Unit 1 : Water treatment

July, 2016

Dr. Shihabudheen. M. Maliyekkal, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Mechanical and
Building Sciences, VIT Chennai, Campus, Chennai, Tel: +91-44-3993-1266
India shihabudheen.m@vit.ac.in
 Hard water

Hardness

Temporary Hardness
Permanent Hardness
Hardness less than or equal to alkalinity
(carbonate hardness) Hardness exceeding carbonate hardness
Assumption alkalinity is due to
carbonic acid system

Calcium hardness Magnesium hardness

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 Sources & Impacts:
Source: Multivalent metallic ions
present in water (Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+,
Mn2+,Sr2+, Al3+

Impacts 2NaCO2C17H35 +Ca2+ Ca(CO2C17H35 )2 (S)+ 2Na+

Ca(HCO3)2 CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O

Mg(HCO3)2 Mg(OH)2 + 2CO2

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 Hard water- Classification

International classification US classification

Hardness Hardness description Hardness range, mg/L Hardness

range, mg/L as CaCO3 description
as CaCO3
0-50 Soft 0-60 Soft

50-100 Moderately Soft

61-120 Moderately hard
100-150 Slightly Soft

150-200 Moderately hard 121-180 Hard

200-300 Hard
>180 Very hard
>300 Very hard

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 Water Softening

Temporary hardness Heating

Chemical Precipitation
Lime and Soda ash

End product -Calcium carbonate or

magnesium hydroxide

Separation of precipitate gravity

settling
Clarified
water
Neutralization adding carbon dioxide
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 Water Softening

Addition of lime: - Calcium carbonate hardness and magnesium hardness

Ca2++ 2HCO3- + Ca(OH)2 2CaCO3 + 2H2O Calcium carbonate

hardness

Ca2++ SO42- + Na2CO3 CaCO3 + Na2SO4 Calcium noncarbonate

hardness

Mg2++ 2HCO3- + Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 + MgCO3 + 2H2O

MgCO3 + Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 + Mg(OH)2

Mg2++ 2HCO3- + 2Ca(OH)2 2CaCO3 + Mg(OH)2 + 2H2O

Mg2++ SO42- + Ca(OH)2 CaSO4 + Mg(OH)2

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 -2
Common pH
range in nature
- 10.33 2-
H2CO3* 6.35 HCO3 CO3
-3

-4
log ai

OH-
-5

+
H
-6

-7

-8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
pH

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 Water Softening

Addition of Caustic Soda

Ca2++ 2HCO3- + 2Na(OH) 2CaCO3 + Na2CO3+ H2O Calcium carbonate

hardness

Mg2++ 2HCO3- + 2NaOH Na2CO3 + MgCO3 + 2H2O

MgCO3 + NaOH Na2CO3 + Mg(OH)2

Mg2++ 2HCO3- + 4NaOH 2Na2CO3 + Mg(OH)2 + 2H2O

Mg2++ SO42- + 2NaOH Na2SO4 + Mg(OH)2

Ca2++ SO42- + Na2CO3 CaCO3 + Na2SO4 8

 Neutralization
pH of the effluent from a chemical precipitation softening
unit has high pH
Supersaturated CaCO3 may precipitate with time pH has
to be reduced to stabilize the water
Reduction in pH is achieved by adding H2SO4 or CO2

CaCO3 + H2SO4 2Ca2+ + 2HCO3- + SO42-

MgOH2+ H2SO4 2Mg2+ + SO42- + H2O

CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

recarbonation
MgOH2+ 2CO2 Mg2+ + 2HCO3-
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 Neutralization
pH of the effluent from a chemical precipitation softening
unit has high pH
Supersaturated CaCO3 may precipitate with time pH has
to be reduced to stabilize the water
Reduction in pH is achieved by adding H2SO4 or CO2

