Environmental Protection Agency
ALASKA WATER LABORATORY
QUARTERLY RESEARCH REPORT
October 1 -December 31,
ALASKA WATER LABORATORY
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
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ALASKA WATER LABORATORY
QUARTERLY RESEARCH REPORT
OCTOBER 1 - DECEMBER 31, 1971
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ALASKA VILLAGE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
PROJECT: 16100 ZNM
Objectives:
To plan and construct, in one or more Alaskan villages, projects to
provide a central safe v/ater supply and waste disposal facility in conjunc-
tion with community laundry and bathing facilities and a community health
education program to help assure continued beneficial use of the projects.
Work Accomplished Second Quarter FY 1972:
Two preliminary designs and business proposals for construction and
installation of facilities at Emmonak and Uainwright were subjected to
detailed review. Quotations for construction far exceeded funding limita-
tions in each case. After prolonged communications with Washington, D.C.
Headquarters, with designers, and with village councils, agreement was
reached to reduce the scope of work to be accomplished. Major savings
will be achieved through:
1. Reduction of floor space by approximately half.
2. Prefabrication to the point where equipment will be
factory-installed in building modules sized to
permit easy handling and shipment by Hercules air-
craft.
3. Reduction to a minimum of skilled labor needed at
s i te.
4. Possibility of utilizing BIA Plant Design and
Construction building crews for installation.
Construction contracts for both projects are now in the final stages
of formal approval. Delivery of facility modules is expected in June and
provision of full services should be possible by September 1972.
The effects of this economizing exercise on the demonstration value of
the project are several. The central facilities have been reduced from a
scale considered optimal for Emmonak and Wainwright to a level at which
basic services will still be provided, but conveniences to the operator
and user have been trimmed to bare minimums. Because consumer acceptance
and beneficial functioning of systems-type innovations inevitably depend
upon their convenience value as well as upon technical merit, the potential
of the demonstration facilities as viable alternatives to conventional
water and sewer services in rural Alaska has been impaired. On the other
hand, availability of relatively complete, inexpensive and easily trans-
portable service modules could well accelerate the pace at which the bulk
of small villages can be provided with skeletal services as an interim
solution to their water and waste problems.
Energy requirements, especially in the waste treatment section have
continued to be a major concern. As a promising alternative to incineration,
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application of a wet oxidation process has come under consideration. The
so-called Zimmerman Process is used in Japan to treat night soil from homes
and railways. At this point in time, however, equipment of the right size
for use in small communities has not been built. The possibility, however,
of incorporating such a unit in the Wainwright plant still remains open.
Along these same lines, interest has been generated in the Bureau of
Mines to find means to enable Wainwright to exploit known coal deposits in
the vicinity of the village. Availability of coal could cut fuel costs in
half. The plant, therefore, is being built to permit easy conversion from
oil to coal once it is mined.
As part of its contribution to the utilities system at Wainwright, the
Indian Health Service has arranged for installation of the piling which will
support the water storage tank at that location.
Work Plan Thrid Quarter FY 1972:
1. Work closely with contractors to promote timely redesign
and construction. Monitor expenditures to guard against
overruns.
2. Refine vehicular delivery and pickup system.
3. Provide additional operator training.
4. Resume liaison with State and Federal Agencies involved
in and contributing to the project.
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COLD CLIMATE RESEARCH
PROJECT 16100 ZNB - COLD REGIONS EXTENDED AERATION DESIGN CRITERIA
Objectives:
To develop empirical cold regions extended aeration design criteria
from the operation of two adjacent parallel exposed units (aeration
tanks). One unit has an enclosed conventional (horizontal flow) clarifier;
the other, an enclosed upflow clarifier with tubes.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Considerable pumping and flow control problems were experienced
with the Eielson A.F.B. comminuted sewage. It was decided to use
primary effluent for feed. The feed pumps were moved to the end of
the Eielson A.F.B. primary plant and there has been no major clogging
problem since.
Data has been collected while operating at approximately 10°C,
18 hour detention with 0.5 gpm/ft overflow rate.
