Analysis of first flush to improve the water quality in rainwater tanks

Kus, B; Kandasamy, J; Vigneswaran, S; Shon, HK

Analysis of first flush to improve the water quality in rainwater tanks

Kus, B Kandasamy, J Vigneswaran, S

Shon, HK

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Water Science and Technology, 2010, 61 (2), pp. 421 - 428
Issue Date:: 2010-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kus, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kandasamy, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Vigneswaran, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8117-4322	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shon, HK https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3777-7169	en_US
dc.date.issued	2010-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Water Science and Technology, 2010, 61 (2), pp. 421 - 428	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0273-1223	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/13510
dc.description.abstract	Although most Australians receive their domestic supply from reticulated mains or town water, there are vast areas with very low population densities and few reticulated supplies. In many of these areas rainwater collected in tanks is the primary source of drinking water. Heavy metals have recently become a concern as their concentration in rain water tanks was found to exceed recommended levels suitable for human consumption. Rainwater storage tanks also accumulate contaminants and sediments that settle to the bottom. Although not widely acknowledged, small amounts of contaminants such as lead found in rain water (used as drinking water) may have a cumulative and poisonous effect on human health over a life time. This is true for certain factors that underlie many of the chronic illnesses that are becoming increasingly common in contemporary society. The paper reports on a study which is part of a project that aims to develop a cost effective in-line filtration system to improve water quality in rainwater tanks. To enable this, the characteristics of rainwater need to be known. One component of this characterization is to observe the effects of the first flush on a rainwater tank. Samples of the roof runoff collected from an urban residential roof located in the Sydney Metropolitan Area in the initial first few millimetres of rain were analysed. The results show that bypassing the first 2mm of rainfall gives water with most water quality parameters compliant with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) standards. The parameters that did not comply were lead and turbidity, which required bypassing approximately the first 5mm of rainfall to meet ADWG standards. Molecular weight distribution (MWD) analysis showed that the concentration of rainwater organic matter (RWOM) decreased with increasing amount of roof runoff. © IWA Publishing 2010.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Water Science and Technology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.2166/wst.2010.823	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Engineering	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Water	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Water Pollutants	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rain	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Water Supply	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rural Population	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.title	Analysis of first flush to improve the water quality in rainwater tanks	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	61	en_US
utslib.for	0599 Other Environmental Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	61	en_US

Abstract:

Although most Australians receive their domestic supply from reticulated mains or town water, there are vast areas with very low population densities and few reticulated supplies. In many of these areas rainwater collected in tanks is the primary source of drinking water. Heavy metals have recently become a concern as their concentration in rain water tanks was found to exceed recommended levels suitable for human consumption. Rainwater storage tanks also accumulate contaminants and sediments that settle to the bottom. Although not widely acknowledged, small amounts of contaminants such as lead found in rain water (used as drinking water) may have a cumulative and poisonous effect on human health over a life time. This is true for certain factors that underlie many of the chronic illnesses that are becoming increasingly common in contemporary society. The paper reports on a study which is part of a project that aims to develop a cost effective in-line filtration system to improve water quality in rainwater tanks. To enable this, the characteristics of rainwater need to be known. One component of this characterization is to observe the effects of the first flush on a rainwater tank. Samples of the roof runoff collected from an urban residential roof located in the Sydney Metropolitan Area in the initial first few millimetres of rain were analysed. The results show that bypassing the first 2mm of rainfall gives water with most water quality parameters compliant with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) standards. The parameters that did not comply were lead and turbidity, which required bypassing approximately the first 5mm of rainfall to meet ADWG standards. Molecular weight distribution (MWD) analysis showed that the concentration of rainwater organic matter (RWOM) decreased with increasing amount of roof runoff. © IWA Publishing 2010.

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