Filter Plant Performance Evaluation
The Filter Plant Performance Evaluation (FPPE) program is an initiative to evaluate filter plant performance in Pennsylvania. Conversely, the national Partnership for Safe Water (Partnership) is a voluntary effort that encourages public water systems to self-assess their facilities, treatment processes, operating and maintenance procedures, and management oversight practices. Both programs focus on filtered drinking water suppliers that obtain source water from reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams. They provide an added measure of safety to millions of Pennsylvanians. In essence, the preventative measures are based on optimizing treatment plant performance and preventing disease-causing organisms from entering the state’s drinking water supplies.
For more information, visit the following Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) websites:
The following report, dated August 8, 2005, contains information on the benefits and outcomes of the FPPE and Partnership programs.
The following outcomes measure the public health benefits of the FPPE and Partnership programs.
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Outcome #1. Waterborne disease outbreaks associated with public drinking water remain low in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania once led the nation in the number of reported waterborne disease outbreaks. On October 22, 2004, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the latest disease information in a summary titled "Surveillance for Waterborne-Disease Outbreaks" in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. According to the report, waterborne disease outbreaks in the state remain low. The FPPE program is one of the many initiatives in Pennsylvania’s Safe Drinking Water Program that have reduced our disease outbreaks.
For more information: Waterborne Diseases Reach All-Time Low in Pennsylvania
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Outcome #2. Between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005, public water suppliers in Pennsylvania corrected 270 deficiencies at 62 filter plants as a result of the FPPE program.
The FPPE process is a method of determining the effectiveness of a filter plant in removing disease-causing organisms from the incoming raw water. Following the on-site evaluation, the water supplier receives DEP’s detailed report that summarizes an assessment of plant operations, equipment and water quality conditions. The report also concludes whether the water supplier corrected potential problems that DEP identified during a previous FPPE. Fiscal year 2004-2005 (July 1 through June 30) is the first year when total corrections were tallied across the state. Overall, FPPEs have enhanced the skills of water supply operators and have improved drinking water quality.
For more information: Filter Plant Performance Evaluation: Program Information
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Outcome #3. Approximately 1.4 million Pennsylvanians are benefiting from improved drinking water quality. These consumers receive water from 65 filter plants where DEP has upgraded the performance rating in the FPPE program.
FPPE staff rate the filter plants as “Commendable”, “Satisfactory” or “Needs Improvement” for their ability to remove pathogenic protozoa. The ratings are based on the plant’s ability-and operators’ skill level-to maintain optimal performance over the long-term. Due to improvements, 11 filter plants serving almost 312,000 people received an upgraded rating during follow-up FPPEs between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. Twenty-five plants are in the highest rating category of “Commendable”. Since 1999, the program has cumulatively benefited 65 filter plants serving over 1.4 million people.
For more information: Filter Plant Performance Evaluation: Program Information
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Outcome #4. In calendar years 2003 and 2004, the percentage of filter plants meeting the optimization goal of 0.1 NTU for the maximum daily combined filter effluent turbidity was 55 percent and 54 percent, respectively.
Operators at filter plants use “turbidity” to measure the effectiveness of the treatment processes. Basically, turbidity is an indicator of the presence of protozoa, bacteria, viruses and other disease-causing organisms. It is measured as “NTU” or nephelometric turbidity units. Turbidity levels over 0.1 NTU represent an increased risk of a waterborne disease outbreak. DEP uses an Excel-based software program called “Optimization Assessment Software,” which determines whether plants across the state are meeting the goals and maximizing public heath protection by optimizing performance. Unlike compliance data, the optimization goal is a measure of whether water suppliers are maximizing public health protection by minimizing risks of a waterborne disease outbreak. Currently, data is available for 69 percent of the plants in the state.
For more information: Area Wide Optimization Program
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Outcome #5. Approximately 3.6 million Pennsylvanians are benefiting from
improved drinking water provided from 47 filter plants that have achieved Phase
III of the Partnership program.
