Preliminary bench‐ and pilot‐scale investigations showed that coagulation is a promising treatment for removing arsenic from drinking water but that further work is needed, primarily on full‐scale plants. The possible use of enhanced coagulation for arsenic removal was examined at the facilities of a California utility in 1992 and 1993. The tests were conducted at bench, pilot, and demonstration scales, with two source waters. Alum and ferric chloride, with cationic polymer, were investigated at various influent arsenic concentrations. The investigators concluded that for the source waters tested, enhanced coagulation could be effective for arsenic removal and that less ferric chloride than alum, on a weight basis, is needed to achieve the same removal.

Global warming will have a significant impact on water resources within the 20 to 90-year planning period of many water projects. Arid and semi-arid regions such as Southern California are especially vulnerable to anticipated negative impacts of global warming on water resources. Long-range water facility planning must consider global climate change in the recommended mix of new facilities needed to meet future water requirements. The generally accepted impacts of global warming include temperature, rising sea levels, more frequent and severe floods and droughts, and a shift from snowfall to rain. Precipitation changes are more difficult to predict. For Southern California, these impacts will be especially severe on surface water supplies. Additionally, rising sea levels will exacerbate salt-water intrusion into freshwater and impact the quality of surface water supplies. Integrated water resources planning is emerging as a tool to develop water supplies and demand management strategies that are less vulnerable to the impacts of global warming. These tools include water conservation, conjunctive use of surface and groundwater and desalination of brackish water and possibly seawater. Additionally, planning for future water needs should include explicit consideration of the potential range of global warming impacts through techniques such as scenario planning.

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A pilot‐scale study shows that enhanced coagulation removes both particles and THM precursors. The effectiveness of enhanced coagulation for removing particles and trihalomethane (THM) precursors at various alum dosages and coagulation pH values was assessed. Samples of both source water and filter effluent were examined by counting particles and measuring particle size distribution, turbidity, total organic carbon, ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), and THM formation potential. Removal of particles and turbidity increased substantially at alum dosages above 20 mg/L. Particle removal was not significantly different at adjusted pH (5.5) compared with ambient pH. Filter effluent particle counts were consistent with residual turbidity data; however, particle counting provided more information on the efficiency of the solid‐liquid separation. Significantly more THM precursors were removed by enhanced coagulation at pH 5.5 than at ambient pH. Higher dosages were needed to achieve acceptable removal of THM precursors than were needed for removal of particles.