About Water

Treatment and some

applications
PREPARED BY CHEMIST /AHMED MAHMOUD
WATER AND WASTEWATER CONSULTANT
 Course Contents

Introduction -1
Basic water chemistry -2
Methods of water impurities removal -3
Role of water treatment in steam generation-4
 Introduction -1

 Objectives of water treatment

 The principal objective of water treatment is to provide potable water that is

chemically and biologically safe for human consumption.

 It should also be free from unpleasant tastes and odors.

 Water treatment objective is to produce both "potable" and "palatable".

 - Potable: Water that can be consumed in any desired amount without concern for
adverse health effects. Potable does not necessarily mean that the water tastes good.

 - Palatable: it is a water that is pleasing to drink but not necessarily safe.

 Introduction -1

 Water treatment aims at producing water that satisfies

 a set of drinking water quality standards at a reasonable

 price to the consumers.

 Removal of solids in water. Solids maybe suspended,

 dissolved or colloidal. (Some of the dissolved solids

 should stay in water at healthy concentrations).

 Basic water chemistry -2

 "Water definition :-
 1. A clear colorless, nearly odorless and tasteless liquid, H20, essential for
most plant and animal life and the most widely used of all solvents. Melting
point O°C (32°F), boiling point 100°C (212°F), specific gravity WC) 1.0000,
weight per gallon (15°C) 8.337 pounds.
 2. Any of various forms of water such as rain.
 3. Any body of water such as a sea, lake, river, or stream,"
Basic water chemistry continued -2

.1 pH
 The pH of the water indicates the degree of its acidity or alkalinity, reflecting the
characteristics of the watershed or the underground rock strata through which the
raw water has passed.
 The pH has a significant influence on the reaction of coagulants with the raw
water: amounts of Al2(SO4)3 and Fe2(SO4)3 required to reduce turbidity to one-
half of its original level vary with pH.
 For maximum effectiveness of alum as a coagulant, the pH range is quite narrow,
while that for ferric sulphate is wide.
 In treatment plants using alum as the coagulant (the great majority), the optimum
pH is particularly important, or coagulant is wasted.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

 Most treatment plants do not routinely adjust the pH for coagulation except if
additional alkalinity is essential for the reaction to proceed.
 The coagulant dose to produce a good settle able flock is usually determined in
the laboratory and through experience.
 Adjusting pH with either acid or alkali requires more equipment, some expense
and the attention of operators to the process.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

 During treatment, the pH is reduced because of the reaction between the coagulant
and the alkalinity of the raw water.
 To avoid corrosion in the distribution system, the pH must be adjusted upwards
(usually with lime) before treated water is discharged from the plant - but this can
conflict with disinfection.
 The effectiveness of chlorine as a disinfecting agent is related to pH.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

 If the pH is high, most of the chlorine is wasted and disinfection is not very
effective.
 The chlorine must therefore be applied before adjustment of pH for stability.
 Measurements of pH should be made routinely (and recorded) for raw water,
settled water, filtered water and water discharged to the distribution system.
 Samples should also be taken in the distribution system to monitor and pinpoint
any changes.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

2- Alkalinity
 Alkalinity must be present in raw water for coagulation to proceed, and for a
satisfactory amount of floc to form.
 Its origin can be natural, having dissolved from alkaline rock in the watershed, or
it may have to be added because some waters are of naturally low alkalinity.
 The most common coagulant in treatment throughout the world is aluminium
sulphate or "alum" Al2(SO4)3.

Basic water chemistry continued -2

3- Iron and manganese

 Iron and manganese both cause problems in water supplies.
 Iron and manganese problems occur in lakes and reservoirs where anaerobic conditions
reduce Fe3+ and Mn4+ to the soluble ferrous (Fe2+) and manganous (Mn2+) forms.
 Removal of iron and manganese in most treatment plants is by oxidation of the dissolved
metal ions to their insoluble state, and their subsequent removal as precipitates.
 Chlorine is the most widely used oxidant.
 Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is particularly effective in oxidizing manganous
compounds, but its availability and cost present difficulties for most water departments in
less developed regions.
 It may be necessary to allow a rather long holding time, of 15-30 minutes, for the
oxidation to be completed.
 At the same time the pH must be in the alkaline range.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

4- Tastes and odours

 Tastes and odors are quite common in water supplies everywhere because they
are caused by a wide variety of substances, many of which readily enter water
systems.
 Naturally occurring tastes and odors are often attributable to algae and
cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
 The chemical compounds which are most frequently responsible for incidence of
tastes and odors include formaldehyde, phenols, refinery hydrocarbons,
petrochemical wastes, naphthalene, tetralin, acetophenone, ether and other
contaminants produced by petrochemical industries.
 The problems are often produced when chlorine is applied to organic matter and
some of the other compounds mentioned above.
Basic water chemistry continued -2

