Using Naturally Occurring Radionuclides To Determine Drinking Water Age in a Community Water System

Waples, James T.; Bordewyk, Jason K.; Knesting, Kristina M.; Orlandini, K.A.

doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b03227

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…A 90 Sr activity of 12.7 6 0.3 Bq m 23 was measured at 3 m depth on 28 August 2009 and assumed to be uniform and constant over the course of the 21 day experiment. The 238 U activity was assumed to equal 3.8 6 0.3 Bq m 23 based on previous [Waples and Orlandini, 2010] and more recent [Waples et al, 2015] measurements.…”

Section: Nuclide Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle delivery to the benthos of coastal Lake Michigan

Waples

2015

JGR Oceans

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A 2‐D non‐steady state model was applied to measured profiles of 234Th/238U and 90Y/90Sr disequilibria in a shallow (22 m) water column of coastal Lake Michigan. Downward fluxes of 234Th and 90Y were primarily driven by onshore horizontal advection. Concordance between 234Th and 90Y‐derived mass flux estimates from the water column could only be realistically achieved under a nuclide scavenging scenario dominated by direct sorption on bottom or near‐bottom sediment and vertical convection in the water column—not sinking particles. An estimated vertical 234Th/90Y flux ratio of ∼0.31 in the water column agreed with measured 234Th/90Y activity ratios on collected ejecta from bottom dwelling dreissenid mussels (0.26 ± 0.05) and not with water column particles (3.3 ± 1.3). A similar 238U/90Sr parent nuclide activity ratio of 0.30 ± 0.02 suggests that both 234Th and 90Y are scavenged in toto below the maximum sampling depth (17 m) and near the sediment/water interface. Determining the mechanism by which particles are transported to the bottom is important for understanding not only how benthos are supplied with water column material, but also how particle fluxes should be measured and calculated.

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Section: Nuclide Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle delivery to the benthos of coastal Lake Michigan

Waples

2015

JGR Oceans

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“…In urban settings, stable isotopes and other geochemical tracers have been used successfully to understand effects of storm water control measures on urban streams (Jefferson et al, 2015), detect infiltration rates in urban sewers (De Bénédittis et al, 2005;Kracht et al, 2007), partition waste water and groundwater in urban sewers (De Bondt et al, 2018), and determine the age of drinking water in PWSS (Waples et al, 2015). Recent studies have also shown that stable isotopes of tap water in urban areas can be used to characterize active water management practices, identify linkages between socioeconomic factors and water management practices, and quantify the effects of climate variability on water resources (Ehleringer et al, 2016;Tipple et al, 2017;Zhao et al, 2017, Wang et al, 2018.…”

Section: Beyond Statistical and Computational Issues Hydrodynamicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic reconnaissance of urban water supply system dynamics

Jameel

Brewer

Fiorella

et al. 2018

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Public water supply systems (PWSS) are critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to contamination and physical disruption. Exploring susceptibility of PWSS to such perturbations requires detailed knowledge of supply system structure and operation. The physical structure of the distribution system (i.e., pipeline connections) and basic information on sources are documented for most industrialized metropolises. Yet, most information on PWSS function comes from hydrodynamic models that are seldom validated using observational data. In developing regions, the issue may be exasperated as information regarding the physical structure of the PWSS may be incorrect, incomplete, undocumented, or difficult to obtain in many cities. Here, we present a novel application of stable isotopes in water (SIW) to quantify the contribution of different water sources, identify static and dynamic regions (e.g., regions supplied chiefly by one source vs. those experiencing active mixing between multiple sources), and reconstruct basic flow patterns in a large and complex PWSS. Our analysis, based on a Bayesian mixing model framework, uses basic information on the SIW and production volumes of sources but requires no information on pipeline connections in the system. Our work highlights the ability of stable isotopes in water to analyze PWSS and document aspects of supply system structure and operation that can otherwise be challenging to observe. This method could allow water managers to document spatiotemporal variation in flow patterns within PWSS, validate hydrodynamic model results, track pathways of contaminant propagation, optimize water supply operation, and help monitor and enforce water rights.

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“…Methods for determining water retention time in WSSs include chemical tracers, mathematical models, or their combined use, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages [22,23]. Recently, naturally occurring radioactive and stable isotopes in water have been utilized for the determination of the water retention time in distribution systems [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Endogenous Processes in Water Supply Systems: Insights from Statistical Methods and δ18O Analysis

Novotni-Horčička,

Marković,

Kovač

et al. 2024

Water

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Water used for water supply undergoes numerous changes that affect its composition prior to entering the water supply system (WSS). Once it enters the WSS, it is subject to numerous influences altering its physical and chemical composition, redox potential, and microbial quality. Observations of water quality parameters at different locations within the WSS indicate that it is justified to assume that these processes take place from the source to the end user. In this study, we used the results of routine everyday analyses (EC, T, pH, ORP, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and bacteria) supplemented by experimental data from a one-year sampling campaign assessing the main cations and anions and stable isotopes δ2H and δ18O. Through these data, the statistical significance of the differences between the concentrations of the basic water quality parameters among different WSS locations was determined, together with the water retention time in the system. The results indicate minor changes in water chemical composition within the observed WSS, remaining below the prescribed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for human consumption. However, factors such as water retention time, CaCO3 deposition, pH fluctuations, and bacterial growth may influence its suitability, which necessitates further investigation into potential risks affecting water quality.

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Using Naturally Occurring Radionuclides To Determine Drinking Water Age in a Community Water System

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

Particle delivery to the benthos of coastal Lake Michigan

Particle delivery to the benthos of coastal Lake Michigan

Isotopic reconnaissance of urban water supply system dynamics

Exploring Endogenous Processes in Water Supply Systems: Insights from Statistical Methods and δ18O Analysis

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