Impact of water source mixture and population changes on the Al residue in megalopolitan drinking water

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) 2020-11, Vol.186, p.116335-116335, Article 116335
• Main Authors: Tian, Chenhao, Feng, Chenghong, Chen, Lei, Wang, Qixuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Al residue; Big data analysis; Drinking water; Megalopolitan; Mixed water sources
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116335

•Contribution of water sources to Al residue in tap water was firstly quantified.•Mixing foreign water with local ground or reservoir water worsens the Al residue.•Water pipes are major contribution to Al residue with mixed water source.•Foreign water can facilitate the deposited Al release and the old pipes cleaning. This study establishes a new understanding of the contributions of Al residue in a megalopolitan drinking water supply system with mixed water sources. The different influences and contributions of foreign water source, resident migration and season changing to Al residue in drinking water were investigated. Especially, the role of Southern water transferred over 1200 km via the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in the Al residue of drinking water supply system of a northern megalopolitan were revealed for the first time. Comparisons of big data on Al residue in the water supply system with sole and mixed water sources showed that the introduction of Southern water enhanced the Al residue in drinking water by over 35%. The world's largest annual residents’ migration during Chinese Lunar New Year and the changes of season affect the water pipework hydrodynamics, which were embodied as the periodic changes of particulate aluminium and the relations with resident's temporal-spatial distribution in the megalopolitan. Because of the differences in water quality, Southern water promotes the release of historically deposited Al and facilitates the cleaning of old pipes. [Display omitted]