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CHAPTER 2

MASTER PLANNING AND

TREATMENT PROCESS

SELECTION

George P. Fulton
Hazen and Sawyer, PC
New York, New York

The master plan is the first of many steps leading to a final water treatment plant design.
In a strict sense, a public water system master plan is a very comprehensive document
that includes many aspects of the ownership and operating features of that system. The
principal intent of this chapter, however, is to address those issues of a master plan that
affect water treatment plant design. Just as the master plan must recognize growth changes
in a community as they may affect water supply demand and plant capacity, the plan must
also observe trends in regulatory requirements that will influence treatment process se-
lection. This chapter introduces the principal issues that provide the basis for design
through its many phases with particular emphasis on treatment process selection that will
not only permit compliance with current water quality goals, but also accommodate revi-
sions and addition for future objectives.

THE MASTER PLAN

A master plan is the orderly planning of a water system's future improvement program.
The initial step in preparing any water system design is to update the system's master
plan. Many states and state utility commissions require all water systems to have an ac-
tive master plan that anticipates system additions and improvements for many years into
the future. The master plan for treatment should be periodically updated to reflect the im-
provements needed to compensate for changing system requirements imposed by facility
wear, customer requirements, and changing water quality regulations.

Master Planning issues

Master planning for water treatment facilities is often incorporated into the long-range
capital improvement program for the water system. The master plan identifies present and
future needs and the direction for developing the water system's facilities. Some specific
items that should be covered are

2.1