CEB 30703

WATER TREATMENT
TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION

By: Dr. SITI NOORAIN BINTI ROSLAN

1
[email protected]
Learning Outcomes Chapter 1:

At the end of this class, student will be able :

1. To explain about water pollution

2. To identify source of pollution related with water
quality issues.
3. To be familiar with law and regulations related
with water quality and drinking water issues.
4. To have basic understanding on the need of
water treatment.

2
 Background

Control
Definition
Measures

Causes Effects

Sources
Pollutants

3
 Introduction

• Most of the earth’s surface is covered with

water.
• Our bodies, plants & animals are consist more
than 65% of water.
• We can only survive a few days without water.
• Water is an essential nutrient to plants &
animals.
• Water transportation nutrients & carries away
waste products.
• Water cools the body.
4
 Definition

Water pollution
Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely
affects the health of humans and other organisms

Natural Human activities (anthropogenic)

5
 Causes
4. Accidental
2. Agriculture

1.Household 3. Destruction of
wetland 5.Industrial
6
 Sources

Point Source Non-Point Source

A specific source of pollution that A widely spread source of
can be identified pollution that can’t be tied to a
specific point of origin
Examples;
-Pipes, ditches, channel Examples;
-Container -Agriculture runoff
-Concentrated animal feeding -Industrial runoff
-Farming fertilizer -Urban runoff
-Oil tank spill
-Faulty treatment plant

7
 Pollutants

Pollutant
The substances that cause water pollution

i. Sediments
ii. Oxygen-demanding wastes (organic waste such as: animal manure &
plant debris)
iii. Infectious microorganism (such as: parasitic worms, viruses &
bacteria)
iv. Organic compounds (such as: synthetic chemicals containing carbon)
v. Inorganic nutrients (such as: nitrogen & phosphorus)
vi. Inorganic chemicals (such as: acids, salts & heavy metals)
vii. Radioactive substances (such as: waste from nuclear power plants)
viii. Thermal pollution (such as hot water from industrial processes)
8
 Effects/Issues

 On human health  On animals

 Various diseases  Harmful chemicals and
 Damage to liver, brain & kidney pollutant effect survival of
 Food poisoning aquatic organism
 Skin problem  Loss of aquatic biodiversity

 On plants
 Eutrophication of water body
 High conc. of heavy metal
becomes toxic for plants
 High turbidity causes declines in
the rate of photosynthesis

9
 Control Measures

Reduction at
bioremediation
source

Sewage & Stop dumping on

industrial waste non biodegradable
treatment waste

Regulating
water pollution
control law

10
 Class exercise

1. Table 1 show some example of pollutants arise from

urban runoff. Complete the Table 1 with the necessary
information.
Pollutant Sources Problems
Sediment Construction, agriculture activity Increase turbidity, affects aquatic
organism, can contain toxin

Phosphate/nitrate Fertilizer, detergent, organic debris Algae bloom, eutrophication

toxins Heavy metal, pesticides, Disrupt food chain, kill fish

Organic debris Animal waste, raw sewage, grass, Deplete oxygen, disrupt food
leave chain, kill fish

Oil grease/petroleum Motor oil, gasoline Harm bird and mammal, Deplete
oxygen, disrupt food chain, kill fish
product
Pathogen Animal waste, raw sewage Health hazards

Litter Plastic debris, tires, others Harms living organism

11
 Class exercise

2. Determine the difference between point and non point

sources of water pollution.

Point source Non point source

Discharge usually control by Difficult to develop permit and
permit difficult to enforce regulation
Relatively easy to control Individual contribution and
difficult to monitor
Effect is low Effect is high
Example; municipal sewage, Example: agriculture runoff,
industrial effluent storm water flow

