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Identifying Water Main Leaks With Trihalomethane Tracers
Author(s) -
Hargesheimer Erika E.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1985.tb05646.x
Subject(s) - trihalomethane , alkalinity , chloroform , tracer , groundwater , environmental chemistry , chemistry , environmental science , raw water , water treatment , chromatography , environmental engineering , geology , physics , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , nuclear physics
In this study, the trihalomethanes (THMs) chloroform and dichlorobromomethane, present in chlorinated drinking water, were used as tracer compounds to identify the presence of treated city water in samples of seepage collected at leak sites in the distribution system. Using physical and chemical tests such as alkalinity, hardness, conductivity, and pH, the origin of leakage water samples often could not be identified unequivocally as treated city water, groundwater, or raw river water. Purge‐and‐trap gas chromatographic analysis detected nanogram‐per‐litre to low microgram‐per‐litre levels of chloroform and dichlorobromomethane and can be used to positively identify traces of treated city water. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of distribution system main and service line leak samples.