Treatment of Water

Flow chart of water Treatment plant

Screening:
To prevent the entry of leaves, sticks, large objects, aquatic vegetation, fish etc. are provided before
pumps or intake works. The large objects may be eliminated by use of flat or round steel bars with
opening s of 2.5-7.5 cm which may be placed vertically on slight slope. The coarse screens are used
ahead of the fine screens of about 9mm openings wire cloth. When water passes through these
screens, the solids are retained and dislodged into a trough.

Plain Sedimentation: This is the process of causing heavier solid particles in suspension, both
organic and inorganic to settle by retaining water in a basin. It depends upon the size of particles,
detention period, shape of sedimentation basin and velocity of flow. The particles heavier than
water will settle by gravity, the suspended particles of two types 1. 'granular' that do not change
their shape and weight, 2. 'flocculated particle’ that change their shape and weight. This process
removes about 60% suspended matter and 75% bacteria.
Settling Tanks: The tanks may be rectangular, square with horizontal flow or circular with spiral or
radial flow, or hopper shaped with vertical flow. The length of rectangular tank is limited to 4 times
the breadth. Hence the longer travel can be provided by baffles allowing the flow round their ends.
The velocity should be 15-30 cm per min.
The suspended matter collected at the bottom of settling tank is removed by draining water till
depth of 30cm, stirring it, the sludge may be removed as a slurry through a separate channel.
The cleaning frequency may vary from 1-4 months.
Sedimentation with Coagulation:
The very fine and light particles and colloidal matter cannot settle in sedimentation tanks of ordinary
detention period. By addition of certain chemicals these smaller particles are coagulated into larger
ones which possess higher hydraulic settling velocities. Thus, Coagulation is the addition of certain
chemicals to a turbid water in order to produce a gelatinous precipitate known as 'floc'. The
coagulation is followed by sedimentation so that the floc which is formed may settle at the bottom.
The detention period of coagulation basins is 2-6 hrs. The chemicals which are generally used are
Alum, Iron salts like ferric chloride or ferrous sulphate or chlorinated copper. These chemicals are
most effective when water is slightly alkaline. The coagulation consists of 2 processes:

1. Feeding and mixing the coagulant: mixed in large vessels usually done by violent agitation.
2. Flocculation: It is done at lower velocity for longer periods during which the suspended matter
comes in contact with chemicals added and the particles grow in size to settle readily.
Type of Mixing Basins:
1. Baffle type: velocity-15-45cm/s, detention period- 20-50 min, min 45cm wide channels, depth not
less than 1m.
2. Mechanically agitated Mixing basin: Square or rectangular in shape. In Flash mixer, rapid mixing is
done by a propeller shaft driven by an electric motor.
Cariflocculator : A mixing basin which combines the process of mixing, i.e. agitating , flocculating and
clarifying.
Filtration: It consists in allowing water to pass through a thick layer of sand and other filtering
media. By doing so the suspended and the colloidal matter in water are partially removed , the
chemical characteristics of water are changed and the number of bacteria materially reduced.
Classification: Slow sand and Rapid sand filter
Mechanical straining: Removes particles of suspended matter that are tool large to pass through the
space between sand grains.
Sedimentation and Absorption: account for the removal of colloids, suspended and bacterial
particles.
Biological Metabolism: is the growth and life process of the living cells. The surface layer gets coated
with zoogleal film in which the bacterial activities are the highest and which feed on the organic
impurities converting them to simple, harmless compounds, resulting in the purification of water.

Slow sand filter: Operation: The raw water is led gently on the filter bed, and percolating
downwards passes through the underdrains into an outlet chamber. The outlet chamber is provided
with a regulating arrangement, consisting of a telescopic pipe and an adjustable weir plate in order
to keep the rate of filtration constant. It has a head gauge to measure the loss of head, ie the
difference in the water level in the filter and in the outlet chamber.
Cleaning of filter: After some use, the filter gets clogged, the filter is taken out of service, sand
surface is scraped off and filter is returned to service. This goes on till sand bed becomes lean, then
fresh cleaned sand is replaced to its original level. cleaning has to be done once in 2-4 months.
Rapid sand Filter:

The control console for each filter unit is equipped with filter rate controller, loss of head gauge and
flow meter.
In the operation of the rapid sand filter, when the filter bed is freshly cleaned, the loss of head
through it is usually between 0.45 to 0.75m with the effluent discharging filtered water as its output.
As the filter bed gets clogged the loss of head increase necessitating a greater filtering head till it is
2.5m.
Filter washing: As the filter is drained out leaving a few cms depth of water standing above the top
of the bed, compressed air is sent under pressure through the under-drainage system for about 2-3
minutes. The agitated mass of water and the dirt from the surface of sand is loosened. An upward
flow of water through the filter bed is sent through. This causes the sand to expand and wash off the
surface deposit which are collected in troughs and carried to wash water drains.
Characteristics and difference between Slow sand and rapid sand filter
Disinfection of water: The treatment of water with chemicals to kill bacteria is termed as
disinfection of water.
1. Chlorination: is the application of small quantities of chlorine or chlorine compounds. The
amount of cl2 added depends on the chlorine demand of water which is the difference between the
amount of cl2 added and the amount of cl2 remaining at the end of contact period of 10-20min. The
effect of chlorine as a disinfectant is principally dependent upon the period of contact and the
concentration of chlorine in water.
Application: Cl2 is applied by any of the following methods:
a) As dry Chlorine gas drawn from the liquid cl2 cylinder, it is applied directly to the water supply
through diffusers. Not suitable method as it corrodes the pipes.
b) As Cl2 solution mixing Cl2 gas with water.
c) In powder form as hypochlorites, bleaching powder[Ca(OCl)2] or sodium hypochlorite.
1.Post chlorination: Cl2 is generally applied after all other treatment have been given to water
supply.
2. Pre chlorination: is application of Cl2 preceding filteration, either added to pipes of raw water
pumps or to the mixing basins. It reduces bacterial load on filters and oxidises excessive organic
matter thereby reducing odour and taste.
3. Double chlorination: is application of Cl2 at two points in the treatment process. Advantages are
greater removal of bacteria, reduced load on filters, greater factor of safety, control of algae growth.
4. Super chlorination: is application to water of an excess amount of Cl2.
5. Break point chlorination: also termed free residual chlorination involves addition of sufficient Cl2
so as to oxidize all organic matter, reducing substances and free ammonia in raw water leaving
behind mainly free available Cl2 which possess strong disinfection action against pathogens.

The 4 stages are:

A- Destruction of Cl2 by reducing compounds.
B- Formation of chloro-organic compounds and chloramine
C- Destruction of chloro organic compounds and chloramine
D- formation of free available Cl2.
The addition of Cl2 at the break point(dip) is termed as break point chlorination. This indicates the
point at which free residuals begin to appear. Usually, all tastes, odours disappear resulting in
appearance of waters free from bad taste and odours.

Ozonization: Ozone is an unstable isotope of oxygen containing 3 atoms of Oxygen O3 which while
changing to the stable molecular form O2 releases Nascent Oxygen O. The nascent Oxygen reduces
organic matter present in water without the production of objectionable taste and odour as with
chlorines. It is considered as one of the practical method of disinfecting water containing bacterial
spores. however, it is costly, leaves less residual chlorine and not suitable for turbid water.

Ultra violet rays: it is an effective method for disinfecting of clear water and effective in killing all
types of bacteria, cysts and spores. The rays are generated by passing electric current through
mercury vapour lamp enclosed in quartz bulb. water is passed over the lamp. The effective
penetration of the rays in water is for a depth of 30cm. This process has the advantage of causing no
taste and odour and no danger of overdoes, but its cost is high and no residual action, thus used in
small installations and swimming pools.
Excess Lime: is the application of lime for softening and disinfecting water. Coliform reduction is as
high as 99 %, but becomes necessary to remove excess lime through recarbonization.

Iodine and Bromine: Their use is normally restricted to small water supplies such as army camps and
swimming pools. They are cheaply available in the form of pellets. for heavily polluted water, dosage
may be doubled. Only objectionable is the resulting medicinal taste.

Potassium permanganate: commonly known as lal pani, its action is principally based on oxidizing
capacity on organic matter. Effective on killing cholera vibrio but not other diseases. also causes
coating on glass and porcelain vessels, hence not preferred.