Initially the cooling pond did not reduce the feed temperature as
expected. The evaporative cooling capacity (heat absorbing) of air from
0 to 30°F is only one third that from 60 to 90°F wet bulb air tempera-
tures. The cooling pond has been converted to a spray pond and the feed
temperatures are now down to 4°C or less.
The upflow (with tubes) clarifier has not been performing as well
as the horizontal clarifier. Floatable accumulation has been a problem
on both clarifiers, but has been easier to handle on the horizontal
clarifier due to easier surface access. Floatables have been pumped
from atop the upflow clarifier to the sludge disposal lagoon.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
To collect performance data for comparing the horizontal flow vs.
the upflow (with tube settler) clarifiers under low temperature operation.
PROJECT 16100 ZNE - COLD REGIONS AERATED LAGOON DESIGN CRITERIA
Objectives:
To establish design criteria for the aerated lagoon waste treatment
process in Alaska, and to evaluate parameters and contribution to effluent
quality, power and maintenance costs, and reliability.
To establish the feasibility of using open type (non-clogging)
diffusers in an aerated lagoon and obtain design information.
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To determine the comparative effects of open type diffusers and
perforated tubing diffusers on aerated lagoon process efficiencies.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Monitoring of the pilot aerated lagoon at Eielson A.F.B. and the Ft.
Greely aerated lagoon continued through the quarter. The two cells of
the Ft. Greely lagoon modified to include non-clog aerators have compared
favorably with the perforated lead keel tubing aerators retained in the
remaining two cells. This is in reference to overall treatment effi-
ciency as well as operation and maintenance requirements. Comments from
operating personnel at Ft. Greely indicate they have been favorably
impressed with the lower maintenance requirements of the non-clog dif-
fusers to date.
Analysis of the dye study (for short circuiting) performed last
quarter indicates both sides of the Ft. Greely lagoon are complete mix
basins with little evidence of plug flow. They are not complete mix
in the sense that all suspended solids are kept in circulation, however,
as there are large deposits near the influent lines. Complete analysis
of the data is not possible because of interferences encountered (bio
adsorption, etc., which was expected). One phenomenon observed, however,
was the apparent flow of influent around the perforated lead keel tubing
bubble pattern and along the edge of the lagoon for a long distance
before mixing into the bubble pattern.
The influent scoop sampler has been removed and replaced with a
laboratory fabricated sampler which is more effective. One limited
oxygen transfer test has been performed and another will be performed
during the third quarter. The ratio of flow to each side of the Ft.
Greely lagoon has been determined with approximately 60% going to the
non-clog diffuser side. The influent flow meter has proven unreliable.
Flows will be estimated from the wet well pumping times.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
At Eielson A.F.B. - Continue monitoring the pilot lagoon.
At Ft. Greely:
1. Continue sampling on a biweekly basis.
2. Perform oxygen transfer efficiency test.
3. Prepare aerated lagoon design paper for technology
transfer seminar.
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PROJECT 16100 ZRD - COLD REGIONS SLUDGE DIGESTION AND DEWATERING
Objectives:
To demonstrate the feasibility of using shallow lagoons and the
cold environment as a means of concentrating and dewatering waste
activated sludges and to gather enough information from the process
to determine practicality.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
There has not been enough solids accumulated in the extended
aeration units to fully utilize (test) this sludge disposal method.
The digestion lagoon is less than half full. The MLSS concentration
in this lagoon has dropped from over 2,000 to less than 1,000 ppm due
to capture in the growing surface ice.
Work Plan Third Quarter:
Mixed liquor (from the extended aeration pilot units) will be
wasted into the lagoon as available.
Ice cores will be taken and evaluated for SS capture during feed
and possible elutrition during periods of ice formation without feed.
