ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING I

MODULE 3
SYLLABUS
 Treatment of water-Theory and principles of
Sedimentation tanks-Stoke’s law-Types of settling (Type
I & Type II only)
 Coagulation-Mixing-Flocculation, Clariflocculator

 Design of Sedimentation tanks (circular and rectangular)

 Design of Clariflocculators
METHODS OF PURIFICATION OF WATER
 Screening
 Plain Sedimentation

 Sedimentation aided with Coagulation

 Filtration

 Disinfection

 Aeration

 Softening

 Miscellaneous Treatments – Fluoridation, Recarbonation,

Desalination etc
PLAIN SEDIMENTATION
PLAIN SEDIMENTATION (TYPE 1 SETTLING)
Principle of Settling
 Suspended solids present in water having specific gravity
greater than that of water tend to settle down by gravity
as soon as the turbulence is retarded by offering storage.

 Basin in which the flow is retarded is called settling tank

(sedimentation tank/ sedimentation basin/ clarifier).

 Theoretical average time for which the water is detained

in the settling tank is called the detention period.
SEDIMENTATION TANKS
 Clarification of water by process of sedimentation can be
effected by providing conditions under which suspended
materials present in water can settle out.
 Sedimentation tanks (settling tanks/ clarifiers): Special basins
constructed in order to purify water by process of
sedimentation
 Generally made of Reinforced concrete (rectangular or
circular in plan)
 Long narrow rectangular tanks with horizontal flow are
generally preferred to circular tanks with radial or spiral flow.
 Plain sedimentation tanks under normal conditions remove
about 70% of suspended impurities present in water.
TYPE OF SEDIMENTATION TANKS
Based on flow direction
Horizontal flow:
 Direction of flow is horizontal
 Rectangular tanks with longitudinal flow
 Provided with mechanical scrapping devices to scrap the sludge to
sludge pit
 Flow velocity reduced , water not brought to complete rest

 Circular tanks with radial flow , with central feed

 Water enters at the centre of the tank into a circular well provided
with multiple ports and flows out radially in all directions
 Uniform radial flow with decreasing horizontal velocity towards the
periphery
TYPE OF SEDIMENTATION TANKS
 Vertical or upflow tanks
 Usually combine sedimentation with flocculation
 Also used for plain sedimentation
 Square or circular in plan with hopper bottoms
 Influent enters at bottom
Circular Basin Rectangular Basin
Basin Model
RECTANGULAR SEDIMENTATION TANKS (IDEAL
HORIZONTAL FLOW TANK)
TYPE OF SEDIMENTATION TANKS
Based on operation :
 Intermittent (Fill and draw type/ Quiescent
type)
 Tank filled with water
 Allowed to settle (for about 24 hrs)
 Clear water drawn out
 Tank cleaned
 Not preferred these days (more units required/ more
time/labour)
TYPE OF SEDIMENTATION TANKS
 Continuous :
 Water not brought to complete rest
 Flow velocity is reduced
 Water enters from one end (inlet) and comes out from
other end (outlet)
 Velocity sufficiently reduced by providing sufficient
length of travel
 Allows large quantities to be treated
QUESTIONS
 List the various methods of purification of water.
 Explain the theory and principle of Plain sedimentation.

 Describe Type I settling.

 Explain the various factors that influence the settling

velocity.
 Derive Stoke’s law.

 Explain the different types of sedimentation basins.

