Formation of disinfection by-products within the drinking water production system and distribution network of a real case study

Abstract This work presents a collaboration between the so-called Gasset Service Association (responsible for providing drinking water to 100,000 inhabitants from a surface water reservoir) and researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). The main aim of this work was providing a comprehensive characterization of the formation and removal of disinfection by-products in a real drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) and water distribution network. According to the results obtained, it can be stated that bromate is formed on the pre-oxidation stage and it is not eliminated throughout the DWTP; meanwhile, total organic carbon is partially removed on the clarification process. Moreover, it demonstrates the key role of the residence time and the type of water storage throughout the distribution network (either in pipes or in tanks) due to the combined effect of, at least, four overlapped mechanisms: THMs chemical generation, air stripping, hydrolysis and biological removal. This comprehensive view of the drinking water production and distribution network represents an excellent framework for allowing the improvement in the drinking water quality for a very common water production case study: a medium-size city fed by a surface water source.