19 Mar MEDRC HAB’s Project to Provide

Guidance Manual for Desalination Plant Managers

The MEDRC HABs project is set to provide a new guidance manual for use by desalination plant operators. 

The manual will be a major result of the research project convened by MEDRC to develop a regional HABs Early Warning System for the Gulf, entitled ‘Combatting the Emerging Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) on Desalination Plants: Bloom Detection, Forecasting, and Strategies for Impact Reduction.’ 

The manual will contain practical information on marine HABs including guidance on bloom types, ecology, species identification and toxin detection methods, plant process monitoring for algal indicators. It will also describe practical strategies and treatment methods to mitigate HAB impacts and maintain plant availability. Also discussed will be risk assessment frameworks to assure safe drinking water in the face of a toxic marine HAB along with Management Response Plans.

The Manual, coedited by Don Anderson, Siobhán Boerlage and Mike Dixon, will be freely available on the MEDRC website when completed and will be underpinned from information from the desalination industry and case studies characteristic of various feedwaters around the world.