PROJECT 16100 ZNH - SIGNIFICANCE OF BOD AS AN ALASKA WATER QUALITY PARAMETER
Objective:
To define the effects of arctic and subarctic conditions on the BOD
progression by investigating the combined effects of temperature,
turbulence and river water dilution on BOD reaction rates and the BOD
test.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Work continued on establishing laboratory techniques throughout
the quarter. These have been essentially worked out and the actual
experiment will begin during the third quarter. The experiment is
approximately one month behind schedule due to unexpected delays
encountered in establishing laboratory techniques.
Work Plan Third Quarter:
Begin the actual experiment.
PROJECT 16100 ZQD - LOW TEMPERATURE DISINFECTION
Objectives:
To develop laboratory and field technics for studying effectiveness
of disinfectants.
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To determine the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection at low
temperatures on primary and secondary sewage treatment plant effluents.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Several weeks were spent "debugging" the system. The worst problem
was maintaining the samples at 0°C throughout the 4 hours of contact
time. Other problems included getting an adequate composite sample of
the effluent and lowering the sample temperature to 0°C before starting
the timed disinfection study. The temperature problems were overcome by
using a large refrigerated water bath. The effluent was initially
placed in a 6 gallon polyethylene carboy, cooled to 0°C in the water bath
set at -5°C while stirring with a propeller stirrer. Samples for the
timed disinfection studies were withdrawn from the 6 gallon carboy,
placed in 4 liter glass carboys and stirred with submersible magnetic
stirrers in the water bath at 0°C. The problems of determining the
amount of Cl2 necessary to give a 1 rng/1 residual at 1 hour and the
dilutions to use to determine total and fecal coliforms were overcome
by what can be termed a pre-experiment run. The effluent was brought
to the Laboratory on Wednesday morning and immediately cooled to 0°C.
An aliquote was used to determine the number of total and fecal coliforms
present. Various concentrations of chlorine were added to 1 liter
samples and checked for chlorine concentration after 1 hour contact
time. The sample having approximately 1 mg/1 residual after the hour
was examined for total and fecal coliforms. The effluent was held at
0°C until Thursday morning when the coliforms were counted. The
sample volumes for bacterial examination were determined from these
counts. Three samples for disinfection were set up with the chlorine
concentration which had given 1 mg/1 as the middle concentration and
bracketed 0.5 mg/1 on either side. Controls were unchlorinated samples
at 0 and 25°C and a chlorinated sample at 25°C. The changes which may
have taken place during the 24 hour holding time at 0°C did not appear
to alter the chlorine demand or the coliform count.
Three disinfection runs on secondary effluents were done over a
three week period with this method of sample handling. The temperature
during the runs was between 0 and 1°C, and the total coliforms ranged
from 1-8-20 x 10^/100 ml while the fecal coliforms ranged from 0.78-
2.5 x 10b/100 ml. Since the ammonia nitrogen and suspended solids
were essentially the same, the efficiency of kill during the first
hour of contact time appeared to be directly related to the initial
number of coliforms present. These data suggest that the standard of
1000 total and 200 fecal coliforms can not reliably be met with a 1
mg/1 C12 residual and 1 hour contact time when the effluent temperature
is near 0°C.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
Disinfection studies similar to those just described will be run at
5°C and possibly at 10°C to determine at what temperature a reliable kill
can be obtained with a 1 mg/1 Cl2 residual and 1 hour contact time. Some
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work will be carried out to determine if incremental addition of C12
will have any positive effect on the efficiency of kill at 0°C. Since
no adequate operating contact chamber is available, we plan to design
and build a 4 compartment chamber which will hold 60-65 liters of ef-
fluent so that we can study the effect of Clg in a flow-through system
which approaches operational systems in design.
PROJECT 16100 ZND - LOW TEMPERATURE MICROBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND P.O.
DEPLETION
Objectives:
1. Complete the rate study of the stationary vs. dynamic closed
system and effect of velocity of the water on rate of D.O. depletion
at 0° and 5°C.
2. Survey gross nutritional requirements of selected pure cultures
of indigenous river bacteria which are capable of rapid D.O. depletion
at 0° and 5°C with protein as the nutrient.
