Introduction to Water Treatment

Now that you know how nature treats water, let's see how it's done in the water plant before
we consume it in a glass of water.

Water treatment in a typical water treatment plant is shown in the picture below. Based on the
characteristics of the raw water and on other factors, this treatment process may vary
considerably from place to place.

As water is pumped from the source (a well, spring, river, or lake) it is screened to remove
debris. Then, at the water plant, various characteristics of the raw water are tested.

The water may be prechlorinated to kill microorganisms, control odors and taste, and aid in
coagulation and setttling. The water may also be aerated, which removes carbon dioxide (CO 2)
and raises pH, oxidizes iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), removes hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and
removes organic contaminants. Potassium permanganate (KmnO4) may be added to the water
in the collection tray of the aerator in order to remove iron and manganese from the water.
Ozone may be added to the water to treat iron and manganese, remove algae, neutralize
hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and aid in flocculation. Many of these are dependent upon the plant
and the amount of water being distributed daily.

In most cases, the water then enters a flash mix chamber. Here, various chemicals are added
and are mixed into the water. Coagulants cause fine particles to clump together into larger
particles. Alkali are added to adjust the pH as well as to oxidize iron and manganese.
Hexametaphosphate may be added to prevent corrosion of pipes.
After flowing out of the flash mix chamber, the water goes through a chamber which causes
coagulation and flocculation to occur. Here, the fine particles of contaminants gather together
into large clumps called floc. When the water flows into the sedimentation basin, some of the
floc settles out of the water and is removed. Next, the water is passed through filters which
remove particles too small to settle out in the sedimentation basin.

Finally, chlorine is added to the water. The water may also be fluoridated to reduce tooth decay
in the consumers. The water is left in the clear well for a period of time to allow the chlorine to
kill bacteria in the water and to oxidize hydrogen sulfide. The water is now treated and ready to
be distributed.

That was a quick overview of the water treatment process and what happens to water as it
goes through the plant step by step. We will get into greater detail in later lessons so that you
will understand each step of the process, why it is done and how to make sure each step is
being done efficiently.

Review

Nature treats water in its own way through the hydrologic cycle, though we still need to treat
the water before we drink it due to all the pollution and bacteria in the environment. The
hydrologic cycle provides the supply of water for us to use for consumption, continuously
cycling through over and over. The five basic processes that make up the hydrologic cycle are
condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration.

In the water treatment plant the water comes in from the source, is aerated and the addition of
chemicals to aid in coagulation and flocculation occurs in the flash mix chamber, it is then
allowed to go through coagulation and flocculation, and settle out in the sedimentation basin.
The water will pass through a filtration system after the sedimentation basin, removing
particles that were too small to settle out. Chlorine is added as the final step and then the
water is stored until it is distributed to the consumer.

Water Coagulation removes dirt and other particles suspended in water. Alum and other
chemicals are added to water to form tiny sticky particles called "floc" which attract the dirt
particles. The combined weight of the dirt and the alum (floc) become heavy enough to sink to
the bottom during sedimentation.

Three Steps

As I mentioned above, the chemistry of coagulation/flocculation consists of three processes -

flash mix, coagulation, and flocculation. Each of these processes is briefly explained below.
In the flash mixer, coagulant chemicals are added to the water and the water is mixed quickly
and violently. The purpose of this step is to evenly distribute the chemicals through the
water. Flash mixing typically lasts a minute or less. If the water is mixed for less than thirty
seconds, then the chemicals will not be properly mixed into the water. However, if the water is
mixed for more than sixty seconds, then the mixer blades will shear the newly forming floc back
into small particles.

After flash mixing, coagulation occurs. During coagulation, the coagulant chemicals neutralize
the electrical charges of the fine particles in the water, allowing the particles to come closer
together and form large clumps. You may already be familiar with the process of coagulation
from cooking. You can see coagulation occurring when preparing gelatin (jello) or when
cooking an egg white.

The final step is flocculation. During flocculation, a process of gentle mixing brings the fine
particles formed by coagulation into contact with each other. Flocculation typically lasts for
about thirty to forty-five minutes. The flocculation basin often has a number of compartments
with decreasing mixing speeds as the water advances through the basin. This
compartmentalized chamber allows increasingly large floc to form without being broken apart
by the mixing blades.

Floc

The end product of a well-regulated coagulation/flocculation process is water in which the

majority of the turbidity has been collected into floc, clumps of bacteria and particulate
impurities that have come together and formed a cluster. The floc will then settle out in the
sedimentation basin, with remaining floc being removed in the filter.
The best floc size is 0.1 to 3 mm. Larger floc does not settle as well and is more subject to
breakup in the flocculation basin. Smaller floc also may not settle.

Water softening is the removal of calcium, magnesium, and certain other metal cations in hard
water. The resulting soft water is more compatible with soap and extends the lifetime of
plumbing. Water softening is usually achieved using lime softening or ion-exchange resins.

The water softening process works by passing hard water

through resin beads. Magnesium and calcium ions in the
water exchange places with sodium ions on the beads,
softening the water. People with hypertension or high
blood pressure should consult their doctor about personal
health risks associated with drinking softened water
because of the added sodium.

Sedimentation is the process by which insoluble heavy particles in a liquid are allowed to settle
down. This is a simple process that most people employ at home. For example, suppose you are
making some tea and have boiled the water and added the tealeaves into the water. Then you
realize that you cannot find the strainer. You may look for a clean piece of cloth but do not
succeed. What would you do? Keep the tea with the leaves, aside for some time. The tealeaves
begin to settle down. This settling down of the particles in lower part of the container is called
sedimentation. Another example of sedimentation is the settling of mud particles in water.
 Filtration is a technique used either to remove solid impurities from an organic solution or to
isolate an organic solid. The two types of filtration commonly used in organic chemistry
laboratories are gravity filtration and vacuum or suction filtration.

Diagram of simple filtration: oversize particles in the feed cannot pass through the lattice
structure of the filter, while fluid and small particles pass through, becoming filtrate.

Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it
is less effective than sterilization, which is an extreme physical and/or chemical process that
kills all types of life.

With particles removed, it only remains to provide disinfection so that no pathogens remain in
the water. Protozoan pathogens are large in size and have been removed with other particles.
Bacteria and viruses are now destroyed by addition of a disinfectant, chlorine (the same
chemical present in bleach). Enough chlorine is added so that some remains to go out in the
water distribution system, protecting the public once the water leaves the plant.
Adsorption

A concentration of the chemical builds up on the surface. This can occur from the gas phase or
through direct contact with the chemical in liquid or solid form.

A membrane is a selective barrier. At times, it is also an outer covering of cell or cell organelle
that allows the passage of certain constituents and retains other constituents found in the
liquid. membrane is known as the permeate and the liquid containing the retained constituents
is the retentate or concentrate.

Water Treatment Plant Residuals Management

Summary

Water treatment plants produce a wide variety of waste products as well as safe drinking
water. These residuals may be organic and inorganic compounds in liquid, solid, and gaseous
forms depending on the source of raw water and the type of treatment processes, commonly,
coagulation/filtration, precipitative softening plant, membrane separation, ion exchange,
granular activated carbon.