JORDAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CIVIL ENGINEERNING DEPARTMENT

Surface&Ground water treatment project

Name : basel abed

ID number : 127549

Instructor : Dr Moayyad shawaqfeh

SURFACE WATER TREATMENT
A tremendous amount of time and technology is expended to make surface
water safe to drink. Surface water undergoes many processes before it
reaches a consumer’s tap.

When water enters a treatment plant, the first step is coagulation, the rapid
mixing of coagulants such as aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride and organic
polymers into the water. This alters electrical charges surrounding the
suspended, undesirable particles to make them attract and coagulate, or
clump together, into larger particles known as flocs.

The next step is flocculation: water is gently agitated so the flocs or particles
will collide with each other, stick together and entrap other suspended
particles, forming larger, heavier particles that will settle out in the next step.

In the sedimentation phase, the flocculated water moves slowly through a

basin or tank to allow the heavy floc particles to settle to the bottom, so they
may be removed.

Water is passed through a filter made of sand, coal particles or similar

materials that removes particles such as silt, other very fine solids, and some
pathogens not settled in the sedimentation process. Filtration further reduces
turbidity and results in water that is crystal clear.

Activated carbon also may be used to remove chemical contaminants. Rather

than being trapped in the small passageways between grains of sand,
contaminants stick to the surface of carbon and are removed, a process
known as carbon adsorption.

At the disinfection stage, chlorine, chloramines, ozone or other disinfectants

are added to the water to destroy potentially harmful germs such as bacteria,
viruses, parasites and other organisms. During the treatment process, an
effort is made to add enough
GROUNDWATER TREATMENT

Groundwater sources can be either shallow or deep. Groundwater from a

shallow surface connected or unconfined aquifer can be contaminated with
disease causing microorganisms or chemicals from surface activities.
Groundwater from a deep or confined aquifer will be less likely to be
contaminated with disease causing microorganisms, but may contain heavy
metals, other chemicals and radioactivity, depending on the geology.
Groundwater supplies should undergo comprehensive water quality testing to
ensure suitability for drinking water purposes.

Groundwater supplies should be tested for E. coli and a comprehensive range

of chemical and physical characteristics prior to use, including radioactivity.
The water should be retested if there are any changes in water quality, such
as the appearance of odours, taste or colour. Contact your local Public Health
Unit for testing advice on 1300 066 055 and refer to the NSW Private Water
Supply Guidelines for information on groundwater, hazards and testing. It is
important that any plumbing materials, together with appropriate water
treatment and disinfection systems are correctly selected, installed and
regularly maintained in order to protect drinking water quality.

WASTE WATER SCREENING

TYPES OF WASTEWATER SCREENS

A necessary part of all municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants,

wastewater screening retains solids found in the wastewater. These solids
must be removed at the very beginning of the water treatment process, as
these solids could make the whole system less efficient, damage expensive
and essential water treatment equipment or contaminate water, causing small
to large scale natural upsets for a region’s entire ecosystem.

There are three broad categories in which you can classify wastewater
treatment screens – coarse, fine and micro. Within these categories are many
different varieties of screening. The screens are classified based on the size
of the screening openings, as well as other mechanical traits.
COARSE OF SCREENING IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Coarse screens have clear openings ranging from 6 to 150 mm (0.25 t0 6 in).
Coarse screens consist of parallel bars, rods or wires, wire mesh or
perforated plates with openings generally of circular or rectangular shapes. It
is also called a “bar rack” and used to remove coarse solids such as rags and
large objects that may clog or cause damage to other appurtenances. Based
on the wastewater screening method used to clean them, coarse screens are
classified into two types:

Hand cleaned coarse screens

Used in the screening process in wastewater treatment at small facilities,

hand cleaned coarse screens are hand raked. They are ideal to use as a
standby during periods of high flow, or when more modern mechanical
screening methods are under repair or maintenance.

Mechanically cleaned screens

Mechanically cleaned coarse screens increase efficiency and reduce

problems in the wastewater treatment process.  Mechanically cleaned
screens can be classified into the following four main categories:

 Chain Driven Screens: These front and back chain driven screens

can rake from upstream or downstream. An automatic chain cleans the
stream, increasing the functionality of the entire wastewater treatment
solution.
 Catenary Screens: These front return, front cleaned chain driven
screens use impressive, yet straightforward, internal mechanics to
prevent further jamming in the presence of large or heavy objects.
 Reciprocating Rakes: Also known as a climber screen, these
wastewater treatment screening solutions use one rake rather than
multiple, making them less efficient when facing heavy loads during the
screening process in water treatment.
 Continuous belt screen: Ultra-high tech, functional and efficient, this
type of screening has many rakes and is continuous and self-cleaning,
whether facing fine or coarse solid loads.

