Area Wide Optimization Program

Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) is a voluntary program whose primary goal is to maximize public health protection without major capital expenditure, through optimization of existing water treatment and distribution facilities. Optimization of the water system is achieved through enhanced process monitoring and control using existing staff and facilities. Presently Kansas's AWOP focuses on the optimization of conventional surface water treatment plant performance, measured relative to the following optimization goals.

Kansas AWOP Optimized Performance Goals for Conventional Surface Water Treatment Plants

Minimum Data Monitoring Requirements

  • Daily raw water turbidity measurements
  • Settled water turbidity measurements at 4-hour time increments from each sedimentation basin
  • Online (continuous) turbidity measurements from each filter

Individual Sedimentation Basin Performance Goals

  • Settled water turbidity less than 1 NTU 95% of the time when annual average raw water turbidity is less than or equal to 10 NTU
  • Settled water turbidity less than 2 NTU 95% of the time when annual average raw water turbidity is greater than 10 NTU

Individual Filter Performance Goals

  • Filtered water turbidity less than 0.1 NTU 95% of the time (excluding 15-minute period following backwashes)
  • Maximum filtered water turbidity of 0.3 NTU
  • Maximum filtered water turbidity following backwash of less than 0.3 NTU, returning to 0.1 NTU within 15 minutes

Disinfection Performance Goals

  • Disinfection ratio greater than or equal to 1.0 (CT Measured / CT Required)

Benefits of Optimizing Conventional Surface Water Treatment

The primary benefit for systems participating in AWOP is improved performance of drinking water treatment plants resulting in an increase of public health protection against waterborne diseases. Other benefits from AWOP include:

  • Systems receive skills and tools which assist in complying with Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
  • Systems achieve a better understanding of their roles in treatment optimization and public health protection.
  • Enhancement of water system operators' abilities to apply technical concepts, resulting in improvements in plant performance.
  • New communication and networking opportunities for water system staff created through multi-system training events.
  • The useful life of existing infrastructure is prolonged through optimization practices which can reduce the need to invest in new facilities to achieve compliance.

AWOP Basic Components

The Public Water Supply Section has an Area Wide Optimization Program designed to assist surface water systems to achieve optimization goals. The three major components of the AWOP are Comprehensive Performance Evaluations (CPEs), Comprehensive Technical Assistance (CTA) and Performance-Based Training (PBTs).

  • CPEs are a thorough review and analysis of a facility's design capabilities and associated administrative, operational, and maintenance practices as they relate to achieving optimal performance from the facility. The primary objective is to determine if significant improvements in the treatment performance can be achieved without major capital expenditures.
  • CTA is targeted technical assistance to address the unique combination of factors that limit an individual facility's performance. Implementation of each CTA is plant-specific, and the combination of tools used is at the discretion of the water system.
  • PBTs address the common factors that limit an individual facility's performance and are typically implemented with several water systems simultaneously.

Systems Getting Involved

The AWOP has a track record of proven success in participating states across the country. Participation in the program is voluntary. To become active in the Kansas AWOP please contact the AWOP Coordinator to discuss in detail how AWOP may benefit your system.

Helpful Resources

Please email Amelia Springer or call at 785-296-5523.