You are here

UCF Digital Collections ยป ETD Collection

Assessing the Impact of Radionuclides Released into the Floridan Aquifer by a Massive Sinkhole on Local Municipal Water Supplies

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2018
Abstract/Description:
In late August 2016, a sinkhole spanning 45 feet (13.7 meters) in diameter opened at a phosphate fertilizer facility (Mosaic Company) near Mulberry, Florida, leaking an estimated 215 million gallons (813,000 cubic meters) of radionuclide-contaminated water 300 feet into the Floridan aquifer. An investigation to determine possible impacts to the environment and local community drinking water supplies was implemented that focused on two 1.5 million gallon per day (MGD) Tampa Bay Water (TBW) production wells and two Polk County Utilities (PCU) water treatment facilities. Water samples collected between June 2017 and January 2018 at the TBW and PCU sites were found to contain radionuclides below regulated levels. To evaluate the effectiveness of membrane treatment should the TBW and PCU drinking water wells be affected by the spill in the future, bench-scale, flat-sheet reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane process testing was performed using TBW and PCU wellfield sample aliquots. NF and RO were shown to be capable of removing at minimum of 86 and 92 percent, respectively, of the barium content that had been spiked into groundwater testing aliquots. Based on testing results, a conceptual opinion of probable capital cost for a membrane process ranged from $1.7 and $3.5 million for a 0.25 MGD and 2.0 MGD design capacity, respectively. Process operation and maintenance costs ranged between $0.99/Kgal and $0.26/Kgal for a 0.25 MGD and 2.0 MGD design capacity, respectively. The amortized total cost based on a 20-year period and 8 percent interest rate ranged between $1.88/Kgal for a 0.25 MGD and $0.49/Kgal for a 2.0 MGD design capacity plant. An estimate of unavailable water value due to a long-term well shut-down was approximated as $0.64/Kgal.
Title: Assessing the Impact of Radionuclides Released into the Floridan Aquifer by a Massive Sinkhole on Local Municipal Water Supplies.
33 views
10 downloads
Name(s): Arenas Daza, Maria, Author
Duranceau, Steven, Committee Chair
Sadmani, A H M Anwar, Committee Member
Wang, Dingbao, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2018
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: In late August 2016, a sinkhole spanning 45 feet (13.7 meters) in diameter opened at a phosphate fertilizer facility (Mosaic Company) near Mulberry, Florida, leaking an estimated 215 million gallons (813,000 cubic meters) of radionuclide-contaminated water 300 feet into the Floridan aquifer. An investigation to determine possible impacts to the environment and local community drinking water supplies was implemented that focused on two 1.5 million gallon per day (MGD) Tampa Bay Water (TBW) production wells and two Polk County Utilities (PCU) water treatment facilities. Water samples collected between June 2017 and January 2018 at the TBW and PCU sites were found to contain radionuclides below regulated levels. To evaluate the effectiveness of membrane treatment should the TBW and PCU drinking water wells be affected by the spill in the future, bench-scale, flat-sheet reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane process testing was performed using TBW and PCU wellfield sample aliquots. NF and RO were shown to be capable of removing at minimum of 86 and 92 percent, respectively, of the barium content that had been spiked into groundwater testing aliquots. Based on testing results, a conceptual opinion of probable capital cost for a membrane process ranged from $1.7 and $3.5 million for a 0.25 MGD and 2.0 MGD design capacity, respectively. Process operation and maintenance costs ranged between $0.99/Kgal and $0.26/Kgal for a 0.25 MGD and 2.0 MGD design capacity, respectively. The amortized total cost based on a 20-year period and 8 percent interest rate ranged between $1.88/Kgal for a 0.25 MGD and $0.49/Kgal for a 2.0 MGD design capacity plant. An estimate of unavailable water value due to a long-term well shut-down was approximated as $0.64/Kgal.
Identifier: CFE0006970 (IID), ucf:52911 (fedora)
Note(s): 2018-05-01
M.S.Env.E.
Engineering and Computer Science, Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): sinkhole -- Mosaic's sinkhole -- radionuclides -- radionuclide contaminated water -- groundwater contamination -- degradation of groundwater quality
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006970
Restrictions on Access: public 2018-05-15
Host Institution: UCF

In Collections