 Explain the terms 1) Displacement Efficiency 2) Scour

velocity.
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH
COAGULATION
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH COAGULATION
 Very fine suspended mud particles and colloidal matter
present in water cannot settle down in plain
sedimentation tanks of ordinary detention periods.
 Can be removed easily by increasing their size by
changing them into flocculated particles
 Chemical compounds called coagulants added to water,
which on thorough mixing form a gelatinous precipitate
called floc
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH COAGULATION
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH COAGULATION
 Very fine mud particles and the colloidal matter present
in water get attracted and absorbed in these flocs,
forming the bigger sixed flocculated particles.
 The process of addition and mixing of the chemicals
(coagulants) is called the coagulation.
 The coagulated water is then made to pass through the
sedimentation tank, where the flocculated particles settle
down, and thus removed.
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH COAGULATION
 The surface charge on the colloidal particles gives them
long –term stability. Hence the particles wich might
otherwise settle or coalesce are mutually repelled by
their like charges
 Coagulation is a chemical technique which is directed
towards the destabilisation of the charged colloidal
particles
 Flocculation is the slow mixing which promotes the
agglomeration of the destabilised particles.
MODEL OF A COLLOIDAL PARTICLE
MODEL OF A COLLOIDAL PARTICLE
SEDIMENTATION AIDED WITH COAGULATION
 Use of coagulants is generally necessary for clarifying
raw waters containing turbidities greater than 30 to 50
mg/l.
 In actual practice, coagulation before sedimentation is
universally adopted in all the major water treatment
plants , and is followed by rapid sand filtration .
CHEMICALS USED FOR COAGULATION
 Alum
 Iron salts
 Ferrous sulphate
 Ferric chloride
 Ferric sulphate.

 Sodium aluminate
CONSTITUENTS OF A COAGULATION
SEDIMENTATION PLANT

Coagulation sedimentation plant contains 4 units:

 Feeding device

 Mixing device or Mixing basin

 Flocculation tank or Flocculator

 Settling or sedimentation tank

CONSTITUENTS OF A CO-AGULATION
SEDIMENTATION PLANT

 The chemical coagulant is first of all fed (in dry or in

solution form) into the raw water through the feeding
device.
 This mixture is then thoroughly mixed and agitated in the
mixing basin.
 The floc formed as a result of the chemical reaction is
then allowed to consolidate in the flocculation tank.
 Flocculated water is finally passed into the sedimentation
tank where these flocculated particles settle down and be
removed.
CONSTITUENTS OF A COAGULATION
SEDIMENTATION PLANT

 The complete process of coagulation sedimentation help

in reducing turbidities to as low as 10-20mg/L.
 Also helps in reducing bacteria from the water to a
certain extent .
FEEDING DEVICE
 Dry feeding
 Coagulant in powdered form
 Wet feeding
 Coagulant in solution form
 Wet feeding equipments are costlier
 Advantage : can be easily controlled and adjusted
DRY FEEDERS
DRY FEEDERS
 Dry feeders- in the form of a tank with hopper bottom
 Coagulant in the powdered form is filled in the tank and
then allowed to fall in the mixing basin
 Dose regulated by the speed of a toothed wheel or a
helical screw.
 Quantity of coagulant released is controlled in proportion
to the quantity of raw water entering the mixing tank.
WET FEEDING DEVICES
WET FEEDING DEVICES
 Solution of required strength of coagulant is prepared
and stored in a tank from where it is allowed to trickle
down into the mixing tank through an outlet.
 Wet feeding- conical plug and float arrangement
CHOICE OF SELECTION: FACTORS

 Characteristics of the coagulant and convenience with which

it can be applied
 Chemicals which clog or non-uniform in composition
cannot be fed by dry feeding
 Alum- fairly fine and uniform in size- dry feeding
 Copperas – wet feeding
 Activated carbon- dry feeding
CHOICE OF SELECTION: FACTORS
 Amount of co-agulant to be used
 If the dose of co-agulant is very small, it must be fed in
solution form
 Cost of coagulant and size of the plant
 Large plants use wet feeding
 Smaller plants use dry feeding
MIXING BASINS
 After addition of coagulant to raw water, mixture is
thoroughly and vigorously mixed, so that coagulant is
fully dispersed in water.
 Violent agitation- achieved by means of mixing devices

