Water Treatment Flashcards
Objectives of Water Treatment
” provide potable water that is chemically and biologically safe for human consumption. It should be free from unpleasant tastes and odours”
Potable
water that can be consumed in any desired amount without any concern for adverse health effects
Palatable
water that is pleasing to drink but not necessarily safe
Physical Characteristics of Water
- turbidity (or suspended solids)
- colour
- taste and odour
- temperature
Chemical Characteristics
dissolved chemicals of concern
Microbiological CHaracteristics
pathogens: viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths
Groundwater
- constant composition
- high mineral content
- low turbidity
- low colour
- low or no D.O
- high hardness
Surface Water
- variable composition
- low mineral content
- high turbidity
- coloured
- DO present
- low hardness
Three major water contaminants in NZ
- pathogens ( human and animal wastes)
- sediments (from soil erosion)
- nutrients (from farming and agriculture)
Types of impurities in water
- suspended solids (organic and inorganic) (settleable and non-settleable)
- colloidal solids (organic and inorganic)
- dissolved solids (organic and inorganic)
Unit Operations
removal of contaminants by physical forces such as gravity and screening
Unit Processes
removal of contaminants by chemical or biological reactions
Water Treatment Schemes
- Simple disinfection
- Filtration plants
3, Softening plants
Simple Disinfection
for groundwater: direct pumping and chlorine injection operation, used to treat high quality water
Filtration plants
for surface water: removes colour, turbidity, taste, odour and bacteria
- if the source water has better quality with lower solids, floculation and sedimentation can be ommited: this modification is called direct filtration
Softening Plants
for groundwater: removes hardness ions
Coagulation
destabilisation of colloids from their stable suspension
- neutralise charges
- failitate colloids together
- settle out
Colloid Classification
Hydrophobic
Hydrophilic
Hydrophobic Colloids
“water depressing” - thermodynamically unstable or “irreversible”: if enough time is allowed the particles will aggregate (although very slowly)
We deal primarily with hydrophobic colloids in water and wastewater
Hydrophilic Colloids
“water loving” - thermodynamically stable or “reversible”: they will react spontaneously to form colloids in water
Isoelectric Point
- colloidal particles have become electrically neutral
- highest potential for agglomeration
- zeta potential at isoelectric point is zero
zeta potential
- electric potential difference between shear plane of a colloidal partical and the bulk of the solution
- indirect measure of the electric charge of the colloidal particle
Net Repulsive force
- higher the net repulsive force, the less effective the coagulation
- basic goal of coagulation is to reduce net repulsion force (easier to get colloids together)
Removal of Colloids (2 Steps)
- Destabilisation
2, Flocculation
Destabilisation
(or Coagulation) - reduce the forces acting to keep the particles apart after they contact each other