oEPA
 www.epa.gov/researcn
science   in   ACTION
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
 Brominated Disinfection Byproducts (DBFs) Study
 Risk management research project addressing challenges in the Ohio River Watershed
 Background
 To protect public health, public water system (PWS)
 operators must meet federal limits for disinfection
 byproducts (DBPs) formed during the water treatment
 process. A better understanding of the relationship
 between bromide in source water and DBP formation will
 help operators in the Ohio River Watershed improve
 treatment processes, ensure compliance with federal
 limits, and provide important information to state, local,
 and federal regulators responsible for protecting the rivers
 and streams in the watershed.

 Collaborative Study
 This project is a collaborative drinking water research
 study. EPA is evaluating water samples collected by PWS
 operators in order to investigate relationships between
 bromide in source water and the formation of brominated
 DBPs in finished drinking water. EPA is partnering with
 eight PWS operators for the research project. The
 participating operators obtain their water from the following
 sources:
     • Ohio River
     • Monongahela River
     • Allegheny River
     • Red Bank Creek, tributary to the Allegheny River

 Local partners also include the Pennsylvania Department of
 Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Department
 of Health and  Human Resources.

 Research Approach
 This study will  include a two year long water sampling
 period, which began in January 2013. Samples are
 collected at four locations in the drinking water treatment
 and distribution process:

 (1) Source water  prior to treatment
 (2) After filtration
 (3) Finished water prior to distribution
 (4) Finished water at the consumer tap at a compliance
 monitoring location

 The samples are analyzed at EPA's  Environmental Science
 Center at Ft. Meade, Maryland, and EPA's National Risk
 Management Research laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio. The
 measurement  results will  be used for data and modeling
 analyses through 2015.
                               Future Research Results and Outcomes
                               Once the results from the collected samples
                               have been finalized, EPA will analyze the data
                               to determine whether correlations exist
                               between bromide in source water and
                               brominated DBP formation. Based on the
                               analysis, EPA will then determine if models can
                               be used to estimate DBP formation, optimize
                               treatment, and  inform source control strategies.
                               Contacts

                               Wendy Gray
                               EPA Region III
                               gray.wendy@epa.gov
                               (215) 814-5673

                               Michael Elovitz
                               EPA Office of Research and Development
                               elovitz.michael@epa.gov
                               (513) 569-7642
Office of Research and Development
                                       EPA/600/F-13/134
December 2013

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