Water Treatment

Water Treatment Processes

 1. Softening
 2. Coagulation and Flocculation
 3. Settling Disinfection
 4. Filtration
 5. Disinfection

Coagulation

Flocculation Settling
Filtration
1. Softening

 Softening is the process of removing hardness. Hardness is caused

by minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron that dissolve from
soil and rocks.
Water Softening Methods

1. Ion Exchange Softening

2. Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange softening – often to used in
residences that have wells. The hard water passes through a
column containing resin. The resin absorbs the hardness ions,
exchanging them for sodium typically.
Reverse Osmosis – used in homes while large-
scale units are used in locations with severely limited
freshwater supplies but copious quantities of saltwater. It uses
high pressure to push water molecules through a membrane,
resulting in treated water on one side and concentrated
water on the other side.
2. Coagulation and Flocculation
Coagulation – is the chemical alter-action of the colloidal particles to make
them stick together to form larger particles called flocs. Chemicals known as
coagulants, such as alum (aluminum sulfate), and coagulants aids, such as lime
and polymers, are added to the water for the purpose to clear the water of the
suspended colloidal solids by building larger particles that readily settle.
3. Settling

 When the flocs have been formed , they must be separated form
water. This is invariably done in gravity settling tanks that simply allow
the heavier-than-water particles to settle to the bottom.
 Settling tanks works because the density of the solids exceeds that
of the liquid.
 Movement of a solid particle through a fluid under pull of gravity is
governed by a number of variables, including:
 particle size(volume)
 Particle shape
 Particle density
 Fluid density
 Fluid viscosity
4. Filtration – The suspended solids that escape the flocculation
and settling steps are caught on the filter sand particles and eventually
the rapid sand filter becomes clogged, resulting in greater head loss
through the filter, so it must be cleaned. The cleaning is performed
hydraulically by a process called backwash.
Rapid Sand Filter Operation: filtration and washing
5. Disinfection – Water is disinfected to destroy pathogenic
organisms might remain. Common disinfection is accomplished by using chlorine,
which is purchased as liquid under pressure and released into the water as chlorine
gas using a chlorine feeder system. The dissolved chlorine oxides organic material,
including pathogenic organism.