MICROSCREENS FOR WASTEWATER SCREENING

The smallest type of screening in wastewater treatment is micro screening.

These screens are typically low-speed drum screens. The drums are lined
with filtering fabrics with openings of 10 to 35µm. Wastewater enters the
drum, and the retained solid waste is collected and disposed of.

FINE SCREENING IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

The screening process in water treatment plants employs screens that have
clear openings less than 6mm called fine screens. They are made of wire
cloth, wedge wire or perforated plates. Like micro screens, they are tools for
screening in wastewater treatment that are used to remove fine solids. Three
common types of fine screening in wastewater treatment are:

 Drum Screens (rotating cylinders in the flow channel)

 Step Screens (fixed and movable plates across the width of the
channel)
 and Static Wedge Wire Screens (used by large treatment plants with
ample floor space)

RAPID MIXING

Flash or rapid mixing stage consists in adding chemicals to raw water to foster
coagulation, attracting particles which do not settle or are not filtered.
Attracted by coagulants, such as ferric chloride (FeCl3), PAC (poly
aluminium chloride Al2Cl(OH)5), aluminium sulphate (Al2(SO4)3), these
particles are then easy to agglomerate during the flocculation stage.

The duration of the flash mixing stage is a key factor and determines the
quality of the whole process: too short retention time will not ensure a
homogeneous distribution of the chemicals within the basin volume, resulting
in an unsuccessful reaction. On the other hand, too long retention time will
lead to coagulant overdosing, preventing the process efficiency. Therefore,
it is essential to carefully calculate the residence time taking into consideration
several parameters including the reactor volume and the water flow rate.

Vertical agitators are the only possible solution at this stage (as well as during
the flocculation stage), which cannot be fulfilled with other mixing solutions
e.g. submersible mixers. Our vertical agitators, in particular, are conceived to
have an efficient flash mixing phase, thanks to a quick and thorough agitation
of the chemicals in raw water before being released into the flocculation
chamber. Our high-efficiency impellers are perfect to accomplish flash
mixing due to their design: the models 3PM-0134 and 3PM-0030 are the
optimal solution to provide best rapid mixing performance, due to their highly
hydrodynamical profile that creates a high flow rate while ensuring maximum
efficiency with low installed power.

FLOCCULATION

Sewage is rich in all kinds of filth -- everything from household chemicals to

human feces and dangerous bacteria. That's why it must be treated and
disinfected before it can be discharged to the environment. One of the first
and most important steps in treatment is the removal of suspended solids, fine
particles mixed into the water. Flocculation is a chemical and mechanical
.process that enables treatment plants to quickly remove solids from the water

Suspended Solids

Suspended solids are fine particles carried along by the water but not actually
dissolved in it, like grains of flour in a flour-water slurry. If the wastewater were
left to stand for a long period of time, the solids would eventually settle to the
bottom, but this would take so long it would be impractical as a method of
wastewater treatment. Flocculation involves the addition of chemicals that
cause the solid particles to coagulate or stick together so they settle rapidly;
once the chemicals are added, the solids can be forced to settle more rapidly
through gentle mixing.

Coagulant Chemicals

Many of the suspended solid particles in wastewater are negatively charged.

Wastewater treatment plants may add two kinds of chemicals to cause these
particles to coagulate. The first is primary coagulants, chemicals with a
positive charge that adhere to the negatively charged particles so they are
now neutral and can come together. Alum and ferric sulfate are common
examples. Coagulant aids are the second kind of chemical; these are agents
that make the settling solids denser and thereby speed up the process,
although they are not strictly necessary. Negatively charged anionic polymers
are a common example.
Mechanical Flocculation

Once the coagulant chemicals are added, mixing the wastewater violently
causes them to become distributed evenly throughout the solution. Generally
this initial flash mixing phase takes only a minute. Next the water is mixed
gently in a flocculation basin while the solids settle to the bottom. The settled
solids are called floc. This floc contains not only suspended solids but also
some bacteria and a variety of chemicals that dissolve poorly in water. Once a
sufficient amount of time has elapsed, the water passes on to the next stage
in treatment.

SEDIMENTATION

Sedimentation is the process of allowing particles in suspension in water to

settle out of the suspension under the effect of gravity. The particles that
settle out from the suspension become sediment, and in water treatment is
known as sludge. When a thick layer of sediment continues to settle, this is
known as consolidation. When consolidation of sediment, or sludge, is
assisted by mechanical means then this is known as thickening.

