Drinking Water Treatment

CHOW Wo Ming 周和明

Senior Waterworks Chemist 高級水務化驗師
Water Supplies Department 水務署
23 April 2018
Course aims:

An Understanding on

Part I - Water Treatment Processes

Part II - Water Quality Monitoring

 Part I
Water Treatment Processes
(Hong Kong)

 Hong Kong Water

 Water Treatment Works in Hong Kong

 Water Treatment Processes

Raw Water Sources

Water Gathering Ground

Dongjiang
現有集水區
Reservoir Raw Water
Dongjiang Raw Water
Dedicated Aqueduct
輸水專用管道
Muk Wu Pumping Station
Water Treatment Works in Hong Kong

21 WTWs

17 WTWs in Operation
 濾水廠的分佈圖
廣東省
上 水
牛潭尾
凹 頭 大 埔 頭
新界
大埔
屯 門 馬 鞍 山
油 柑 頭荃 灣 沙 田 北 港
深 井
石 梨 貝
大 埔 道

小 蠔 灣 九龍

大嶼山 銀 礦 灣 東 區香港
大 澳 長 沙 香 港 仔
紅 山 圖 例：
濾 水 廠
主 要 輸 水分配 網 絡
Water Treatment Works in Hong Kong

WTWs with Clarification

Process – 13

WTWs without Clarification

Process – 8
 Direct Filtration
Water Treatment Year of Commission Capacity (MLD)
Works
Aberdeen 1960 25
Cheung Sha* 1989 6
Eastern 1948 48
Red Hill 1970 20
Shek Lei Pui 1928 76
Tai O* 1972 2
Tai Po Road 1956 32
Tsuen Wan 1957 318
* Water treatment works installed with pressure filters
 Basic Water Treatment
Process

Chemical
Treatment

Raw Clear Water Tank

Water Coagulation
Flocculation Filtration
w or w/o
Clarification
 Water Treatment Chemicals (1)
 Coagulation - Aluminium Sulphate or Alum

 pH correction - Hydrated Lime, Soda Ash

 Disinfection - Chlorine, Chloride of Lime

Ozone

 Fluoridation - Sodium Silicofluoride,

Sodium Fluoride
 Water Treatment Chemical (2)

 Polyelectrolyte - Flocculation aid or sludge

conditioning

 Powdered Activated Carbon (adsorbent for

taste and odour)

 Ammonium Sulphate, Disodium Hydrogen

Phosphate (nutrient for biological filter)
Coagulation & Flocculation

- Particulate or Turbidity Reduction

- Colour Reduction
- Organics Reduction
- Microbial Reduction
 Clarification

To“clear” water as much as

possible of suspended
materials before filtration
 Clarification

Raw water Formation of flocs After settlement

after alum addition
 Clarification Process

 Floc Blanket Clarification

 Multiple Tray Sedimentation
 Dissolved Air Flotation
 Inclined Tube Sedimentation
 Floc Blanket Clarification

Flocs held in suspension – dense blanket

 Circular Blanket Clarifier - Clariflocculator

 Solids Recirculation Clarifier – Accelator,
Reactivator
 Flat Bottom Clarifier
 Floc Blanket Clarification
Clariflocculator / Accelator/ Reactivator

Water Treatment Year of Commission Capacity (MLD)

Works
Silver Mine Bay 1963 159

Sha Tin 1964 1227

Tai Po Tau 1964 109

Tuen Mun 1982 300

(before retrofitted
with tube settler)
Clariflocculator

Example : Sha Tin WTW (Stage I)

Silver Mine Bay WTW
 Accelator

Example : Sha Tin WTW (Stage II)

Tai Po Tau WTW
 Accelator

Sha Tin WTW (Stage II)

 Reactivator
Rapid mixing and recirculation Slow mixing and floc formation

Treated water
effluent
Clarified
water
Clear water
separation

Raw
water
influent

Sludge recirculation Sedimentation

Example : Tuen Mun WTW (Stage V) Sludge removal
 Reactivator

Tuen Mun WTW (Stage V)

 Flat Bottom Clarifier

Water Treatment Year of Commission Capacity (MLD)

Works
Au Tau 1992 330

Pak Kong 1989 800

Sheung Shui 1985 200

Yau Kom Tau 1985 250

Flat Bottom Clarifier

Example : Pak Kong WTW

Au Tau WTW
Flat Bottom Clarifier

Pak Kong WTW

 Multiple Tray Sedimentation

 Horizontal Flow Sedimentation

 Gravitational Settling
 Rectangular Horizontal Settling Tank
 Sludge removed - mechanical scraper
 Multiple Tray Sedimentation Tank

Water Treatment Commissioning Date Capacity (MLD)

Works

Ma On Shan 27/3/1997 227

Ngau Tam Mei 12/11/2000 230

Siu Ho Wan 25/12/1996 150

Multiple Tray Sedimentation Tank

Example : Siu Ho Wan WTW

Ma On Shan WTW
Multiple Tray Sedimentation Tank

Ma On Shan WTW
 Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)

Water Treatment Commissioning Date Capacity (MLD)

Works
Sham Tseng 22/3/1996 36

Tai Po 15/6/2003 250

 DAF Tank

POLYMER

FLASH
 DAF Tank

Sham Tseng WTW

 Inclined Tube
Sedimentation

Water Treatment Commissioning Date Capacity (MLD)

