Ambatale Treatment Plant

Ambatale Water Treatment Complex is one of the major supply drinking water to Greater
Colombo area . There are two plants operated at Ambatala, old treatment plant
commissioned in 1966 & capacity of nearly 337,500 m3/day and new plant commissioned
in 1994 & capacity is 180,000 m3/day. The field visit was focus on old treatment plant.

From the Kelani River, Ambatale Water Treatment Plant gets its water supply. Ambatale
Treatment Plant , Pump from the Kelani River by the two 2 pump houses on the left bank of
the Kelani River. These pumps work 24 hours. Therefore a large sum of money has to be
spent on electricity.

T he water that is found in the rivers & reservoirs are usually not suitable for drinking. The
water in the Kelani River is polluted by the activities of man & animals. The effluents of the
industries situated along the river, domestic wastes,storm water, and sewage-all enter the
river through a system of drains & waterways. Hence the river water is not suitable for
drinking. The steps of water treatment process are Screening & per sedimentation,
aeration, coagulation & flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection and stabilization.
Finally, treated water is stored in underground reservoir and pumped into the
transmission line.

Screening & Pre – Sedimentation

Mechanical screening is done to trap and remove floating matters & other large particles
which can clog or damage plant structures. Pre-sedimentation is done to remove silt, sand
and other particles.

Aeration

Aeration process adding air (oxygen) into water. It manage to remove oxidizes impurities
such as iron and manganese, troublesome gasses like H2S & NH3 and reduces certain types
of tastes and odors. Cascade type aerator is used in plant.

Coagulation & Flocculation

The chemicals use for Coagulation & Flocculation are Lime and Alum. Both raw water
quality and treated water qualities are checked by following parameters as Conductivity,
turbidity, pH and residual chlorine. Jar test, marble test, chlorine demand test & residual
alum test are doing to find out the optimum dosage of chemicals. When chemicals are
added to water, it reacts with soil & clay particles, microorganisms &other substances. This
 is called Coagulation. These particles associate with similar particles to form big flocs. The
process is called Flocculation. The flocks when it is heavy sink to the bottom. The result is
clear water at the top. At the Plant, these dosages are added proportionately to water.

There is a laboratory to check the water quality; there both raw water quality and treated
water qualities are checked by following parameters as Conductivity, turbidity, pH and
residual chlorine. Jar test, marble test, chlorine demand test & residual alum test are doing
to find out the optimum dosage of chemicals. 3 chemicals used for Ambatala water
treatment plant as follows:

 For flocculation : Aluminium sulphate

 For pH adjustment or correction : Calcium hydroxide (Lime)
 For pre treatment and disinfection : chlorine (Gas or liquid)

Lime solution (Pre lime) is added for PH adjustment of the raw water in the existing
chamber to get optimum range of coagulation. Alum solution is added in the new mixing
chamber above the inlet weir for better mixing & coagulation.The lime slurry flows into the
distribution chamber by gravity from tank.

Sedimentation

There are four types of settling tanks used; Centifloc, pretreator, pulsator and pulsatube

Tank Sedimentation Tank Output No. Of Detention Sludge removal

Type Capacit capacity unit time
y
Centifloc Water flows vertically 7179 13.5MG 2 2.8 hrs Accumulated
upward through the m3 D excess sludge is
sludge blanket and released by an
flocs are stick on it and automatic
clarified water goes up. mechanical de-
sludging system.
Pretreat Water flows vertically 9462 13.5MG 2 3.7 hrs Accumulated
or through the sludge m3 D excess sludge is
blanket and flocs are released by an
stick on it and clarified
automatic
water goes up,
mechanical de-
Sludge recirculation is sludging system
allowed in order to get
optimum flocculation
Pulsator When the water with 6012 13.5MG 1 2.36 hrs No mechanically
flocs going downwards m3 D stirring system,
through the blanket
No sludge
the floc rest on it.
recirculation.
Pulsatub Pulsatube is flat 10 MDG 1 Sludge is
e bottom sludge blanket removed using
clarifiers, floc settle on pressure gun
the surface of tube.

Filtration

There are 20 filters existing at the plant, where 12 sand media filters & 8 Aquazur V filter
.The sand filter have capacity of 16800 m3 per day. Effective size of sand media is 0.9mm,
uniformity co-efficient 1.5 and depth of sand media is 0.9m.

As water go by the filter bed, the suspended particles contact and adsorbs onto the surface
of the individual filter grains or onto previously deposited material. Water level is
regulated by float control.

The deposits in filter beds are diluted by the back wash process. There is an automatic
sensor system for back wash processes. Filter backwash is taken place once it reaches the
predetermined water level or when water flow stops, that is the time for backwash the
filter tank. For backwash First air scour is done; then water is sent upwards through the
filter media. Sand in filter bed is refilled once in 3 to 4 months time period.

Disinfection

Then post chlorination is done, in order to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases, by
providing protective residual within the distribution system to guard against inadvertent
bacterial contamination. Mostly liquid form Cl2 is taped and vaporized to Cl2 gas. Then that
Cl2 gas mix with water and feed it to water on the line connecting the clear water tank.
 Post lime

Post Lime addition is done for pH correction in order to avoid corrosion or CaCO3
deposition. Lime is added after the chlorination process on the same line connecting the
clear water tank. It was observed that post chlorine and lime is added at the same location.

Issues and Suggestions to be incorporated in augmentation

The Ambatala water treatment plant needs renovation and augmentations in some areas.
The following activites can be address to provide the quality drinking water and safe the
environment of surrounding area including Kalani River.

1. Ambatala water treatment plant generated around 16000 m3/day wastewater and it is
discharged to the Kelani River. The wastewater can be treated before release to the river or
the treated wastewater can be used for gardening purpose.
2. At present this plant does not have sludge treatment facility. At the moment the sludge also
discharged to Kelani River. It could be treated in proper manner and disposed in another
place
3. The back wash system automated with pneumatically energized valves is not reliable. The
system and the backwash sequence could to be renovated.
4. Some filter beds are not working properly stagnating without filtering. These will
contribute to deterioration of final water quality. The plant could be monitor and maintain
properly in order to provide quality portable water.
5. The pulsator can be converted to pulsatube to further improve clarified water quality and
the capacity.
6. Post Chlorination is to be improved with the contact tank (20 minutes contact) before
pumping to the distribution line to ensure effective disinfection.