The purpose of water treatment is to render the water safe for human consumption and to improve its aesthetic and use qualities. The existing groundwater supply of New Philadelphia contains Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOCs) which require treatment for public safety. The VOCs were first detected in the distribution system in 1981. Aeration was proposed in 1987 to be used to remove the VOCs. In terms of aesthetic and use criteria, water should be bacteria free, clear, odorless, pleasant to taste, reasonably soft, non-staining, and neither corrosive nor scale forming. To meet these criteria or qualities, the existing water supply requires treatment for softening, iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) removal, pH adjustment, and bacterial control.
The process of treatment of New Philadelphia water supply is as follows:
The New Philadelphia distribution system consists of pipelines ranging in diameter size from 6 inch through 14 inch. In older portions of the City, the system is connected with 2 inch service lines. The system contains over 900 fire hydrants. All hydrants are supplied from 6 inch lines. There are over 8,200 service connections and nearly 400 sprinkling meters for individual customer service. The distribution system storage capacity is provided by three steel standpipe reservoirs. A 0.5 million gallon, a 1.5 million gallon, and a 2 million gallon reservoir provides a total capacity of 4 million gallons.