Works
Sha Tin (N4 Accelator) 30/10/2003 175

Sha Tin (N3 Accelator) 24/4/2006 175

Tuen Mun (Stage 1-4) Sep 06 – Mar 07 55 each

 Retrofitted Accelator (1)

Sha Tin WTW (Stage II) - N4 Accelator

Comparison of Clarification Systems
Water Direct Clarifloc- Accelator DAF Multiple-
Characteristics filtration culator /Reactiva tray
/WTW tor/Flat
attributes bottom
Low Colour & Good Poor Good Good Good
Turbidity
Moderate Not Moderate Good Moderate Good
Colour & suitable
Medium
Turbidity
High Turbidity Not Good Good Not Good
with silt suitable suitable
Start-up time Instant Quick 1-2 days Very quick 1-2 days
Power Fairly Low Low High Low
requirement high
 Filtration

Sha Tin WTW (Stage II)

 Cross-section of Filter

Anthracite/
Granular activated carbon
Fine sand

Coarse sand
Gravel

Filtered water Nozzle

channel

Example : Sha Tin WTW (Stage II)

 Filtration
 Process
for removing suspended solid
from water – Turbidity Removal

 Other purposes:
Biological Treatment
Adsorption Process
 Filtration

 Physical Straining – “Sieve Effect”

 Adsorption of solid on to the filter

media
 Filtration

Rapid Gravity Filter

 Downflow with upflow backwash type
 Single media – sand
 Dual-media – anthracite/sand
 Disinfection
 Inactivates pathogenic organisms
 Controls waterborne diseases
 Appropriate disinfection strategy
– Provides water free of pathogens
– Minimizes the production of disinfection
byproducts (DBPs)
– Maintains a residual to prevent bacterial
regrowth in distribution system
 Chlorine is most commonly used
 Factors Influencing
Disinfection Effectiveness
 Disinfectant type  Type of organism
(reactivity)  Temperature
 Disinfectant dose  Turbidity
 Contact time  Dissolved organics
 pH
 Advantages of Chlorine
 Effective biocide
 Provides a residual
 Most widely used & the most studied
 Easy to apply & least expensive
disinfectant
 Disadvantages of Chlorine
 Hazardous corrosive toxic gas
 Hazard for large quantities of chlorine to be
transported, stored and handled
 Taste & odour
 Halogen-substituted DBPs
 Low effectiveness against protozoan cysts
and oocysts
 Less effective at high pH
Liquid Oxygen

Ngau Tam Mei WTW

 Ozone Generator

Ngau Tam Mei T.W.

 Advantages of Ozone
 Most powerful oxidant
 Highest disinfection efficiency
 Inactivates most types of micro-
organisms including C & G
 Controls colour, taste & odour
 Not affected by pH
 Disadvantages of Ozone
 Poisonous; off-gas destructor required
 No residual
 Brominated DBPs, aldehydes & ketoacids
 Increases assimilable organic carbon and
biodegradable DBPs; bacterial re-growth
problems
 Cannot oxidize ammonia
 Must be generated on-site
 High equipment cost, level of maintenance
& operator skill
 Sludge Treatment

 Gravity thickening
 Centrifuges
 Belt Press
 Vacuum Filtration
 Filter Press
 Drying Beds
Sludge Treatment

Sludge Thickener
Sludge Dewatering Process

Filter Press
Sludge Dewatering Process

Sludge Cake
 Part I

Water Treatment Processes

End
 Part II

Water Quality Monitoring

 Water Quality Monitoring
 WTWs – Primary Control Test

 On-line Monitoring

 Laboratory Testing
Water Quality Monitoring

Primary Control Test

pH
Turbidity
Free Residual Chlorine
 Residual Ozone
(only at WTWs with ozonation)
Ammonia
Soluble Manganese
Conventional Jar Test
 Flotation Jar Test

Air nozzle
Water Quality Monitoring

On-line Monitors
On-line Monitoring at Muk Wu P/S
On-line Monitors at Water Treatment Works
On-line Monitoring at Reservoirs
Water Quality Monitoring

Laboratory Testing
 Water Quality Monitoring
Laboratory Testing
 Water Sampling Programme
 Scope of Analyses
 Drinking Water Quality Standards
 Laboratory Instruments
 LIMS (Laboratory Information
Management System)
Raw Water Sampling
Dongjiang Raw Water

WGG/Reservoir
Water
 Sampling Programme
Polyelectrolyte Alum Hydrated Lime Chlorine Fluoride

Legend :

Sampling Point

Rapid
Mix Flocculation
Chamber Tank Clarifier
Filter Clear
Raw
Water
Water Treated Water
Tank
Pumping Station
Sludge
Supernatant

Sludge Service
Thickening Tank Washwater
Recovery Tank Reservoir

Filter Press

Sludge Cake To Distribution

Disposal System
 Scope of Analyses
 Physical
 Chemical
 Bacteriological
 Biological
 Radiological
 Trace
 Physical Analysis
 pH
 Colour
 Turbidity
 Conductivity
 Temperature
 Chemical Analysis
 Nutrient (phosphate, ammoniacal nitrogen
etc.)
 Ions (chloride, fluoride etc.)
 Metals (iron, manganese etc.)
 Free/Total Residual Chlorine
 Hardness, alkalinity
 Dissolved Oxygen
 Bacteriological Analysis
 Total Coliform, E. coli

 Total Bacterial Count

e.g. Agar (or Heterotrophic) Plate Count