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Water Treatment

Introduction
Water resources in Malaysia are abundance and
available throughout the year
They estimated at more than 3000 cubic meter
per year
76% - agriculture, 11% for municipal water
supply and 13% for industries
Main source of water supply Klang Gates Dam
( 28 megalitre/d), Semenyih Dam ( 545
megalitre/d), Sungai tinggi dam (1950 megalitre)
Kelau dam (1890 megalitre/d)

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Introduction
Since 1900s, engineer working to reduce
waterborne disease
Typhoid fever in US

Water Quality
Water source is rarely clean enough for human
consumption
Physical : appearance, colour or turbidity,
temperature, taste and odor
Chemical : includes the identification of its
components and their concentration
Biological: microbiological agent that important
to public health
Radiological: consideration of area where water
contact with radioactive substance

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Water Quality Standard

Parameter

MALAYSIA STANDARD (mg/l (unless

otherwise stated))
Parameter Short Name Group
Raw Water Treated Water

Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

5000 MPN 0 in 100

Total Coliform TC 1 0 0
/ 100 ml ml

5000 MPN 0 in 100

E.coli E.coli 1 0 0
/ 100 m ml

Turbidity NTU 1 0 1000 NTU 0 5 NTU

Color TCU 1 0 300 TCU 0 15 TCU

PH PH 1 5.50000 9.00000 6.50000 9.00000

Free Residual Chlorine BCl 1 - - 0.20000 5.00000

Temperature C 1 - - - -

Clostridium perfringens Clostridium perfringens

1 - - 0 Absent
(including spores) (including spores)

Water quality criteria

The water quality index (WQI) is a measurement
used as a basis for assessing the level of pollution
and categorizing it into classes as stipulated in the
National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia
(NWQS).
WQI is preliminary means of assessment of a water
body
The parameters chosen for the WQI based on the
DoEs formula are
1. DO 4. SS
2. BOD 5. pH
3. COD

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CLASS WQI DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES

I > 92.7 Natural condition

Water Supply - no treatment required
Aqua-culture - supports very sensitive river species

II 76.5 - 92.7 Water supply - basic treatment required

Aqua-culture - supports most sensitive river species
Recreation - used for recreational purposes

III 51.9 - 76.5 Water supply - extensive treatment required

Aqua-culture - supports hardened river species
Source of drinking for animals

IV 31.0 - 51.9 Irrigation only

V < 31.0 The condition of water is untreatable

NWQS

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Upstream of Sg Langat Sg
Merbau,
Water Quality Index Water Quality Index Class III
Class II

Sg Rinching Sg
Cheras
Water Quality Index Water Quality Index Class IV
Class III

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Treatment System
Limited treatment plants high quality water
source, employ very specific treatment
technique
Coagulation plants treat surface water
Clarification ( coagulation-flocussion,
sendimentation & filtration) + disinfection
Softening plants treat high hardness level
water
Chemical treatment, aeration and filtration

Coagulation plant

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Water Treatment Process

Aeration
Remove unnecessary
gas, oxidation of iron
& manganese

Softening Lime +
soda ash
Remove Ca2+, Mg2+
Typical plant
treating hard Filtration
groundwater remove CaCO3 &
Mg(OH)2 from softening

Disinfection
Destroy pathogens chlorine

Storage
Provide contact time
for disinfection

chlorine + Presedimentation
ammonia
Remove larger suspended soilds

Mixing, flocculation, settling

alum + Remove turbidity by coagulating &
polymers settling it

Filtration
chlorine Remove turbidity

Typical plant
treating turbid
surface water Adsorption
with organics Activated carbon added (for water that
contains dissolved organics)

Disinfection
chlorine
Remove pathogens

Storage
Provide contact time
for disinfection

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Coagulation
coagulation is used to remove turbidity,
colour and bacteria from drinking water
The goal is to change the surface charge of
the particles so that can stick together to form
larger particles that will settle down by
gravity

Colloid stability and destabilation

In natural water, colloid is stable
surface have charged therefore repel one another
Too small to settle by gravity
Most of colloidal particles from clays have net
negative surface charge act like magnet
Coagulant neutralize the charge and make them stick
one another floc
Speed mixing not too fast
The higher the concentration of cation the greater the
neutralization the lower turbidity
Restabilization excess of cation

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Coagulants
Chemical added to water to cause the particles to
coagulate
Properties:
Trivalent cation
Nontoxic
Insoluble in the neutral pH
Most commonly used : Al3+ and Fe3+
important factor in coagulant addition:
pH : 5.5 6.5 (alum), 4-9 (ferum)
Dose
Optimum determine using jar test

Mixing and flocculation

Process where chemical are quickly and
uniformly dispersed in the water
The precipitate contact with one another to
form floc
Accomplished by slow and gentle mixing
The success depend on: chemical dose, water
temperature, pH
Using axial-flow impeller, paddle floculator,
baffled chamber

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3 steps of coagulation process

Rapid mixing, coagulation, and flocculation

Why coagulation and flocculation?