In water treatment sedimentation might be used to reduce the concentration

of particles in suspension before the application of coagulation, to reduce the
amount of coagulating chemicals needed, or after coagulation and, possibly,
flocculation. When sedimentation is applied after coagulation, its purpose is
usually to reduce the concentration of solids in suspension so that the
subsequent filtration can function most effectively.

Sedimentation is one of several methods for application prior to filtration: other

options include dissolved air flotation and some methods of filtration.
Generically, such solids-liquid separation processes are sometimes referred
to as clarification processes.

There is a variety of methods for applying sedimentation and include:

horizontal flow, radial flow, inclined plate, ballasted floc and floc blanket
sedimentation.
Types of Sedimentation Tanks

Horizontal flow tanks

The simplest form of sedimentation is to fill a jar or tank with water, leave
alone for a long enough time for particles to settle and then decant off the
resulting water without the sediment. In practice this is rarely viable in treating
water for townships, and therefore sedimentation tanks are operated
continuously.

The simplest method of sedimentation is to use rectangular tanks with

horizontal flow through them. The water with the particles in suspension is
introduced at one end of the tank, then as the water flows to the other end of
the tank settlement of particles in the water occurs. The aim is that a large
proportion of the settling particles manage to reach the tank floor before the
water is drawn out of the tank at the outlet end. Such horizontal flow tanks are
usually built with a floor that slopes gently down to the inlet end to a hopper.
The tank is fitted with a mechanism to scrape the sediment from the outlet
end back to the inlet end and into the hopper from where it can be discharged
hydraulically. In the design of such tanks detailed attention has to be given to
the inlet and outlet ends so that the water flows from one end to the end as
uniformly as possible.

Partly because rectangular tanks have a large footprint, multi-layer tanks (i.e.
two or three decks) have been built. These tanks are usually multi-pass in that
the water flows along the length of one layer before returning along the next.

Radial flow tanks

Radial flow tanks are circular with the inlet for the water at the centre and a
peripheral outlet. Attention has to be paid to the design of inlet to support
uniform distribution of flow to the whole of the tank. The sediment is scraped
to a central hopper for its discharge.

Some circular tanks include additional features in the centre for flocculation
(i.e. premix designs) and even recirculation of settled particles (i.e. premix-
recirculation designs).
Inclined settling
In unhindered settling tank size is governed by the time to be allowed for
particles to settle through the depth of water. The simple theory shows that
efficiency of removal of particles is governed by the area available for
settlement. An approach to providing a large are with a small footprint is to
use inclined plates or tubes. These are usually constructed with lightweight
material in modular form which can be easily positioned in a concrete or steel
tank.

Flow between such inclined plates can be co-current, counter-current or

cross-flow. In the co-current arrangement, the water flows downward between
the plates n the direction of particle settlement. In the counter-current
arrangement, the water flows upward between the plates against the direction
of particle settlement. In cross-flow the water flows across the plates, i.e.
horizontal, at right angles to the direction of particle settlement. A design
challenge for inclined settling is to maximise distribution of flow of water within
and between plates and thereby maximise efficiency of particle removal.
Inclined tubes can be used in either co-current or counter-current modes, but
in most instances in the latter. Tube modules can be constructed in a variety
of ways such that the cross-sectional shape of tubes can take various forms .

Ballasted sedimentation
The density difference between water and the particles produced in water
treatment by coagulation, flocs, in general is small. Therefore they settle
slowly. Methods of plain sedimentation (i.e. horizontal, radial and inclined
sedimentation) are preceded by a slow mixing process called flocculation. The
purpose of flocculation is to assist coagulated particles to collide and adhere
so as to grow into larger particles that might settle faster, and for the particle
size distribution to be as small as possible. Flocculation can be assisted by
the application of high molecular weight polymers called polyelectrolytes. In
the first instance flocculation does not increase particle density – a property of
flocs is that their density decreases with increase in particle size.