CaCO3 + H2SO4 2Ca2+ + 2HCO3- + SO42-

MgOH2+ H2SO4 2Mg2+ + SO42- + H2O

CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

recarbonation
MgOH2+ 2CO2 Mg2+ + 2HCO3-
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One stage recarbonation
Raw water
Lime and soda ash

Flocculator
Waste sludge clarifier

recarbonation

Back wash Filtration

Softened water

1
 Two stage recarbonation
Raw water

Lime and soda ash

Flocculator
Waste sludge clarifier

First stage recarbonation

Softened water
Flocculator
Waste sludge
clarifier

second stage recarbonation Filtration

1 Back- wash water 12

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 Split treatment

Suitable for water with high magnesium

hardness
Mass balance
1
Soda
Lime 2
flow = Q ash
main flow = Q(1-X)
Influent
Aeration RM SM S recarbonation Filtration
(Optional)
(Optional) sludge
Disinfection
Split flow = Q(X)

To distribution
Q( Mg e ) = QX ( Mg r ) + Q(1 X )( Mg t ) system

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 Mge magnesium conc. of the mixture of
treated and bypassed water
Mgr magnesium conc. of the treated water
Mgt magnesium conc. in the treated water
X= fraction of the water bypassed
Q = raw water flow rate

Mgt = [(Mge)-(Mgr)X]/(1-X)

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 Assignment Problem 1: the following water
analysis has been provided for VIT Chennai
boys hostel. Determine the lime and soda ash
required to soften the water
Parameter Conc., mg/l
TDS 373
Calcium 70
Magnesium 22
Sodium 14
Potassium 2
Bicarbonate 187
Sulfate 118
Chloride 17
pH 7.5
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 Assignment Problem 1: A raw water has the following
characteristics
pH = 7.5
Ca2+ = 380 mg/L as CaCO3
Mg2+ = 80 mg/L as CaCO3
Alkalinity = 100 mg/L as CaCO3
Temperature = 15 oC
I= 0.01 M

Determine the maximum fraction of water (upper limit) than

can be bypassed and also compute the magnesium
concentration in the treated stream .

Determine the lime, soda ash and CO2 requirements for split
treatment softening if the finished water pH is less than 9.0
and the magnesium concentration is not to exceed 40 mg/L
as CaCO3
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Example 4-7: A water with the ionic characteristics shown in the bar
diagram below is to be softened to the minimum calcium hardness
by lime-soda process. Magnesium removal is not deemed necessary.
1. Calculate the chemical requirement and solid produced in mill
equivalents per liter
2. Draw a bar diagram for the finished water
3. For a flow of 25000 m3/d, calculate the daily chemical
requirement and the mass solids produced. Assume that the lime
used is 90% pure and the soda ash is 85% pure.

1.0 5.0 6.5 8.0

m.eq/L
Mg2+ Ca2+
Ca2+
CO02
HCO3- SO42-
m.eq/L
3.5 8.0
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 Design criteria
Parameter Mixer Flocculator Settling Basin Solid Contact
Basin

Detention time 5 min 30-50 min 2-4 h 1-4 h

G 700 10-100 NA

Over flow rate 2-4 m3/m2 min

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 Iron and manganese removal

Aeration
Common treatment
method for GW oxygen conc.
Remove undesirable
gases dissolved in water
Vapor phase
CO2, H2S
Removed undesirable Gas film
Liquid film
dissolved solids (
oxidation process) Liquid phase

Fe(II) and Mn(II)

Schematic showing a four step transfer of
oxygen from vapor phase to solution phase
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BG
GF LF

BG
GF LF

BL
Ct>Cs
BL
Ct<Cs

desorption

absorption
Water dispersed in air
 BL
LF GF
Cs>Ct
BG
GF LF

Ct>Cs
BG

BG

desorption

absorption
Air dispersed in water
 Gas transfer relation
Henrys law for dilute solution, at
equilibrium, the conc. of the gas dissolved in a
liquid is directly proportional to the partial
pressure of that gas in the vapor phase with
which the solution is in contact

Cs = K H P

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