3. Determine the effect of nutrients required for the pure cultures
on the rate of D.O. depletion by the natural mixed population of bacteria
in unpolluted river water.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Because of the time required to perform the work on the Low Tempera-
ture Disinfection study, progress on this project has been very limited.
The pure cultures for the nutritional studies have been maintained as
necessary to ensure their viability. Glucose fermentation by the pure
cultures was examined and the results in Phenol Red Broth were somewhat
inconclusive because some of the cultures are weak acid producers and
some reduce the phenol red rather than produce acid. Some effort has
been expended to determine if another acid/base indicator would perhaps
provide more definitive results. Because of the limited time available
for this study, microtechniques are being examined to determine if they
can be adapted for use in the nutrition work in order to reduce the
amount of time required to complete this portion of the study.
The monthly enumeration of the indigenous bacteria in unpolluted
river water is continuing at 0°, 20° and 35°C. The 35°C count is always
very low (<100/ml.). As winter progresses, the 20° and 0°C counts have
continued to decrease with a more dramatic change found in the 20°C
count.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
The nutritional studies and the monthly counts will continue.
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PROJECT 16100 XCN - WINTER P.O. CONDITIONS IN ALASKAN" WATERS
Objectives:
1. Examine the effects of low dissolved oxygen concentration on
aquatic organisms.
2. Examine some of the causes of winter low dissolved oxygen phenom-
enon that has been documented in Alaskan streams.
3. Continue on a limited time and money available basis the survey
of winter D.O. conditions in Alaskan waters. More emphasis will be placed
on lakes and pond waters.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
A manuscript that discusses Winter D.O. in Alaskan rivers and streams
has been distributed for informal review. This paper contains D.O. data
and limited other water chemistry collected over a period of years. Dis-
solved oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity and pH data have been tabulated
from a number of Alaskan rivers. Trends and patterns that appear during
the winter are discussed with an orientation toward management problems.
An informative trip was taken to the National Water Quality Laboratory
at Duluth to confer with NWQL staff about the equipment utilized in their
studies. Particular attention was paid to the degassifier although numerous
instrument control packages were examined. Since this trip, instrument
limitations have been discussed with AWL staff. Subsequently, specification
requests have been sent to commercial firms. Concurrently, a system is being
designed that will fit physical facility needs and examine the effects of
low D.O. at low temperatures on cold climate organisms.
Data have been collected from three of the four winter field stations.
Information collected includes quantitative and qualitative macrobenthic
samples, and several physical-chemical parameters including dissolved
oxygen, pH, conductivity and alkalinity. Analysis of the biological samples
is underway. Those chemical samples that were brought to the laboratory
for analysis are being analyzed. At this time, it would be premature to
make any statements about the results.
The last series of experiments for validation of the nitrogen D.O.
sampling technique were conducted. Statistical analyses of the data were
made to determine reliability and significance. Preliminary conclusions
have been made that the nitrogen sampling technique is reliable under
extreme cold conditions. Results of the validation experiments and tests
of significance are being placed in draft form for informal review.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
Winter D.O. manuscript corrections and redraft will begin once the
draft is returned from informal review. Tables, figures, and photographs
will be drafted and edited for final publication. Copies of semifinal draft
will be distributed for formal review prior to publication.
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Once the specification requests have been received, design of the
instrumentation system will continue. Construction or purchase of the
system is planned. The choice depends upon the cost, specifications, and
bids received from the commercial enterprises.
Plans include collecting biological, physical, and chemical infor-
mation from the four winter stations during each month of the winter
season.
PROJECT 16100 ZOB - MANAGEMENT OF GRAVEL REMOVAL PRACTICES ON THE NORTH
SLOPE TO ENHANCE WATER QUALITY
Objectives:
The overall objective is to ascertain the effects of stream bed dis^
turbance on stream hydraulics and sediment loads, how these sediments
influence water quality and short and long-range effects of sediments on
aquatic life.
Objectives for FY 1972 will include becoming familiar with methods
to accomplish the study, select reaches of representative streams likely
to be disturbed and collect and analyze samples of water, gravels, and
invertebrate fauna of several streams.
