water supply and wastewater

engineering

▧ Topic 3 :
▧ 3.3.1 physical process
http://www.slideshare.net/muhammadwaleedusman/water-treatment-plants-22254802
2
3
 Functions of Water Treatment Units
Unit treatment Process Function (removal)

Aeration Physical Colour, Odour, Taste

Screening Physical Floating matter

Chemical methods Chemical Iron, Manganese, etc.
Softening Chemical Hardness
Sedimentation Physical Suspended matter

Suspended matter, a part of colloidal matter and

Coagulation Chemical
bacteria

Filtration Physical Remaining colloidal dissolved matter, bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria, Organic matter and Reducing

Disinfection Chemical
substances

4
 Physical Process
-Water Intake

Screens
▧ Filtration through screens is usually done at the
Bar screen beginning of the water treatment process. The shape of
the screens depends on the particles that have to be
removed.

Sand filtration
▧ Sand filtration is a frequently used, very robust method to
remove suspended solids from water. The filter medium
consists of a multiple layer of sand with a variety in size
and specific gravity. When water flows through the filter,
the suspended solids precipitate in the sand layers as
residue and the water, which is reduced in suspended
solids, flows out of the filter. When the filters are loaded
with particles the flow-direction is reversed, in order to
regenerate it. Smaller suspended solids have the ability to
pass through a sand filter, so that secondary filtration is
often required.

5
 Aeration

 Aeration removes odour and tastes due to volatile gases like hydrogen sulphide and due to algae and
related organisms.

 Aeration also oxidise iron and manganese, increases dissolved oxygen content in water, removes CO 2 and
reduces corrosion and removes methane and other flammable gases.

 Principle of treatment underlines on the fact that volatile gases in water escape into atmosphere from the
air-water interface and atmospheric oxygen takes their place in water, provided the water body can expose
itself over a vast surface to the atmosphere. This process continues until an equilibrium is reached
depending on the partial pressure of each specific gas in the atmosphere.
 ▧ Gravity Aerators (Cascades): In gravity aerators, water

Aerator is allowed to fall by gravity such that a large area of water

is exposed to atmosphere, sometimes aided by turbulence.

▧ Fountain Aerators : These are also known as spray

Types of Aerators aerators with special nozzles to produce a fine spray. Each
nozzle is 2.5 to 4 cm diameter discharging about 18 to 36

1. Gravity aerators l/h. Nozzle spacing should be such that each m3 of water
has aerator area of 0.03 to 0.09 m2 for one hour.

2. Fountain aerators ▧ Injection or Diffused Aerators : It consists of a tank with

3. Diffused aerators
4. Mechanical aerators.
perforated pipes, tubes or diffuser plates, fixed at the
bottom to release fine air bubbles from compressor unit.
The tank depth is kept as 3 to 4 m and tank width is within
1.5 times its depth. If depth is more, the diffusers must be
placed at 3 to 4 m depth below water surface. Time of
aeration is 10 to 30 min and 0.2 to 0.4 litres of air is
required for 1 litre of water.

▧ Mechanical Aerators : Mixing paddles as in flocculation

are used. Paddles may be either submerged or at the
surface.
Mixing flume
 Mixing flume
▧ Rapid or Flash mixing is the process by which a coagulant is rapidly
and uniformly dispersed through the mass of water.
▧ This process usually occurs in a small basin immediately preceding
or at the head of the coagulation basin.
▧ Generally, the detention period is 30 to 60 seconds and the head loss
is 20 to 60 cms of water. Here colloids are destabilised and the
nucleus for the floc is formed.
▧ Slow mixing brings the contacts between the finely divided
destabilised matter formed during rapid mixing.
 sedimentation
Sedimentation is a solid–liquid separation
process, in which particles settle under the force
of gravity.
 Filtration
▧ The resultant water after sedimentation 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.
3.3.2 : Chemical
Process

12
 Chemical Process

Chemical water treatment is

concerned with a lot of different
methods. Which methods are
applied depends on the kind of
contamination in the water.

13
 CHEMICAL USED

(hydrated lime) (aluminum sulphate)

(flouride)

(chlorine)

14
 Chemical Process

Chemical addition
▧ There are various situations in which chemicals are added, for
instance to prevent the formation of certain reaction products.
Below, a few of these additions are summed up:
- Chelating agents are often added to water, in order to prevent
negative effects of hardness, caused by the deposition of calcium
and magnesium.
- Oxidizing agents are added to act as a biocide, or to neutralize
reducing agents.
- Reducing agents are added to neutralize oxidizing agents, such as
ozone and chlorine. They also help prevent the degradation of
purification membranes.

