Overview of Water

Treatment
Physical, chemical, and biological processes are
used for treating water.
Unit operation: physical treatment.
Unit process: chemical or biological treatment.
A series of unit operations and unit processes are
selected by the process engineer based on influent
characteristics to achieve the desired effluent
quality.

Water Treatment Problem

A water treatment plant is to be designed to treat
water with the following characteristics:
High turbidity
High bacteriological concentrations
No carbon dioxide
Medium color
Low hardness
What is the source of the water?
Prepare schematic of treatment train.

Items to Consider
Source: River variable flow and quality
High turbidity: removed by sedimentation and filtration; suggest
presedimentation.
High bacteriological concentrations: removed by disinfection; some
microbes removed by coagulation, flocculation and settling; suggest
predisinfection.
Carbon dioxide: aerate or add lime if present.
Medium color: ozonation and chlorination will reduce,
may be necessary to use activated carbon
Low hardness : would soften if moderately hard.

Screens

Low Lift Pumps

Flow Meter

Plain
Sedimentation
Disinfectant

Screening: unit operation, removes large

debris and tree limbs.
Low Lift Pumps: unit operation, provides
energy to lift water up to the treatment plant
Flow Meter: unit operation, measures flow.
Pre-disinfection: unit process, disinfectant
added to lower bacterial and pathogen levels.
Plain sedimentation: unit operation, removes
suspended solids lowering turbidity.

Coagulant
Mixing

Focculation

Disinfectant
Sedimentation

Mixing: unit operation, dispersion of

coagulant.
Flocculation: unit process, destabilization of
colloidal particles and promotion of floc
growth.
Sedimentation: unit operation, removal of
suspended solids, lowers turbidity.
Disinfection: unit process, addition of
disinfectant to kill pathogens.

Disinfectant
Filtration

Clear Well

Disinfectant

To
Distribution
System
High Service Pumps

Filtration: unit operation, removes remaining

turbidity and microbial cysts.
Disinfection: unit process, disinfectant added
to ensure pathogens are destroyed. Clear well
provides necessary contact time with
disinfectant.
High Service Pumps: unit operation, energy
provided to pump water throughout
distribution system.

Water Treatment Problem

A water treatment plant is to be designed to treat
water with the following characteristics:
Low turbidity
Low bacteriological concentrations
Moderate carbon dioxide
Low color
High hardness
What is the source of the water?
Prepare schematic of treatment train.

Items to Consider
Source: Well relatively constant flow and high quality.
Low turbidity: removed by coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and
filtration; may need to add turbidity in the form of clay to provide nuclei
for coagulation.
Low bacteriological concentrations: removed by disinfection; some
microbes removed by coagulation, flocculation and settling; lime-soda ash
treatment followed by sedimentation and filtration should remove microbes .
Carbon dioxide: aerate or add lime if present.
Low color: ozonation and chlorination will reduce.
High hardness : soften if moderately hard using lime-soda ash; alternative
treatment would be to used membranes rather than conventional treatment.

Wells

Flow Meter
Disinfectant

Trasy
Aeration

Low Lift Pumps

Wells: unit operation, source of groundwater.

Low Lift Pumps: unit operation, provides
energy to lift water up to the treatment plant
Flow Meter: unit operation, measures flow.
Pre-disinfection: unit process, disinfectant added to
reduce pathogen levels and oxidize H2S, Fe & Mg.
Tray Aeration: unit operation, removes
CO2, H2S, and other gases.

Lime & Soda

Mixing

Focculation

Disinfectant
Sedimentation

Mixing: unit operation, dispersion of lime &

soda-ash for hardness removal.
Flocculation: unit process, destabilization of
colloidal particles and promotion of floc
growth.
Sedimentation: unit operation, removal of
suspended solids, lowers turbidity.
Disinfection: unit process, addition of
disinfectant to kill pathogens.

Disinfectant
Filtration

Clear Well

Disinfectant

To
Distribution
System
High Service Pumps

Filtration: unit operation, removes remaining

turbidity and microbial cysts.
Disinfection: unit process, disinfectant added
to ensure pathogens are destroyed. Clear well
provides necessary contact time with
disinfectant.
High Service Pumps: unit operation, energy
provided to pump water throughout
distribution system.

Waste water Treatment

Additional treatment to remove
organic matter

 Aerobic suspended growth systems

Activated Sludge Process, Oxidation Ponds

Aerobic attached growth systems

Trickling filters, Rotating Biological Contactors

Anaerobic suspended growth systems

Anaerobic Sludge Digestors, Septic Tanks

Anaerobic attached growth systems

Anaerobic Filters, UASB

Combination of aerobic and anaerobic

systems