Particle diameter (mm) Type Settling velocity

10 Pebble 0.73 m/s

GravIty sett

1 Course sand 0.23 m/s

0.1 Fine sand 0.6 m/min

lIng

0.01 Silt 8.6 m/d

0.0001 (10 micron) Large colloids 0.3 m/y

0.000001 (1 nano) Small colloids 3 m/million y

Colloids so small: gravity settling not possible

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Chemistry
Most particles dissolved in water have a
negative charge, so they tend to repel each
other. As a result, they stay dispersed and
dissolved or colloidal in the water

Coagulants tend to be positively

charged. Due to their positive charge, they
are attracted to the negative particles in
the water, as shown below.

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The next force which will affect the

particles is known as van der Waal's
forces. Van der Waal's forces refer to the
tendency of particles in nature to attract
each other weakly if they have no charge.

Once the particles in water are not

repelling each other, van der Waal's
forces make the particles drift toward
each other and join together into a
group. When enough particles have
joined together, they become floc and will
settle out of the water.

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Jar test for optimum coagulant

dosage

1 L of glass container with same size and shape

Stirring device with uniform power input

Jar test
laboratory procedure used to determine the optimum operating conditions for water or
wastewater treatment

Jar Test Procedure

The jar test procedures involves the following steps:
Fill the jar testing apparatus containers with sample water. One container will be used as
a control while the other 5 containers can be adjusted depending on what conditions are
being tested. For example, the pH of the jars can be adjusted or variations of coagulant
dosages can be added to determine optimum operating conditions.
Add the coagulant to each container and stir at approximately 100 rpm for 1 minute.
The rapid mix stage helps to disperse the coagulant throughout each container.
Turn off the mixers and allow the containers to settle for 30 to 45 minutes. Then
measure the final turbidity in each container.
Reduce the stirring speed to 25 to 35 rpm and continue mixing for 15 to 20 minutes.
This slower mixing speed helps promote floc formation by enhancing particle collisions
which lead to larger flocs.
Residual turbidity vs. coagulant dose is then plotted and optimal conditions are
determined. The values that are obtained through the experiment are correlated and
adjusted in order to account for the actual treatment system.

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Softening
Hardness characterize a water that does not
lather well & cause a scum
Result of calcium and magnesium reaction
with soap
Define as sum of polyvalent cation, eg: CaCo3

Hardening process
When rainwater enter topsoil, respiration of
microbs increase CO2 content of water
CO2 react with water form H2CO3
Limestone from solid CaCO3, MgCO3 react
with carbonic acid to form calcium
bikarbonate or magnesium bikarbonate

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Lime-Soda Softening
Lime-Soda Softening increase pH 10.3
(Ca2+), 11 ( Mg2+)
Adding quicklime ( CaO), hydrate lime
(Ca(OH)2)
Make precipitation of CaCO3

Sedimentation
To remove suspended material using gravity
Layer accumulated solid sludge
The tank called sendimentation tank, settling tank,
clarifier
Sedimentation basin usually rectangular or circular
Detention time 2-4hr particle settle down will
remove
Type I velocity constant: remove sand and grit
material
Type II velocity increase: remove flocculation
Type III particle at high concentration (> 1000ppm)
tent to settle as mass and sludge

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4 different functional zones:

Inlet zone
Outlet zone
Sludge zone
Settling zone (important zone)

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Long rectangular basins

Commonly used
Hydraulically more
stable, flow control
through large
volumes is easier
Typical design:
length = 2 to 4 times
their width and 10
to 20 times their
depth
Bottom slightly slope
to facilitate sludge
scraping

SEDIMENTATION BASIN ZONES

Inlet zone
The inlet or influent zone should provide a smooth
transition from the flocculation zone and should
distribute the flow uniformly across the inlet to the
tank.
The normal design includes baffles that gently
spread the flow across the total inlet of the tank and
prevent short circuiting in the tank.
The baffle could include a wall across the inlet,
perforated with holes across the width of the tank.