Based on these preliminary findings, an additional objective will be
to define and plan in detail, a program of research to obtain definitive
answers to questions relating to realistic management of the aquatic
resources as they are affected by construction activities.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
No field work was done on this project; field work planned for
October was delayed until cold weather arrived which prevented making the
proposed trip to Salcha River. A write-up of observations made during the
Wickersham Dome fire was completed; this brief paper describes some sedi-
mentation phenomena associated with the fire which is part of the overall
sedimentation project. Discussions with members of the Forest Service
at the U of A resulted in the decision to prepare a preliminary set of
guidelines dealing with logging roads in Interior Alaska. This effort
will be jointly accomplished by BLM, State Land and Forest officials,
Forest Service, and AWL, as part of the broad sedimentation project.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
Discuss biological areas of needed research dealing with sedimentation
at Con/all is with EPA personnel and members of OSU staff who have experience
in the effects of sediments on aquatic life. Prepare a work plan for FY
1963 based on suggested critical needs and coordinate future plans and
activities with others studying sedimentation effects such as U.S.G.S. or
State Fish and Game.
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PROJECT 16100 ZQL - ECOLOGY OF TUNDRA LAKES
Objectives:
The Tundra Lakes project is part of the International Biological
Program. This comprehensive program is intended to study various biomes
to better understand and manage the areas. Five biomes, grassland,
desert, deciduous, coniferous and tundra are being investigated. The IPB
Tundra Biome intensive study site, located at Point Barrow, has three
terrestrial subprograms and one aquatic subprogram.
In each subprogram numerous studies are being conducted by various
agencies and universities. In the aquatic subprogram these studies
include: physical-chemical characteristics of ponds; microbiological
metabolism in sediment; zooplankton population dynamics.
With these and other studies underway, it is the objective of the AWL
Tundra Lake study to develop a project that fills an existing need in the
subprogram and is interrelated with existing studies.
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
This project was inactive during this quarter.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
Work during this quarter will also be limited. Efforts will be made
to coordinate and schedule the field season to coincide with the field
work of other International Biological Program investigators studying
tundra lakes and ponds.
PROJECT 16100 ZOY - BASELINE STUDY OF A NATURAL SUBARCTIC WATERSHED
Objectives:
The overall objective is to obtain sufficient data on all aspects of
the aquatic ecosystems in the Poker-Caribou Creek watershed over a long
enough time interval to enable development of a watershed model as a
reliable tool to predict dynamic behavior of subarctic watersheds when
defined perturbations are imposed on them.
To attain this broad objective the immediate objective is to identify,
catalog, and evaluate the significance of each segment of the entire biota
for each individual stream draining a subwatershed prior to disturbance;
and to measure chemical and physical parameters under a variety of environ-
mental conditions over a sufficient time span to evaluate interrelation-
ships of environmental factors and the stream biota prior to disturbance.
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Work Completed Second Quarter FY 197Z:
All scheduled field work for this project was completed the previous
quarter. The only activity this quarter was completion of all lab analyses
as outlined in the work plan and tabulating all field data. Tentative
interpretation of field data suggests that subtle differences in field
measured parameters persisted throughout the summer when comparing Poker
with Caribou Creek.
After some discussion, it was decided to have a geologic map and a
four-inch-to-the-mile topographic map made for the entire watershed. Two
groups at the University of Alaska were contacted who are interested in
doing this work on a grant; no firm plans have been made as of this date.
PROJECT 16050 XCU - FATE AND EFFECT OF OIL SPILLS ON ALASKAN STREAMS
Objectives:
1. To characterize the nature and extent of oil as it is transported
over and through organic (soil and vegetation) and inorganic layers after
being applied to an Interior Alaskan watershed.
2. To demonstrate the influence of such things as runoff water and
permafrost on transport of oil.
3. To determine changes in character of crude oil spilled on cold
streams (0-5°C).
