ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CASE STUDY #5: WATER TREATMENT FACILITY

Name: Manglo, John Andrae B.

The David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility that serves the City of Tampa, Florida, treats surface water from the
Hillsborough River Reservoir. The local water management district works to protect water quantity and quality through
management of the watershed. Some of this includes managing how much groundwater (which provides base flow) can be
withdrawn farther up in the watershed and through managing how land is used (or protected) within the watershed. The
treatment plant is permitted for a maximum flow of 120 MGD and serves approximately 600,000 people.

The process begins by pumping surface water into parallel mix and ActifloTM systems. As the water travels between the
water intake and the beginning of the coagulation/flocculation processes, sulfuric acid, polymer, and ferric sulfate are added
to the water. ActifloTM is a high-rate settling and coagulation/flocculation process that uses sand to promote flocculation.
The resulting flocs from the two coagulation/flocculation processes settle by gravity in sedimentation basins.

Following this the pH is raised to between 6 and 6.5 by adding lime (Ca(OH) 2) prior to ozonation. Ozonation consists of an
eight chambered contactor with weirs located between each chamber controlling flow conditions. Between 0.5 and 3 ppm of
ozone is diffused into the water in the first two chambers. Any remaining ozone at the end of the chambers is quenched by
the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Caustic soda (NaOH) is then used to raise the pH to between 7.2 and 8 prior to
biofiltration.

Biofiltration consists of a 24-in layer of granular activated carbon (GAC) on top of 12 in of sand. Microbes reside in the GAC
and increase removal of turbidity and low-molecular-weight organic material that may contribute to formation of biofilms in
the water distribution system. Manganese and iron are also removed by the filters. After filtration, water is directed to a
blending chamber. Here, chlorine (dosed from chlorine gas dissolved into a sidestream) is added first, followed by anhydrous
ammonia (NH3) after an approximately 15-min retention time. Fluoride is added at the same spot as ammonia.
Chloraminated finished water is then stored in a clearwell until pumped into the water distribution system.

The text above describes the process employed by the David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility. Draw a complete flow
diagram for the process.

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 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

sulfuric acid, polymer, and two coagulation/flocculation

ferric sulfate processes

lime
River Reservoir
RAW WATER

Hillsborough

OZONATION
From

NaOH
TM
Actiflo

lime

RAPID MXING FLOCCULATION SEDIMENTATION

N
F- NH3 Cl2
BIOFILTRATION

Distribution
PUMP
System

Clearwell
Blending Chamber

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