEMs for MBR that might be applied at the City's Point Loma WWTP (Zenon Environmental, U.S. Filter, Kubota/Enviroquip, and G.E. Ionics/Mitsubishi). This evaluation included application of these technologies both before and after enhanced primary treatment. Costs were also prepared for a 1, 5, and 10 mgd reclamation facility using the technology.

MWH, Inc. Las Vegas (Project Experience)
Application of Membrane Filtration and MBR to phosphate reduction
MWH retained Dr. Trussell to assist in the review of alternatives using membrane filtration and MBR for phosphate reduction at the Clark Count Sanitation District. The review included detailed discussions with four manufacturers about the cost of MBR.

National Water Research Institute (Project Experience)
Assessing the Ability of the Zenon Zenogem® Membrane Bioreactor to Meet Existing Water Reuse Criteria
MWH, Inc. conducted a long-term pilot-scale study of a Zenon Zenogem® MBR to ascertain whether this technology would be capable of satisfying California regulations for producing reclaimed water according to Title 22. Water quality parameters were monitored and microbiological seedings were performed to demonstrate the removal efficiency of this technology. As a result of this project, the Zenogem® received Title 22 certification in the state of California. Dr. Trussell served as a technical advisor.

Water Environment Research Foundation (Project Experience)
Feasibility and Application of Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Technology for Water Reclamation
In this WERF funded project, two pilot-scale MBRs were operated in parallel to determine their ability to produce high quality reclaimed water under a wide range of operating conditions. This project established the point where MLSS concentrations are too high and the minimum solids retention time (SRT) where process failure occurred due to rapid membrane fouling. Shane Trussell served as the Project Engineer and Rhodes Trussell served as the Technical Advisor.

City of San Diego (Project Experience)
Membrane Bioreactors for Water Reclamation - Phase II
In this U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funded study, the City examined two different MBR manufacturers, Zenon Environmental and Mitsubishi/Rayon at the time that might be applied at the City's San Pasqual Water Reclamation Plant. This evaluation tested both MBRs in a nitrification only and nitrification/denitrification configuration. Effluent from the MBR was fed to reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to evaluate the suitability of MBR permeate as a feedwater. Costs were also prepared for a 1 and 5 mgd reclamation facilities using the MBR technology. Both Dr. Trussells served as technical advisors on this project.

City of San Diego (Project Experience)
Membrane Bioreactors for Water Repurification - Phase I
This study was completed in 1998, the same year that the first MBR installation (1 MGD) in the USA came on line in Arapahoe, CO. This project was funded by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and consisted of a survey of MBR installations world-wide,
documenting membrane characteristics, product water quality and feasibility for producing high quality water for reuse. Dr. Trussell served as a technical advisor.

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts retained Trussell Technologies, Inc. to review the feasibility of using anthropogenic chemicals such as caffeine and MBAS to identify the relative contribution of effluent from the Palmdale Water Reclamation Plant (PWRP) in groundwater samples collected in the vicinity of the plant. A review of the literature and consultation with experts active in the field demonstrated that neither caffeine nor MBAS were good candidates, but suggested a number of other that might be further examined. These included EDTA, the alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APnEOs) and their metabolites (the APnECs) , DEET, NDMA, perchlorate, carbamazepine, meprobamate, primidone and diflonac.

The Districts asked Dr. Trussell to review an alternatives analysis that District Staff had prepared with the assistance of consultants to address emerging contaminants.

