W. Va. Code R. § 64-77-4 - General Design Considerations

4.1. General. -- The design of a public water system or treatment process encompasses a broad area and thus, is dependent upon the type of system or process involved.

4.2. Design Basis. -- The system including the water source, treatment facilities, operation and distribution system shall be designed for maximum day demand at the design year.

4.3. Plant Layout. -- The public water systems' engineer of the plant shall consider: functional aspects of the plant layout, including provisions for future plant expansion; provisions for expansion of the plant waste treatment and disposal facilities, including filter backwash effluent; access roads; site grading; site drainage; walks; driveways; and chemical delivery and storage.

4.4. Building Layout. -- The designer of the building shall provide for: adequate ventilation, lighting, heating and drainage; dehumidification equipment, if necessary; accessibility of equipment for operation, servicing, and removal; flexibility of operation; operator safety; and convenience of operation. The design of the building shall also provide for chemical storage and feed equipment in a separate room to reduce hazards and dust problems.

4.5. Location of Structures. -- The applicant or the applicant's engineer shall consult the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) regarding any structure that is located in such a way that normal or flood stream flows may be impeded. Where practical, all structures shall be located above the one hundred (100) year flood elevation or have adequate protection against one hundred year floods. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may require permits.

4.6. Electrical Controls. -- Main switch gear electrical controls shall be located above grade, in areas not subject to flooding.

4.7. Standby Power. -- Standby power may be required by the BPH so that water may be treated or pumped, or both, to the distribution system during power outages to meet the average day demand.

4.8. Shop Space and Storage. -- Adequate facilities shall be included for shop space and storage consistent with the designed facilities.

4.9. Laboratory Facilities. -- Each public water system shall have its own equipment and facilities for routine laboratory testing to ensure proper operation. Laboratory equipment selection shall be based on the characteristics of the raw water source and the complexity of the treatment process involved. Laboratory test kits that simplify procedures for making one or more tests may be acceptable. Necessary laboratory tests shall be performed by an operator or chemist qualified to perform the tests. Analyses conducted to determine compliance with drinking water regulations shall be performed in a laboratory certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services and shall be performed in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater or alternative methods approved by the BPH. Persons designing and equipping laboratory facilities shall confer with the BPH before beginning the preparation of plans or the purchase of equipment. Methods for verifying adequate quality assurances and for routine calibration of equipment shall be provided.

4.9.a. Laboratory testing equipment. -- At a minimum, the following laboratory equipment shall be provided:

4.9.a.1. Surface water supplies shall have a nephelometric turbidimeter meeting the requirements of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater";

4.9.a.2. Each surface water treatment plant utilizing flocculation and sedimentation, including those which lime softens, shall have a pH meter, jar test equipment and titration equipment for both hardness and alkalinity;

4.9.a.3. Each community and non-community, non-transient public water system ion-exchange softening plant, and lime softening plant treating only groundwater shall have a pH meter and titration equipment for both hardness and alkalinity;

4.9.a.4. Each green sand filter using potassium permanganate iron removal plant shall have test equipment capable of accurately measuring iron to a minimum of 0.1 milligrams per liter. Each green sand filter using potassium permanganate manganese removal plant shall have test equipment capable of accurately measuring manganese to a minimum of 0.05 milligrams per liter;

4.9.a.5. Public water systems shall have test equipment for determining both free and total chlorine residual by the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater publication;

4.9.a.6. Public water systems that fluoridate shall have test equipment for determining fluoride by the "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater" publication; and

4.9.a.7. Public water systems that feed poly and/or orthophosphates shall have test equipment capable of accurately measuring phosphates from 0.1 to twenty (20) milligrams per liter.

4.9.b. Physical facilities. -- Sufficient bench space, adequate ventilation, adequate lighting, storage room, laboratory sink, and auxiliary facilities shall be provided. Air conditioning may be necessary.

4.10. Monitoring Equipment. -- Water treatment plants designed to serve three thousand three hundred (3,300) people or more shall be provided with continuous monitoring equipment (including recorders) to monitor water being discharged to the distribution system as follows:

4.10.a. Plants treating surface water and plants using lime for softening shall have the capability to monitor and record free chlorine residual and shall consider having the capacity to monitor and record turbidity; and

4.10.b. Plants treating ground water using iron removal or ion exchange softening shall have the capability to monitor and record free chlorine residual.

