Accession Number:

ADA519937

Title:

Evaluation of Alternative Technologies to Supply Drinking Water to Marines in Forward Deployed Locations

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Personal Author(s):

• George, Derek R.

Report Date:

2010-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

108.0

Abstract:

With recent increases, there are approximately 20,000 Marines deployed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. The cost of delivering bottled water to the troops is rapidly becoming unsustainable and convoys delivering bottled water are vulnerable to Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs. Currently, raw water from indigenous sources, which has chemical and microbiological contaminants, is treated with reverse osmosis RO, but only used for hygiene, with bottled water used for drinking. Due to the economic costs and risks to life of providing bottled water, decision-makers need to evaluate technology alternatives to treat raw water to supply safe drinking water. In this study, an innovative decision analysis tool, Choosing by Advantages CBA, was used to evaluate and select the best alternative water treatment technology to support Marines in Afghanistan. Using criteria developed by a panel of experts, the CBA method was applied to determine that the best alternative technology is a treatment train ultrafiltration pretreatment, RO treatment, and electrodeionization post treatment. This treatment train would produce high quality water and lower overall RO energy consumption, operation and maintenance costs, and reduce the replacement frequency of RO membranes.

Descriptors:

• *DEPLOYMENT
• *ULTRAFILTRATION
• *WATER SUPPLIES
• *MARINE CORPS EQUIPMENT
• *PURIFICATION
• EXPLOSIVE ACTUATORS
• ELECTRODES
• IONIZATION
• MARINE CORPS FACILITIES
• BOTTLES
• NANOTECHNOLOGY
• TEST AND EVALUATION
• TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
• REVERSE OSMOSIS
• THESES
• DECISION MAKING
• IMPROVISED WEAPONS
• AFGHANISTAN

Subject Categories:

• Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Processing
• Pumps, Filters, Pipes, Tubing, Fittings and Valves
• Water Pollution and Control
• Environmental Health and Safety

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE