Blueleaf Inc. 508-248-7094 | egrotton@blueleafwater.com
Frequently Asked Questions
We know planning a pilot study involves a lot of moving parts. Every project is different enough that there's no single answer to "how does this work?" But here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often.
Scoping A Pilot Study
-
The number of sources, the processes under consideration, and any design concerns are a good start. If the project is to optimize a coagulant dose for a single source, we can resolve the scope of work over a short phone call. More information is needed for more complicated projects with multiple sources and processes. Earlier reports, especially preliminary designs or alternative analyses are very helpful. Since there are so many different processes, there’s no one checklist and a phone call is the best way to resolve Scope of Work.
-
Yes, it’s typical for Blueleaf to participate in establishing the pilot study plan so the equipment capabilities match the full-scale design parameters and the data collection is reasonable for duration of the study.
-
In most cases, we can provide some advice on processes that have worked at other sites.
-
We generally think that bench scale work is useful for screening alternatives or providing a direction for pilot-scale or full-scale evaluations. Rapid Small Scale Column Testing (RSSCT) work can be very useful for estimating the capacity of many adsorptive media processes, but there is not an approved method for RSSCT analyses for many of the media that are currently on the market.
-
The pilot system should be large enough to generate representative hydraulic, operational, and breakthrough data while remaining practical to install and operate at the site. The appropriate size depends more on the study objectives than on the size of the eventual treatment plant.
-
The answer depends on PFAS concentrations, water quality, treatment goals, operating constraints, and life-cycle cost considerations. In most cases, pilot testing is used to compare treatment performance, media life, operational complexity, and projected operating costs before selecting a technology.
-
The required duration depends on the questions being asked.
Some studies focus on process comparison and can be completed relatively quickly. Others are designed to evaluate media exhaustion and breakthrough behavior and may require substantially longer operating periods.
-
Enough to support a defensible design decision.
In some cases, one technology is already favored and the study focuses on optimization. In others, multiple competing technologies are tested simultaneously.
-
Yes. In fact, comparative testing is often one of the strongest uses of pilot studies because all technologies are evaluated under identical source-water conditions and operating periods.
-
A pilot protocol should define:
Study objectives
Success criteria
Sampling requirements
Operating conditions
Data collection procedures
Reporting requirements
Statistical evaluation methods
The protocol should answer the question:
"What information do we need to confidently design the full-scale system?"
-
Yes. Many successful projects involve vendor-supplied equipment operating under an independent testing and reporting framework.
Planning a Pilot Study?
Every project starts with a conversation. Whether you're a consulting engineer evaluating treatment options or a manufacturer looking for an independent third-party assessment, we're happy to talk through your project and next steps.