CE1400

ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY ENGINEERING

Lecture-10 &11
Water Treatment

Dr. Prateek Khatri

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
National Institute of Technology Rourkela
Water Treatment Processes

Flow diagram of a water softening plant.  Screening

 Coagulation
 Flocculation
 Sedimentation
 Filtration
 Disinfection
RAPID MIXING, FLOCCULATION, AND COAGULATION
Coagulation is used to remove turbidity, color, and bacteria from drinking
waters.
The goal of coagulation is to change the surface charge on the particles so they
can stick together to form larger particles that will settle by gravity.
Colloid Stability and Destabilization
In natural waters, colloids are stable because the surface of these particles are
like-charged and they repel one another.
In surface water most of the colloidal particles are derived from clays and have a
net negative charge.
The goal of coagulation is to ensure that the particles come in contact with one
another, “stick together,” and form settleable particles called floc.

The Physics of Coagulation

There are four mechanisms that cause the destabilization of colloidal particles in
natural water suspensions.
1. Adsorption and charge neutralization.
2. Compression of the electric double layer.
3. Adsorption and interparticle bridging.
4. Enmeshment in a precipitate.
 Coagulation
 In natural waters most particles are
negatively charged so coagulation can
be enhanced by adding cations to the
water to induce charge neutralization.
 Trivalent cations adsorb strongly to
negatively charged particles, so they
are much more effective coagulants
than are divalent or monovalent ions
as shown in Figure.
 The greater the concentration of
the positive ion added, the greater the
extent to which the surface charge is
neutralized and the lower the
turbidity.
Coagulants
As previously mentioned, a coagulant is a chemical that is added to the water to
cause the particles to coagulate. A coagulant has three key properties:

1. Trivalent cation. As discussed previously, naturally occurring colloids are most

commonly negatively charged, hence cations are required to achieve charge
neutralization. As shown in the previous plot, trivalent cations are much more
effective than monovalent or divalent simple cations, such as sodium and calcium.
2. Nontoxic. Obviously, for the production of potable water, the coagulant must be
nontoxic.
3. Insoluble in the neutral pH range. High concentrations of the coagulant in
treated water are undesirable. Therefore, a coagulant is usually relatively
insoluble at the pH values desired.

The two most commonly used metallic coagulants are aluminum (Al3+) and ferric
iron (Fe3+).
Problem: A water treatment plant with an average flow of Q = 0.044 m3⋅s-1
treats its water with alum (Al2(SO4)3⋅14H2O) at a dose of 25 mg·L-1. Alum
coagulation is used to remove particulate matter, reduce the concentration of
organic matter, and reduce the alkalinity of the water. If the organic matter
concentration is reduced from 8 mg·L-1 to 3 mg·L-1 determine the total mass of
alkalinity consumed and the total mass of dry solids removed per day.
Solution
First determine the total amount of alkalinity consumed.

For each mole of alum added, six moles of alkalinity (bicarbonate form) are
removed.
Alum dose is

HCO3 – removed =(6)(4.206 × 10-5) = 0.000252 mol · L-1 of HCO-3

Total alkalinity removed per day =
(0.000252 mol L-1)(0.044 m3 · s-1)(1000 L · m-3)(86,400 s · day-1)
= 959.4 mol· day-1

= 959.4 mol· day-1 × 61 g · mol-1 = 58,526 g · day-1, or 58.5 kg /day-

For every mole of alum added, two moles of solid precipitate.

So, the amount of solid is

= (8.41 × 10-5 mol /L)(0.044 m3 / s)(1000 L/ m3)(86,400 s/ day)

= 319.8 mol /day

Total organic matter settled per day= 8-3 =5 ppm

= 5 mg/ L × 0.044 m3/s × 1000 L/m3 × 86,400 s /day
= 19,008,000 mg/day = 19.0 kg/day
So, by adding the mass fluxes of aluminum hydroxide and settled organic
matter sludges, the total amount of dry solids removed per day is calculated.
42.2 kg /day + 19.0 kg/day = 61.2 kg/day
Sedimentation

 When water has little or no movement, suspended solids sink to

the bottom under the force of gravity and form a sediment.

