If the alum feed rate is set at 2.6 mg/L, how much alum is in pounds when treating 5.5 million gallons?

To determine the amount of alum in pounds when the alum feed rate is set at 2.6 mg/L and you are treating 5.5 million gallons of water, it's essential to convert these units appropriately.

First, recognize that 1 mg/L (milligram per liter) is equivalent to 1 part per million (ppm). To find the total mass of alum required, you would multiply the alum concentration (in mg/L) by the volume of water (in liters) being treated.

Since 1 gallon is approximately 3.78541 liters, you can convert 5.5 million gallons to liters:

5.5 million gallons × 3.78541 L/gallon = 20,817,200 liters.

Next, calculate the total amount of alum needed:

Alum in mg = concentration (mg/L) × volume (L)

Alum in mg = 2.6 mg/L × 20,817,200 L = 54,123,720 mg.

Now, convert milligrams to pounds. There are 453,592.37 milligrams in a pound, so:

Alum in pounds = total mg / mg per pound

Alum in pounds = 54,123,720 mg