Treatment of Volcanic Ash-Contaminated Surface Waters through the Optimisation of Physical and Chemical Processes

Abstract

Volcanic activity can damage or disrupt water supplies. For large municipal water treatment systems fed from surface waters (e.g. lakes or reservoirs), the physical impacts of a volcanic ashfall - particularly increased turbidity of the raw water supply - tend to overwhelm problems caused by chemical contamination from soluble components released from the ash surface. This report examines optimisation of physical and chemical treatment processes to address ash-contaminated surface waters.