The density of floc particles can be increased by application of a ballasting

agent such as Bentonite or fine sand. In the case of fine sand (80-200 µm), it
is possible to recover it for recycling by means of passing the sludge collected
from the sedimentation tank through hydrocyclones. The settling rate of floc
ballasted with fine sand can be three or more times faster than floc that is not
ballasted, and is usually settled in a tank with counter-current inclined plate
system placed over a hopper in which the settled sludge is collected.
Floc blanket sedimentation 
The first floc blanket tanks had an inverted pyramidal shape topped by a short
vertical section. (‘Floc blanket’ is used in preference to ‘sludge blanket’. This
is because the view is taken that floc in the suspension is still functioning as
floc should, helping to remove the particles in the incoming water. Once floc
becomes part of sediment and become surplus to the process, the sediment
is sludge. Therefore, when sediment is allowed to accumulate on the floor of a
tank that might appropriately be referred to as a sludge blanket, as is typical in
sewage treatment.) The incoming suspension was fed downward into the
apex of the pyramidal hopper by a single pipe. The blanket occupied most of
the pyramidal hopper. The comparative success of floc blanket settling
resulted in adaptation of premix-recirculation tanks being developed to include
floc blanket zones. However, more effective developments and cheaper
designs led to use of flat-bottomed rectangular tanks fed by an arrangement
of multiple inlet pipes – candelabra like, or horizontal pipes with multiple
orifices close to the tank floor. Further developments have led to the use of
inclined plate or tube modules in such tanks.

SOFTENING
A water softener reduces the dissolved calcium, magnesium, and to some
degree manganese and ferrous iron ion concentration in hard water.

These “hardness ions” cause three major kinds of undesired effects. Most
visibly, metal ions react with soaps and calcium-sensitivedetergents, hindering
their ability to lather and forming a precipitate—the familiar “bathtub ring”.
Presence of “hardness ions” also inhibits the cleaning effect of detergent
formulations. Second, calcium and magnesium carbonates tend to precipitate
out as hard deposits to the surfaces of pipes and heat exchanger surfaces.
This is principally caused by thermal decomposition of bi-carbonate ions but
also happens to some extent even in the absence of such ions. The resulting
build-up of scale can restrict water flow in pipes. In boilers, the deposits act as
an insulation that impairs the flow of heat into water, reducing the heating
efficiency and allowing the metal boiler components to overheat. In a
pressurized system, this can lead to failure of the boiler. Third, the presence
of ions in anelectrolyte, in this case, hard water, can also lead to galvanic
corrosion, in which one metal will preferentially corrode when in contact with
another type of metal, when both are in contact with an electrolyte. However
the sodium (or Potassium) ions released during conventional water softening
are much more electrolytically active than the Calcium or Magnesium ions that
they replace and galvanic corrosion would be expected to be substantially
increased by water softening and not decreased. Similarly if any lead
plumbing is in use, softened water is likely to be substantially more plumbo-
solvent than hard water.

Conventional water-softening devices uses an ion-exchange resin in which

“hardness” ions trade places with sodium ions that are electrostatically bound
to the anionic functional groups of the polymeric resin. A class of minerals
called zeolites also exhibits ion-exchange properties; these minerals were
widely used in earlier water softeners. Water softeners may be desirable
when the source of water is a well, whether municipal or private

FILTRATION
:In advanced wastewater treatment, filtration is used for

Removal of residual biological floe in settled effluents from secondary •

treatment by trickling filters or activated-sludge processes—the primary
".emphasis of this presentation. It will be referred to as "tertiary filtration

Removal of precipitates resulting from alum, iron, or lime precipitation of •

phosphates in secondary effluents from trickling filters or activated-sludge
processes. The suspended solids to be filtered can be substantially different
.from those in normal secondary effluent

Removal of solids remaining after the chemical coagulation of wastewaters •

in physical-chemical waste-treatment processes, i.e., following lime treatment
of raw wastewater and before adsorption removal of soluble organics in
carbon columns. Again, the solids to be filtered can be substantially different
.from normal secondary effluent solids

Filters may be used as the final process of wastewater treatment (polishing

secondary or tertiary effluents) or as an intermediate process to prepare
wastewater for further treatment (for example, before downflow carbon
adsorption columns or clinoptilolite ammonia exchange columns). In either
case, the required filters should be designed to provide a quality of filtrate
equal to or better than the desired effluent-quality goal at all times. Achieving
this quality may require a pilot study to evaluate the flow characteristics and
solids characteristics of the water to be filtered. In the absence of a pilot
study, the design must be based on experience with similar filter influent
.waters at other installations

The problem of potential short filter cycles during peak-load periods requires
that a flow equalization tank be considered as part of the plant flow scheme. It
may be installed near the plant entrance to benefit the entire treatment
operation, or it could be installed just prior to the filters. Figure III-l indicates
that at this point, wastewater quality is such as to present no odor or mixing
problems. Fifteen to twenty percent of mean daily-flow storage capacity would
permit constant rate flow to the filters for a 24-hour period. One hundred
percent of mean daily-flow storage capacity would permit constant flow and
nearly constant solids loads to the filters. Neither practice is widespread
today, and the benefits to filtration alone may not justify the costs for such
.provisions

