ENVE 303

UNIT OPERATIONS AND PROCESSES

OF WATER TREATMENT

WATER TREATMENT
 Safe Drinking Water

• Free from pathogenic organisms

• Clear
• Not saline *(high contentration of dissolved salts)
• Free from offensive taste or smell
• Free from compounds that may have adverse
effect on human health
• Free from chemicals that cause corrosion of
water supply systems

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 Water Quality Parameters

Physical Chemical Biological

• Suspended • Hardness • Pathogens

solids • Dissolved • Pathogen
• Turbidity solids indicators
• Color • Alkalinity
• Taste & Odor • Metals
• Temperature • Organics
• .. • ..

In Turkey, ‘Regulation on “Water Intended for Human

Consumption’
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(İnsani Tüketim Amaçlı Sular Hakkında Yönetmelik)
 Physical Characteristics: Suspended
Solids

• Organic and inorganic particulate matter in water

are termed as suspended solids
• May be distinguished from colloids, particles that
do not settle readily

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 Physical Characteristics: Suspended
Solids

• Problems
– sedimentation
– may exert oxygen demand
– primary transport mechanism for many metals,
organics and pathogens
– aesthetic
– complicates drinking water treatment
• Sources
– storm water
– wastes
– erosion 4
 Physical Characteristics: Turbidity

• Presence of nonsetteable suspended matter

in water
• Not necessarily a health concern, but may
be an indication of contamination

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 Physical Characteristics: Color

• Due to the presence of organic matter

(decaying vegetation), metals (iron,
manganese) or highly colored industrial waste
• Aesthetically displeasing

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Physical Characteristics: Taste and 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

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 Chemical Characteristics: Heavy Metals

• Present as mineral in soil and rocks of earth

• Human activities
– Metal plating
– Steel production
–…

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 Chemical Characteristics: Organic
Substances

Natural Organic Matter (NOM);

• is found in every water body
• yellow-brown color of a swamp is the clear
evidence of NOM
• relatively less in ground waters
• it causes adverse aesthetic qualities such as
color, taste and odor; it produces undesirable
disinfection by-products (DBPs) *being produced while treating water

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 Pathogenic Organisms

• Many organisms that cause human or animal

diseases, colonize the intestinal tract but can live
for a period of time outside the body.

• Pathogens: Few types of bacteria, viruses,

protozoa and other organisms like helminths.

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 Pathogenic Organisms

• Some pathogens are found in water, frequently

as a result of
– Fecal matter from sewage discharges
– Leaking septic tanks
– Run off from animal feedlots into water bodies
waste matter discharged from the body, especially
faeces and urine.

• When water is contaminated by excreta, the

organisms can be transmitted to those who
contact the water.

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 Scope of Water Treatment

• To remove any particulate matter substances

(sand, clay, sediments, suspended organic
matter,..)
• To remove dissolved solids (causing odor,
hardness, sometimes organic matter such as
potential pesticides,..)
• To remove pathogenic organisms

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 Selection of Water Treatment Processes

Depends on
• Type of water source
• Desired water quality

*GW naturally filtrates itself Type of water source

while pumping the water to
ground.

Groundwater Surface water

• Lakes (Natural, reservoirs)
• Rivers

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 Water Treatment Plants

• Water and wastewater treatment plants for

municipalities are usually designed for a flowrate
that will occur from 20 to 30 years in the future.

– This requires a population projection for the design

period and also an estimate of the water demand (or
WW flow) per capita for the future period.

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 Water Treatment Plants
• The design capacity of a water treatment plant is
the average flow on the day of maximum demand.

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J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 2007.133:137-144.
 Water Treatment Plants

The most common treatment plants for surface waters and

groundwater are
• Rapid-sand filtration plants
• Lime-soda softening plants, respectively.

• Despite this general statement, the desired water quality

and the source characteristics determine the treatment
scheme (flow diagram) of the water treatment plant.
Other units (such as adsorption (granular or powdered
activated carbon)) might be needed accordingly.

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 Water Treatment Plants
WATER TREATMENT PLANT
SURFACE WATER SUPPLY

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 Groundwater Treatment Plant
Rapid Slow
Aeration Mix Mix Recarbonation
Hard Water
Well (Ca+2, Mg+2) add
add DO to decrease pH
CO2
to remove CO2 and H2S Sedimentation
Fe2+ → Fe3+
Mn2+ → Mn4+
add lime and soda ash
to precipitate hardness Chlorine is used for
disinfection
Clear Well: provides Polyphosphates are
storage so that the plant added for corrosion
control and scaling
may operate at a constant prevention.
rate on the day of maximum Fluoride is commonly
added for dental health
demand that is when the benefits.
hourly demand is greater Filtration Clear
than the hourly water well To distribution
production, the water system
required is provided from add Cl2 , polyphosphate
storage in the clear well. and F-
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CE 326 Principles of Environmental Engineering, Copyright © 2008 Tim Ellis, Iowa State University
Groundwater Treatment Plant – Simple
Disinfection

Clear To distribution
Well well system
Disinfection
add Cl2 ,
polyphosphate
and F-

->pH is increased for softening of Ca&Mg, after that CO2 is used to decrease pH.
And also, to prevent the deposition of CaCO2.

->Destabilize in coagulation to prevent repelling (they have charges).

-> If there isnt enough turbidity to coagulate, increase it (cheaper).

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 Surface Water Treatment Plant
Intake and Pump Station
(Bar racks + Fine Screens)
Rapid Mix Slow Mix Sedimentation
Bacteria, Color, Sedimentation
Coagulation Flocculation
Turbidity basin basin basin

add Cl2 or O3 for taste

and odor control
alum or iron salts
Stream for coagulation

Clear To distribution
Filtration Disinfection system
well

add Cl2 , polyphosphate,

and F-, lime for pH
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CE 326 Principles of Environmental Engineering, Copyright © 2008 Tim Ellis, Iowa State University
 Surface Water Treatment Plant - Direct
Filtration
Effective direct filtration
performance
Intake and Pump Station ranges from 90 to 99 percent
(Bar racks + Fine Screens) for virus
removal but only for specific
Rapid Mix Slow Mix water bodies.
Bacteria, Color,
Coagulation Flocculation
Turbidity basin basin
add Cl2 or O3 for taste
and odor control
alum or iron salts
Stream for coagulation

Clear- To distribution
Filtration Disinfection
well system

add Cl2 , polyphosphate,

and F-, lime for pH
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CE 326 Principles of Environmental Engineering, Copyright © 2008 Tim Ellis, Iowa State University
 Surface Water Treatment Plant - GAC
A filter with granular activated carbon (GAC) is a proven
option to remove certain chemicals, particularly organic
Intake and Pump Station chemicals, from water. GAC filters also can be used to
remove chemicals that give objectionable odors or tastes
(Bar racks + Fine Screens) to water such as hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs odor) or
chlorine.
Rapid Mix Slow Mix
Bacteria, Color,
Coagulation Flocculation
Turbidity basin basin
add Cl2 or O3 for taste
and odor control
alum or iron salts
Stream for coagulation

Sand Clear-
GAC To distribution
Filtration well
system

add Cl2 , polyphosphate,

and F-, lime for pH

GAC: Granular activated carbon 22