Economic Solutions To LT2 Rule Compliance For Small Utilities

Small water treatment plants (WTPs) face challenges that larger facilities don’t, including financial constraints that limit large capital expenditures (CAPEX), personnel training, and more. In addition, many small WTPs have a limited labor pool from which to hire. These problems combined can result in compliance challenges, such as meeting the U.S. EPA Long Term 2 (LT2) Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.

One such small WTP resides in Park City, UT. When the city built its second treatment plant, it’s main focus was on meeting log credits for Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Chlorine is not effective at eliminating cysts; unlike bacteria and viruses, the contact time and quantity of chlorine required to kill cysts make this treatment impractical. Membrane filter systems, such as reverse osmosis (RO), are effective but too costly to purchase and run, not to mention require extensive training.

Thankfully, Park City was able to find an affordable, effective filtration system that is also easy for operators of any certification level to use. Here’s how they did it.