Photo By Staff Sgt. Fred Brown | U.S. Army Spc. Sohmin Taye, a water treatment specialist with the 548th Combat...... read more read more
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UNDISCLOSED LOCATION – Gen. George S. Patton, commander of the Third Army (Army Central) during the end of World War II, posthumously imparted in his memoir ‘War As I Knew It,’ “never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
Patton’s insight still holds true today, as demonstrated by Quartermaster Corps Soldiers in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, who designed and built an innovative system for water purification. This system aids in warfighting sustainment for troops in contact while also demonstrating a method to save Department of Defense funds.
To support the CENTCOM mission as a petroleum systems technician, Warrant Officer Travis Rosenberger, 548th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, arrived on deployment this past July with the Fort Drum, New York based unit. Rosenberger, along with the water purification specialists, form a water treatment team, or “Water Dogs,” who are solely responsible for the on-site water operations, otherwise known as liquid logistics.
Immediately after arriving, Rosenberger noticed the water supply was inefficient and lacked the proper amount of free available chlorine. FAC is critical for potable water because it measures the amount of chlorine that is available to disinfect the water from any potentially dangerous or unpleasant contaminants. Chlorine comes in many forms as a powder or in solution that is added to bulk potable water storage at specific rates to protect against viruses, bacteria, and other microbes that can lead to waterborne illnesses.
“To counter this issue, we implemented strict water rotation of storage containers which caused us to drop our days of supply of water in order to maintain FAC levels,” said Rosenberger.
At the time, potable water was purified through a tactical water purification system, a rapidly deployable military system capable of producing up to 1,500 gallons an hour of potable water from a fresh water source. The available water source at the site was an underground well.
“Bulk water operations that coincide with purification, storage, and distribution performed by Soldiers is rare in a tactical environment; all other bulk water operations in theater are contracted,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Amy Scott, senior petroleum and water advisor, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, who provides expertise and oversight from the rear at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to the deployed water treatment team. “CENTCOM is the only theater in the Army that conduct water purification, bulk storage, and distribution: 24-hours a day, seven days a week.”
Because of the necessity of adequate water storage and purification, Rosenberger began formulating a solution. Before starting the initial proof of concept, he studied the limitations of sourcing larger industrial systems, eventually deducing the solution should be small and easy to manage for individual Soldiers.
After defining the necessary steps and parts for the process, Rosenberger and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Fernando Julia, petroleum systems technician, 1st TSC, acquired the necessary components to correct the problem using creative solutions.
The improvised system was designed to provide the same capability as the original equipment from the issued hypochlorination unit, which was no longer sourceable for the Army to order. A hypochlorination unit is a key component of an expeditionary potable water supply distribution system and currently there are no available complete water storage distribution systems in CENTCOM. Although the bulk water storage tanks of an available WSDS were left on-site, the system was not fully operational without the hypochlorination unit. A new unit would cost the Army $6,000 and also require down time while waiting for it to arrive in theater.
“Our improvised system is small, simplistic, easily movable, sourceable, can be set up by one person, and costs under $300 for the parts,” said Rosenberger. “After set up, Soldiers can tweak the chlorine pump output and walk away, allowing them to focus their time on other tasks, with only periodic checks on the system.”
The system has now been operational for several months with noticeable improvements to water quality and storage capabilities, leading Julia to commend his teammate’s ingenuity, “Rosenberger is the true integrative innovator that designed this system to meet mission requirements. Not only is he progressively meeting expectations, but also earned a reputation among his peers, and the respect from commanders, in continuing to provide uninterrupted sustainment for bulk water operations.”
“The experience gained by water purification specialists in CENTCOM is invaluable because it prepares Soldiers for large-scale combat operations, for a commodity that is consistently contracted,” praised Scott. “Our Quartermaster Soldiers will make something happen, because they have the knowledge, and the know-how. If we have the equipment, we’ll make it happen. Liquid logisticians will accommodate any mission requirement.”
With their quick action and specialized skill sets, the Quartermaster Corps Water Dogs ensured their new system would align the base with the TB MED 577, an official Army publication on water quality standards in field environments. With the improvised water storage and purification solution, Soldiers can fully focus on the mission and maintaining readiness.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 493979 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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