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Title: Assessing the need to disinfect Hawaii`s groundwater sources under the groundwater disinfection rule

Conference ·
OSTI ID:387302
; ;  [1]
  1. Water Resources Research Center, Honolulu, HI (United States)

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) is the public water supplier for the island of Oahu which comprises approximately 80% of the population in the state of Hawaii. Today, nearly 100% of the approximately 150 mgd of water provided by the BWS is categorized as groundwater. Historically and up to 1990, the BWS was able to meet the existing coliform drinking water standard even while distributing groundwater to the public without routine disinfection. There has never been any evidence of water borne disease transmission by the distribution system. In fact, one of the major complaints of the public concerns the chlorine taste of the drinking water following spot chlorination during pipe repairs or in reservoir tanks that occasionally become positive for coliform. The most likely source of coliform contamination of reservoir tanks was determined to be the vents of the tanks which are required to allow the water level to rise and fall but which represent sites where external contamination (dust, insects) could enter the tank. It has been a tradition of the BWS to serve safe, good tasting, unchlorinated water to its consumers.

OSTI ID:
387302
Report Number(s):
CONF-951108-; TRN: 96:003589-0027
Resource Relation:
Conference: Water quality technology conference, New Orleans, LA (United States), 12-16 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings: 1995 water quality technology conference. Part I - Sunday seminars through Session 3E includes poster presentations. Part II - Session 4A through ST7; PB: 2562 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English