WATER-TREATMENT

PROCESSES: THEORY AND

APPLICATION
Typical plant treating hard
groundwater
WATER TREATMENT
PROCESSES
Typical plant treating turbid
surface water with organics
Typical plant treating hard groundwater
Typical plant treating turbid surface water with organic
Water purification for
potable supplies
Aeration
Coagulation
and
flocculation
Solid
separation
Filtration Disinfection
1.AERATION
Remove undesirable gases dissolved in water
(degasification)/add O
2
to water to convert
undesirable substances (oxidation)
Often used to treat groundwater
Groundwater contain CO
2
(corrosive water),
H
2
S (unpleasant T&O), iron & manganese
(insoluble)




Liquid-gas contact system
Designed to drive the water-gas mixture
toward equilibrium
Accomplished by either dispersing water into
air/air into water
Fountain dispersed as droplets
Cascade tower water exposed to atm in thin
sheets
Tray tower interception of flow with solid
surface
Dispersion of air to water air injected
through sparger, blower, impeller will enhance
the mixing
All aeration process must be well ventilated
prevent the build-up of toxic gases
COAGULATION AND FLOCCULATION
Coagulation is the destabilization of colloids by
neutralizing the forces that keep them apart.
Cationic coagulants provide positive electric
charges to reduce the negative charge (zeta
potential) of the colloids.
As a result, the particles collide to form larger
particles (flocs). Rapid mixing is required to
disperse the coagulant throughout the liquid.
Flocculation gently mixing of water to keep all
the solids in suspension and to promote collisions
between destabilized particles and between
particles combine into larger flocs



Jar test
Determine experimentally the selection and optimum dosage of
coagulants
1 jar is use as a control-remaining are dosed with different amounts
of coagulants @ different pH values until the min values of residual
turbidity are obtained
After chemical addition, the water is mixed rapidly for about 1 min
(to ensure complete dispersion of the chemicals)
Then, mixed slowly for 15-20 min (to aid in the formation of flocs)
Water is allowed to settle for approx 30 min
Water is tested to determine the remaining turbidity
The results are used to calculate the type & quantity of coagulant to
be used in WW plant
Rapid mixing complete dispersion of chemicals
Slow mixing aid formation of flocs
Coagulation practice
Aluminum sulfate effective between pH of 5-
7.5
Ferric chloride pH 4.5
Ferrous sulfate (seldom used) above pH 9.5
pH adjustment by lime or soda ash

Sedimentation

Clarification
Physically separate solid material from water
Discrete particles-size, shape & specific gravity do not change
TYPE 1 Settling
Flocculating particles-surface properties are such that they aggregate or
coalesce with other particles upon contact
TYPE 2 Settling
Solids Separation
Pg 124
Actiflo system
DAF system
Membrane system
FILTRATION
Polishing step to remove small flocs or
precipitant particles
Serve as primary turbidity-removal process
Is not for complete health protection
Most commonly used process passing water
through a stationary bed of granular medium
Modes of operation upflow, biflow, pressure
and vacuum filtration, gravity filtration
Filter hydraulic
Two categories filtration process and
backwashing operation
Rate at which solids accumulate in filter
depends on nature of suspension, media
characteristics and filter operation
Filtration process terminated when sufficient
solids have accumulated to
Use up the available driving force
Cause filtering velocity to drop
Filter components
Solids begin to break through into the effluent
Backwashing reversing the flow and forcing
clean water upward through the media
Filter box
Underdrain system 2 functions
Filter media slow sand filter, rapid sand filter,
dual-media filter and mixed-media filter
Pg 166

DISINFECTION
Operations aimed at killing and rendering
harmless, pathogenic microorganisms
Good disinfectant toxic to microorganisms at
conc well below the toxic thresholds to human
and higher animals
Affected by turbidity and resistant organism

Disinfectant
Include
Chemical agent halogen group, ozone or silver
Irradiation with gamma rays or ultraviolet light
Sonification
Electrocution
Heating
Other physical means
Chlorination
Applied to water in gaseous form (Cl
2
) or
ionized product of solid (NaOCl)
Cl
2
+ H
2
O H
+
+ HOCl
HOCl H
+
+ OCl
-



High conc of Cl
2
toxic to human
Low conc of Cl
2
kill microorganism
Free chlorine
residual
More effective
disinfectant
In water treatment, chlorine added
To the incoming flow assist the oxidation of
inorganics and arrest the biological action from
producing undesirable gases in the sludge at the
bottom of clarifiers
Just prior to filtration keep algae from growing
at the medium surface and prevent bacteria from
developing within the filter medium

Mixing in chlorination process
Sufficient velocity gradient ensure uniform conc
of chlorine throughout the water
Break up any remaining flocculent material
shield microorganism from contact
Contact chamber ensure adequate kill time
Other means of disinfection
Ozone
-powerful oxidant that react with inorganic and
organic material
- no residual remain environmentally
acceptable compounds
- more effective than chlorine in inactivating
resistant strains of bacteria and viruses
-use in water containing color and organic
compound
- costly
Chlorine dioxide
- a strong oxidant effective in oxidizing
phenolic compounds
-contact with atm cause its loss by gas transfer
and photooxidation (when there is light)
-must be generated on-site, in aqueous form
- possible reduction to chlorate toxic to
human
Other disinfectants
-Irradiation with ultraviolet light inactivating
bacteria and viruses
-Halogens (I and Br)
-Metals (copper and silver)
-Other oxidant (KMnO
4
)
-Electric current
TUTORIAL
4.10, 4.16, 4.57
Further reading
http://www.puncakniaga.com.my/Services/W
aterTreatmentPlantInformation/WaterTreatm
entProcess/TypicalSystem/tabid/103/Default.
aspx
http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/env110/EN
V110Lessons.htm
http://www.gewater.com/handbook/index.jsp