| Title |
Investigating the Causes and Control Measures for Precipitated Suspended Solids in the Underground Reservoir Tank in an Apartment |
| Authors |
장준영 ( Junyoung Jang ) ; 김주원 ( Joowon Kim ) ; 김기팔 ( Kipal Kim ) ; 신현상 ( Hyunsang Shin ) ; 임병란 ( Byungran Lim ) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.15681/KSWE.2023.39.2.153 |
| Keywords |
Heavy metal; Organic matter; Precipitated suspended solids; Underground reservoir tank; Water quality |
| Abstract |
The reservoir tank in an apartment is crucial for maintaining the quality of drinking water after it has undergone treatment. Investigating the water quality and potential contaminants in the reservoir tank is essential to ensure the safety of the drinking water. This study examined the water quality and precipitated suspended solids that accumulate at the bottom of the reservoir tanks in four apartments located in Gyeonggi province. As a result of the water quality investigation, turbidity increased proportionally to the distance from the water treatment plant (WTP) to the household. Heavy metals were also detected in the reservoir tank inlet but not in the water supplied from the WTP. The precipitated suspended solids (SS) in the reservoir tank contain high levels of heavy metals and total organic carbon (TOC). The precipitated SS mainly consists of Al, Mn, and Fe, which are expected to be a combination with turbidity-inducing substances. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of γ-FeO(OH), MnO2, and β-Fe2O3 in the SS. Additionally, F-EEM analysis indicates that the dissolved organic matter in the SS is mainly derived from a natural water source and microorganism activities, including metal-oxidizing bacteria and biofilms that can absorb metal ions. Based on these findings, several countermeasures can be taken to prevent the inflow of SS into the household, including regularly cleaning the reservoir tank, replacing or cleaning old pipes in the water supply system, and implementing monitoring and filtering systems to manage the SS. |