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SEDIMENTATION BASIN ZONES

Settling Zone
The settling zone is the largest portion of the
sedimentation basin.
This zone provides the calm area necessary for the
suspended particles to settle.

Sludge Zone
The sludge zone, located at the bottom of the tank,
provides a storage area for the sludge before it is
removed for additional treatment or disposal.

SEDIMENTATION BASIN ZONES

Basin inlets should be designed to minimize high

flow velocities near the bottom of the tank.
If high flow velocities are allowed to enter the sludge
zone, the sludge could be swept up and out of the
tank.
Sludge is removed for further treatment from the
sludge zone by scraper or vacuum devices which
move along the bottom.

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SEDIMENTATION BASIN ZONES

Outlet Zone
The basin outlet zone or launder should provide a
smooth transition from the sedimentation zone to
the outlet from the tank.
This area of the tank also controls the depth of water
in the basin.
Weirs set at the end of the tank control the overflow
rate and prevent the solids from rising to the weirs
and leaving the tank before they settle out.

Detention time
Amount of time water remains in the settling tank
Theorically if water left several day or week have
chance to settle all ss
Practically not possible because large amount of ww
and need large tank
Tank is design to operate continuously free flow

=

Td= detention time (h), V = volume of water tank, Q =
average flow rate

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Example
A sendimentation tank has a volume capacity
of 15,000 m3. if the average flow rate
entering the tank is 120 ML/d, what is the
detention time?

Circular basins

Water flows in at the center and is baffled to flow radially towards

the perimeter, the horizontal velocity of the water is continuously
decreasing as the distance from the center increases. Thus, the
particle path in a circular basin is a parabola as opposed to the
straight line path in the long rectangular tank.
Sludge removal mechanisms in circular tanks are simpler and
require less maintenance.

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Solid contact basins

A solids contact unit combines the coagulation,
flocculation, and sedimentation basin in one unit.
This unit is also called upflow clarifiers or
sludge-blanket clarifiers.
The solids contact unit is used primarily in the
lime-soda ash process to settle out the floc
formed during water softening.
Flow is usually in an upward direction through
a sludge blanket or slurry of flocculated
suspended solids.

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Solid contact basins

Filtration
Surface water treatment rule (SWTR) & Safe
drinking water act (SDWA) all surface and
ground water under influence of surface
water must be treated using filtration
Even chemical coagulation, sendimentation by
gravity not sufficient to remove suspended
impurity
5% remain as nonsetlable floc and can shield
microb

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Filtration
Process which water flow slowly through a bed
of granular media usually sand, anthracite coal
or garnet
Particle flowing at low velocity are intercept and
attract by weak electrostatic force to the filter
medium
As pore space within filter fill up with particles,
it shared off the medium
When pore space fill with certain capacity, the
turbidity level exceed then need to backwash

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Rapid Sand Filter:

The rapid sand filter receives water subjected to preparatory
treatment through coagulation, flocculation and
sedimentation.

Water flows to top of a filter bed with sand as medium,

filtration proceeds, and the filtered water is lead to clear
water tanks through an under drainage system.

The filter bed is cleaned by a process of backwashing.

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Backwashing is effected by sending filtered water

into the underdrainage system and distributing it
upward through the sand bed.
The wash water expands and fluidizes the sand bed,
and carries the dirty matter over into wash water
troughs which discharges into the drain and then
out of the filter.
Backwashing is stopped after the bed has been
washed clean, the sand bed settles down and
filtration is resumed.

Disinfection
Treatment to kill pathogen (disease-producing
microorganism)
Not same as sterilization. Just enough to devoid
pathogen level that cause disease
Effective disinfection must capable to destroy enteric
pathogen
Most commonly used chlorine
Long-lasting
Kill pathogen by first penetrate through cell wall
Control slime and algae
Destroy unpleasant taste and odor
But form byproduct (THM)

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Disinfection
Ozonation sweet, smelling and unstable gas
Form of oxygen which 3 atoms to form molecules O3
Widely used in drinking water treatment because of
powerful oxidant
The advantage is not form by product
But it not persist in water
Ultraviolet radiation potential to inactive pathogen
by submerge uv lamp in water
UV can pass through water to target microbs
But water must free turbidity and expensive

Assignment - Individual
List the Environmental Legislation and Regulation
in Malaysia and state its important elements or
standard.
- Water
- Air
- Solid Waste
- Hazardous Waste

- Dateline: 4 April 2014

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