FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPART : WATER & ENVIRONMENTAL

ENG.
LAB : ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
EXPERIMENT : JAR TEST

EDITION:
REVISION NO: 02
EFFECTIVE 28/12/2015
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To determine the optimal coagulant dose which will produce the highest removal of a given
water turbidity.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

1. To identify the most common coagulant used in the coagulant process.
2. To determine the most effective and optimum dosage of coagulant for a particular mixing
intensity and duration.
3. To understand the complex interrelationships that exists between the chemicals and the
constituents of the water being treated, as well as other factors such as pH, temperature, the
intensity and duration of mixing.

3.0 THEORY
Raw water and wastewater is normally turbid containing solid particles of varying sizes. Particles with
sizes greater than 50 m settle fairly rapidly. The settling velocities of colloidal particles of sizes less
than 50 m are very slow. Thus, these particles are encouraged to collide leading to coalescence of
particle to form flocs particles, which are bigger and heavier. These particles will have higher settling
velocities and easily settle out. Colloidal particles do not agglomerate by itself due to the presence of
repulsive surface forces. A process is needed to suppress these forces so as to allow flocs formation.
This process is called coagulation process. It is actually the addiction of chemical coagulant to the raw
water or wastewater. Coagulant that are normally used are salts of aluminium namely aluminium
sulphate and ferric salts namely ferrous sulphate and ferric chloride. The next processs that follows the
coagulation process is flocculation. It is the process that promotes particles collision due to gentle
agitation resulting in agglomeration of smaller non-settleable particles into flocs (bigger particles)
which settles easily to produce clarified water. Addition of coagulant aid such as synthetic polymer will
accelerate settling.

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FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPART : WATER & ENVIRONMENTAL
ENG.
LAB : ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

EDITION:
REVISION NO: 02
EFFECTIVE 28/12/2015
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

EXPERIMENT : JAR TEST

4.0 EQUIPMENTS AND MATERIALS

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Jar test apparatus with six rotating paddles blade

Six (6) beakers
pH meter
Turbidity meter
Pipette

REAGENT
1)

Aluminum sulfate (alum),Sulfuric Acid and Sodium Hidroksida

5.0 PROCEDURES
5.1

5.2

Sampling
1) Sampling was carried out according to APHA 1060 B standard.
2) The preservation of sample was according to APHA 1060 B. The sample will be collected
and store in class P,G, FP container and immediately preserved.
Jar test
1) Varied the dose of alum according to appropriate range. Calculate the volume of alum by
using formula (1).
M1V1 =M2V2

(1)

2) Measure the temperature, pH and turbidity of the sample.

3) Prepare samples of wastewater into six different beakers with 0.5 liter each and label the
beakers.
4) Add in coagulant with different dosage and one control sample
5) Run the experiment (rapid mixing: 60 rpm (3 minutes), slow mixing: 30 rpm (20 minutes),
settling time: 5 minutes).
6) Observe the flocculation process and record the floc formation in final 10 minutes by
referring to particle chart in Figure 1.
7) Measured the sludge depth and then collect the liquid sample 3 cm from surface of sample
by using pipette after the end of settling time. Measured the final turbidity and pH of the
collected samples.
Notes: 1) Adjust pH of sample before jar test. Find the appropriate value of pH and range of dose from any
reliable source such as journal, book and etc.
2) Refer APHA 1060 B for type of container, sampling method and preservation technique.
3) Find the standard method for pH, temperature and turbidity measurement that will be carried out in
the laboratory.
4) Equation (1) is used to calculate the dilution of solution.

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FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPART : WATER & ENVIRONMENTAL
ENG.
LAB : ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
EXPERIMENT : JAR TEST

EDITION:
REVISION NO: 02
EFFECTIVE 28/12/2015
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:

Figure 1 : Jar test apparatus

Figure 2: Scale for measurements of floc sizes

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FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

DEPART : WATER & ENVIRONMENTAL
ENG.

EDITION:
REVISION NO: 02
EFFECTIVE 28/12/2015
DATE:

LAB : ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

AMENDMENT
DATE:

EXPERIMENT : JAR TEST

Initial
Temperature
(C)

6.0 RESULTS

Jar

No.

Time of floc formation =

Initial

pH

Initial

Turbidit

y (NTU)

(Mg/l)

Alum Dosage

(mg/jar)

Floc

Formation

Final pH
Final

Turbidity

(NTU)

4|Page

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG.

EDITION:

DEPART : WATER & ENVIRONMENTAL

ENG.

REVISION NO: 02
EFFECTIVE 28/12/2015
DATE:

LAB : ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

AMENDMENT
DATE:

EXPERIMENT : JAR TEST

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Fill in the table provided in the bench sheet

Compare the level of turbidity in each sample.
With the aid of a graph, show the relationship between turbidity and coagulant dosage.
From the graph, get the optimum value for coagulant dose of the coagulation process.
Explain the implications of using different dosage of aluminium sulphate in the treatment process

7.0 ANALYSIS
1.
2.
3.

What is the usage of jar test

What are the operating factors that influence the performance of jar test.
By using aluminium sulphate, the mechanism is :
Al3+

3H2O

Al(OH)3

3H

Describe the mechanism of reaction if the aluminium sulphate is replaced by ferum chloride
(FeCl3).
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

How the coagulant works?

Name three types of acid and base which are suitables for pH neutralization.
What are the benefits of using coagulant aids?
In what way the dosage of aluminium sulphate in the treatment process can be reduced?
Instead of Al2(SO4)3, name another three coagulants that can be best used as coagulant.
Plot graph of turbidity versus pH for jar test below and determine the optimum pH.
Jar test

Jar No.
pH
Coagulant dose (mg/L)
Turbidity (NTU)

PREPARED BY :

1
5
10
11

2
5.5
10
7

3
6
10
5.5

4
6.5
10
5.7

5
7
10
8

6
7.5
110
13

NUR SHAYLINDA MOHD ZIN

SIGNATURE :
POSITION :

LECTURER
DATE : 1 FEBUARY 2016

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