5- Sulphates and sulphides

 Sulphur compounds occur widely in natural water throughout the world.
 Their purgative effect in excess can cause serious problems for drinking water supply.
 Sulphates may cause hard scaling in boilers or heat exchangers, and under reducing
conditions, conversion of sulphates can supplement native sulphides to create serious
odor problems.
 The treatment of sulphates or sulphides is complex and expensive, such that in most
cases the only solution is to tolerate the problems or to find a new source of raw water.
 Where there is no alternative to treatment of sulphur compounds, they can be oxidised
to colloidal sulphur for removal by filtration.
 Some of the odour and colloids usually remain, so further treatment may be required to
eliminate the problem completely.
.Basic water chemistry cont -2

6- Nitrates
 Nitrates are a common constituent of natural waters.
 Important additional sources of nitrate include domestic wastes, run-off from
agricultural land, and leachates from waste dumps.
 There is a tendency for all nitrogenous compounds to be converted to nitrates,
which are therefore the most useful indicator of contamination.
 Nitrate removal requires costly, specialised treatment by ion exchange systems.
 Because common sources of contamination by nitrogenous compounds are
wastewater discharges and agricultural run-off, prevention upstream of the
treatment plant is a preferable and more practical solution.
.Basic water chemistry cont -2

7- Hardness
 Hardness is caused by divalent metal cations of which Ca2+ and Mg2+ are the most
common, typically in association with HCO3 -, SO4 2-, Cl-, NO3-, and SiO3-.
 In all regions where limestone is present, surface water and ground-water in contact
with the rock or derived substrates have relatively high concentrations of hardness
cations, particularly calcium.
There are good reasons for the removal of excessive hardness:
 It increases the quantity of soap needed for washing and raises costs;
 Hard water produces scaling in units which run at high temperatures such as boilers,
hot water heaters, and pipes;
 And unstable, hard water can form deposits which impede the flow through water
distribution systems.
.Basic water chemistry cont -2

 Hardness (cont.)
 Hardness in the range 80-100 mg/l as CaCO3 is desirable, whereas above 150 mg/l
water may be considered unduly hard, and above 250 mg/l hardness is a notable
problem.
 Where excessive hardness is recognized, the water department should analyze the
circumstances thoroughly to determine the simplest and most economical
treatment strategy.
.Basic water chemistry cont -2

 Hardness (cont.)
 Removal of hardness due to carbonates is a relatively simple process.
 Lime is added until the pH is in the range 9.3-10.0, which causes precipitation of
calcium as CaCO3.
 Subsequently, if required, the pH may be raised further (about 10.5) to induce
precipitation of magnesium as Mg(OH)2.
 When there is undesirable non-carbonate hardness, an additional source of alkali
is added, usually soda ash (Na2CO3) or caustic soda (NaOH).
.Basic water chemistry cont -2

 Hardness (cont.)
 The divalent hardness ions are replaced by sodium, although this increases the
sodium content of drinking water and the increased sodium may be a problem for
those who have to limit their sodium intake.
 After the reactions used to counter hardness are complete, the pH is too high for
discharge of the water to the distribution system, and CO2 must be applied to
reduce the pH to stability.
Methods of water impurities removal -3

 Water treatment plants utilize many treatment processes to produce water of a

desired quality.

 These processes fall into two broad divisions:-

 A) Unit Operations: (UO)

 Removal of contaminants is achieved by physical forces such as gravity and

screening.

 B) Unit Processes (UP)

 Removal is achieved by chemical and biological reactions.

 Methods of water impurities removal -3

 Most common treatment methods

 Coagulation and flocculation (UP)

 Softening (UP)

 Reverse osmosis RO (UP)

 electro-dialysis (UP)

 ion exchange (UP)

 adsorption (UO)

 Precipitation (UP)

 disinfection (UP)

 sedimentation (UO)

 filtration (UO )
Most common water treatment plants

 Water treatment plants can be classified as:-

 A) Simple disinfection:-

 It is a direct pumping and chlorine injection. Used to treat high quality water.

 B) Filtration plants: (surface water)

 Removes: color, turbidity, taste, odor, and bacteria (filtration plant)

 if the source water has better quality with lower solids, flocculation and sedimentation can be
omitted, this modification is called direct filtration.

 C) softening plants:- (ground water)

Surface Water Treatment
Groundwater Treatment
Treatment Flow Chart
Role of water treatment in steam generation (boilers)-4

Purpose of boilers
 For generating power in steam engines or steam turbines .
 In textile industries for sizing and bleaching .
 For heating the buildings in cold weather and for producing hot water for hot
water supply .
Importance of water treatment in boilers
 Increase boiler efficiency .
 Reduce fuel, operating and maintenance costs .
 Minimize maintenance and downtime and Protect equipment from corrosion .
 Extend equipment lifetime .
.Role of water treatment in steam generation (boilers)cont-4
 .Role of water treatment in steam generation (boilers) cont -4

Cooling Water

Consumer

Condensat
Condenser

Steam
Return

Make-up Water
e

Deaeration

Feedwater Blow-down

Filtration
Unit Boiler feeding Pump
Reservoir Boiler
of feedwater
,e.g. Ion Exchanger
Reverse Osmosis

Feedwater Treatment