Water Treatment Process

Clean, safe water is vital for everyday life. Water is essential for health, hygiene and the productivity of our community. The water treatment process may vary slightly at different locations, depending on the technology of the plant and the water it needs to process, but the basic principles are largely the same. This section describes standard water treatment processes.

Coagulation / Flocculation
Coagulation removes dirt and other particles suspended in water. Alum and other chemicals are added to water to form tiny sticky particles called "floc" which attract the dirt particles. The combined weight of the dirt and the alum (floc) become heavy enough to sink to the bottom during sedimentation. During coagulation, liquid aluminum sulfate (alum) and/or polymer is added to untreated (raw) water. When mixed with the water, this causes the tiny particles of dirt in the water to stick together or coagulate. Next, groups of dirt particles stick together to form larger, heavier particles called flocs which are easier to remove by settling or filtration.

Sedimentation
The heavy particles (floc) settle to the bottom and the clear water moves to filtration. As the water and the floc particles progress through the treatment process, they move into sedimentation basins where the water moves slowly, causing the heavy floc particles to settle to the bottom. Floc which collects on the bottom of the basin is called sludge, and is piped to drying lagoons. In Direct Filtration, the sedimentation step is not included, and the floc is removed by filtration only.

Filtration
The water passes through filters, some made of layers of sand, gravel, and charcoal that help remove even smaller particles. Water flows through a filter designed to remove particles in the water. The filters are made of layers of sand and gravel, and in some cases, crushed anthracite. Filtration collects the suspended impurities in water and enhances the effectiveness of disinfection. The filters are routinely cleaned by backwashing.

Disinfection
A small amount of chlorine is added or some other disinfection method is used to kill any bacteria or microorganisims that may be in the water. Water is disinfected before it enters the distribution system to ensure that any disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites are destroyed. Chlorine is used because it is a very effective disinfectant, and residual concentrations can be maintained to guard against possible biological contamination in the water distribution system.

Storage
Water is placed in a closed tank or reservoir in order for disinfection to take place. The water then flows through pipes to homes and businesses in the community.

Wastewater Treatment Process

Wastewater comprises a mixture of domestic sewage (waste from household toilets, sinks, showers and washing machines), industrial effluent, occasional run-off of surface water and ground water which has infiltrated into the sewers. Wastewater is 99.99% water, with a small amount of dissolved or suspended solid matter. At our treatment plants the wastewater undergoes a multi-stage treatment process to clean it before discharge or reuse.

Preliminary Treatment

The first stage of the treatment process uses screens to remove the larger solid inorganic material such as paper and plastics. This is followed by the removal of particles such as grit and silt which are abrasive to plant equipment.

Primary Treatment
Following preliminary treatment, wastewater is passed through a primary sedimentation tank where solid particles of organic material are removed from the suspension by gravity settling. The resultant settled primary sludge is raked to the centre of the tank where it is concentrated and pumped away for further treatment.

Secondary Treatment

This next stage is a biological process which breaks down dissolved and suspended organic solids by using naturally occurring micro-organisms. It is called the activated sludge process. The settled wastewater enters aeration tanks where air is blown into the liquid to provide oxygen for mixing and to promote the growth of microorganisms. The active biomass uses the oxygen and consumes organic pollutants and nutrients in the wastewater to grow and reproduce. From the aeration tanks, the mixture of wastewater and micro-organisms passes into a secondary sedimentation tank (also known as a clarifier) where the biomass settles under gravity to the bottom of the tank and is concentrated as sludge. Some of this sludge is recycled to the inlet of the aeration tank to maintain the biomass, hence the name for the process activated sludge. The remainder is pumped to anaerobic digesters for further treatment. The clarified wastewater is discharged from the secondary clarifier and passes through for Tertiary Treatment.

Tertiary Treatment
All wastewater treatment plants use disinfection for tertiary treatment to reduce pathogens, which are micro-organisms which can pose a risk to human health. Chlorine is usually dosed into the treated wastewater stream for disinfection. However, Bolivar uses large ponds in which sunlight and other micro-organisms reduce the pathogens. Additional treatment may be required if the treated wastewater is reused for purposes such as irrigation of food crops or where close human contact may result. Tertiary treatment, such as that provided at Bolivar through the Dissolved Air Flotation Filtration (DAFF) plant, produces a much higher standard of treated wastewater suitable for these purposes. The DAFF plant filters and disinfects the wastewater from the ponds allowing it to be used for direct irrigation of crops through the Virginia Pipeline Scheme.

Sludge Treatment
Sludge collected during the treatment process contains a large amount of biodegradable material making it amenable to treatment by a different set of microorganisms, called anaerobic bacteria, which do not need oxygen for growth. This takes place in special fully enclosed digesters heated to 35 degrees Celsius, where these anaerobic micro-organisms thrive without any oxygen. The gas produced during this anaerobic process contains a large amount of methane. At the Christies Beach plant it is used to heat the digesting sludge to maintain the efficiency of the process. Elsewhere the gas fuel is used to generate electricity, with the waste heat used to maintain the digestion process. This electricity is used in the plant, reducing our use of non-renewable energy sources. Once the micro-organisms have done their work water is removed from the digested sludge through mechanical means such as centrifuging, or by natural solar evaporation in lagoons. The liquid remaining at the end of the process is usually pumped back into the aeration tanks for further treatment. The stable, solid material remaining, or biosolids, looks, feels and smells like damp earth and makes ideal conditioner for soil.