Credit Hours System – Faculty of Engineering – Cairo University

PBWN 201 – Spring 2022

Water & Wastewater Engineering

Part One: Water Engineering

Surface Water Purification Works (3)

Prof. Dr. Mona M. Galal
Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
Dr. Safwat Mahmoud, PMP®
Associate Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
Dr. Nagwan Gamal
Associate Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
 Clarriflocculators
 Filtration
 Disinfection

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Clari-flocculators
Clari-flocculators
 d1
d2

D1

D2

Clari-floccul
 Clari-flocculators
It is a tank combining both flocculation and sedimentation in one
circular tank.

Design Criteria:
• T1(flocculation) = 0.5 hr, T2(sedimentation) = 2.5 hr

• d2 (outer or sedimentation depth) = 4 m

• d1 (inner or flocculation) = d2 -1 m

• SOR doesn’t exceed 2 m3/m2/hr

• Max. area of tank= 1000 m2

• D1 does not exceed (D2/2)

 Clari-flocculators
Design Steps:

V total = Q*T

Assume T = T1 + T2 = 0.5 + 2.5 = 3 hr

• Outer part (Sedimentation zone)

Assume d2=outer depth= 4m  get A total =V total /d2

Calculate n=A total /1000  get n act (a multiplier of 3 or 4)

A one act = A total /n act = πD22/4  get D2(outer diameter)

 Clari-flocculators
Design Steps: (cont.)

• Inner part (Flocculation zone)

Q/tank = Q/nact and T1=0.5 hr

V one flocc. = Volume of flocculation zone of one tank = Q/tank * T1

Assume d1=d2-1m

A one flocc. = V one flocc. /d1 = πD12/4  get D1

• Check:
Q
SOR 
n ( D 22  D12 ) / 4 and D1/D2
Example
A water treatment plant has a capacity of 190,400 m3/day. It is
required to design the clari-flocculators required for this city.

Solution:
Qd=190,400*1.07/24=8,488.7 m3/hr

V total = Q*T = 8488.7*3 = 2,5466 m3

• Sedimentation zone

Assume d2 = 4m  then A total = V total /d2 = 6366.5 m2

Calculate n= A total /1000 = 6.3  take n act = 8 tanks

Aone act = A total /n= 795.8 = πD22/4  get D2= 31.9 m

Solution: (cont.)
• Flocculation zone
Q/tank = Q/n act = 1061.1 m3/hr  T1=0.5 hr
V one flocc.= Q/tank*T1=1061.08*0.5 = 530.54 m3.
Take d1 = 3m ,
Then A one flocc. = V one flocc. /d1 =176.85 m2
= πD12/4  get D1= 15 m.
• Check:
SOR= 8488.7/( 8*π/4*(31.92-152)) = 1.7 m3/m2/hr
< 2 m3/m2/hr OK.
D1/D2= 15 /31.9 = 0.47 < 0.5 OK.
 Filtration
Types of Filters
• Slow Sand Filters (SSF)
• Rapid Sand Filters (RSF)
• Pressure Filters

After sedimentation, the resultant water will not be pure, and

may contain some very fine suspended particles and
bacteria in it.
To remove or to reduce the remaining impurities still further,
the water is filtered through the beds of fine granular material,
such as sand, etc.
The process of passing the water through the beds of such
granular materials is known as Filtration.
Theory of Filtration
1. Mechanical Straining Action
By passing the water through a filter in which the pores are
smaller than the particles to be removed.

2. Sedimentation Action
Voids between sand particles act as minute sedimentation
tanks. The fine suspended particles settle in these tanks
forming gelatinous film.

3. Adsorption Action
Adsorption is the gathering of gas, liquid, or dissolved solids onto the surface of
another material.
Adsorption involves particles becoming attracted to and "sticking" to the sand
particles.
Adsorption can remove even very small particles from water.
Theory of Filtration (cont.)
4. Biological Action
The bacteria are caught on the gelatinous film. Then the bacteria consume the
organic impurities for their survival. Thus, the harmful organic maters are
converted to harmless compounds by the biological action.

5. Electrolytic Action
The process of filtration may be explained by the ionic theory, where two
opposite charges are found to be neutralizing each other when they come in
contact.
The sand grains of the filter and the colloidal suspended particles possess
opposite charges. Hence, they attract and neutralize each other.
 Types of Filter
• Slow sand filters (SSF):
They consist of fine sand, supported by gravel.
They capture particles near the surface of the bed and are
usually cleaned by scraping away the top layer of sand that
contains the particles.
• Rapid-sand filters (RSF):
They consist of larger sand grains supported by gravel and
capture particles throughout the bed.
They are cleaned by backwashing water through the bed to
'lift out' the particles.
 Types of Filter
• Slow Sand Filter (SSF):
The slow sand filter is the oldest type of large-scale
filter. In the slow sand filter, water passes first through the
layer of sand, then through a layer of gravel, before
entering the underdrain.
 Types of Filter
• Rapid Sand Filter (RSF):
The rapid sand filter differs from the slow sand filter (SSF)
in a variety of ways.
The most important of which are the much greater
filtration rate and the ability to be cleaned automatically
using backwashing.
Types of Filter
Rapid Sand Filters
 Types of Filter
Rapid Sand Filters
Filters’ Under Drain System •

Read Only
 Components of a rapid sand filter
• The filter is contained within a filter box, usually made of
concrete.

