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Regular maintenance and cleaning of the apparatus was critical in ensuring accurate data collection. The regular cleaning of the influent turbidimeter vial and the effluent turbidimeter settling column were of particular importance, because impurities and residues collected on the walls of these two instruments interfere with the turbidimeter's ability to accurately determine the turbidity of the water. Before each run, the turbidimeters are powered down and the vial and column are carefully removed for cleaning. After powering down the instruments, all water must be drained out of the chambers and the instrument must be kept dry. For the influent turbidimeter, the glass vial can be removed from the head cap by twisting, but the influent and effluent tubes must be pinched shut to stop the flow of water in and out of the glass vial. For the effluent turbidimeter, the tube leading out of the bottom of the settling column must be disconnected and the manual valve connected to the top of the column must be manually opened to drain the water inside the column. Once all the water is drained, the metal connectors connected to the top and bottom of the column must be removed before the glass column can be pulled out from the top. Once carefully removed from the turbidimeter, a soft foam brush should be used to dislodge and remove all the residue and contaminants on the inner wall of the column. When clean, insert the column from the top down and secure all connectors tightly and reconnect all tubes to prevent leakage. Once the apparatus is reconnected, run the state that cleans the effluent turbidimeter with the manual valve open to remove all the air from the system. Once all of the air has been removed, the apparatus is ready to be used again.
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