BLENDING SUPPLIES FOR PLANT OPTIMIZATION

The Corpus Christi, Texas, water treatment plant treats water from the Nueces River watershed. In the fall of 1998, the plant will begin rec eiving water from Lake Texana, a source with very different water qual ity. A comprehensive treatability study was conducted to prepare the p lant for the new water. In evaluating the desirability of treating a g iven blend and selecting an optimum blend to target for treatment, the authors considered several factors, e.g., amount of chemicals require d, range in chemical dosages required, settled and filtered water qual ity, and compliance with the proposed enhanced coagulation regulations . The authors proposed that the optimal blend for Corpus Christi be id entified by alkalinity and achieved by targeting a range of alkalinity in the raw water. In general, selection of a blend based on a target source water parameter may result in creation of a more consistent sou rce water than is achievable by blending based on quantity alone, ther eby increasing the potential for optimizing plant performance.