WATER PURIFICATION METHODS

1.SEDIMENTATION
a.remove bulky objects –sand and
gravel parts
Aluminum sulphate/iron sulphate
done in mixing chamber
Flocs – masses of coagulated
materials
Flocculation -Flocculation is a
process by which a chemical
coagulant added to the water acts to
facilitate bonding between particles,
creating larger aggregates which are
easier to separate
FILTRATION

Filtration. Water flows through a filter

designed to remove particles from within
it. The filters are made of layers of sand
and gravel, and in some cases, crushed
anthracite. Filtration collects the
suspended impurities in water, enhancing
the effectiveness of disinfection.
Water disinfection means the removal,
deactivation or killing of pathogenic
microorganisms. Microorganisms are
destroyed or deactivated, resulting in
termination of growth and reproduction
 Chlorination
Chlorination is the process of
adding chlorine to drinking
water to disinfect it and kill
germs.
Different processes can be
used to achieve safe levels of
chlorine in drinking water.

Chlorine is available as
compressed elemental gas,
sodium hypochlorite solution
(NaOCl) or solid calcium
hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2 1.
 Ozonation
Ozone is a powerful
oxidising agent which,
when dissolved in water,
produces a broad
spectrum biocide that
destroys all bacteria,
viruses and cysts.
Ozone water treatment
has been used
commercially for the
treatment of potable
water since 1904.
Dissinfection by boiling

Boiling is a very simple method of water

disinfection. Heating water to a high
temperature, 100°C, kills most of the
pathogenic organisms, particularly viruses
and bacteria causing waterborne diseases.
In order for boiling to be most effective,
the water must boil for at least 20
minutes.
 What is Wastewater?
• Wastewater is a term that is used to describe waste

material that includes industrial liquid waste and sewage

waste that is collected in towns and urban
areas and treated at urban wastewater treatment plants.
Wastewater treatment
• A process to convert wastewater -
which is water no longer needed or
suitable for its most recent use - into
an effluent that can be either returned
to the water cycle with minimal
environmental issues or reused.
 Wastewater Contaminants
• Suspended solids
• Biodegradable organics (e.g., BOD)
• Pathogenic bacteria
• Nutrients (N & P)
Where does wastewater come

from?
• Residences
― human and animal excreta and waters used for washing, bathing,
and cooking.

• Commercial institution
• Dairy and industrial establishment
― slaughterhouse waste, dairy waste, tannery wastewater, etc.
Steps of Sewage waste water treatment
1. Collection of water
3.Primary treatment
physical treatment of smaller particles
4. Secondary treatment biological treatment –
aerobic process
A.Trickling filter
B. Oxidation pond
c.Activated sludge process

5. Tertiary treatment
chemical treatment
 Why treat wastewater?
• Causes a demand for dissolved oxygen (lower
DO levels of streams)

• Adds nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) to

cause excessive growth

• Increases suspended solids or sediments in

streams (turbidity increase)
Objectives of WWT

Reduce organic content i.e., BOD

Removal/reduction of nutrients i.e.,

N,P

Removal/inactivation of pathogenic
microbes and suspended soilds
 Levels of Treatment
Secondary
Mostly dead
– Biological and chemical treatment microbes

– aerobic microbiological process (sludge)

organic matter + O2  CO2 +
NH3 +
H2ONH3  NO3- aquatic nutrient
 Treatment stages - Primary
treatment
Primary
• removal by physical separation of grit and large
objects (material to landfill for disposal)
• Sedimentation and screening of large debris
• typical materials that are removed during
primary treatment include
– fats, oils, and greases
– sand, gravels and rocks
– larger settle-able solids including human waste, and
– floating materials
 Methods used in primary
treatment
• Bar screens
• Grinding
• Grit Chamber
• Sedimentation Tank- primary
Settling tank
 Secondary treatment
• Biological treatment - Reduce this load of dissolved organic
matter by microbial degradation through oxidation .
• BOD –BEFORE AND AFTER OXYGEN

• BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen required to remove waste

organic matter from water in the process of decomposition by aerobic
bacteria (those bacteria that live only in an environment containing
oxygen). ... BOD is used, often in wastewater-treatment plants, as an index
of the degree of organic pollution in water.

1.Trickling filter

2.oxidation ponds

3.activated sludge
• Trickling filters are beds made of coke (carbonized coal),
limestone chips or specially fabricated plastic media
• Optimize their thickness by insect or worm grazing

• The primary wastewater is sprayed over the filter and

microbes decompose organic material aerobically.

• Low pathogen removal

- Bacteria, 20-90%

- Viruses, 50-90%
- Giardia cysts, 70-90%
 Stabilization or oxidation ponds
Oxidation ponds are a shallow pond of about few
meters deep.
•
Aerobic stabilization of water
Oxygen for biochemical oxidation of organic matter
• supplied from air
• Algal growth can be induced in the tanks which
• release oxygen during photosynthesis. Source of
oxygen

Pathogen removal:
- Bacteria, 90-99%
•
- Virus, 90-99%
- Protozoa, 67-99%
 Continued…
Stabilization ponds are the preferred
wastewater treatment process in developing
countries due to low cost, low maintenance.
This is balanced by larger land requirement.
 Activated sludge process
• wastewater mixed with bacteria-rich (activated) sludge
and air or oxygen is pumped into the mixture.
• Vigorous aeration of sewage results in the formation of
aggregates of finely suspended and colloidal matter called
floccules.
• If the floccules are allowed to settle at faster rate and
vigorously aerated flocculation occurs at shorter time
than before.
• Activated sludge . After repeating this process several
times sedimented floccules called activated sludge is
obtained.
• This activated sludge contain large number of actively
metabolizing bacteria yeasts moulds and protozoa
 These microorganisms oxidize the organic compounds in the sewage .
 Need aeration period of 4-8 hours .Then the fluid is passed through
settling tank .The settled activated sludge is pumped into digestion
chamber where anaerobic decompositions takes place .
 Organic compounds are converted into soluble. Substances and gases
such as methane and carbon dioxide and the remaining solids are used
as fertilizer
 Tertiary treatment
 Tertiary treatment is the final cleaning process that improves
wastewater quality before it is reused, recycled or discharged to
the environment.
 The treatment removes remaining inorganic compounds, and
substances, such as the nitrogen and phosphorus.
 Disinfection mainly done by chlorination
 Mostly chlorination and ozone or ultra violet irradiation also is
used for disinfection purposes.