Full Description

In this study, the trihalomethanes (THMs) chloroform and dichlorobromomethane, present in chlorinated drinking water, were used as tracer compounds to identify the presence of treated city water in samples of seepage collected at leak sites in the distribution system. Using physical and chemical tests such as alkalinity, hardness, conductivity, and pH, the origin of leakage water samples often could not be identified unequivocally as treated city water, groundwater or river water. Purge-and-trap gas chromatographic analysis detected nanogram-per-liter to low microgram-per-liter levels of chloroform and dichlorobromomethane and can be used to positively identify traces of treated city water. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of distribution system main and service line leak samples. Includes 16 references, tables, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. 77 - No. 11 Published: 11/01/1985 Number of Pages: 5File Size: 1 file , 1.1 MB