A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF PRE-SEDIMENTATION AND

CONSEQUENTLY OPTIMIZATION OF ALUM DOSE

COUPLED WITH THE DESIGN OF SEDIMENTATION UNITS

By
Neeraj Nikhil, CIB10014
Vivek Kumar , CIB10020
Nirab Medhi , CIB10022
Dept of Civil Engineering
 NECESSITY OF WATER TREATMENT

URBANISATION

DEMAND OF POTABLE
POPULATION
GROWTH & PALATABLE WATER

INDUSTRIALIZATION

REQUIRES EXPLORATION OF RAW WATER SOURCES,

DEVELOPING TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS
TYPICAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT
 PRE SEDIMENTATION

Source of water – if Surface water

Important to find out the effect of Pre-sedimentation

In still water suspended solid present, tend to settle down

under gravity, but in normal conditions, they remain in
suspension, because of the turbulence in water

In pre sedimentation process, the turbulence is retarded by

offering storage to the water.
impurities tend to settle down at the bottom of the tank

Removal of suspended solids by pre-sedimentation basins reduces load on a conventional

coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation process
 Calculation of Mass Fraction Removed

1.0

0.75
x,Mass Fraction Removed

0.5

dx

0.25

v0 = Z0/t0

Settling Velocity, vt = Z0/ti

Overall Mass Fraction Removed,

 OBJECTIVES

Optimum coagulant dose for raw water samples collected in different

months was determined

Overall suspended solids and turbidity removal from raw water samples at
a detention time of 3 h was determined

Optimum coagulant dose determination for settled water (with detention

time of 3h) was determined

Corresponding optimum dosages for raw and settled water was compared
to assess the overall impact of pre-sedimentation

To Design a pre-sedimentation and clariflocculator unit for an estimated

population of 10000 with water demand to be 210 lpcd.
SAMPLING

08.02.2014
10 samples were collected
from the lake in front of VC bungalow on 15.02.2014

22.02.2014
Samples were collected in 30L bucket
01.03.2014

08.03..2014

15.03.2014

22.03.2014

04.04.2014

15.04.2014

23.04.2014
Analysis of Column Settling
Results – April 2014

1.20
x. Wt mass fraction remaining

1.00

0.80

0.60
04.04.2014
0.40 15.04.2014
23.04.2014
1.00
0.20
0.90
Turbidity fraction remaining

0.00 0.80
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00
0.70
Velocity, m/min × 10-2
0.60
0.50
04.04.2014
0.40
15.04.2014
0.30
23.04.2014
0.20
0.10
0.00
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
Velocity, m/min × 10 -2
 Results of type - 1 settling tests through column experiments
(at surface loading rate of 25 m3/m2 .d, corresponding to a detention time of 3 h)

Initial Suspended Overall Suspended Solid Overall Turbidity

Sample Collection on Solid Removal Efficiency Initial Turbidity Removal
Concentration (Xss)% (Xturbidity)%

08.02.2014 221 79 175 51

15.02.2014 234 79 160 70

22.02.2014 225 72 138 59

01.03.2014 238 77.5 155 58

08.03.2014 245 78 147 48

15.03.2014 229 76 120 53

22.03.2014 233 80 152 61

04.04.2014 410 85 179 58

15.04.2014 235 81 139 54

23.04.2014 225 82 162 52

Average = 79% Average = 56 %

 Correlation between Turbidity and Suspended Solid Removal
As Turbidity measurements are easy and results are immediately available for analysis
We tried to develop a correlation between overall suspended solids removal
and overall turbidity removal from the data of March and April 2014
February 2014 data are kept for validation
100
90
80
70
60 y = -0.0234x2 + 2.7484x
R² = 0.991
Xss %

50
40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Xturbidity %

The correlation obtained ,

The error analysis from the data of February 2014 showed average error of 5.3 %
 Coagulation Flocculation and Sedimentation

Very fine suspended mud particles and colloidal matter present in water cannot
settle down in pre sedimentation tank of ordinary detention period

Agglomeration of particles into groups, increasing the effective size and settling
velocities is possible by adding certain chemical compounds called coagulants
which on thorough mixing forms a gelatinous precipitate called floc
 All coagulation and flocculation
experiments were carried out
using JAR TEST APPARATUS.