DISINFECTION
The disinfection of potable water and wastewater provides a degree of
protection from contact with pathogenic organisms including those causing
cholera, polio, typhoid, hepatitis and a number of other bacterial, viral and
parasitic diseases.  Disinfection is a process where a significant percentage of
pathogenic organisms are killed or controlled.  As an individual pathogenic
organism can be difficult to detect in a large volume of water or wastewater,
disinfection efficacy is most often measured using “indicator organisms” that
coexist in high quantities where pathogens are present.  The most common
indicator organism used in the evaluation of drinking water is Total Coliform
(TC), unless there is a reason to focus on a specific pathogen.  The most
common indicator organism for wastewater evaluation is fecal coliform but
there has been discussion regarding the use of Escherichia coli (E. coli) or
Total Coliform.  As domestic wastewater contains approximately 1,000 times
more indicator organisms than typical surface water, understanding
wastewater disinfection will make it easier to understand water disinfection.

Wastewater Disinfection
There are a number of chemicals and processes that will disinfect
wastewater, but none are universally applicable.  Most septic tanks discharge
into various types of subsurface wastewater infiltration systems (SWIS), such
as tile fields or leach fields.  These applications rely on the formation of a
biomat at the gravel-soil interface where “biodegradation and filtration
combine to limit the travel of pathogens.” 1  Aerobic treatment processes
reduce pathogens, but not enough to qualify as a disinfection process. 
“Chlorination/dechlorination has been the most widely used disinfection
technology in the U.S.; ozonation and UV light are emerging technologies.” 2 
Each of these three methods have different considerations for the disinfection
of wastewater.

Water Disinfection
Disinfection is usually the final stage in the water treatment process in order to
limit the effects of organic material, suspended solids and other
contaminants.  Like the disinfection of wastewater, the primary methods used
for the disinfection of water in very small (25-500 people) and small (501-
3,300 people) treatment systems are ozone, ultraviolet irradiation (UV) and
chlorine.  There are numerous alternative disinfection processes that have
been less widely used in small and very small water treatment systems,
including chlorine dioxide, potassium permanganate, chloramines and
peroxone (ozone/hydrogen peroxide).

Surface waters have been the focal point of water disinfection regulations
since their inception, as groundwaters (like wells) have been historically
considered to be free of microbiological contamination.  Current data indicates
this to not be true.  Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996
mandate the development of regulations to require disinfection of groundwater
“as necessary.”  While these regulations will apply to very small systems
serving twenty-five people at least 60 days out of the year, the rules will not
apply to private wells.  However, the EPA recommends that wells be tested at
least once per year and disinfected as necessary.  While these proposed
regulations have not yet been finalized, they will likely include; testing by each
state, identification of contaminated water supplies, corrective action requiring
disinfection and compliance monitoring. 
STORAGE
A water supply system should include some form of treated water storage to
provide a reserve of drinking water to cater for fluctuations in demand and in
the event of planned maintenance or problems with the source or treatment.
Storage may take the form of a small covered reservoir, providing sufficient
head to supply more than one property, or may be a suitably positioned
storage tank (e.g. in the roof space of the property), from which water flows
under gravity to the taps. The tank or reservoir should hold a volume sufficient
to accommodate the peak demand and the maximum period of interruption of
supply, but must not be so large that water is allowed to remain static for
lengthy periods because allowing the water to stagnate and develop aesthetic
issues. The storage tank and other parts of the water supply system may be
contaminated during construction and should therefore be disinfected before
use. This is achieved by filling the system with a 20mg/l solution of chlorine
and leaving it to stand for several hours, preferably overnight. The chlorine
solution should then be drained off and the system rinsed thoroughly using
treated water.

All storage tanks must be insulated to guard against freezing during the
winter. Insulation will also prevent the water from excessive warming during
the summer months, which could encourage both aesthetic and
microbiological issues. The tank must be fitted with a robust lockable, and well
fitting (but not airtight) lid to exclude light and pollutants. It is especially
important to prevent the ingress of insects and animals and all openings must
be protected using a fine mesh screen.

The storage tank must be inspected regularly; at least annually and

preferably every six months. If necessary, any accumulated silt can be flushed
or siphoned out and the system disinfected as described above.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The system of pipes, channels and vessels that store and convey water
following treatment (where present) to consumers’ taps is known as a
distribution system or distribution network. It comprises one or more pipes,
often with one or more connected reservoirs and/or tanks, and chambers, and
are constructed from a variety of materials and water fittings (plumbing
products). These systems may also include valves (of various types),
hydrants, pumps, connection facilities and inspection points or other fittings
for control and/or maintenance purposes. Even where effective treatment is
used to secure a wholesome supply of drinking water, its quality at the point of
consumption may not be wholesome if the integrity of the distribution system
is compromised.