Surprise Field Trip!

After my Environmental Engineering Exam today Dr. Knappe asked if I would like to join a few grad students who were headed out to see the Cary/Apex water treatment plant! It was a great trip. I wasn't prepared, so I didn't have a decent camera, but here are a few photos from my phone.

Heading up to look at the clarifiers (particles in the water settle out here) :

Clarifier

The Town of Cary uses Ozone for disinfection of the drinking water.
They have to produce the ozone onsite:

Dr. Knappe and Qianru check out the filters.
(Qainru has been an awesome TA for my hydraulics class)

Water level sensor placed over the filter. The filters are typically anthracite and sand, several feet thick. Every so often they must be backwashed, which is controlled by a computer. These sensors are part of that process.

Water samples are taken from these faucets. Each one comes from a different place in the treatment plant, so the operators can trace what is happening at each stage in the process.
The water in the far left faucet does not come from the plant. It comes from the source water, Jordan Lake, which is approximately seven miles away.

Here's a view of the lab.
(Erin, who I study with, is talking in the foreground)

Nobody mentioned this during the tour, but I notice they must test for these toxic substances - look closely and see botulism, ricin, cyanide, anthrax, etc. They're keeping us safe!