Rapid Mixing for 2 minute at 100 rpm

followed by Slow Mixing at 30 rpm for 30 min

then 30 minutes of Settling Time for the flocs.

 ANALYSIS

Jar test experiment was conducted at

OPTIMIZATION OF pH fixed alum dose of 25 mg/L and at
different pH level 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
to check the residual turbidity

Jar test experiment was conducted at

OPTIMIZATION OF optimum pH and fixed alum dose of 25 mg/L and at
ALKALINITY different alkalinity as 20, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/L
to check the residual turbidity

Jar test experiment was conducted at

optimum pH and optimum Alkalinity
OPTIMIZATION OF varying the alum dose at 20, 25, 30, 35 and
COAGULANT DOSE 40 mg/L for both raw and settled water to
check the residual turbidity
OPTIMUMALKALINITY
OPTIMUM pH pH: 6 Alum Dose:
and Alum 2525mg/L
Dose: mg/L

MARCH - 2014
50
80
45
70
40
(NTU)
Turbidity (NTU)

60
35
50
Residual Turbidity

30
40 01.03.2014 01.03.2014
25
08.03.2014 08.03.2014
20
30
Residual

15.03.2014 15.03.2014
15
20 22.03.2014 22.03.2104
10
10
5
0
0 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 20 40 60 pH 80 100 120 140
Alkalinity (mg/L)
OPTIMUM CONDITION FOR COAGULATION AND FLOCCULATION (RAW & SETTLED WATER)

Optimum
Raw Water Settled Water
Optimum
Date Alkalinity
pH Optimum Residual Optimum Residual
(mg/L) Removal Removal
Dose Turbidity Dose Turbidity
% %
(mg/L) (NTU) (mg/L) (NTU)

08.02.2014 6 20 40 3.2 98.17 25 3.2 96.40

15.02.2014 6 20 35 5 96.88 25 5.7 94.91

22.02.2014 6 20 35 7 94.93 25 7 91.36

01.03.2014 6 20 35 3.7 97.61 25 1.2 98.67

08.03.2014 6 20 40 3.2 97.82 25 2.3 96.76

15.03.2014 6 20 40 5.9 95.08 25 9.2 85.63

22.03.2014 6 20 40 4.5 97.04 25 4.6 95.05

04.04.2014 6 20 35 9 94.97 25 3 97.12

15.04.2014 6 20 40 8 94.24 25 5 93.33

23.04.2014 6 20 35 5 96.91 30 5 94.05

Design of pre Sedimentation Unit (Population 10000, water demand 210 lpcd)

The study showed that with an overflow rate of 25 m3/m2/day with detention
time of 3 hrs, average 79% suspended solid removal can be achieved

Considering,
Longitudinal Slope = 1:50
Side Slope = 1:30
Ratio of length to breadth = 3:1
And pumping to be 8 hrs per day

Dimension of the tank calculated is 28.5 m × 9.5 m × 3.0 m (water depth)

Providing free board of 0.5 m

Dimension to be provided is 28.5 m × 9.5 m × 3.5 m

ISOMETRIC VIEW OF PRE SEDIMENTATION UNIT

3000 mm
 ALUM DOSE

The study showed that the optimum alum dose is found to be 25 to 30

mg/L after pre sedimentation which gives around 95% turbidity removal.

Therefore, for the estimated population

peak Alum Dose will be 63 kg

70% of 63 kg shall be used in normal conditions. Thus for most

of the year, the alum to be used will be 44 kg/day
Design of Clariflocculator (Population 10000, water demand 210 lpcd)

Considering,
Longitudinal Slope = 1:50
Side Slope = 1:30
Ratio of length to breadth = 3:1

Dimension of the tank calculated is 16.5 m × 5.75 m × 3.0 m (water depth)

Providing free board of 0.5 m

Dimension to be provided is 16.5 m × 5.75 m × 3.5 m

the floc chamber at the entry is provided

Providing 30 min detention time in floc chamber

Dimension of the floc chamber to be provided is

2.6 m × 5.75 m × 3 m
ISOMETRIC VIEW OF THE CLARIFLOCCULATOR

3000 mm
THANK YOU