ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT TREATMENT METHODS OF SAND FILTERS BACKWASH WATER

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Chem. Dept., Fac. Sci., Ain Shams Univ.,Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt

2 National Inst. Oceanography and Fisheries, Alex. Univ., Egypt

3 Inst. of Graduate Studies and Res., Materials Sci. Dept., Alex. Univ., Egypt

Abstract

The sand filtration process is used in drinking water treatment to remove contaminants before disinfection. Continuous filtration can lead to clogging of sand pores, reducing filter efficiency. The backwashing process is performed to cleanse filters and eliminate the accumulated contaminants.Filter backwash water (FBWW)represents 5-8% of the total plant production and is discharged as waste. The reuse of FBWW has attracted significant attention, particularly for applications such as irrigation, after treatment.This study aimed to investigate possible treatment options onFBWW. Four processes were tested and evaluated: blending FBWW with raw water, coagulation-flocculation process, settling process and sand filter treatment. Results indicated that aluminum concentration increased by coagulation-flocculation treatment process. Blending FBWW with raw water was the most efficient treatment method for heavy metals reduction. The coagulation-flocculation process was an efficient treatment method for total plate count reduction. The settling process affected the turbidity reduction as it decreased from 102 to 11 (NTU). The highest removal of turbidity was achieved by treating FBBW using the settling process coupled with sand filter treatment. Along the FBWW treatment processes, total plate count was reduced and could be eliminated by final disinfection

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