• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.359-369
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• 2017

Water distribution systems supply drinking water to consumers' taps. Internal corrosion of metallic pipe used in drinking water distribution systems has reduced water quality and led to increased levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead, copper and nickel. These problems have been experienced to varying degrees by water utilities in many countries. North America has successfully managed and controlled pipe corrosion and corrosive water in water distribution system based on various policies, regulations and rules. Practical and engineering guidelines for evaluation of pipe corrosion and determination of treatment options are also provided to assist drinking water supplies. In addition, the corrosion mechanism in water distribution systems, such as the complex effects of physical and chemical parameters on the corrosion pipes has been improved to accurately predict corrosion rates of metallic pipes in actual water distribution systems. This paper reviews various regulations, policy statement, and treatment produces on controlling corrosion in drinking water distribution systems in US and Canada and then offers suggestion for management of corrosive water and pipe corrosion in drinking water distribution system in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.181-192
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• 2005

This study evaluated the effect of factors influencing the initial biofilm formation in drinking water distribution pipe by running experiments using a $2^{4-1}$ fractional factorial experimental design with a replicate. Important variables used for assessing biofilm formation included BDOC(biodegradable dissolved organic carbon), viable heterotrophic bacteria present in drinking water, water temperature, and shear stress at two levels each. Based on the statistical analysis of biofilm levels measured as attached HPC(heterotrophic plate count) and community-level assay, the main factors that have significant effects on biofilm formation were found to be viable heterotrophic bacteria and BDOC. Water temperature only exhibited significant effect on the levels of attached HPC, while shear stress was not a significant factor under given conditions. Moreover, the statistical analysis revealed that interactions between the important variables were not statistically significant at a 0.05 significance level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1558-1562
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• 2007

To elucidate the influence of pipe materials on the VBNC (viable but nonculturable) state and bacterial numbers in drinking water, biofilm and effluent from stainless steel, galvanized iron, and polyvinyl chloride pipe wafers were analyzed. Although no HPC (heterotrophic plate count) was detected in the chlorinated influent of the model system, a DVC (direct viable count) still existed in the range between 3- and 4-log cells/ml. Significantly high numbers of HPC and DVC were found both in biofilm and in the effluent of the model system. The pipe material, exposure time, and the season were all relevant to the concentrations of VBNC and HPC bacteria detected. These findings indicate the importance of determining the number of VBNC cells and the type of pipe materials to estimate the HPC concentration in water distribution systems and thus the need of determining a DVC in evaluating disinfection efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.108-116
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• 2000

Chlorine is widely used as a disinfectant in drinking-water systems throughout the world. Chlorine residual was used as an indicator for prediction of water quality in water distribution systems. The variation of chlorine residual in drinking water distribution systems of Suwon city was simulated using EPANET. EPANET is a computerized simulation model which predicts the dynamic hydraulic and water quality behavior within a water distribution system operating over an extended time period. Sampling and analysis were performed to calibrated the computer model in 1999 (Aug. Summer). Water quality variables used in simulations are temperature, roughness coefficient, pipe diameter, pipe length, water demand, velocity and so on. Extended water residence time affected water quality due to the extended reaction time in some areas. All area showed the higher concentration of chlorine residual than 0.2mg/l(standard). So it can be concluded that any area in Suwon city is not in biological regrowth problem. Rechlorination turned out to be an useful method for uniform concentration of free chlorine residual in distribution system. The cost of disinfectant could be saved remarkably by cutting down the initial chlorine concentration to the level which guarantees minimum concentration (0.2mg/l) throughout the distribution system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.707-717
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• 2011

Replacement of old water distribution pipes for protecting water quality induced by pipe corrosion requires enormous budget. Even after the replacement, however, corrosion can occur again at any times and, therefore, inhibitive measure of the corrosion will be not only economical but needed to diminish the consumers' distrust on tap water quality. In 2008, National Environmental Research Institute did a survey on 8 major drinking water source and proposed to establish the Langelier Saturation Index(LI) as a corrosion index in Drinking Water Quality Criteria. Among the water industries of Korea, K-Water is the only one that set up the level of pH over 7.0 and LI above -1.5 on yearly average basis. However, no systematic regulation including LI to inhibit the corrosive tendency has been established yet. In this paper, LI values out of 31 drinking water treatment plants were analyzed and two-stage control of LI value as a measure of corrosive tendency of water is proposed. Primarily, water treatment facilities may operate the system at a target LI value below -1.5. Following the investigation on the effect caused by adjusting the LI value on water quality and corrosiveness, it will be desirable to improve LI value below -1.0 in the long run. In addition to the LI, supplemental use of Larson's modified ratio (LMR) which incorporates hydraulic detention time will be necessary. Several methods to prove the inhibitive effect of improving the LI value on water quality have been also suggested.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.615-623
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• 2012

