WRF Provides New Hexavalent Chromium Resources

Water Research Foundation (WRF) is making additional resources available to help water systems and other interested parties better understand the costs associated with removing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from drinking water. These tools come as California has just announced its draft maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Cr(VI) and as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is evaluating the need to develop a national MCL beyond the current MCL for total chromium.

The newest resource is a Cost Estimation Tool for Cr(VI) removal from groundwater. The cost estimation tool will help drinking water systems estimate a range of potential costs to remove Cr(VI) from their water based on system-specific information about the impacted well, water quality, residuals handling and different treatment options. It was developed as part of WaterRF Project #4450, “Impact of Water Quality on Hexavalent Chromium Removal Efficiency and Cost.”

Project 4450 evaluates the removal of Cr(VI) from 10 groundwater sources in an effort to understand the impact of different water quality parameters on the performance and cost of three Cr(VI) treatment technologies: weak-base anion resin, strong-base anion resin, and reduction-coagulation-filtration. Based on the treatment performance, capital and annual operations and maintenance cost, estimates were developed for each treatment technology. In addition, the project develops defensible capital and annual operations and maintenance cost estimates for implementing treatment systems of various sizes that can comply with a range of potential drinking water contaminant levels.

“Hexavalent chromium presents a number of challenges to the water community in terms of treatment options and related costs associated with each,” said Robert Renner, executive director of WRF. “Project 4450 and the cost estimation tool should quickly prove to be invaluable assets to anyone wrestling with these complex issues.”

In recognition of the national interest in this issue, WaterRF has conducted and is currently supporting numerous initiatives to advance the science surrounding Cr(VI). For example, Cr(VI) challenges are being addressed in the Foundation’s Focus Area Program, which solves broadly relevant subscriber issues with a targeted, multi‐year research response. Project #4450 was funded through this program.

“We understand that hexavalent chromium in drinking water is an issue that is challenging many utilities,” Renner said. “Our job is to give the water community the tools they need to make smart decisions when it comes to treating water so they can cost-effectively remove this contaminant to meet federal and state standards and protect public health.”

Source: Water Research Foundation