CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SUSPENDED SOLIDS IN THE INLAND EMPIRE BRINE LINE AND APPROACHES TO MINIMIZING SOLIDS FORMATION

摘要

High-salinity, RO concentrate from brackish groundwater desalters mixes with domestic and industrial wastewaters in the Inland Empire Brine Line (Brine Line), which is operated by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA). Dischargers throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties contribute to the 73 miles of the Brine Line, which is composed of approximately 70% brine and 30% domestic and industrial wastewater. In the last several years, the total suspended solids (TSS) measured at the Orange County line (where ownership of the waste transfers from SAWPA to Orange County) have been approximately two to three times higher than the TSS discharged into the system, suggesting a significant degree of solids formation within the Brine Line. Both the non-volatile and volatile components of the suspended solids (nVSS and VSS, respectively) increase with the TSS, however greater increases are seen in the non-volatile components (Figure 1). The formation of solids in the Brine Line is a significant problem for SAWPA, because it creates a large billing imbalance (approximately $100k per month) and it is associated with excessive formation of scale within the Brine Line itself.