In this study, we evaluate the corrosion indexes (CI) such as Langelier Index (LI), Larson ratio (LR), Ryznar saturation index (RSI), Aggressiveness index (AI) of water quality for raw water, treated water and water in distribution reservoir at major eight drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Korea. By analyzing secondary contamination of tap water, the variation of secondary contaminants was investigated with regard to pipe materials, aging and corrosion index (CI). In addition, we suggested an appropriate CI applicable water quality and the management plan for CI monitoriing. All CI showed corrosive water quality, and they did not change significantly in the distribution network. However, Copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations as secondary contaminants increased through the distribution network. Among CI, LI was most sensitive to changes in raw water quality and drinking water treatment. Also, it has high correlations with other indexes such as RSI, AI. Therefore, LI is considered as an appropriate CI to the domestic water quality. Based on these result, we propose LI as a drinking water quality standard to control the pipe corrosion from DWTPs.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.21 no.B
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• pp.11-20
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• 2001

This laboratory study examined the impact of free chlorine residual and pipe material on the formation of biofilm in drinking water distribution pipe surfaces. Result of heterotrophic plate counts(HPC) of the biofilm in the tap water-supplied reactor averaged $2.17{\times}10^5CFU/cm^2$ on PVC and $2.43{\times}10^5CFU/cm^2$ on STS 316, respectively. HPCs on the surface exposed to the tap water containing 0.2mg/L of free chlorinne residual averaged $4.24{\times}10^4CFU/cm^2$ on PVC and $6.54{\times}10^4CFU/cm^2$ on STS 316, respectively. Average of HPC/Total direct counts in the tap water-supplied reactor ranged from 1.08%(PVC) to 1.26%(STS 316) and from 0.38%(PVC) to 0.65%(STS 316) in the reactor supplemented with disinfectant, respectively. No correlation was observed between disinfectant addition and biofilm density. With regard to the biofilm formation, little difference existed between PVC and STS 316. Yellow and red pigmented bacteria were the dominant expressions in bulk fluid, whereas non-pigmented bacteria were found dominant in the biofilm. Pink/red pigmented bacteria were found to be facultative anaerobic, while yellow pigmented bacteria and non-pigmented bacteria were found to be obligate aerobic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.431-441
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• 2006

This study investigated the physiological characteristics of biofilm microorganisms formed onto the different drinking water distribution pipe surfaces. The simulated drinking water distribution pipe system which had several PVC, STS 304, and GS coupons was operated at flow velocity of 0.08 m/sec (Re 1,950) and 0.28 m/sec (Re 7,300), respectively. At velocity of 0.08 m/sec, the number of viable heterotrophic bacteria in the biofilm over the 3 months of operation averaged $3.3{\times}10^4$, $8.7{\times}10^4$, and $7.2{\times}10^3CFU/cm^2$ for PVC, STS, and GS surfaces, respectively. The number of attached heterotrophic bacteria averaged $1.4{\times}10^3$, $5.6{\times}10^2$, and $6.5{\times}10^2CFU/cm^2$ on PVC, STS, and GS surfaces at the system with relatively high flow velocity of 0.28m/sec. The changes of physiological profile of biofilm-forming microorganisms were characterized by community-level assay that utilized the Biolog GN microplates. Biofilms that formed on different pipe surfaces displayed distinctive patterns of community-level physiological profile (CLPP), which reflected the metabolic preference for different carbon sources and/or the utilization of these carbon sources to varying degrees. The CLPP patterns have shown that the metabolic potential of a biofilm community was different depending on the pipe material. The effect of the pipe material was also characterized differently by operation condition such as flow rate. At flow velocity of 0.08 m/sec, the metabolic potential of biofilm microorganisms on GS surface showed lower levels than PVC and STS biofilms. For biofilms on pipe material surfaces exposed to water flowing at 0.28 m/sec, the metabolic potential was in order of PVC>GS>STS. Generally, the levels of the bacterial biofilm's metabolic potentials were shown to be notably higher on pipe surfaces exposed to water at 0.08 m/sec when compared to those on pipe surfaces exposed to water at 0.28 m/sec.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2005

This study was performed to evaluate the adsorption rate of phosphate corrosion inhibitor and reaction rate constant in drinking water distribution systems. The optimum concentration of corrosion inhibitor would vary depending on the quality of water, pipe materials, and condition of metal surfaces. The current adsorption study indicated that the residual phosphate concentration of the corrosion inhibitor decreased with the time as it adsorbed on the surface of pipe material. As time went by, the residual phosphate concentration became constant. It means that the formation of the corrosion protection film on metal surfaces is completed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1635-1642
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• 2014

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) concentrations have been observed to decreased at drinking water distribution system extremities. This decrease is associated with microbiological degradation by pipe wall biofilm. The objective of this study was to evaluate HAAs degradation in a drinking water system in the presence of a biofilm and to identify the factors that influence this degradation. Degradation of monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) was observed in a simulated distribution system. The results obtained showed that different parameters came into play simultaneously in the degradation of HAAs, including retention time, water temperature, biomass, and composition of organic matter. Seasonal variations had a major effect on HAAs degradation and biomass quantity (ATP concentration) was lower by 25% in the winter compared with the summer.