15
 Chemical Process
Clarification
Coagulation is the destabilization of colloidal
▧ Clarification is a multi-step process to particles brought about by the addition of a
remove suspended solids. First, chemical reagent called as coagulant.
coagulants are added.
▧ Coagulants reduce the charges of ions, Flocculation is the agglomeration of destabilized
so that they will accumulate into larger particles into microfloc and after into bulky
particles called flocs. floccules which can be settled called floc. The
addition of another reagent called flocculant or a
▧ The flocs then settle by gravity in flocculant aid may promote the formation of the
settling tanks or are removed as the floc.
water flows through a gravity filter.
▧ Particles larger than 25 microns are
effectively removed by clarification.
▧ Water that is treated through
clarification may still contain some
suspended solids and therefore needs
further treatment.

16
 COAGULATION, FLOCCULATION AND
SEDIMENTATION
Coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation are
used in conjunction with subsequent filtration. These
processes are summarized below.
• Coagulation promotes the interaction of small
particles to form larger particles. In practice, the
term refers to coagulant addition (i.e. addition of a
substance that will form the hydrolysis products that
cause coagulation), particle destabilization and
interparticle collisions.
• Flocculation is the physical process of producing
interparticle contacts that lead to the formation of
large particles.
• Sedimentation is a solid–liquid separation process,
in which particlessettle under the force of gravity.

17
 Chemical Process

Chemical water treatment is

concerned with a lot of different
methods. Which methods are
applied depends on the kind of
contamination in the water.

18
 CHEMICAL USED
(aluminum sulphate)

(hydrated lime)

(flouride)

(chlorine)
19
 Chemical Process

Chemical addition
▧ There are various situations in which chemicals are added, for
instance to prevent the formation of certain reaction products.
Below, a few of these additions are summed up:
- Chelating agents are often added to water, in order to prevent
negative effects of hardness, caused by the deposition of calcium
and magnesium.
- Oxidizing agents are added to act as a biocide, or to neutralize
reducing agents.
- Reducing agents are added to neutralize oxidizing agents, such as
ozone and chlorine. They also help prevent the degradation of
purification membranes.

20
 Chemical Process
Clarification
Coagulation is the destabilization of colloidal
▧ Clarification is a multi-step process to particles brought about by the addition of a
remove suspended solids. First, chemical reagent called as coagulant.
coagulants are added.
▧ Coagulants reduce the charges of ions, Flocculation is the agglomeration of destabilized
so that they will accumulate into larger particles into microfloc and after into bulky
particles called flocs. floccules which can be settled called floc. The
addition of another reagent called flocculant or a
▧ The flocs then settle by gravity in flocculant aid may promote the formation of the
settling tanks or are removed as the floc.
water flows through a gravity filter.
▧ Particles larger than 25 microns are
effectively removed by clarification.
▧ Water that is treated through
clarification may still contain some
suspended solids and therefore needs
further treatment.

21
 COAGULATION, FLOCCULATION AND
SEDIMENTATION
Coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation are
used in conjunction with subsequent filtration. These
processes are summarized below.
• Coagulation promotes the interaction of small
particles to form larger particles. In practice, the
term refers to coagulant addition (i.e. additionof a
substance that will form the hydrolysis products that
cause coagulation), particle destabilization and
interparticle collisions.
• Flocculation is the physical process of producing
interparticle contacts that lead to the formation of
large particles.
• Sedimentation is a solid–liquid separation process,
in which particlessettle under the force of gravity.

22
 Iron removal

▧ Iron removal is based on the precipitation of

dissolved iron (Fe2+) into its oxidized form (Fe3+),
as Fe(OH)3 or Fe2O3.
▧ Iron removal by physical-chemical way consists in
iron oxidation by air followed by sand filtration, but
other techniques exist as well.

23
 Techniques of Iron Removal
Oxidation + sand filtration
(physical chemical way)
Oxidation + sand filtration +
MnO2 filter
Oxidation + green sand (zeolith)
Oxidation + Limestone contactor
Ion exchange
For water with pH > 7, low redox
potential, low iron content (< 3mg/L)
For higher iron content and/or
manganese
More efficient than sand filtration but
required KMnO4 regeneration
For acidic water with low redox potential,
the limestone contactor increases
aggressive water pH by binding CO2
Recommended for continuous process
with low iron content. Not pH dependent
24
 Manganese removal
▧ For manganese removal only, Manganese dioxide (MnO2) is used
as an adsorbent according to the following reaction:
▧ Mn + MnO2 (s) --> 2 MnO (s)
▧ Manganese oxides are then adsorbed on MnO2 grains. When all
MnO2 has been consumed, it can be regenerated by sodium
hypochlorite.
▧ Manganese removal by physical-chemical way (aeration and sand
filtration) can also be used but manganese oxidation kinetics are
too slow at pH< 9.