Work Completed Second Quarter FY 1972:
Most of the laboratory equipment involved in hydrocarbon analysis was
put on line as a general procedure for the extraction and identification of
crude oil fractions in soils and water was adapted and run in the lab.
Known amounts of certain selected hydrocarbons were administered to
soils from the Glenn Creek area and extracted later with methyl alcohol and/or
pentane. Results are still being analyzed, but indications are that separa-
tion of the applied hydrocarbon from naturally occurring interferences are
good. Precision and accuracy of the techniques used will be determined
upon further examination of the results. Despite some limitations due to
equipment malfunctions, the laboratory now has a physical capability of
accepting water or soil samples which are to be examined for hydrocarbons.
As lab equipment is brought into proper order it is expected that analyses
will become increasingly refined.
Work Plan Third Quarter FY 1972:
Due to delays caused by equipment failure and certain unforeseen
procedural problems, the model stream study which was to be initiated last
quarter will begin this quarter.
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Other work may include sampling near accidental oil spills on natural
water bodies to follow the fate of oil.
Extraction of soils will continue with the application and then
extraction of actual crude oil.
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CONSOLIDATED LABORATORY SERVICES
The number of analyses requested in the quarter, about 2000, is almost
identical to that requested in Second Quarter FY 1971. Most of these
analyses were conducted for the research branch.
Final budget submittals were prepared based on the CLS analysis schedule
for the first two quarters, and a projection for the remainder of FY 1972.
Tne construction of the hazardous materials storage area is complete
except for the installation of the roof membrane. Plans are to accept
the building with the deficiency of the roof, which will be installed
in the coming spring. Occupancy should be available in mid January,
1972.
A series of short meetings were neld with officials of the Bureau of
Land Management concerning their experimental power generation facility,
which removes air pollutants with a condenser system. Because of the
possibility of the effluent from the condenser containing residual fuel,
sulfate, nitrogen compounds, acid wastes, etc., we have agreed to analyze
the effluent for these and other constituents.
Mrs. McFadden attended the training course "Analytical Quality Control"
offered by EPA National Training Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has been
appointed Laboratory Analytical Quality Control Officer.
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GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
PROJECT 16100 EQM - "Baseline Water Quality Study of the Alaskan Arctic
Estuarine Development," Institute of Marine Sciences,
University of Alaska, Dr. Patrick J. Kinney.
Limited field work continued in the second quarter. Many of the
field investigators have returned to the laboratories where analyses
continue on the collected samples. It is anticipated that these results
will be made available during the third quarter.
PROJECT 16100 FHQ - "Investigations on Possible Effects of Crude Oil on
Aquatic Organisms of the Central Alaskan Fisheries,"
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska,
Dr. James E. Morrow.
Work with
Study of serus
identification
the sock-eye salmon and crude
proteins with electrophoresis
of the major protein bands is
oil was completed in November.
is continuing and approximate
expected.
PROJECT 16100 PAK - "Lime Disinfection of Sewage Bacteria at Low Temperature,"
Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University,
Dr. S. M. Morrison.
The effect of lime on total and fecal coliforms at pH 10.0, 10.5, 11.0,
11.5 and 12.0 was studied at 1.0°C in raw settled sewage. No treatment
system showed 100% kill within the exposure intervals used. However, the
death and survival rates were found to be dependent on pH and the duration
of exposure. A 99% kill was obtained at pH 11.5 and 12.0 in 30 to 80
minutes. The difficulties experienced with inconsistent fecal coliform
counts were overcome by mixing the sample with a vortex mixer just prior
to membrane filtering.
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PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
The publication "Environmental Guidelines for Road Construction in
Alaska" was received from the printers and is now being distributed.
Working Paper # 13, "Alaska Industry Experience in Arctic Sewage
Treatment" was printed and is now available.
Alaska Village Demonstration Project Advisor, Bert Puchtler, represented
the Alaska Water Laboratory at a dinner meeting of the Fairbanks chapters of
the ASCE and ASPE and gave a talk on AVDP concept and implementation.
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