2.

0 CONVENTIONAL WATER
Solution Ex 2
TREATMENT FACILITY
 Test 1
• Test 1 for ECV 3405 will be held at
DP2 on 27TH March 2014 (Thursday).
• 815 pm till 945 pm.
• Topics to be covered from Week 1 till
week 5
 2.2
WATER TREATMENT
SYSTEM
 Cont’
• The main processes involved are:

a)Coagulation and flocculation,

b)Sedimentation,

c)Filtration,
d)Disinfection and chlorination
e)Storage
f) Water distribution system
 b) Sedimentation

What is the purpose of sedimentation

tank and why we need sedimentation
tank in water treatment process?
 Sedimentation
• Definition:
• A separation process, which is done by the settlement of the
flocs or suspended particles to the bottom of the tank due to
gravity. This will also reduce the turbidity.
• Raw water flow into sedimentation tank and put in still condition,
then it will loose its capacity to transport solids, where Velocity
equal 0.
• Purpose:
• Sedimentation tanks are designed to minimize all turbulence in
water and to let the flocs easily settle.
• It will allow adequate time for water to flow slowly along the
tank which is known as detention time.
• The flocs that have settled at the bottom of the tank are then
removed as sludge. Typically this is done every two weeks
through mud valve at the tank bottom.
 Flocculator-clarifier tanks Water inlet

Clean water Clarification tank

Figure 2.6: Flocculation, clarification and sedimentation process

 i) Types of Basins

• Three common types of sedimentation

basins are used in water treatment facility:
 Rectangular basin
 Double-deck rectangular basin
 Square or circular basin
 Rectangular Basin

• Rectangular basins are the simplest

design, allowing water to flow
horizontally through a long tank. 
• This type of basin is usually found in
large-scale water treatment plants. 

Advantages Disadvantages
predictability the large amount of
land area required
cost-effectiveness
low maintenance
least likely to short-
circuit, especially if the
length is at least twice
the width
 Double-deck Rectangular Basin

• Double-deck rectangular
basins are essentially
two rectangular
sedimentation basins
stacked one atop the
other. 
• This type of basin
conserves land area, but
has higher operation and
maintenance costs than
a one-level rectangular
basin. 
 Square or Circular Basin

• Square or circular
sedimentation basins
with horizontal flow
are often known as
flocculator-clarifier
tank. 
• Provides rapid mixing,
flocculation and
sedimentation in a
single compartment
tank.
 ii) Sedimentation Zones

• Four zones:
 inlet zone
 settling zone
 sludge zone
 outlet zone 
 Cont’
• Factors that influence sedimentation process as
follow:
 Size (volume), shape and density of the particles
 Density, viscosity and temperature of water
 Detention time
 Number, depth and areas of sedimentation tanks
 Velocity of flow
 Design of inlet and outlet
Cont’
 Design of a primary sedimentation
tank. Example 1

• Determine the settling velocity for a sand

particle with an avg diammeter of 0.5mm, a
shape factor of 0.85 and specific gravity of 2.65,
settling at 20 degree celcius. Given kinematic
viscosity of 1.003x 10^6 m^2/s.
• Stoke’s law : Vp = [g (Sgp -1)dp2 ] / 18 ѵ
Vp = settlement velocity , g= acceleration due to gravity,
Sg = specific gravity of particles, d= diammeter of
particles, ѵ = Kinematic viscosity
 Cont’: Design of a primary
sedimentation tank

But, Stoke’s law only applicable for laminar flow if

Reynolds < 1.
Check Re number (NR) = ɸ Vp dp / ѵ
ɸ = Shape factor (no unit)

If NR more or equal to 1 then Newton’s equation need to

be used in determining the settling velocity.
Vp = [(4g (Sgp -1 ) dp) / (3 Cd)] 1/2
For transition flow (1 ≤ NR ≤ 104),Cd = 24/NR + [3/ (NR) 1/2]
For turbulent flow (NR > 104) , Cd = 0.4
 Design of a primary sedimentation
tank. Example 2

• The average flowrate at small municipal water

treatment plant is 20,000 m3/day. Design two
rectangular primary clarifier with the channel
width of 6 m. Use a minimum of 2 clarifiers.
Given an overflowrate(SOR)
• of 40 m3/ m2.d and side weir depth equal to 4m.
Compute the tank volume and detention time.
•  
 Think!

Do you think the water is now ready for

consumption?
 Think!

