Case Study for Customer Location CA72:
Reservoir or Lake Use:
Raw water storage reservoir ahead of the water treatment plant; reservoir receives water via an underground pipeline from the lake.
System Overview and Reservoir:
Surface area is 3 acres; volume is 68 acre-feet; maximum depth is 25 feet. Average flow to plant is 0.45 MGD; average residence time is 49 days. Reservoir is divided into two sections with an earthen berm that is typically submerged, but at the end of the dry season is typically exposed.
Reported Problem Before SolarBee Installation:
Objectives included controlling blue-green algae blooms, reducing taste and odor problems, and providing submersed macrophyte control.
SolarBee Installation:
Date: April 2003. Installed two (2) SB2500s, solar-powered, one on each side of the center dividing berm.
Results:
Owner reported a substantial reduction in blue-green algae blooms and submersed macrophyte growth in 2003. However, taste and odor problems persisted throughout the year, all of which were attributed to their water source, Lake Mendocino, where the MIB and geosmin from blue-green algae was almost certainly produced. Taste and odor events continued into 2004, and water testing from 5 different sites confirmed that blue-green blooms in the lake were the source of MIB and geosmin. Transported lake water caused the taste and odor problems observed in the raw water storage pond where the two SolarBees were installed. Owner will need to work with others to devise a solution for the lake’s blue-green algae problems. On the other hand, the owner has reported a significant reduction in various pondweeds (submersed aquatic plants) in the pond since the SolarBee was installed.
SolarBee in raw water storage reservoir.
Updated: 04/25/2007
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