Evaluating Coagulants for Water Treatment

Kari Duncan City of Lake Oswego

& Doug Wise Eugene Water & Electric Board

PNWS-AWWA Section Conference May 2, 2008

Overview
Varieties of Coagulants: Inorganic Organic
Common

Uses

Case Studies: EWEB City of Lake Oswego

Entrance Strategy
1. 2. 3. 4. Jar Test Pilot Filter Evaluation Cost Evaluation Plant Scale Test

Entrance Strategy cont.

5. Plant Scale Trial 6. Calculate Real Cost 7. Evaluation Step

Operational Effectiveness Look for Unintended Consequences

Aluminum Sulfate (Al2(SO4)3 14 H2O

Inorganic

coagulants aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride and ferric compounds with alkalinity to form positive ions which remove contaminants by adsorption. turbidity higher (sometimes dramatically higher) feed rates.

React

Increasing

PACL (Polymeric Inorganic Coagulants)

Generic

name that encompasses ACH, Sumaclear, Pass-C and others variables:

Basicity 50% 80+% Al:Cl ratio Al2O3 content

Product

PACL
A

highly charged species that require little or no alkalinity to precipitate floc. to the high charge of the PACLs dose may not increase as much during increasing contaminant loading

Due

PACL : ACH
PACL Al:Cl ACH

formula: Al2(OH)(X)Cl(6-x)

ratio increases as basicity increases special type of PACL

Al:Cl ratio of 2:1 Basicity of 83% Al2O3 content of 23%

Molecular Weight Comparison

Alum

: max MW of 1,000
MW of 500 2,500

PACL: ACH:

4,000 5,000 (some up to 10,000)

Floc Size
Inorganic

coagulants (Alum), and low basicity PACL form more voluminous, fragile floc.
increasing charge, PACL tend to form smaller floc with greater density forms a very tight, dense floc

With

ACH

Typical dosages

Product sales advisors often quote an Aluminum percentage ratio

For example, if the Al in the PACL is 4x that of Alum, they will cite an expected 25% of alum dosage.

50% basicity PACL; approx 80% of alum dosage ACH: approx 33% of alum dosage.

Coagulation Control
Jar

Mix
Filters Current Monitors

Pilot

Stream

Zeta

Potentiometers

Coagulant Control: Jar Test

Coagulant Control: Control Filters

Coagulant Control: Current Monitor

Coagulant Control

Jar

Test:

Remember to look for smaller denser floc due to high basicity when using high molecular weight products

Control

Filters
Current Monitor

Streaming

Benefits
Increased

filter runs Reduced sludge generation Sludge compacts / dewaters better Greater turbidity removal capacity Effective in low water temperatures PACL does not lower pH

Check With Friends

Drinking Water Program Bay Hills Water Association City of Creswell Garden Valley Water District City of Lowell City of Myrtle Point City of Waldport City of Yachats

Cautions
What is in the magic elixir?

More Cautions!
PACL

products range in grade and composition; test product(s) extensively before committing to their use. products are sensitive to chlorine.

Some

Products

which form a suspension or generate sludge after only six months of storage are very low grade.

Case Study #1

Eugene Water & Electric Boards Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant

EWEB

72 MGD Raw Water Flow (108 MGD in 2009)

McKenzie River Source

Direct Filtration (summer)

Conventional Filtration (winter) Alum coagulant Pre-chlorinate Cl2 gas 50% Caustic: corrosion control

EWEB
7

month trial of Sumaclear 1000 from Summit Research Lab Sumaclear predominantly through
2006.

Used

Trial

examined cost and filter run times while maintaining existing filtered water turbidity goal of 0.035 NTU.

EWEB Poly Alum vs. Alum

12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00
0. 90 1. 04 1. 34 1. 35 1. 41 1. 50 1. 50 1. 60 1. 70 1. 77 2. 40 2. 50 4. 40 7. 74

Alum P/A Linear (P/A) Linear (Alum )

Dose (mg/L)

Raw Turbidity

EWEB Field Results

Sumaclear 1000 dose was approximately 1/3 of Alum with low raw water turbidity.
With raw water turbidity above 4 ntu, Sumaclear 1000 was approximately 1/2 of Alum dose. Experienced longer filter runs with Sumaclear.