• Inside the filter box are layers of filter media (sand, anthracite,
etc.) and gravel.

• Below the gravel, a network of pipes makes up the underdrain

which collects the filtered water and evenly distributes the
backwash water.

• In addition to the parts mentioned above, most rapid sand filters

contain a controller, or filter control system, which regulates flow
rates of water through the filter.

• Other parts, such as valves, a loss of head gauge, surface washers,

and a backwash pump, are used while cleaning the filter.
Sectional Elevation in RSF
Wall thickness =0.5 m
Wash channel=0.75m
Corridor width=4-5m
 Filter Operation & Backwash
The purpose of backwashing is to remove the suspended material
that has been deposited in the filter bed during the filtration
There are 6 valves controlling the operation of the filter:
1. Settled water inlet
2. Filtered water exit
3. Wash water exit
4. Pressurized air inlet
5. Wash water inlet
6. ripening water
 Filter Operation & Backwash
• During operation : only valve 1 & 2 are opened. When losses
reach a certain value( about 1.5 m), washing process starts. The
filter needs to be washed every 12- 36 hour according to water
quality.
• During backwashing : valve 1 is closed followed by valve
2(when water depth is about 20 cm). Valve 4 is then opened for 5
minutes then valve 5 &3 are opened for 5 minutes.
• Finally when backwashing is over, valve 1 is reopened together
with valve 6 for about 10-15 minutes which is the ripening period
where the gelatinous layer is formed.
• After this valve 6 is closed and valve 2 is opened. The backwash
last for about 30 minutes.
 Design Criteria of RSF
pop. × qav × 1.4 × 1.07
• Q design = = …… m3/d
1000
• Rate of filtration (R.O.F.) = 120 ~180 m3/m2/day
≈ 150 m/day
• Required area of filters = Q/R.O.F. = …m2
• Area of one filter = 50 ~ 70 m2
• N (number of filters)= A /50 = … m2 (and round to the upper
even figure)
• A one actual = required filters area / N
• N total= 1.1* N = … (and round to the upper even figure)
Increase number of required filters by 10% for backwashing.
Example
A city has a design population of 500,000 capita and an average
annual water consumption 170 L/c/day. It is required to design
the rapid sand filters for this city and find the dimensions of the
filters’ hall.

Solution:
Qdesign= 500,000*170*1.4*1.07/(1000) =127,330 m3/day
Assume ROF = 150 m3/m2/d  A Total=Q/ROF=848.86 m2
N= A Total/50=16.97≈18 filter  Aone actual =47.2 m2
Take dimensions 7.85 x 6 m
Ntotal = 1.1*N=19.8 ≈ 20 filters.
L F.H. = [2*4 ]+ [(Ntotal/2)*6] + [(Ntotal/2+1) *0.5] = 73.5 m
B F.H. = 5m +[[2*7.85] +2* 0.75]+ [6* 0.5] =25.2 m
 Flow diagram of the surface water purification processes
Raw water Prepare alum solution with certain •
dose and concentration
Alum Sol. Tank dose= 30-50 ppm
Conc.= 5-10%
Flash Mixing T= 20-60 sec
Rapid mix bet. Raw water and •
alum solution
Distribution to flocculation tanks •
Flocculation T= 20-40 min. Clarriflocculator
Gentle mixing to increase particle •
size (flocs)

Sedimentation T= 2-3 hrs Ttot= 2-3 hrs

Precipitate suspended solids by •

gravity

Rapid Sand
Filters R.O.F.= 120-180 m/day
Remove very fine SS, bacteria and •
microbes

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Disinfection
 Disinfection
• Purpose of disinfection:

To make Drinking water free of any disease causing bacteria and

microbes.

• Methods of disinfection:

There are 3 mainly used disinfection methods at large scale:

1. Chlorination
2. Ozonation
3. Ultraviolet radiation
 Disinfection - Chlorination
• Chlorine is the most common cost-effective means of
disinfecting water.

• The addition of a small amount of chlorine is highly

effective against most bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

• Chlorine is applied to water in one of three forms: elemental

chlorine (chlorine gas), hypochlorite solution (bleach), or
dry calcium hypochlorite. All three forms produce free
chlorine in water
Flow diagram for surface water purification processes

• Prepare alum solution with Raw water

Alum Sol. Tank dose= 30-50 ppm
certain dose and concentration Conc.= 5-10%
• Rapid mix bet. Raw water and Flash Mixing
alum solution T= 20-60 sec.
• Distribution to flocculation tanks
• Gentle mixing to increase particle Flocculation Clariflocculation
size (flocs) T= 20-40 min.
T= 3 hrs
Sedimentation
• Precipitate suspended solids by
T= 2-3 hrs.
gravity

• Remove very fine SS, bacteria Rapid Sand

and microbes Filters
ROF= 120-180 m3/m2/day

• Inactivation of pathogenic Disinfection

microorganisms

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 Thank you
Any Questions?

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