Water Supply and Treatment

1) A town requiring 1.0 m3/s of drinking water has two sources, a local well with
60 g/m3 nitrate and a distant reservoir with 10g/m3 nitrate.
a. Draw a diagram showing all the inputs, outputs, and variables.
b. What flow rates of well and reservoir are needed to meet the 45g/m3
drinking water standard and minimize the use of more expensive
reservoir water?

a. Draw a diagram showing all the inputs, outputs, and variables.

CW = 60g/m3
QW = ?

C = 45g/m3
Q = 1 m3/s

CR = 10g/m3
QR = ?

b. What flow rates of well and reservoir are needed to meet the 45g/m3 drinking
water standard and minimize the use of more expensive reservoir water?

QW * CW+ QR * CR= QF * CF

QW * (60g/m3) + QR * (10g/m3) = (1.0m3/s) * (45 g/m3) (1)

60QW + 10QR = 45

Minimize Reservoir,

QW + QR = 1 m3/s (2)

QR = 1-QW

60 QW +10(1- QW) = 45 g/s

60 QW + 10 10 QW = 45 g/s

50 QW = 35

QW = 0.70 m3/s; QR = 0.3 m3/s

2) During a chemical reaction, the following concentrations of Species A at

various times were observed. Determine:
 a. The reaction order and reaction rate constant, k
b. The concentration of A after 20hrs.

Time, hours Concentration, mg/L

0 50.8
7.5 32
15 19.7
22.5 12.3
30 7.6

Solution:

a. The reaction order and reaction rate constant, k

Assume a first order reaction. The plot of ln (Ct) versus time

is shown in Figure 1. Since the plot is a straight line, the reaction is a first order
reaction. The slope of line gives the rate constant k.

Figure 1. Plot of ln (Ct) vs. Time

ln (Ct) vs. Time

4.5
4
3.5
3
ln (Ct)

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 7.5 15 22.5 30
Time

Rate constant K = [ln (50.8) ln (7.6)] /30hrs] = [(3.92-2.03) / 30] = 0.063/hr

b. The concentration of A after 20hrs

Ct/ CO = e - (k * t)

Ct = (50.8 mg/L) e - (0.063 * 20)

 =14.3 mg/L

3) A completely mixed chemical reactor has an influent flow with a

concentration of 150 mg/L of A and flowrate of 100 gal/ min. The reaction is
first order and the rate constant is 0.4/hr. Determine:

a. Draw a diagram showing all inputs, outputs, and variables.

b. The required detention time and the volume (gallons) of the reactor if
the effluent contains 20 mg/L of A.
c. Draw a diagram for a plug flow reactor with the same design
conditions.
d. How many times larger a completely mixed reactor must be than a
plug flow reactor for 80% removal or conversion.
e. How many times larger a completely mixed reactor must be than a
plug flow reactor for 90% removal or conversion.
f. Why does a plug flow reactor perform better than a completely mixed
reactor?