12
 i) Water quality parameter/ indicator
ii) Water quality legislation

13
Physical
 Color
May be due to the presence of organic matter, metals (iron, manganese) or
highly colored industrial waste . Aesthetically displeasing
 Taste & odor
Mainly due to organic substances, biological activity, industrial pollution
Taste buds in the oral cavity specially detect inorganic compounds of metals
like magnesium, calcium, sodium, copper, iron and zinc
Water should be free from objectionable taste and odor.
 Turbidity
Caused by suspended matter/sediment
High level turbidity shield and protect bacteria from the action of disinfecting
agents
Unit in NTU
 Total suspended solid (TSS)
TSS is the measure of the sediment suspended in the water.
TSS is related to turbidity.
Water with high TSS usually has high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as well.
14
Organic & Chemical
 Organic Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
The amount of oxygen gas dissolved in a given volume of water at a particular
temperature and pressure.
 Organic Biological Oxigen Demand (BOD)
The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the
organic matter in a sample of water, such as that polluted by sewage.
When BOD levels are high, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels decrease because
the oxygen that is available in the water is being consumed by the bacteria.
 Organic Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
A measure of the capacity of water to consume oxygen during the
decomposition of organic matter and the oxidation of inorganic chemicals
such as ammonia and nitrite.
Another term that refers to COD is a measure of organic materials in a
wastewater in terms of the oxygen required to oxidize the organic materials
chemically.
 pH
Acidic water has pH below 7
Basic water has pH above 7
15
 Organic & Chemical
 Hardness
Capacity of water for reducing and destroying the lather of soap
It is total concentration of calcium and magnesium ions
Temporary hardness – Bicarbonates of Calcium and Magnesium
Permanent hardness – Sulphates, chlorides and nitrates of calcium and magnesium
 Hardness 0 – 50 mg/l - soft 50 – 150 mg/l - moderately hard
150 – 300 mg/l - hard300 above very hard
Surface water is softer than ground water
Causes encrustations in water supply structures
Note: heat can change hardness -> forms scale on boilers, coffee pots
 Alkalinity Capacity to neutralise acid
Presence of carbonates, bi-carbonates and hydroxide compounds of Ca, Mg, Na
and K
Alkalinity = hardness, Ca and Mg salts
Alkalinity > hardness - presence of basic salts, Na, K along with Ca and Mg
Alkalinity < hardness – neutral salts of Ca & Mg present
Units expressed as CaCO32-

16
 Organic & Chemical
 Iron One of the earth’s most plentiful resource
High iron causes brown or yellow staining of laundry, household fixtures
Metalic taste, offensive odour, poor tasting coffee
Cause iron bacteria
 Chloride Causes Dissolution of salt deposit Discharge of effluents
Intrusion of sea water
Not harmful to human beings
Regarding irrigation – most troublesome anion
 Ammonia
Ammonia is produced by the decay of organic matter and animal waste.
Ammonia is toxic to most aquatic life, especially at high pH.
Bacteria readily convert ammonia to nitrate (a plant nutrient)
Ammonia is a form of nitrogen and part of the Nitrogen Cycle.
 Nitrate Increasing level of nitrate is due to
Agricultural fertilizers, manure, animal dung, nitrogenous material ,sewage pollution
Cause blue baby diseases to infants

17
 Organic & Chemical
 Phosphate
Phosphate’s concentrations in clean water is generally low; however, phosphorus is
used extensively in fertilizer and other chemicals.
The primary sources of phosphates to surface water are detergents, fertilizers, and
natural mineral deposits.
High levels of phosphate can over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae.
This in turn, will cause high DO consumption and death to fish and many aquatic
organisms.
 Fluoride Occurs naturally
Long term consumption above permissible level can cause –
dental flurosis (molting of teeth)
Deflouridation
Mixing Fluride free water
Intake of vitamin C,D, calcium, antioxidants
 Arsenic Occur in ground water from arseniferous belt
Industrial waste, agricultural insecticide
High arsenic causes various type of dermatological lesions, muscular weakness,
paralysis of lower limbs, can also cause skin and lung cancer
18
 Organic & Chemical
 Heavy Metals Present as mineral in soil and rocks of earth
Human activities
Battery – Lead & Nickel
Textile – Copper
Photography – Silver
Steel production – Iron
 Pesticides These chemicals are very complex.
Effect on aquatic organism
Cancer
Birth defects
Blood disorder
Nervous disorder
Genetic damage

19
Biological

 Bacteria
 Most bacteria are important in nutrient and other organic
cycles.
 Excess nutrients cause algal blooms.
 As algae die and decay, the high bacterial load rapidly
consumes dissolved oxygen.
 Certain types of bacteria indicate animal and human waste
pollution
-Escherichia coli are coliform bacteria found in the
intestines of warm-blooded organisms.
Most strains are harmless but one E. coli strain can
cause severe diarrhea and kidney damage.

20
Water Regulatory Agency

21
River water quality

• Monitoring of river water quality in Malaysia by the Department of Environment

(DOE) started in 1978, initially to establish water quality baseline and subsequently to
detect water quality changes and identify pollution sources.

