Comprehensive Performance Evaluation Protocol to Address Harmful Algal Blooms and Associated Cyanotoxins
This protocol is intended to support primacy agency and public water system managers, staff and operators to evaluate water treatment plants for optimized cyanotoxin removal performance during a harmful algal bloom (HAB) in their source water. To help address HAB and related cyanotoxin concerns and based on its experience developing and implementing optimization tools, EPA partnered with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to develop a comprehensive performance evaluation (CPE) approach to evaluate drinking water treatment plants. The focus of the approach is on plant capability to treat for cyanotoxins and to identify factors that may limit treatment plant performance during a source water HAB. This HAB CPE protocol was developed over the course of four pilot CPE field events conducted between August 2016 and March 2018 at Ohio water treatment plants whose source water is impacted by HABs.