25
 Deionisation and softening

▧ Deionisation is commonly processed through ion exchange. Ion

exchange systems consist of a tank with small beds of synthetic resin,
which is treated to selectively absorb certain cations or anions and
replace them by counter-ions. The process of ion exchange lasts, until
all available spaces are filled up with ions. The ion-exchanging device
than has to be regenerated by suitable chemicals.
▧ One of the most commonly used ion exchangers is a water softener.
This device removes calcium and magnesium ions from hard water, by
replacing them with other positively charged ions, such as sodium

26
 Disinfection

▧ Disinfection is one of the most important steps in the

purification of water from cities and communities. It
serves the purpose of killing the present undesired
microrganisms in the water; therefore disinfectants
are often referred to as biocides. There are a variety
of techniques available to disinfect fluids and
surfaces, such as: ozone disinfection, chlorine
disinfection and UV disinfection.

27
 Ozone
▧ Ozone has been used for disinfection of drinking water in the
municipal water industry in Europe for over a hundred years and is
used by a large number of water companies, where ozone generator
capacities up to the range of a hundred kilograms per hour are
common.
▧ When ozone faces odours, bacteria or viruses, the extra atom of
oxygen destroys them completely by oxidation.
▧ During this process the extra atom of oxygen is destroyed and there
are no odours, bacteria or extra atoms left. Ozone is not only an
effective disinfectant, it is also particularly safe to use.

28
▧ UV-radiation is also used
for disinfection UV-radiation
nowadays. When exposed
to sunlight, germs are
killed and bacteria and
fungi are prevented from
spreading. This natural
disinfection process can
be utilised most
effectively by applying
UV radiation in a
controlled way.
Fig. 1 - UV-C in the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

29
 MEMBRANE FILTRATION

▧ In membrane filtration, a thin The membrane processes most

semi permeable film (membrane) commonly used to remove
is used as a selective barrier to microbes from drinking-water are
remove contaminants from water. microfiltration (MF), ultra filtration
▧ There are very few contaminants (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and
that cannot be removed by reverse osmosis (RO).
membrane processes. For the past
two decades, the use of membrane
filtration in drinking-water
treatment (including pathogen
removal) has been growing, due
to increasingly stringent drinking-
water regulations and decreasing
costs of purchasing and operating
membrane filters.

30
 Activated carbon adsorption
▧ Adsorption is a process where a solid is used for removing a soluble substance
from the water. In this process active carbon is the solid. Activated carbon is
produced specifically so as to achieve a very big internal surface (between 500
- 1500 m2/g). This big internal surface makes active carbon ideal for
adsorption. Active carbon comes in two variations: Powder Activated Carbon
(PAC) and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). The GAC version is mostly
used in water treatment, it can adsorb the following soluble substances:
▧ Adsorption of organic, non-polar substances such as:
○ Mineral oil
○ BTEX
○ Poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PACs)
○ (Chloride) phenol
▧ Adsorption of halogenated substance: I, Br, Cl, H en F
▧ Odor
▧ Taste
▧ Yeasts
▧ Various fermentation products
▧ Non-polar substances (Substances which are non soluble in water)
31
 ION EXCHANGE
▧ Ion exchange is a treatment process in which a solid phase pre-
saturate ion is exchanged for an unwanted ion in the untreated
water.
▧ The process is used for water softening (removal of calcium and
magnesium), removal of some radio nuclides (e.g. radium and
barium) and removal of various other contaminants (e.g. nitrate,
arsenate, chromate, sellenate and dissolved organic carbon).
▧ The effectiveness of the process depends on the background water
quality, and the levels of other competing ions and total dissolved
solids.

32
 Water Treatment Plant Assessments
Parameters

Raw Water:
turbidity, pH, alkalinity, coliforms, major ions, nutrients, known problem
substances

Coagulation-flocculation-settling:
turbidity, pH, residual aluminum, residual acrylamide, coliforms

Prefiltration:
turbidity, pH, coliforms

Sand filtration (rapid/slow):

turbidity, pH, coliforms

Disinfection:
residual (usually chlorine), pH, turbidity, coliforms (thermotolerant and total)

33