Phase III of the Partnership program culminates in a detailed, peer-reviewed report that summarizes a rigorous self-assessment. This phase is specifically geared toward identifying weakness in plant operation, design and administration that could lead to a breakthrough of waterborne disease-causing organisms into finished water that is distributed to consumers. Based on 95th percentile turbidity values, a national Partnership report revealed that plant performance improved more than 50 percent following the Partnership Phase III self-assessment.
For more information: Partnership for Safe Water: Annual Data Summary Report (132KB PDF File)
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Outcome #6. Approximately 7.5 million Pennsylvanians are benefiting from improved drinking water provided from 283 surface water systems that are meeting the maximum contaminant levels established in the Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts Rule.
The Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts Rule improves public health by reducing exposure to disinfection byproducts, including total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Some byproducts have been shown to cause cancer and affect reproduction in lab animals and may cause bladder cancer and reproductive effects in humans. In calendar year 2004-the first year when data from all filter plants was available-295 (93 percent) of 318 filtered surface water systems properly submitted data to DEP. 283 (96 percent) of the 295 systems were meeting the maximum contaminant levels established under the rule.
For more information: Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts Rule
The following outputs measure the productivity and current status of the FPPE and Partnership programs.
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Output/Status #1. Since the FPPE program's inception in 1988, the percentage of plants that were rated and currently have a “Commendable” or “Satisfactory” performance rating has increased to the current level of 76 percent
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Since
1988, over 1,390 FPPEs have occurred in the state. The drinking water
industry-and the FPPE protocol-have substantially evolved over this time period.
New research indicates that a higher level of plant performance is necessary to remove pathogens. Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated more stringent regulations at the national level. As a result, DEP’s on-site FPPEs continue to become more rigorous in order to encourage water suppliers to produce finished water quality that is better than current regulatory standards. Since the FPPE program’s inception in 1988, a philosophy of maintaining a rigorous program positions Pennsylvania’s filter plants for compliance with future regulations and the prevention of waterborne diseases. Therefore, when taking this into account, the accompanying graph shows that 24 percent of the plants are still not optimized in the state.
For more information:
Filter Plant Performance Evaluation: Program Information
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Output/Status #2. The state's surface water treatment plants increased from 204 (1988) to the current level of 354 plants, which together serve eight million Pennsylvanians and numerous out-of-state visitors.
In 1989, the adoption of Pennsylvania's mandatory surface water filtration regulation resulted in a dramatic decline in risks from waterborne giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis. For example, the number of public water systems using unfiltered surface water sources decreased from 277 in 1985 to 2 in the year 2003. In most cases, these water systems used disinfection as the only form of treatment and did not filter the water. The two remaining small systems only serve a combined population of less than 500 people. Conversely, the number of filter plants has increased dramatically. Our exposure to organisms resistant to disinfection, like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, is much more limited.
For more information: Pennsylvanias Surface Water Treatment Plants Improve Dramatically
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Output/Status #3. Nineteen filter plants still need an FPPE and 64 plants still hold a “Needs Improvement” performance rating in Pennsylvania.
DEP will continue to work with the state's water systems that remain in the “Needs Improvement” status. The plants in this status serve over 427,000 Pennsylvanians. In addition, newly constructed filter plants in Pennsylvania still need a performance rating under the FPPE program. The graph does not include 72 unfiltered systems using ground water under the direct influence that may need to construct new filter plants.
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Output/Status #4. With 109 Partnership members serving 5.1 million customers, Pennsylvania is the leader in the nation.
The Partnership is made up of DEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Section American Water Works Association and other drinking water organizations. Its goal is to implement preventative measures that are based on optimizing treatment plant performance. Participation shows a continuing commitment toward the goal of providing safe water 100% of the time and achieving operational excellence in water treatment. Currently, Pennsylvania accounts for over 25 percent of the nation’s total membership.
For more information:
Partnership for Safe Water: General Questions and Information
For a PDF version of this report click here.
