White papers, publications and studies
To ensure other potable reuse projects are supported and take shape in other communities, it is imperative that the water community share information with one another and the public. We hope that the OCWD website will serve as host for educational discussions to thrive. If you or your agency wish to share a paper with the water community, kindly submit your report for consideration to Rose Wilke.
White Papers & Reports
A white paper is a report or guide that usually addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions or communities to take action.
Water Reuse
- How to Overcome Public Perception Issues on Potable Reuse Projects (2019)
- Municipal freshwater scarcity: Using technology to improve distribution system efficiency and tap nontraditional water sources (2016)
- Building on lesson learned for expanding the next phase of the Groundwater Replenishment System (2010)
- Predictive Source Control: Application of Advanced Numerical Methods and Surrogate Monitoring for Microconstituents in Water Reclamation (2009)
- Pollutant Prioritization Project for Water Reuse (2008)
- GWRS White Paper: Studies Conclude Water Produced by Groundwater Replenishment System will be Safe, Improve Basin’s Quality (2004)
- GWRS White Paper: Building on Success of Other Reuse Projects (undated)
- GWRS White Paper: Examining the Cost of Building and Operating a Water Purification system to Provide a New Source of Water for an Arid Region (undated)
- Tomorrow’s Source Control for Today’s Emerging Pollutants (undated)
Groundwater Management & Managed Aquifer Recharge
- Desperate times call for sensible measures: The making of the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (2016)
- Large-Scale Aquifer Replenishment and Seawater Intrusion Control Using Recycled Water in Southern California (2014)
- Clogging issues associated with managed aquifer recharge methods (2013)
- NWRI: Orange County Water District’s Santa Ana River Water Quality and Health Study (2004)
- Title-22 White Paper: Prepared for Nitrogen/TDS Task Force and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority by Harris Environmental Education (1998)
- Final Report Restoration of Local Recharge Sources from Invasive Dreissenid Mussels
Research Publications and Studies
OCWD scientists and engineers in the Research & Development Department, along with other staff, publish their findings in scientific journals and technical magazines, as well as present at conferences. Selected publications and conference proceedings are listed below.
Water Reuse
- SARS-CoV-2 genetic material is removed during municipal wastewater treatment and is undetectable after advanced treatment (2022)
- Surface characterization of end-of-life reverse osmosis membranes from a full-scale advanced water reuse facility: Combined role of bioorganic materials and silicon on chemically irreversible fouling (2022)
- Online colloidal particle monitoring for controlled coagulation pretreatment to lower microfiltration membrane fouling at a potable water reuse facility (2022)
- Membrane aging effects on water recovery during full-scale potable reuse: Mathematical optimization of backwashing frequency for constant-flux microfiltration (2022)
- Operational Optimization of Closed-circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) Pilot to Recover Concentrate at an Advanced Water Purification Facility for Potable Reuse (2021)
- Nontargeted Analysis of Trace Organic Constituents in Reverse Osmosis and UV-AOP Product Waters of a Potable Reuse Facility (2021)
- Modeling the energy consumption of potable water reuse schemes (2021)
- Modeling UF fouling and backwash in seawater RO feedwater treatment using neural networks with evolutionary algorithm and Bayesian binary classification (2021)
- NDMA and NDMA Precursor Attenuation in Environmental Buffers Prior to Groundwater Recharge for Potable Reuse (2021)
- Real-Time Reverse Osmosis Monitoring for Antiscalant Dose Selection in Advanced Treatment of Wastewater (2020)
- Pilot UV-AOP Comparison of UV/Hydrogen Peroxide, UV/Free Chlorine, and UV/Monochloramine for the Removal of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and NDMA Precursors (2020)
- UV/Chlorine vs. UV/H2O2 for Water Reuse at Orange County Water District, CA: A Pilot Study (2020)
- Validation of a Novel Direct-Injection Chemiluminescence-Based Method for N-Nitrosamine Analysis in Advanced-Treated Recycled Water, Drinking Water, And Wastewater (2020)
- Evaluating Post Treatment Challenges for Potable Reuse Application (Final Report) (2020)
- Influence of reverse osmosis membrane age on rejection of NDMA precursors and formation of NDMA in finished water after full advanced treatment for potable reuse (2019)
- Optimizing Potable Water Reuse Systems: Chloramines or Hydrogen Peroxide for UV-Based Advanced Oxidation Process? (2019)
- Validation of Rapid, Low-Volume, Low-Cost NDMA Analytical Method with Potential for Online Monitoring (Final Report), Project Number U3R16 (2019)
- Pilot-Scale Evaluation of Oxidant Speciation, 1,4-Dioxane Degradation and Disinfection Byproduct Formation During UV/Hydrogen Peroxide, UV/Free Chlorine and UV/Chloramines Advanced Oxidation Process Treatment for Potable Reuse (2019)
- Non-Target Mass Spectrometry Analysis of NDMA Precursors in Advanced Treatment for Potable Reuse (2018).
