CITY OF GWERU DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SERVICES

INVESTIGATION ON CLARIFIER AND FILTER PERFOMANCE AT GWENORO WATER WORKS

PRINCE MUKOKOWONDO

VIOLA KANENGONI

HILDA MAFUKIDZE

RUMBIDZAI KOMBORA
ABSTRACT
The overall objective of this research was to investigate whether Gwenoro clarification process was
being operated within SAZ standards having the pH and turbidities of the settling tanks and sand filters
falling under the desired range.
: Filtration, Turbidity and SAZS

INTRODUCTION
Below shows a summary of the clarification process.

RAW WATER TREATMENT EFFECT ON WATER

Excludes fish and removes leaves, sticks and other

SCREENING
large debris.

CHEMICALS
(Coagulants Breaks down colloidal stability. Adjusts pH for optimum
and coagulation.
Conditioners)

FLASH MIX Mixes chemicals with raw water, containing fine particles that
will not readily settle or filter out of the water.

COAGULATION /
Gathers together fine, light particles to form larger clumps (floc)
FLOCCULATION to aid the sedimentation/flotation and filtration processes.

SEDIMENTATION / Sedimentation settles out large suspended particles.

FLOTATION Flotation floats out the particles with dissolved air.

Rapid gravity filtration filters or removes

FILTRATION remaining suspended particles.
Slow sand filtration also involves biological
action.

DISINFECTION /
Kills / inactivates disease-causing organisms. Provides chlorine
STERILIZATION
residual for distribution system, where chlorine is used.

CLEARWATER
Stores water prior to discharge to service reservoirs.
TANK

TREATED WATER

1 |Page
Clarification at Gwenoro
Gwenoro water treatment plant has 14 clarifiers spread out through 3 sections. The first section which
is the oldest comprises of 6 chambers divided into two sets of 3 clarifiers.

Clarifier Set 5 & 6

clarifier set 3 & 4

filtration
coagulation distribution
flocculation
chamber chamber

clarifier set 1 & 2

ALUM mixing

chamber

Fig 1.1
The other two sections are of a similar design and each of them has 4 clarifying chambers divided into
two sets of 2 clarifiers as shown in Fig 1.1. The Gwenoro plant also has 10 rapid sand filter with two
of them being the oldest set. Raw water and a solution of Aluminum sulfate are mixed in the coagulation
chamber where the mixture passes through baffles for rapid mixing then passes into the flocculation
section for gentle mixing. From the flocculation section the raw water/coagulant mixture passes into a
distribution chamber Clarified water then moves out of the clarifiers via numerous orifices and flows
through channels that direct it to the next process, i.e. sand filtration.

2 |Page
Apparatus
1.) Turbidimeter

Fig 1.2 Hatch turbidimeter

2.) pH Meter

Fig 1.3 pH meter

3.) 50 ml beaker
4.) Sampling cup
5.) Hatch Sampling Cell for turbidity measurement

3 |Page
Methodology
• Collect a grab samples from each of the 14 clarifiers/settling tanks.
• Collect the samples from the exit of collecting launders using a sampling cup.
• Make sure to rinse the sampling cup with the sample before collecting.
• For measuring Tubridy pour a sample from clarifier into sampling cell and insert the cell into
the turbidimeter.
• For pH measurement, pour a sample into 50ml beaker and place the pH meter electrode into
sample.
• Read and record the results.

Results and conclusions

Clarifier results
The performance of the clarifiers was analyzed based on the Jar Test results from the lab at Gwenoro
treatment plant.
The Results were found to be:
Dosage mg/l Turbidity NTU pH
22 2.94

Raw water turbidity = 4.83

Turbidity of selected dosage = 2.94
Raw turb – jar test turb
(%Turbidity removal from jar test) = Raw turb

(4.83−2.94)
= × 100%
4.83

= 39.1%
Compared this % turbidity removal with that of each clarifier
Raw turb – clarifier turb
(%Turbidity removal, clarifier 1) = Raw turb

(4.83−2.57)
= × 100%
4.83

= 46.4%
All the settling tanks save for tank/ clarifier No.8 generally managed to conform to the jar test results

4 |Page
thus the clarifiers are also generally operating efficiently
Table 1.1 Clarifiers/ settling tanks

pH Tubridy %Turbidity Reduction

Clarifier 1 7.0 2.57 46.4
Clarifier 2 7.0 1.81 62.3
Clarifier 3 7.0 1.15 76.0
Clarifier 4 7.0 1.31 72.7
Clarifier 5 7.0 1.67 65.2

Clarifier 6 7.0 2.15 55.2

Clarifier 7 7.0 1.36 71.7
Clarifier 8 6.8 3.77 21.5
Clarifier 9 6.9 2.43 49.4
Clarifier 10 6.9 1.13 76.5
Clarifier 11 6.9 1.47 69.4

Clarifier 12 6.9 1.70 64.6

Clarifier 13 6.9 1.64 65.8
Clarifier 14 6.9 1.64 65.8
Limits 6.5-8.5 ≤5 maximum allowable limit

A plot of the % reduction in turbidity vs their clarifiers is shown below

90
80
% Reduction in Turbidity

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Clarifier

Fig 1.4 Plot for clarifier vs %reduction in turbidity

5 |Page
Filtration Results
Filtration is the last unit process before disinfection thus the filter effluent was analyzed basing on the
recommended portable water standards specified at 1 NTU and the maximum allowable limits of 5
NTU. Filter turbidities were found to be below 1 NTU and the average pH was 7.0.

Table 1.2 Filters

pH Turbidity
Filter 1 7.0 0.6
Filter 2 7.0 0.7

Filter 3 7.0 0.5

Filter 4 7.0 0.3
Filter 5 7.0 0.3
Filter 6 7.0 0.6
Filter 7 7.1 0.8
Filter 8 7.1 0.4

Filter 9 7.1 0.3

Filter 10 7.0 0.4
Limits 6.5- 8.5 ≤1 recommended limit

Thus, filters are operating efficiently.

Sources of errors
➢ Using the same sampling cup without rinsing with sample we want to sample.
➢ Forgetting to cover the turbidimeter to prevent light penetration into the sample as natural light
will penetrate, resulting in a lower turbidity.
➢ Use of one beaker for sampling pH of all the 14 samples
➢ Temperature changes fluctuations in the pH

References
➢ SAZ
➢ WHO

6 |Page