Santa Margarita Water District is the lead agency among a consortium including Moulton Niguel Water District and other south Orange County water agencies in building the Upper Chiquita Reservoir, a 725 AF reservoir designed to meet the 7-day planned outage requirement for Metropolitan Water District (MWD) and Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), as well as accommodate demand in emergency outages. Trussell Technologies, Inc. was retained to develop a strategy for meeting disinfectant residual maintenance requirements for the finished water in the reservoir, which is chloraminated. Strategies considered include booster chlorination/ammoniation, post-storage disinfection, and some combination thereof. The long detention times that may be applied for this emergency storage reservoir complicate the project and Trussell Tech has been required to carefully consider strategies for mixing the reservoir including mechanical mixing devices (e.g. Flygt mixers) and coarse bubble aeration, as well as mitigation techniques should nitrification occur, such as breakpoint chlorination, and the implications of DBPs such as NDMA.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Project Experience)
Chlorine/Chlorine Dioxide Alternatives Study
At the request of several of its member agencies the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California conducted bench, pilot and full-scale studies examining alternatives to ozonation as a treatment strategy for the three plants it operates which blend Colorado Water and State Project Water. The District assembled a panel of experts to review the progress of that study.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (Project Experience)
Conversion to Chloramines for Residual Maintenance
In seeking to meet upcoming changes in the regulation of disinfection byproducts, Department staff had written a white paper recommending converting the system to chloramines for residual maintenance. Implementing the decision is complicated by the sheer size of the system and by the number of large open, finished water reservoirs. MW was retained to do a comprehensive study examining the feasibility of conversion to chloramines and identifying the key projects that would be required to make implementation possible.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (Project Experience)
Conduct of Bench and Pilot Studies with Medium Pressure UV
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is under the process of applying for a permit to avoid filtration at the Encino and Stone Canyon Reserviors. A critical part of the City's long term plan is the use of medium pressure UV for control of Cryptosporidium. In order to get a permit under the SWTR, the technology must be approved by the State and EPA for it's effectiveness in removing Giardia and enteric viruses as well. The project will include bench studies to develop survival curves for Cryptosporidium, Giardia and enteric viruses; the development of a public-domain model to calculate the UV dose for a given full-scale reactor; pilot studies to confirm the model and bench-scale results and the development of a technique to confirm the RTD in the reactor meets standards.

Contra Costa Water District (Project Experience)
Randall-Bold WTP
The Contra Costa Water District was searching for a way to reduce the cost and increase the appeal of a project involving a water plant that would serve the Eastern zone of their District. Working with staff, Dr. Trussell developed a new process that reduced capital cost while also improving the flavor of the water, providing a barrier against pesticide spills from Delta agriculture, and eliminating the byproducts of chlorination almost entirely. Because the process was new, extensive pilot and prototype studies were required, both to verify the technical performance of the process and to allow the Health Department to review evaluate it. Today Contra Costa has one of the most advanced water treatment plants in the country, producing unusually low turbidities, THMs below 10 g/L, and a water of excellent taste.

Contra Costa Water District (Project Experience)
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
While the THM regulations were under development, Dr. Trussell worked extensively with the Contra Costa Water District to develop alternatives to meet the new regulations. These studies, which included examination of chloramination, ozonation, enhanced coagulation, GAC adsorption, and air stripping, were among the first to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of chloramination in controlling THM formation. Working with the California Department of Health Services, an agreement was reached to allow the District to use chloramines for residual maintenance provided certain standards of treatment were met and that a short time of disinfection with free chlorine was also provided. This agreement served as a model that Cal DHS followed with numerous other utilities throughout California and which was eventually duplicated in nearly one third of the water supplies in the nation.

Downey Brand is representing Camp Pendleton MCB and Fallbrook PUD in lawsuit with Eastern MWD and Rancho California WD in connection with a 1990 Agreement between the Four Parties

In August 1995, the City of Santa Monica (COSM) discovered the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE) in drinking water supply wells at its Charnock Wellfield, shut down the affected wells, and secured replacement water from the Metropolitan Water District (Metropolitan). A lawsuit was then filed by COSM against the potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for redress of the contaminated drinking water wells. This lawsuit was settled in 2003 and required the PRPs to pay for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a water treatment plant to treat the contaminated groundwater to potable water quality standards. Following settlement of the initial lawsuit, a second lawsuit was filed by COSM against Baron & Budd, P.C. et al., to resolve the question of what the monetary value of the initial lawsuit was.

Trussell Technologies, Inc. was retained by Judge Minning of the Los Angeles Superior Court as the Appraiser in the case of Santa Monica v. Baron & Budd, P.C. et al. to appraise the value of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a water treatment plant to treat the Charnock well water contaminated with MtBE and related hydrocarbons to potable water standards until such time as the groundwater quality entering the treatment plant met potable water standards for the constituents of concern (COC). Trussell Technologies, Inc. developed a 10 percent design for a $60 million ultraviolet light/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) advanced oxidation facility using Trojan’s UVPhox advanced oxidation process (AOP) equipment to meet the Settlement Agreement requirements. Using this AOP facility design, Trussell Technologies, Inc prepared an appraisal that included design, construction, operation and maintenance.