Pilot_Study_Policy_revised_.pdf
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- Attached to
- Potomac WFP Water Quality/PFAS Pilot Project
- Solicitation number
- 109582
- Issued by
- Prince George's County, Maryland
About this file
This is a Standard Operating Procedure document issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) establishing pilot study policy guidance for modifications to public drinking water systems. The policy applies to water treatment facilities implementing treatment techniques not identified in the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board standards, or new or unconventional treatment technologies. The document outlines comprehensive requirements for pilot study design, including mandatory compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, thorough documentation of treatment technologies, and detailed descriptions of sample size, raw water quality parameters, treated water quality parameters, control measures, and performance evaluation under representative operating conditions. Pilot studies must last a minimum of six months, with recommendations for three-season testing (cold weather from January through March, warm weather from July through September, and either fall or spring periods) for systems with seasonal water quality fluctuations. At least one year of quarterly raw water quality sampling is required for sources with known or unknown seasonal fluctuations.
The policy mandates monthly water quality sampling from both raw and treated water during the pilot study when continuous process monitoring is unavailable, with evaluation of simultaneous compliance including disinfection, disinfection by-product formation, and corrosion control. Pilot studies must assess potential public health and environmental risks, including evaluation of treatment chemicals, their toxicity, and environmental impacts. Results must be compared against EPA and MDE regulations to evaluate removal efficiency and overall water quality impact. The final report must include documented results, conclusions, performance summaries, recommendations for further testing or full-scale implementation, and potential impacts on public health and the environment. This guidance directly supports the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's Potomac Water Filtration Plant Water Quality/PFAS Pilot Project, which seeks progressive design-build services for design, construction, and operation of a PFAS pilot plant, with sealed responses due by 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Document #
MDE Pilot Study Policy Revision Date 10/16/2023
Prepared by:
Gavin Courtright and Zoë Goodson
Approved by: Alex McNamee
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on pilot studies for the modification of public drinking water systems.
Scope: This policy provides pilot study guidance for modifications to public drinking water treatment facilities that include treatment techniques not identified in the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board (10 States Standards) Recommended Standards for Water Works, any new or unconventional treatment technologies, or conventional treatment technologies used in new or unconventional applications.
Guidance for Pilot Studies:
● The pilot study should comply with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
● The pilot study design should include a thorough description of sample size, raw water quality parameters (including any raw water quality parameters which may interfere with treatment), desired treated water quality parameters, control measures, and evaluation of the treatment technology's performance under representative operating conditions of the drinking water plant.
● The treatment technology being examined should be thoroughly documented and made available for review, including information on its intended use, treatment process, operating conditions, and necessary maintenance procedures.
● For sources with seasonal water quality fluctuations, or in cases where water quality fluctuations are unknown, at least one year of quarterly raw water quality sampling should be conducted. This data may be submitted for review along with the pilot study design or can be collected while the pilot study is ongoing.
● The pilot study should last for a minimum of six months.
● For systems with seasonal water quality fluctuations, the pilot study is recommended to run for at least 3 seasons: one during cold weather conditions (January through March), one during warm weather conditions (July through September), and the other during either the fall (October through December) or spring period (April through June).The pilot study should monitor applicable water quality parameters to evaluate the treatment technology’s ability to improve the quality of the drinking water.
● In cases where continuous process monitoring does not exist to show treatment efficacy, relevant water quality samples must be collected at a minimum monthly from raw and treated water during the pilot study.
● The water quality data should be evaluated for simultaneous compliance, including disinfection, disinfection by-product formation, and corrosion control.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Document #
MDE Pilot Study Policy Revision Date 10/16/2023
Prepared by:
Gavin Courtright and Zoë Goodson
Approved by: Alex McNamee
● The pilot study should assess potential risks to public health and the environment, including evaluating chemicals used in the treatment process, their toxicity, and possible environmental impacts.
● The pilot study results should be compared to EPA and MDE regulations to evaluate the treatment technology for removal efficiency and overall water quality impact.
● The report should include recommendations for further testing or full-scale implementation of the treatment technology based on the results of the pilot study, taking into account its performance, overall feasibility, and potential risks to public health and the environment.
● The results and any conclusions drawn should be thoroughly documented and made available for review, including recommended follow-up actions, a summary of performance, and potential impact on public health and the environment.
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