• Do you think the water is now ready for

consumption?
• The water quality after the sedimentation
process is not yet acceptable for domestic
consumption.
• One more polishing step is necessary by
filtration process.
 c) Filtration Process
• Filtration is a process of passing water
through a porous medium to obtain better
quality water.
• The medium is usually sand over a bed of
supporting gravel.
Water drained from sedimentation Filtration tank
basin

Figure 2.7: Filtration process

 i) Slow Sand Filtration
• The slow sand filter is the oldest type of large-scale
filter. 
• In the slow sand filter, water passes first through about
36 inches of sand, then through a layer of gravel,
before entering the under drain.  The sand removes
particles from the water through adsorption and
straining. 
 Cont’

• Maintenance of a slow sand filter consists

of raking the sand periodically and
cleaning the filter by removing the top two
inches of sand from the filter surface. 
• After a few cleanings, new sand must be
added to replace the removed sand. 
 ii) Rapid Sand Filtration

• The rapid sand filter differs from the slow sand

filter in a variety of ways, the most important of
which are:
 the much greater filtration rate
 the ability to clean automatically using
backwashing. 
 Cont’
• 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. 
 Cont’
• Below the gravel, a
network of pipes makes
up the under drain which
collects the filtered water
and evenly distributes the
backwash water. 
• Backwash troughs help
distribute the influent
water and are also used in
backwashing
 d) Disinfection and
Chlorination
• Before water treatment became common,
waterborne diseases could spread quickly
through a population, killing or harming
hundreds of people. 
• The table shows some common, water-
transmitted diseases as well as the
organisms (pathogens) which cause each
disease. 
 Cont’
Pathogen Disease Caused
Bacteria Anthrax Anthrax
Eschericia coli E. coli infection
Myobacterium Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis Salmonellosis,
Salmonella paratyphoid
Vibrio cholera Cholera

Viruses Hepatitis virus Hepatitis A

Polio virus Polio

Parasites Cryptosporidium Cryptosporidiosis

Gardia lamblia giardiasis
 Cont’

• The primary goal of water treatment is to

ensure that the water is safe to drink and
does not contain any disease-causing
microorganisms.
• Pathogens can be removed from water
through physical or chemical processes. 
 Cont’

• Disinfection is an operation aimed to kill

harmless pathogenic microorganisms.
• Chlorine is the most commonly used disinfectant
in public water supplies.
• Other types of disinfectant available are chlorine
dioxide, Chloramines, ozone and UV radiation.
• Chlorination is relatively reliable, inexpensive
and easy disinfection method to use.
Figure 2.8: Disinfection Tank
 Cont’
• The chlorination process is as follows:
Free chlorine residual

Cl2 + H2O  H+ Cl- + HOCl

HOCl  H+ + OCl- Primary disinfectant agent

• Chlorine reacts in water to produce

hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Then HOCl
dissociate/ break down to become hypocholorite
ion (OCl-).
 Cont’

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) the most effective form of free chlorine

residual, meaning that it is chlorine available
to kill microorganisms in the water. 
hypochlorite ions (OCl-) less efficient disinfectants. 

• So disinfection is more efficient at a low pH (with large

quantities of hypochlorous acid in the water) than at a
high pH (with large quantities of hypochlorite ions in the
water).
• The application of chlorine in water to the point free
chlorine residual is called break-point chlorination.
 Cont’

• However, the application of high doses of

chlorine poses higher risk of developing
carcinogenic and/or mutagenic by-products such
as trihalogen methane.
• Trihalogen methanes (THM) will be produced
when organics being oxidized by chlorine.
 Cont’
• There are various factors that influence the
chlorination process as follows:
 Chemical form of chlorine
 pH
 Concentration
 Contact time
 Type of organisms
 Suspended solids
 Temperature
 Break-point Chlorination

• Breakpoint chlorination is the addition of chlorine to

water untill the chlorine demand has been satisfied
and further additions of chlorine results in a free
available residual chlorine that is directly proportional
to the amount of chlorine added beyond the
breakpoint.
• The chlorination process occurred when chlorine
(either chlorine gas or a hypochlorite) is added to
water.
Cl2 + H2O  H+ Cl- + HOCl
HOCl  H+ + OCl-
Figure 2.9: Break-point Chlorination
 Cont’

• First phase (between points 1 and 2):

 The water reacts with reducing compounds in
the water, such as hydrogen sulfide. 
 These compounds use up the chlorine,
producing no chlorine residual. 
 Cont’
• Second Phase (between points 2 and 3):
 The chlorine reacts with organics and ammonia
naturally found in the water. 
 Some combined chlorine residual is formed -
chloramines.  Note that if chloramines were to be used
as the disinfecting agent, more ammonia would be
added to the water to react with the chlorine. 
 The process would be stopped at point 3. 
 Using chloramine as the disinfecting agent results in
little trihalomethane production but causes taste and
odor problems since chloramines typically give a
"swimming pool" odor to water.
 Cont’

• Third Phase (between points 3 and 4):

 The chlorine will break down most of the chloramines
in the water, actually lowering the chlorine residual.