Applications in Water Treatment:

1. Settling of coagulated and flocculated waters prior to filtration
2. Settling of coagulated and flocculated waters in a softening plant
3. Settling of treated waters in an iron and manganese removal plant

Applications in Wastewater Treatment:

4. grit removal
5. suspended solids removal in primary clarifier
6. biological floc removal in activated sludge
Types of settling in sedimentation

Type 1: Discrete settling

Type 2: Flocculent settling
Type 3: Hindered settling
Type 4: Compression settling
Types of settling in sedimentation

Discrete settling settling of discrete particles in dilute suspensions

• particles have no tendency to flocculate
• no significant interaction with neighboring particles
Ex: sand and grit material.
Flocculent settling  settling of flocculant particles in dilute suspensions
 as particle settle and coalesce with other particles, the sizes of
particles and their settling velocity increases

Hindered settling  settling of intermediate concentration of flocculant particles

 interparticle forces hold them in fixed positions relative to each
other and
 the mass of particles settles as a zone at a constant velocity

Compression  settling of particles that are of such a high concentration that the
settling particles touch each other and settling can occur only by
compression which takes place from the weight of particles
Type 1 – Discrete Settling

If a particle is suspended in water , it initially has 3 forces acting

upon it.

1. The forces of gravity (FG)

2. The buoyant force quantified by Archimedes (FB)
3. Drag force(F D)

FG = FB + FD
g=g +
g +
Type 1 – Discrete Settling

Drag coefficient , = 0.4 for spheres

= = for laminar flow; Re < 100

Dp = diameter of the particle

V = velocity of the particle
= density of water
= viscosity of water
Type 1 – Discrete Settling
FG = FB + FD
g=g +
g +

= =
=
=

Substituting and solving for settling velocity

= (-)

This is known as Stokes’ Law for settling velocity of discrete

particles and applies for Re < 0.5
Type 1 – Discrete Settling

Settling velocity of spherical discrete particles under laminar flow

conditions

= (-)
Settling velocity of spherical discrete particles under turbulent flow conditions

CD 0.4

d
Example1: Find the terminal settling velocity of a spherical discrete
particle with diameter 0.5 mm and specific gravity of 2.65 settling
through water at 20 0C with laminar flow condition.

Density of water = 1000 kg /m3

Viscosity of water = 0.001 Ns/m2

Solution

= (-) = (9.8 *(2650-1000)*0.5*0.5*10-6)/18*0.001

= 0.22 m/s
Type 2 – Flocculent Settling (settling of flocculent particles in dilute
suspension)

 Type II settling is settling of flocculent groups of particles.

 Flocculent particles are those particles that are chemically
assisted to come together and produce large particles, and
thus settle.
 Coagulation is the first process of adding the coagulated
chemical which changes the particles electric charge and is
then amenable to aggregation.
 Flocculation is the second process of getting the
coagulated mix to form larger flocs.
 While the particles are settling, increase in size and mass
occurs during settling process.
Thank you
Rectangular settling tank
Types of Sedimentation Tank
 Sedimentation tanks may function either intermittently or
continuously.
 The intermittent tanks also called quiescent type tanks are those
which store water for a certain period and keep it in complete
rest.
 In a continuous flow type tank, the flow velocity is only reduced
and the water is not brought to complete rest as is done in an
intermittent type.
 Settling basins may be either long rectangular or circular in plan.
Long narrow rectangular tanks with horizontal flow are generally
Types of Sedimentation Tank
 Rectangular tanks
 Circular tanks
 Hopper bottom tanks
 Rectangular settling tank

Flight scrapper

1) inlet, 2) settling, 3) outlet, and 4) sludge storage

To reduce the turbulence caused by the rushing water as it leaves the tank, a series of troughs,
called weirs, are put in place to provide a large area for the water to flow through and
minimize the velocity in the sedimentation tank near the outlet zone.
Circular settling tank

Circular tanks
Hopper bottom tanks
Critical Settling Velocity & Overflow rate

 Particles move horizontally with the fluid (Vs) (all particles have the same
horizontal velocity)
 Particles move vertically with terminal settling velocity (Vc) (different for
particles with different size, shape and density)
 All particles with Vs > Vc will be completely settled.

 Particle with Vs < Vc will be removed in the ratio Vp/Vc (Vp is particle settling
velocity)
Rectangular settling tank
Circular tanks
Rectangular settling tank
For a rectangular tank

Retention time t =

Note L > 2W and L>> H

Horizontal velocity, V = (m/s)

t=

V= horizontal velocity
L= tank length; W =width; H = tank height- sludge depth
Water Treatment Processes

Flow diagram of a water softening plant.  Screening

 Coagulation
 Flocculation
 Sedimentation
 Filtration
 Disinfection
Filtration
 Filtration is the process of passing water through a porous
medium with the expectation that the filtrate has a better
quality than the influent.
 The medium is usually sand.
 Slow sand filtration is credited with improving the
aesthetic quality of water and also with the removal of
pathogens.
 There are many classifications of filtration systems and
they include:
 Gravity or pressure
 Rapid, slow or variable filtration rates
 Cake or Depth filtration
Slow sand filters
Rapid sand filters
References
1. https://npcb.nagaland.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/water-standards.pdf
2. https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/indian-standard-drinking-water-bis-
specifications-10500-1991