Reverse osmosis filtration facility near completion

Aug. 8—HILLSBORO — A high-tech filtration system at West Morgan-East Lawrence Water Authority is near completion, and officials say initial results show it is removing all detectible contaminants from the river water that, after treatment, flows from customers taps.

The water intake is about 13 miles downstream from Decatur industries, and WMEL financed the $30 million facility after settling a lawsuit in which it alleged some of those industries were polluting the river, causing high contamination levels downstream.

The J.D. Sims-R.M. Hames Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Facility along Lawrence County 400 in the northern part of the county will be capable of purifying up to 16 million gallons of water daily. Its daily average now is about 7 million gallons, officials said.

"With the dripping faucets during the ice storm last winter we were up to 10.3 million gallons a day," said Plant Manager Dennie Robinson. "Our capacity means we are ready for growth coming to our area."

Until it receives final approval from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to pipe water treated through reverse osmosis directly to customers, it is also filtering it with granulated activated carbon. But testing indicates the reverse osmosis system alone is removing all contaminants from the water.

Robinson said the closed circuit reverse osmosis filtration (ROF) process has industry experts taking notice of the water quality results. Utility officials from North Carolina and Georgia have visited the facility and others from as far away as California have called WMEL.

Robinson said there are no measurable contaminants in the plant's purified water. He said the turbidity, or the clarity of the water, processed at the facility must be below 0.3 nephelometric turbidity units, which is the legal limit. "We're at 0.016," he said.

The water plant's pipelines take in water from 18 feet deep in the Tennessee River, which has a turbidity level between 7 and 10, Robinson said.

The reverse osmosis system removes microscopic contaminants by pushing the water under high pressure through semi-permeable membranes.

"Whatever is in the river, it's our task to remove it, and we'll do our best to do it," he said. "It's our job to produce reliable drinking water. Hopefully, it will be at the faucet for our customers when they are ready. About 90% of our employees live on the system, too."

He said a drop of water stays in the plant 10 hours going through a filtration process involving straws and membranes. "It's tested every two hours by us and every 15 minutes is automatically logged," Robinson said.

He said the ROF system makes the water softer with the pH levels reduced from about 8 to 6.5. Lime and phosphate are being added to the water to increase the pH and help control corrosion.

WMEL filed a lawsuit against 3M, its subsidiary Dyneon LLC and Daikin America on Oct. 5, 2015, accusing the defendants of knowingly discharging toxic wastewater into the river.

WMEL settled with Daikin for $4 million in 2018, and the water authority used the money to cover the cost of a temporary carbon filtration plant it installed in 2016, which successfully removed PFOA and PFOS from the drinking water.

More effective filtering

The water authority agreed to a $35 million settlement with 3M in April 2019. Then-WMEL general manager Don Sims wanted a system that would remove the hundreds of lightly researched replacement chemicals that 3M and other industries began manufacturing after, under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency, they phased out PFOA and PFOS.

PFOA and PFOS are part of a growing family of man-made chemicals characterized by nearly indestructible bonds between carbon and fluorine. The chemical family is referred to as PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

PFOA and PFOS are long-chain PFAS compounds, meaning they have at least eight fluorine-carbon bonds. Long-chain PFAS are more easily filtered from drinking water than short-chain PFAS, but research suggests they also have a greater tendency to accumulate in the body. Extensive research on long-chain PFAS has found probable links between the chemicals and health conditions including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and infertility.

While carbon filtration is effective at removing the long-chain PFAS, it is less effective at removing the short-chain PFAS that are under increased scrutiny by researchers and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The settlement money was used to pay off an outstanding infrastructure bond and another bond was secured through the state's revolving loan fund at a "significantly lower" interest rate that will save WMEL customers $15 million over 20 years, according to General Manager Jeaniece Slater.

Slater, 51, has worked with WMEL for 20 years and was named general manager when Sims retired in January.

Slater said the reverse osmosis filtration saves additional money for the ratepayers.