 Two types of mixing devices

 Mixing basins with baffle walls
 Mixing basins with mechanical devices
MIXING BASIN WITH BAFFLE WALLS
 Baffle type mixing basins are rectangular tanks divided
by baffle walls
 Baffles provided in two ways:
 Water flows horizontally (around the end baffle type mixing
basin)
 Water flows vertically (over and under the baffles)
MIXING BASIN WITH BAFFLE
WALLS
MIXING BASIN WITH BAFFLE
WALLS
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
 Velocity of flow in the channels between baffles = 0.15
to 0.45 m/s
 Detention time = 20 to 50 minutes

 Distance between baffles should not be less than 45 cm

or so.
 Clear opening between the end of each baffle and the
tank wall should be kept about 1.5 times the distance
between the baffles, subject to a minimum value of
60cm.
MIXING BASINS EQUIPPED WITH MECHANICAL
DEVICES

 Mechanically agitated mixing basins provide the best

type of mixing
 Chemical added to raw water is vigorously mixed and
agitated by a flash mixer
 The water is then transferred to a flocculation tank
provided with a slow mixer.
MIXING BASIN WITH FLASH MIXER
 Consists of a rectangular tank provided with an impeller
fixed to an impeller shaft
 Impeller is driven by an electric motor , and it revolves at
a high speed inside the tank.
 Impeller’s speed is generally kept between 100 to 120
rpm
 Detention period vary between 2 to 3 minutes
FLOCCULATION TANK OR FLOCCULATOR
 Best floc will form when the mixture of water and
coagulant are violently agitated followed by a relatively
slow and gentle stirring to permit build up and
aggloweration of the floc particles.
 From the mixing basin , water is taken to the flocculator,
where it is given slow stirring motion.
FLOCCULATOR FITTED WITH
PADDLES
SEDIMENTATION TANK
 Lower value of detention period = 2 to 4 hours
 Surface Loading (Overflow rate) = 1000 to 1250 l/hr/ m2
of Plan area
COMBINED COAGULATION CUM
SEDIMENTATION TANK

 Possible to combine flocculation tank along with

sedimentation tank
 Such a tank is known as coagulation sedimentation tank
JAR TEST- LABORATORY TESTING FOR
DETERMINING OPTIMUM COAGULANT QUANTITIES

 Common test performed to determine the approximate

optimum quantity of coagulant is known as Jar Test
 The sample of raw water to be tested is placed in a
number of jars , each having a capacity of about 1 litre
 Normally 6 jars are used

 Different amounts of coagulant are then added to each jar

JAR TEST (CONTD..)
 The driving unit is started
 The paddles connected with the driving shaft through
stirring rods placed inside the jars, are made to rotate
 The formation of floc in each jar is noted

 The amount of coagulant in the jar which produces a

good floc with the least amount of coagulant , indicates
the optimum dosage
 Speed of paddles and the time of mixing may be varied
for different tests
JAR TEST (CONTD..)
JAR TEST (CONTD..)
CLARIFLOCCULATOR
 Clariflocculator is a combination of flocculation and
clarification in a single tank
 It has two concentric tanks, where inner tank serves as
flocculation basin and outer tank serves as clarifier
 Water enters the flocculator , where the flocculating
paddles enhance the flocculation of the feed solids
 As heavy particles settle to the bottom, liquid flows in
the clarifier zone.
 The clarified liquid is discharged over a peripheral weir
into the peripheral launder
 The deposited sludge is raked to the bottom near the
central weir from where it is routed to the sludge
chamber and discharged.
CLARIFLOCCULATOR
CLARIFLOCCULATOR
CLARIFLOCCULATOR
QUESTIONS
 Explain the principle of Coagulation and Flocculation.
 Explain Type 2 settling.

 List the various chemicals used as coagulants.

 Explain why alum is commonly used as a coagulant.

Write the reactions involved. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of using alum.
 Describe the various constituents of a coagulation
sedimentation plant.
 How will you determine optimum coagulant dosage by
Jar test.
 Describe the working of a Clariflocculator.