Sumaclear resulted in an overall economic benefit (chemicals, wash water, sludge management) of approximately 20%.

EWEB Concerns
Some

changes in distribution water quality coincided with Summaclear 1000 trials.

* Apparent DBP increase

* Small Lead and Copper increase (may no longer be optimized)

EWEB Finds Fault

A: We changed coagulant.
B: Our system water quality changed. Therefore: the coagulant change made the system water quality change.

EWEB
Review of JAWWA Article on Cl- / SO4 Ratio Edwards & Triantafyllidou July 2007 as the relative concentration of chloride to sulfate increased in a water supply, a utility was more likely to have a higher 90th-percentile lead concentration.

PACL : ACH
PACL Al:Cl ACH

formula: Al2(OH)(X)Cl(6-x)

ratio increases as basicity increases special type of PACL

Al:Cl ratio of 2:1 Basicity of 83% Al2O3 content of 23%

EWEB
Not so fast.

There Are Other Considerations (EWEB)

Multiple

changes in treatment variables at the time of test:

Added 15 MG Clearwell (May 2003)

Changed chlorination practice (May 2004)

Switched from Lime to Caustic (July 2004)

Switched from Alum to Sumaclear 1000
(2005-2006)

EWEB Next Steps

Continue
Special Make Wait

Monitoring.

Monitoring.

Gradual Treatment Changes. and Measure.

Case Study #2

City of Lake Oswego Water Treatment Plant

City of Lake Oswego Water Treatment Plant

16

MGD
River Source

Clackamas Direct Alum

Filtration Plant

(Coagulant) with Hypochlorite

Pre-chlorinate Lime:

corrosion control

City of Lake Oswego

Feeds
Feeds

Alum alone during low turbidity.

a combination of Alum and Pass-C (Hydortech product) during high turbidity events.

Pass-C:

Al = 5/4 % ?? Al2O3: 10.3% Basicity: 55%

Alum and Pass-C vs. Raw NTU

100 90
Alum/Pass-C mg/L, Raw NTU

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
/1 5 /2 2 /2 9 /1 /8 1/ 12 1/ 19 12 12 12 1/ 26 12 12 1/ 5

ALUM, mg/L Pass-c mg/l dry Raw NTU Avg

Alum and PassC vs. Raw NTU (2 axes)

18 180
ALUM, mg/L Pass-c mg/l dry Raw NTU Avg

16

160

14

140

Alum and PassC (mg/L)

12

120

10

100

80

60

40

20

0
DATE 12/5 12/10 12/15 12/20 12/25 12/30 1/4 1/9 1/14 1/19 1/24 1/29

Raw NTU

Alum mg/L vs. Raw NTU (without Pass-C)

50 45

ALUM, mg/L ntu avg

Alum mg/L and Raw NTU

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
12/2 12/9 1/6 11/11 11/18 11/25 12/16 12/23 12/30 1/13

City of Lake Oswego Field Results

The use of Pass-C at 3 to 11 mg/L decreases Alum use by up to (75%)* during periods of high raw water turbidity. The use of Pass-C at high turbidity prevents the need for Operators to add additional alkalinity.
Improves ease of operation Cost differences appear to be nominal

* Rough number

City of Lake Oswego Summary

Wide
Trial

variety of products available.

runs are very important. your variables. a cost analysis.

Control Perform Shop

around and do your research.

Lessons Learned From Coagulant Trials

Intuitive expectations may be erroneous.

Lessons Learned

Changes in the distribution system may result from changes in treatment at the plant.

Lessons Learned

Unknown, unreported and / or undocumented consequences may be common.

Lessons Learned

Change only ONE thing at a time.

Lessons Learned

Wait Measure Interpret

Acknowledgements
Kari

Duncan for her work in documenting these results. Prock for developing the data at Hayden Bridge.

Randy

The

Operators at both plants for their patience and persistence.

Questions?