• Fourth Phase (between points 3 and 4):

 Finally, the water reaches the breakpoint.

• The breakpoint is the point at which the chlorine

demand has been totally satisfied - the chlorine has
reacted with all reducing agents, organics, and
ammonia in the water. 
 Cont’

• This process is the most common form of

chlorination, in which enough chlorine is added to
the water to bring it past the breakpoint and to
create some free chlorine residual. 
• When more chlorine is added past the breakpoint,
the chlorine reacts with water and forms
hypochlorous acid in direct proportion to the amount
of chlorine added. 
 Other Treatments
• Fluoridation – used to raise the amount of
fluoride in public water supplies.
• This is to improve the dental health of growing
children.
• The level of 0.6 – 0.9 mg/l of fluoride is
maintained in water that is distributed to the
consumers.
Figure 2.10: Fluoride (blue pipe) and calcium carbonate (black pipe).
 Cont’
• Water softening – a process used when the
water contains a high concentration of
multivalent cations known as minerals.
• They are such as calcium, magnesium and iron
that dissolve from soil and rock (particularly
limestone).
• Lime (CaO) and soda ash (Na2CO3) are used to
remove calcium and magnesium from water.
 Example 5: Slow Sand Filtration

Design a slow sand filter (SSF) to treat a flow of 800 m3/day.

Solution:
Assume a filtration rate of 0.15 m/h (Table 2.0)
Therefore,
Required tank area = 800 m3/d x 1 d = 222 m2
24 h 0.15 m/h
 Table 2.0: Design criteria for sand
filters
Parameter UK range US range
Design life 10 – 15 yr
Period of operation 24 h/day
Filtration rate 0.1 – 0.2 m/h (0.15) 0.04 – 4 m/h (0.1)
Filter bed area 5 – 200 m2/fitler (min 2
filters)
Height of filter bed
Initial 0.8 – 0.9 m 0.46 – 1.5 m (0.9)
Minimum 0.5 – 0.6 m
Sand specification effective 0.15 – 0.3 mm 0.15 – 0.4
size mm(0.3)
Uniformity coefficient <3 1.5 – 3.6 (2)
Height of under drains (inc. 0.3 – 0.5 m 0.15 – 0.9 m (0.5)
gravel layer)
Height of supernatant water 1m
0.7 – 4 m (1.2)
 Solution 5

• Choose a tank 23 m long x 10 m wide. Using Table 2.0, the

height of tank required is:
 System under drain = height of underdrains ~ 0.5 m (max)

 Height of filter bed ~ 0.9 m (max)

 Height of supernatant water ~ 1 m

Therefore

Total height = 2.4 m

and

Tank size = 2.4 m high x 23 m long x 10 m wide

 Example 6: Rapid Sand
Filtration
Design a rapid sand filter (SSF) to treat a flow of
36 400 m3/day for a dual media type.
Table 2.1: Design criteria for rapid sand filters

Media Medium Depth Effective Uniformity Filtration

type (m) size (mm) coefficient rate (m/h)
Single Sand 0.7 0.6 <2 10
or anthracite 0.7 0.7 <2 10

Anthracite and 0.6 1.0 <2

Dual sand 0.15 0.5 <2 12

Anthracite 0.5 1.0 <2

Multi sand and 0.2 0.5 <2
garnet 0.1 0.2 <2 15
 Solution Ex 6

Solution:
• Filtration rate = 12 m/h (Table 2.1).

Required tank area = 36 400 m3/day x 1d

24 h 12 m/h
= 126 m2
 Solution Ex 6

• Choose 1 tank 10 m long x 13 m wide. Using Table 2.1

and Table 2.0; the depth/ height should be:
 System under drain height ~ 0.5 m (Table 2.0)
 Filter bed height ~ 0.6 m (max) – Table 2.1
 Water head height ~ 1.0 m (Table 2.0)

Therefore
Tank size = 2.1 m high x 13 m long x 10 m wide