"We were wasting 30% to 35% of the water coming in with the previous system," she said. "Now with reverse osmosis in closed circuit, it is about 10% (loss). That will mean economic savings for us and our customers. This is a tested, proven method. It is why we went the route we did."

"We haven't increased the bills," she said. "If there is an increase it will be because of operations and maintenance."

ROF is a growing trend in purifying bottled water, Slater added. "Avanti lists ROF on its bottles." Clover Valley Water is another company selling locally that promotes ROF.

Concerns begin

WMEL began producing water produced through the reverse osmosis method May 1.

Despite the newer, higher-quality water processing, some Lawrence County residents remain skeptical, especially after WMEL told customers in May and June 2016 that its water was not safe to cook with or drink. That advisory came after the EPA adopted a rule requiring that any system whose water had a combined level of 70 parts per trillion of PFOA and PFOS notify customers and reduce the amount of the chemicals in the water. Tests of West Morgan-East Lawrence's water found 110 parts per trillion of the chemicals.

The advisory ended after several weeks, and the temporary carbon filtration began later that year, but concerns remained.

Janice Bowling of Courtland said she will continue to purchase bottled water for drinking purposes.

"I cook with the faucet water, but ever since what happened in 2016 I am going to buy water in the bottle," she said.

Carlos Ashford of North Courtland echoed her sentiments. "Since that big scare in 2016, I've been buying bottled water. I am glad to hear West Morgan-East Lawrence has a new system, but I'm worried about the water lines between there and my house."

Town Creek Mayor Mike Parker, who was the town's water department manager for a couple of decades, said he was never afraid to drink the West Morgan-East Lawrence water.

"The water quality was the same in 2016, EPA just changed the parameters and issued an advisory. We had people consistently calling Town Hall afraid," he said. "I told them, 'I am drinking the water. It's safe.' I understood the process. People out in the county had no clue. That was what caused the panic. But nobody threatened to move away. When (WMEL) got a carbon filtering system installed that pretty much quieted the talk."

Courtland Mayor Linda Peebles said her residents appear happy with the WMEL water quality.

"Since I became mayor (in 2020), nobody has come in my office asking, 'What are we going to do about this contaminated water?' I took a tour of the plant earlier this year and I am amazed at the filtering system they have in place now."

She said state and regional grants with assistance from WMEL totaling $820,000 will go toward replacing 8,100 feet of water lines in Courtland beginning Aug. 16. She said the work should be complete by Nov. 14.

Some Lawrence customers welcomed the new filtering system and the product they get through home faucets.

"I can tell it has a different taste and is definitely clearer," said Jasmine Smith of North Courtland. "It used to have a funny taste but now it is more compatible."

Darius Grant, also of North Courtland, agreed. "I've seen a difference," he said. "It's cleaner and has a better taste now."

One step left

Slater said she realizes the water authority has work to do to regain the confidence of the 53,000 people it serves. It also sells water to West Lawrence, which includes Moulton, and the towns of Trinity, Falkville and Town Creek.

"I understand the mistrust. When they're ready, the (clean water) is there," she said. "The PFOA and PFAS have been removed. Why spend the money if we didn't (remove them)?"

She said the results are on the authority's website at wmel.org.

WMEL is working closely with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and awaiting lab results that would allow it to use only the reverse osmosis filtration, Slater said.

She said the facility has about $960,000 in reverse osmosis filters with each filter costing about $500. She said the filters come with a five-year warranty. "We're hoping to get at least seven years from the filters. We know it will be a maintenance cost we will have. We're already putting money back to replace those filters."

She said the reverse osmosis filters are much cheaper in the long run than the carbon filters. The cost of the carbon filters across seven years would surpass $2 million, she said.

"Reverse osmosis water still goes through the carbon filters for now. We're waiting on test results" to get ADEM's permission to skip the granulated activated carbon step.

"It won't change any quality when the GAC is turned off," she said. "I feel comfortable we got it right. We don't want to be wrong. Water, it's a business you have to be on your game all of the time."

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.