Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Lazo | Spc. Greg R. Beynon (left) and Spc. Ryan L.H. Walsh (right), water purification...... read more read more
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Providing potable water to more than 3,600 service members for two weeks is more than a full-time mission.
Members of the Army National Guard were seen working feverishly on June 6 to jumpstart the water purification process, which will provide clean drinking water for the duration of the Golden Coyote training exercise in the Black Hills.
"The plan is to have 20,000 gallons of potable water by the time the exercise starts," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard L. Schultz, platoon sergeant, Company A, 139th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), of Redfield, S.D. His platoon, along with Guardsmen from Company A, 311th Brigade Support Battalion, of Lexington, Mo. are charged with supporting this year's Golden Coyote.
There are 62 units participating in this year's training event, and both companies want to ensure all the units have a dependable, potable water supply. After setting up a distribution point near the Central States Fairgrounds, these units began purifying water from Rapid Creek Thursday.
"Today is the first production run," said Schultz. The 20,000-gallons they hope to produce will be stored in several 3,000-gallon water storage units commonly referred to as onion skins, as well as a 10,000 gallon tank. Once the exercise begins, units will be able to draw water at the distribution point, said Schultz.
"Usually units come here and fill up before they set up at the FOB [forward operating base]," said Sgt. 1st Class Alan C. Clapper, platoon sergeant, Co. A, 311th BSB. There are multiple FOBs this year, according to Clapper, and supplying them with water provides the transportation personnel in those units an opportunity to drive and learn how to transport bulk water.
Along with the distribution point, both units will provide water to units out in the field throughout the exercise with their 2,000-gallon portable water systems or "Hippos." Hippos come equipped with their own pumping unit and heater, not to warm the water, but to keep it from freezing, according to Schultz.
All the potable water used for Golden Coyote will be purified utilizing a Tactical Water Purification System or TWPS, explained Schultz.
The first step in the water purification process is drawing water from a reliable source, such as a creek, then feeding it into a raw feed tank. This is used to extract leaves and other large debris and passed through the TWPS, where it undergoes two stages of purification. The first passage is through filtration systems that remove additional debris, and the second is a reverse osmosis system or RO.
"Upon completion of RO, sodium hypochlorite is added to the water to kill any bacteria," said Schultz. "Once this is completed, the purified, potable water is pumped into the onion skins and water tanks for distribution later."
"It's actually cleaner than your average bottle of drinking water," said Spc. Matthew D. Bickett, water purification specialist, Co. A, 139th BSB, referring to the quality of the water being stored.
Before any water is consumed, medical personnel test samples to ensure the proper amount of chlorine exists. These tests can take up to 24 hours to "give us the green light that the water we're producing is safe to drink," said Schultz.
Medical specifications are used to determine the safe amount of chlorine in the water, maintained through testing every hour. "Typical safety amounts are one part per million, or the equivalent of one milligram of chlorine to every liter of water," said Schultz.
Occasionally, two parts per million is maintained in water that is to be stored over long amounts of time since chlorine can dissipate over time, especially with exposure to the sun, he said.
Schultz explained that under perfect conditions, it takes approximately two hours to fill an onion skin, meaning this is a water source with a low level of contamination, which equates to 1,500 gallons per hour.
The more contaminated the water source, the slower the flow of potable water. "The dirtier the water the more downtime you have for maintenance," said Schultz.
Ensuring safe drinking water for servicemembers participating in the Golden Coyote keeps them safe and well-hydrated.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2009 16:39 |
| Story ID: | 34798 |
| Location: | RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 110 |
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