The Fayette County Water System has implemented a new high-tech sensor system that officials say will lead to significant improvements in water safety.
The new technology will provide real-time monitoring of trihalomethane levels in the water system, according to a recent county statement. Previous testing for trihalomethane compliance involved gathering samples and sending them to a local lab for analysis, a process that would not produce results for several weeks. This made it difficult to make necessary adjustments in water treatment before it is delivered into a mass distribution system that includes more than 618 miles of piping and five large storage tanks, water system officials said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, trihalomethane is often a byproduct of the use of chlorine to disinfect water for drinking, and it has demonstrated carcinogenic activity in laboratory animals.
“Operators must not only have the proper tools to treat the water effectively but they need laboratory equipment that provides them real time results, so adjustments can be made during treatment to allow them to produce the best water quality possible,” said water system director Lee Pope.
After researching possible methods, officials decided on a process now being used in the United Kingdom to provide real-time monitoring of trihalomethane. Only a few of these multi-sensor units are currently in use in the United States, and the Fayette County Water System claims to be the first in Georgia to use the technology.
The two units – one at the South Fayette Water Treatment Plant and the other at the Crosstown Water Treatment Plant in Peachtree City – have the capability of running routine “grab samples” within the system’s distribution piping, officials said.
Dr. Mark Brown, director of Multi-Sensor Systems, was credited with donating the necessary additional attachments to the water system after a November visit to the Crosstown facility.
“The implementation of this state-of-the-art monitoring technology demonstrates Fayette County’s commitment to providing top quality water to consumers and demonstrations how our new leadership is raising the standard for water industry monitoring across the state,” said Fayette County Board of Commissioners Chairman Steve Brown.