4.11. Sample Taps. -- Sample taps shall be provided so that water samples can be obtained from each raw water source and from appropriate locations in each process unit of the treatment system. Taps shall be consistent with sampling needs and shall not be of the petcock type. Taps used for obtaining samples for bacteriological analysis shall be of the smooth-nosed type without an interior or exterior aerator, or other type of appurtenance.

4.12. Facility Water Supply. -- The facility water supply service line and the plant finished water sample tap shall be supplied from a source of finished water at a point where all chemicals have been thoroughly mixed, and the required disinfectant contact time has been achieved. There shall be no cross-connections between the facility water supply service line and any piping, troughs, tanks or other treatment units containing wastewater, treatment chemicals or raw or partially treated water.

4.13. Wall Castings. -- Consideration shall be given to providing extra wall castings built into the structure to facilitate future uses whenever pipes pass through walls of concrete structures.

4.14. Meters. -- All community and non-community, non-transient public water systems water plants shall have a means of metering the raw, finished, washwater, any blended water of different quality and plant use water.

4.15. Piping Color Code. -- To facilitate identification of piping in plants and pumping stations it is recommended that the color scheme in Table 64-77A of this rule be used. In situations where two (2) colors do not have sufficient contrast to easily differentiate between them, a six inch (6") band of contrasting color shall be on one of the pipes at approximately thirty inch (30") intervals. The name of the liquid or gas shall also be on the pipe. In some cases it may be advantageous to provide arrows indicating the direction of flow.

4.16. Disinfection. -- All wells, pipes, tanks, and equipment that can convey or store potable water shall be disinfected in accordance with current AWWA procedures. Plans or specifications shall outline the procedure and include the disinfectant dosage, contact time, and method of testing the results of the procedure.

4.17. Operation and Maintenance Manual. -- An operation and maintenance manual including a parts list, parts order form, operator safety procedures and operational trouble-shooting section shall be supplied to the water works as part of any proprietary unit installed in the facility.

4.18. Operator Instruction. -- Provisions shall be made for operator instruction at the start-up of a plant or pumping station following the manufacturers' representatives trouble-shooting.

4.19. Paints, Coatings, Sealers and Liners. - Paints, coatings, sealers and liners that contact raw, partially treated or potable water and are used in pipes, tanks or equipment that can transport or store water shall have third party certification of compliance with ANSI\NSF Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components - Health Effects.

4.20. Safety. -- Consideration must be given to the safety of water plant personnel and visitors. The design must comply with all applicable safety codes and regulations that may include the Uniform Building Code, Uniform Fire Code, National Fire Protection Association Standards, International Building Code, International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fire Code and state and federal OSHA standards. Examples of some items to be considered include noise arresters, noise protection, confined space entry, protective equipment and clothing, gas masks, safety showers and eye washes, handrails and guards, warning signs, smoke detectors, toxic gas detectors and fire extinguishers.

4.21. Security. -- Appropriate measures to help ensure the security of water system facilities shall be incorporated. Such measures, at a minimum, shall include means to lock all exterior doorways, windows, gates and other entrances to source, treatment, booster stations, valve vaults, meter vaults and water storage facilities. Other measures may include fencing, signage, closed circuit monitoring, real-time water quality monitoring, and intrusion alarms. At a minimum, all finished water storage tanks are to be enclosed by a minimum six feet high chain link fence with a locking gate and the fence is to be located such that maintenance vehicles can maneuver between the tank and fencing.

4.22. Flood Protection. -- Other than surface water intakes, all public water system facilities and water treatment plant access roads shall be protected to at least the one hundred (100) year flood elevation.

4.23. Other Considerations. -- Consideration shall be given to the design requirements of other federal, state and local regulatory agencies for items such as safety requirements, special designs for the disabled, plumbing and electrical codes, construction in the flood plain, etc. Reviews of the design documents (plans and specifications) may be required by local building code officials, prior to construction.

Notes

W. Va. Code R. § 64-77-4