Sedimentation: it is a treatment process in

which the velocity of inf luent water is lowered

below the suspension velocity which leads to
the inf luent being separated into 2 phases

i) Clarified supernatant at the top of the

sedimentation tank
ii) Concentrated sludge settling at the bottom
of the tank.
It follows coagulation and flocculation and
precedes filtration. This stage of treatment
removes about 90% of suspended particles
including bacteria and this also reduces the load
on the filters.
It may also occur as part of the pre treatment
process, where it is known as pre-sedimentation,
where the settling of particles relies merely on
gravity.
Pre sedimentation also reduces the load on the
coagulation and flocculation basins and
sedimentation chamber as well as reducing the
volume of chemicals required to treat the water.
 Sedimentation is achieved in large basins under
relatively quiescent conditions. The settled solids
are collected by mechanical scrappers into a
hopper, from which they are pumped to sludge
disposal/processing areas and supernatants are
skimmed from the surface.

There are 3 main types of basins:

i) Rectangular basins with horizontal flow
ii) Circular basins with spiral flow
iii) Square or circular basins with upward flow
Its a term sometimes used for sedimentation which
usually refers to the function of a sedimentation tank
in removing suspended matter from the water to give a
clarified effluent. In a broader sense, clarification
could include floatation and filtration.

*The extent to which sedimentation clarifies water

depends on the Turbidity of the water
It’s the non-specific measure of the amount of
particulate material in water.
Units of measurement: Nephelometric turbidity unit
(NTU)
Variations of turbidity in raw water surface can be
very great and allowance must be made for this.

Treatment plants must be designed to take

account of variations known or expected to occur
with significant frequency otherwise filters may
rapidly become blocked or sedimentation tanks
overloaded.
Can protect micro-organisms from effects of
disinfection, stimulate the growth of bacteria and give
rise to a significant chlorine demand.
 Appearance of water with a turbidity of less than
5NTU is usually acceptable to consumers
 No health based guideline for turbidity has been
proposed
 Median turbidity should be below 0.1NTU for effective
disinfection
 Changes in turbidity are an important process control
parameter
Particles may settle out of a suspension in four ways
depending on the concentration of the suspension the
flocculating properties of the particles;
This corresponds to the sedimentation of discreet
particles in a suspension of low solid
concentration. Each particle will be heavier than
water and settles freely without interference from
adjacent particles.
This type of settling is due to particles that flocculate
during sedimentation process. Due to flocculation,
particles increase in mass and settle under water.
This type of settling refers to flocculent suspension of
intermediate concentration. Inter-particle forces hold
the particles together and hence the mass of the
particles subsides as a whole
This refers to flocculent suspensions of so high
concentration that particles actually come in
contact with each other, resulting in a formation of
a structure. Further settling can occur only by
compression of the structure brought about due to
weight of particles which are being constantly
added to the structure.

*In water treatment, only type I and type II are

mostly encountered
 Depending on the method of operation,
sedimentation tanks are of two types;

1. Fill and draw

2. Continuous flow tank
The tank is first filled with incoming water, and is
allowed to rest for a certain period. During the rest
period, the particles settle down at the bottom of the
tank.
 Water continuously keeps on moving in the tank,
though with a very small velocity during which time the
suspended particles settle at the bottom before the reach
the outlet. There are two types of continuous flow tanks,

a) Horizontal flow tanks

Tank is generally rectangular in plan. Water flows
practically in the horizontal direction with a very small
velocity

b) Vertical flow tanks

Generally deep circular or rectangular basins with
hooper bottoms
 Rectangular tank with slopping bottom
 Circular tank with radial flow
 Baffle tanks
 Circular tank wit spiral flow
 Hopper bottom tank with vertical flow
Definition

The accumulated solids or precipitates removed from a

sedimentation basin or settling tank in a water
treatment plant
 Excess coagulant
 Inorganic matter: soil particles mostly clays
 Organic matter: bacteria,
 The percentage of the constituents depends on the
water source and processes before sedimentation
 DEWATERING- this is a process of removing water
from the sludge in order to easily transport it.
 It is done in lagoons or drying beds.
 Alum sludge is usually difficult to dewater and is
conditioned by means of addition of polymers to aid
dewatering.
 Take to wastewater treatment plants with capacity to
treat such sludge.
 Landfill: dedicated and non-dedicated
 Land Application for non-toxic sludge.
 For small volumes it can be pre-incinerated and the
ash be disposed by land filling.
 Landfills for toxic sludge can be lined using clay or
geo-membranes.
Design principles

 rectangular tanks should be long and narrow

 incoming flocs should be distributed uniformly over
the width and depth of tank
 outer weir should be wide enough to reduce high
velocities.
 particle removal independent of tank depth
 provide at least two tanks
 Retention time
 Surface Loading rate
 Weir overflow rate
 Basin dimensions
Design a coagulation sedimentation tank with a
continuous flow for treating water for a population of
45,000 persons with an average daily consumption of
135 L/person. Assume a surface loading rate of 0.9
m3m-2h-1 and that the weir loading rate is within
acceptable limits.
Average consumption = 135 x 45,000
= 6,075,000 L/d.

Allow 1.61 times for maximum daily consumption:

maximum daily consumption = 1.61 x 6,075,000

= 9780.75 m3/d.
Therefore,
required surface area of the tank = (9780.75/24)/0.9
= 452.81 m2.
Assume a length to width ratio of the tank of 3:1.
Therefore:
width of tank = 452.81/3w2 m
= 12m

length of tank = 3 x 12
= 36m
 Lmin = 12 Lmax=48
Therefore design is ok
Assuming a retention time of 4hrs
T=Capacity(Volume)/Discharge

T=L*W*D/Q

D=TQ/LW
D=4*407.53/452.81
= 3.7m
But min D=3m and max D=4m therefore design is ok
 Range of WOR = 6 to 14 m3/hm
WOR= max flow/length

Length = max flow/WOR

For minimum length we use maximum WOR

Length = 407.53/14
= 29m
This slide has been left blank intentionally
for purposes of student’s further study
THANK YOU