Hammoud hammoud al-housain

PARAMETERS FOR THE DESIGN OF A GROUNDWATER

TREATMENT PLANT
The raw water quality of a groundwater treatment plant in the Netherlands is given
in the Table below.
Table 1 - Raw water quality.

Parameter

Measured

Unit

value

Ca2+

mmol/l

2.50

Mg

mmol/l

0.25

total hardness

mmol/l

2.75

CO2

mmol/l

0.95

Na

mmol/l

0.47

HCO3-

mmol/l

5.7

CH4

mg/l

6.0

Fe

mg/l

4.2

Mn

mg/l

0.07

PO4

mg/l

0.90

2+

Groundwater is abstracted on this location by 21 wells and treated to drinking

water.
The treatment plant is characterised by the following data:

yearly capacity:

average daily capacity:

maximum day factor (peak factor):

minimal day factor:

15 mln m3
41,100 m3/day
1.8
0.7

preliminary design of a groundwater treatment plant

-The block schemes, are the first step of the design, we identify the
order of the treatment steps and the alternative solutions.
-The main steps for this ground water are:
- Aeration for methane removal, and CO2 removal, we have two
choices are suitable :A plate aerator OR A cascade.
- softening by nanofiltration, ion exchange or pellet softening , to
decrease the hardness of this water.(total hardness is high ,calcium is
too high)
] Softening before aeration is possible when low concentrations of
carbon dioxide and phosphate are present in the water to avoid high
base dosage and irregular pellet formation[
-FILTRATION: Biochemical reactions during filtration are especially
important for groundwater treatment, which
requires the oxidation of iron, manganese The most common
application of filtration is rapid sand filtration
The decomposition of methane in the filter bed has to be
avoided, because it results in an uninhibited growth of bacteria,
which can lead to clogging and breakthrough. Methane,
therefore, must be removed early in the process.
- (po4) we did not discussed it, through softening process and the
addition of calcium hydroxide it will be reduced .
So we will put the softening process in the beginning.
Then aeration ,then filtration, then the clear water reservoir.

-After we decide the treatment steps, and the order, and why we
choose these steps we can begin with calculate the dimension of the
treatment steps:
1-

Softening by Pellet reactors:

2

-a velocity varying between 60 and 100 m/h

-Q=
. =3082.5 m3/h

-the concentration of magnesium in the raw water is not too

high(0.25mg/l) and it is not being removed during softening, Split
treatment is used,
-The by-pass ratio can be calculated when assuming that the maximum
softening depth in reactor is 0.5 mmol/L Calcium.
the maximum by-pass ratio can be calculated:
(Qtot-Q1)*(Ca+Mg) + Q1*total hardness = Qtot*aimed hardness =>
(Qtot-Q1)*(0.5+0.25) + Q1*2.75= Qtot*1.5
Qtot* 0.75-Q1*0.75+Q1*2.75=Qtot*1.5
Q1

=
Qtot

Q1*2=Qtot*0.75=>

0.75
2

=0.375

-So the flow to be softened will be:

3082.5* 0.625=1926.5m3/h
-If we take a flow of 80 m/h this means a surface area of 1926.5/80=24
m2.
note-The bed height at rest in a pellet reactor is about
2 m when sodium hydroxide is added, and about 4 m with lime.
-The total height of a softening reactor is about 6-7 m when caustic
soda., we will use lime to reduce (po4), The total height of a softening
reactor by using lime is about 8m.
-To be flexible during operation a minimum of 3 reactors should be
installed. we will take 4 reactor.
-The diameter of one reactor :
4d2 /4=24=> d=2.75m
Hydraulic resistance: When river sand is used the resistance of a
fluidized bed is equal to the height of the bed when not fluidized. and
can go up to 4 m.
2- Aeration:
For the aeration step we choose the cascades, since they are robust and
easy to operate.
To design the aeration step we need to know:
- the length of the cascades,
-the number of steps
3

-and the width of the troughs.

When we assume a step height of 0.4m the efficiency of oxygen addition
is about 25%.
-Saturation concentration:
We assume the temperature of groundwater is 10oC, ]The groundwater
temperature is rather constant at 10C, which is the average yearly air
temperature (water quality handout, page 4) [

Henrys Law: Cs=kH*Cg = KH

Cs=0.41 *

0.21101325
8,31 283

= 0.37 mol/m3

Cs=0.37* 32=11.9 g/m3=11.9 mg/l

-Efficiency in a cascade:
Based on the required effluent concentration of oxygen 8 mg/L, we can
calculate :
- total efficiency:
K=

80

11.90

=1-(1-k)n=

= 0.67

- Number of steps: K=1-(1-k)n

0.67=1-(1-0.25)n => n=4
-total height of the cascade:
1.6m
- the length of the cascade:
Q=q*L
and
q=50 to 100 m3/h , we will take it 100m3/h then
L=Q/q=3082/100=31m
-the width of cascade:
2

2 0.4

9.81

H=1/2 g * t2 => t= =

= .285 sec

Diameter water jet ; QS=0.856 m3/s

D3=

=> d=
2

V0=

0.8562
312

0.856
310.043

= 0.043

= 0.64 /
4

X=v0 * t=0.64* 0.285= 0.18 m=0.2m

B= 2*X= 0.4 m the width of one step
Total width for cascade is = 4 *0.4= 1.6m
- For cascades the minimum is 2, because then we can maintain one and
send the rest of the water over the other. let's take this minimum
amount.
3-Filtration:
- To determine the surface area of the filtration step we need to know
the filtration velocity.
These are in between 5 and 20 m/h.
-Let's assume a velocity of 10 m/h

-surface area of the filtration: A=

= 308.25 2

-The maximum size of filters is about 100-200 m2

So we assume a velocity of 20 m/h
-surface area of the filtration: A=

- Height
These are typically:
for the filter bottom
for the filter bed
for the supernatant water level

= =

1m
1.5m
1m

3.5m.

together this makes a filter height :

-Number of filters:
the minimum number of filters is (4) to be flexible during backwashing
and maintenance. So here we choose 6 units of 25 m2 each.
- Hydraulic resistance:
In practice we take a maximum equal to the level of the supernatant
water of the filter to avoid the filter from running dry so in this case this
is 1 m.
So we now know all the parameters for filtration.
4- clear water reservoir:
the next step is the clear water reservoir, they are placed after the filters
to store water for transportation to the distribution area.
5- hydraulic line schemes:
By knowing the heights of the different treatment processes and the
hydraulic resistances, we can draw the hydraulic line scheme.
From the hydraulic line scheme we can determine the total building
height and the number of pumping steps.
5

in this design we try to make balance between digging and backfill,

and we use only one pumping station in the entrance of plant.
-flows through all steps by gravity to reduce cost ,and power
consumption, though we put apart of rapid sand filter, and clear water
reservoir underground.

6-main water flow scheme:

Now we know the sizes of the processes and the number of units we can
draw the main water flow scheme.
-This diagram indicates the number of units, the pipes, the pumps, and
the valves. The number of pumps and valves should be minimum to
reduce costs, but sufficient to be flexible in operation.
-all possibilities for any maintenance process in the plant must be
achieved without hampering the production of drinking water.
-Because space can be expensive we have to make it as efficient as
possible. For example we can place the filters side by side to save
concrete in the common walls, or we can place the aeration systems on
top clear water tank or the pumping room.
- all operations can be done with the number of valves and pipes
indicated.
6

- required area is available so we don't think about interfere between

processes.