• River water quality appraisal is based on the Water Quality Index (WQI)
~ Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ~ Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N)
~ Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD ~ pH.
~ Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ~ Suspended Solids (SS)

• The WQI serves as a basis for environmental assessment of a watercourse in relation

to pollution categorization and designated classes of beneficial uses
~ under the Interim National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (INWQS).

• It is used to show the status/trend of the water quality of a waterway

22
Water Quality Index

How to calculate the WQI?

WQI = 0.22(SIDO) + 0.19(SIBOD) + 0.16(SICOD)
+ 0.15(SIAN) + 0.16(SISS) + 0.12(SIpH)
DO X ≤ 8 SIDO = 0
X ≥ 92 SIDO = 100
8 < X < 92 SIDO = - 0.395 + 0.03 X2 – 0.0002 X3

BOD X ≤ 5 SIBOD = 100.4 – 4.23 X

X > 5 SIBOD = 108 e - 0.055 X - 0.1 X

COD X ≤ 20 SICOD = 99.1 – 1.33 X

X > 20 SICOD = 103 e - 0.0157 X - 0.04 X

Note: X = Concentration of parameters in mg/l (except pH) measured

23
Water Quality Index

WQI = 0.22(SIDO) + 0.19(SIBOD) + 0.16(SICOD)

+ 0.15(SIAN) + 0.16(SISS) + 0.12(SIpH)
AN X ≤ 0.3 SIAN = 100.5 – 105 X
0.3 < X < 4 SIAN = 94 e - 0.573 X - 5 (X – 2)

SS X ≤ 100 SISS = 97.5 e – 0.00676 X + 0.05 X

100 < X < 1000 SISS = 71 e - 0.0016 X - 0.015 X
X ≥ 1000 SISS = 0

pH X < 5.5 SIpH = 17.2 – 17.2 X + 5.02 X2

5.5 ≤ X < 7 SIpH = - 242 + 95.5 X – 6.67 X2
7 ≤ X < 8.75 SIpH = - 181 + 82.4 X – 6.05 X2
X ≥ 8.75 SIpH = 536 - 77 X + 2.76 X2

24
Water Quality Index

Classification Based on Water Quality Index

WQI STATUS
90 - 100 Very Good / Very Clean
75 – 90 Good / Clean
45 – 75 Moderate
20 – 45 Polluted
0 – 20 Very Polluted

25
Classification of River

26
Classification of River

Classification of river according to beneficial uses:

Class I Conservation of natural environment.
1. Water Supply I - practically no treatment necessary
(except by disinfection or boiling only)
2. Fishery I - very sensitive aquatic species
Class IIA 1. Water Supply II - conventional treatment required
2. Fishery II - sensitive aquatic species
Class IIB Recreational use with body contact
Class III 1. Water Supply III - extensive water treatment required
2. Fishery III - common, of economic value and
moderately tolerant species
Class IV Irrigation
Class V Water unsuitable for specified uses

27
 Water Quality Standard

• According to the National Guideline for Drinking Water Quality

(NGDWQ), 1983 by the Health Ministry
~ drinking water must be clear, colourless and odourless, pleasant to
drink and free from all harmful microorganisms, chemical and
radiochemical contaminants.

• Regulations in Environmental Quality (Wastewater and Industrial Effluent) 1978:

~ Sets standards for wastewater discharged from w.w treatment plant
and industrial effluent.

• Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS):

~ To classify rivers in term of their quality and usage
~ 5 classes - I. Best
V. Most polluted (not suitable for any usage)

28
Water Quality Standard

29
 Class exercise

QUESTION :

Compute the water quality according to DOE-WQI

(water quality index) and classify the river according to
the values obtained in the WQI computation?

30
 Class exercise

Parameters Stations
W1 W2 W3

pH 8.10 8.00 8.40

Temparature (˚C) 29.30 30.00 29.7
BOD (mg/L) 2.75 3.95 3.15
DO (mg/L) 6.90 6.90 5.80
COD (mg/L) 30.18 35.83 22.63
Turbidity (NTU) 4.00 37.40 30.00
TSS (mg/L) 4.00 37.40 30.00
AN (mg/L) 0.01 0.74 0.32
E-Coli (per 100 ml) ND 14.00 6.00
Oil & Grease (mg/L) ND ND 5.00
Fe (mg/L) 0.03 0.07 1.01
Pb (mg/L) ND ND 0.005
As (mg/L) ND ND ND
DOE - WQI
Classification
31
Note: ND – not detected