Central California Winery Removes 1,2,3-TCP From Well Water Using Granular Activated Carbon

North of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley of California, a winery detected elevated levels of 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) in the water coming from its two main wells. A chlorinated hydrocarbon, 1,2,3- TCP is a chemical associated with old pesticide practices (particularly soil fumigants) and is a suspected human carcinogen. Needing the well water to be safe for farm workers and crop irrigation, the winery hired Woodard & Curran to oversee the engineering, design, and construction of two water treatment systems.

Located in the middle of agricultural fields, the wells did not have access to potable water, which complicated typical installation procedures. Before being placed into service, GAC filter media must be conditioned for use, a process that includes soaking the GAC for 24 hours, then backwashing the GAC to remove fines, stratify the media and remove any entrained air for efficient and maximum performance. For this project, the only water source was the two wells needing treatment, and water from those wells was contaminated with constituents of concern and sediment.