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From Our Forum: Using Acid To Reduce pH

Steve Wilson posted on July 29, 2011 08:39

One Of Our Users Asked

We felt this was a pretty relevant topic for many of you so we are posting the following question and response from our operator forum:

"A Diatomaceous Earth plant is experiencing a high Raw and Finish water pH of 8.5 and greater. The source water is near a major road and I am certain road salt is a contributing factor ( I do not have an alkalinity reading yet). Acid dosing of the clear well or filter outlet seems to be in order. I have never used acid to reduce pH in a water pant and am looking for recommendations or reference material to get this process going."

Getting You Answers

When we need answers to technical questions we are lucky to have experts nearby that we can count on. We are fortunate in Illinois that our rural water training specialist, Wayne Nelson, has seen and done it all. I certainly rely on his expertise when a technical issue comes up. I sent this question to Wayne, and here is his response:

Based on the information given, the addition of an acid in the treatment process could be used to lower finished water pH. I would first recommend finding the exact source of the problem. If the problem is caused by road salt other problems can occur such as high sodium levels causing possible health problems in immuno-compromised persons (hypertension) as well as the addition of chorides to the drinking water. While there is no MCL for sodium levels in drinking water (only a recommended level) high levels can also adversely affect the taste of drinking water in elevated levels.

The most common type of acid used in lowering pH is 23% sulfuric acid fed either straight or in solution with water. I can't address its use in other states from a regulatory standpoint but if an Illinois public water supply plans to feed the acid, it first needs to obtain a construction permit/then operating permit from the IEPA Permit Section before the treatment is implemented. This recommendation applies to the continued use of the acid. A simple one time treatment of the clearwell would most likely not solve the problem since sodium levels in the surface water source could remain constant and also could rise again every time rainfall or snowmelt occurs in the watershed. I hope that this provides some direction for the operator.

Wayne Nelson
Training Specialist
Illinois Rural Water Assn.

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Posted in: Helpful Tips, RWAs, Water Treatment, Forum

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Why Register On SmallWaterSupply.org?

Steve Wilson posted on November 16, 2010 09:33

We Are Building A Community

The goal here is to build a community of operators who are interested in sharing their experiences and have some clever ideas on how to solve specific problems. When we pool our collective knowledge for everyone's benefit, it makes us all better off.

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The forum we've provided is a place for operators to ask and answer questions they might have about any water or wastewater topic. If you have a question, it's likely there are a bunch of other operators out there who have the same question. The forum is a way to share your question or answer to the benefit of everyone. Plus, our staff are monitoring the forum and will try to find answers to questions from TA Providers and technical experts. We are helping you find the answers you need.

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