Section 109.703. Facilities operation

(a) Public water system facilities approved by written permit from the Department shall be operated in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the permit to achieve the level of treatment for which the facilities were designed.

(b) For surface water or GUDI sources, a public water supplier using filtration shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) By July 1, 1990, suppliers using conventional or direct filtration shall, after filter backwash, and before putting the backwashed filter back on line, filter-to-waste until the filter bed effluent turbidity is less than 0.5 NTU at the normal production flow rate.

(2) Beginning May 16, 1992, a supplier using slow sand filtration shall, following sanding, scraping or resanding of slow sand filters, filter-to-waste until one of the following occurs:

(i) The filter bed effluent turbidity is less than 1.0 NTU at the normal production flow rate.

(ii) A reduction in turbidity is achieved when the source water turbidity is less than 1.0 NTU.

(3) Beginning May 16, 1992, a supplier using diatomaceous earth filtration shall, following backwashing and recoating of diatomaceous earth filters, filter-to-waste until one of the following occurs:

(i) The filter bed effluent turbidity is less than 1.0 NTU at the normal production flow rate.

(ii) A reduction in turbidity is achieved when the source water turbidity is less than 1.0 NTU.

(4) For a conventional or direct filtration facility permitted prior to March 25, 1989, without filter-to-waste capability, the Department, upon the supplier’s request, may allow the supplier to utilize other operating techniques which minimize the initial increased turbidity peak when a filter is initially placed back into service after backwashing. The technique, which may include filter settling periods, ramping open the effluent valve or use of a coagulant in the backwash water, shall be justified by a filter performance study approved by the Department.

(5) Except for public water systems covered under § 109.301(1)(iv) (relating to general monitoring requirements), a system with conventional or direct filtration facilities permitted prior to March 25, 1989, without individual filter bed turbidity monitoring capabilities shall conduct an annual filter bed evaluation program, acceptable to the Department, which includes an evaluation of filter media, valves, surface sweep and sampling of filter turbidities over one entire filter run; and shall submit to the Department, with the Annual Water Supply Report, a study that demonstrates that the water supplier’s filter-to-waste or alternate approved operating procedures are meeting the operating conditions under paragraph (1) or (4).

The provisions of this § 109.703 adopted December 7, 1984, effective December 8, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 4479; amended March 24, 1989, effective March 25, 1989, 19 Pa.B. 1289; amended May 15, 1992, effective May 16, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 2621; amended July 20, 2001, effective July 21, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 3895; amended May 22, 2009, effective May 23, 2009, 39 Pa.B. 2661; corrected August 29, 2009, effective August 1, 2009, 39 Pa.B. 5119. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (344232) to (344233).