- Modeling fouling in a large RO system with artificial neural networks (2018).
- Characterization of the Microbiome at the World’s Largest Potable Water Reuse Facility (2018).
- Photolysis of Mono- and Dichloramines in UV/Hydrogen Peroxide: Effects on 1,4-Dioxane Removal and Relevance in Water Reuse (2018).
- An Inline Ion-Exchange System in a Chemiluminescence-Based Analyzer for Direct Analysis of N-Nitrosamines in Treated Wastewater (2018).
- UV Photolysis of Chloramine and Persulfate for 1,4-Dioxane Removal in Reverse-Osmosis Permeate for Potable Water Reuse (2018)
- A review of polymeric membranes and processes for potable water reuse (2018)
- High-Throughput DNA Sequencing To Profile Microbial Water Quality Of Potable Reuse (2018)
- Characterization of microbial signatures from advanced treated wastewater biofilms. Journal of the American Water Works Association, 109 (11),( 2017).
- Near real-time N-nitrosodimethylamine monitoring in potable water reuse via online high-performance liquid chromatography-photochemical reaction-chemiluminescence (2017).
- Producing value-added biopolymer from methane gas generated by water resource recovery facilities (2017)
- RO Membrane Surface Factors influencing Specific Flux (2017)
- Role of membrane fouling substances on the rejection of N-nitrosamines by reverse osmosis. Water Research, 118, 187-195 (2017).
- A mechanistic understanding of the degradation of trace organic contaminants by UV/hydrogen peroxide, UV/persulfate and UV/free chlorine for water reuse (2016)
- A rapid and reliable technique for N-nitrosodimethylamine analysis in reclaimed water by HPLC-photochemical reaction-chemiluminescence. Chemosphere 161, 104-111 (2016).
- Impact of the ultraviolet photolysis of monochloramine on 1.4-dioxane removal: New insights into potable water reuse (2016)
- Wasterwater-effluent-dominated streams as ecosystem-management tools in a drier climate (2015)
- Potential human pathogenic bacteria in a mixed urban watershed as revealed by pyrosequencing (2013)
- Statistical evaluation of photon count rate data for nanoscale particle measurement in wastewaters (2012)
- Assimilable organic carbon (AOC) in soil water extracts using vibrio harveyi BB721 and its implication for microbial biomass (2012)
- Effects of Molecular and Environmental Properties on Removal of Pharmaceuticals, Endocrine Disruptors and Disinfection Byproducts by Polyamide RO Membranes (2008)
- Development of Salinity Reduction Technologies for Individual Source Water (2005)
- Establishing Correlations between Membrane Fouling and Water Composition (2005)
- Evaluation of a Rapid Test for Quantifying Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) in Membrane Desalination Feedwaters (2005)
- Identification and Evaluation of Unique Chemicals for Optimum Membrane Compatibility and Improved Cleaning Efficiency (2005)
- Rejection of Pharmaceuticals by Reverse Osmosis Membranes – Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) Analysis (undated)
- Role of Microfiltration (MF) Cake Layer Composition and Stability in Desalination Efficiency (undated)
- Development of Salinity Reduction Technologies for Individual Source Water (2005)
- Establishing Correlations between Membrane Fouling and Water Compositions (2005)
- Evaluation of a Rapid Test for Quantifying Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC) in Membrane Desalination Feedwaters (2005)
- Identification and Evaluation of Unique Chemicals for Optimum Membrane Compatibility and Improved Cleaning Efficiency (2005)
Groundwater Management & Managed Aquifer Recharge
- Groundwater Treatment to Remove PFAS: Restoring Local Drinking Water Supply in Orange County, California (2022)
- Pilot-scale comparison of granular activated carbons, ion exchange, and alternative adsorbents for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal (2022)
- Influence of pipeline transit and environment on groundwater recharge for potable reuse (2022)
- Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water with Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission Spectroscopy (2021)
- Distributed temperature sensing to measure infiltration rates across a groundwater recharge basin (2020)
- Background Antibiotic Resistance and Microbial Communities Dominate Effects of Advanced Purified Water Recharge to an Urban Aquifer (2019)
- Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing as a Tool for Measuring Recharge Rate in a Potable Reuse Spreading Basin. 2017
- Maximizing infiltration Rates by Removing Suspended Solids: Results of Demonstration Testing of Riverbed Filtration in Orange County, California (2017)
- Development of a Percolation Decay Model to Guide Future Optimization of Subsurface Water Recharge Basins (2007)
- Percolation Decay Model for Optimization of Surface Water Recharge Basins (2007)