Ja Te

Inodcion
Coagulation/Ilocculation is the process oI binding small particles in the water together into larger,
heavier clumps which settle out relatively quickly. The larger particles are known as Iloc.
Properly Iormed Iloc will settle out oI water quickly in the sedimentation basin, removing the
majority oI the water's turbidity.
In many plants, changing water characteristics require the operator to adjust coagulant dosages
at intervals to achieve optimal coagulation. DiIIerent dosages oI coagulants are tested using a jar
test, which mimics the conditions Iound in the treatment plant. The Iirst step oI the jar test
involves adding coagulant to the source water and mixing the water rapidly (as it would be
mixed in the Ilash mix chamber) to completely dissolve the coagulant in the water. Then the
water is mixed more slowly Ior a longer time period, mimicking the Ilocculation basin conditions
and allowing the Iorming Iloc particles to cluster together. Finally, the mixer is stopped and the
Iloc is allowed to settle out, as it would in the sedimentation basin.
The type oI source water will have a large impact on how oIten jar tests are perIormed. Plants
which treat groundwater may have very little turbidity to remove are unlikely to be aIIected by
weather-related changes in water conditions. As a result, groundwater plants may perIorm jar
tests seldom, iI at all, although they can have problems with removing the more diIIicult small
suspended particles typically Iound in groundwater. SurIace water plants, in contrast, tend to
treat water with a high turbidity which is susceptible to sudden changes in water quality.
Operators at these plants will perIorm jar tests Irequently, especially aIter rains, to adjust the
coagulant dosage and deal with the changing source water turbidity.
To read more about the coagulation and Ilocculation process, you should reIer to Lesson 8.

Ppoe
To determine the optimum concentration oI coagulant to be added to the source water.

Maeial
Volumetric Ilask (1,000 mL)
Analytical balance
Coagulants and coagulant aids
Magnetic stirrer (optional)
A stirring machine with six paddles capable oI variable speeds Irom 0 to 100 revolutions
pe mine (RPM)
Beake (1,000 mL)
Pipe (10 mL)
Wach o clock
Tbidomee and ample be
Siing Machine
Procedure
1. Decide on i doage of he chemical().
Yo hold e he chemical in e a he eamen plan o ii. Thee
chemical ma inclde coaglan, coaglan aid, and lime.
The doage hold be in a eie ih he loe doage being loe han
he doage cenl ed in he plan and he highe doage being highe
han he doage cenl ed in he plan. Ine he i doage ino o
daa hee.
If pe-lime ha o be fed, i i all be o hold he amon of lime
conan and a he coaglan doage.
2. Pepae a ock olion of he chemical().
I i no necea o kno he pi (engh) of he chemical o e
ince he engh ill be he ame fo plan opeaion. All el of he ja
e ae in pa pe million o milligam pe lie. (1 ppm = 1 mg/L).
Yo ill need o pepae a ock olion fo each pe of chemical ed.
The engh of he ock olion ill depend on he chemical doage
hich o decided o e in ep 1. The able belo ho ha engh
ock olion o hold pepae in each cicmance.
Approimate dosage
required, mg/L
Stock solution
concentration, mg/L
1 mL added to 1 L
sample equals
1-10 mg/L 1,000 mg/L 1 mg/L
10-50 g/L 10,000 g/L 10 g/L
50-500 g/L 100,000 g/L 100 g/L
F eae, if a f dage ae beee 1 ad 10 g/L, he hd eae
a c i ih a cceai f 1,000 g/L. Thi ea ha cd eae
he c i b diig 1,000 g f he cheica i 1 L f diied ae.
Hee, hi d dce a ch age ai f c i ha eed ad
d ae cheica. Y i bab che iead die 250 g f he
cheica i 250 L f diied ae.
Oce decide he egh ad e f c i eae, he cede
i a f:
1. Weigh he e ai f he cheica ig he aaica baace.
P a e eigh ba he baace ad ae i. The add
he cheica he eigh ba i he deied eigh
ha bee achieed. I i ch eaie add cheica he
eigh ba ha ee i, add he cheica e
ad caef.
2. Meae he e ai f diied ae i he eic fa.
3. Add he cheica he diied ae.
4. Mi e.
If ie i ed, i i be e a ageic ie ice ie i
cee be i ae. I he cae, ageic
ie ca i be ef.

3. Cec a ga ae f he ae be eed. Thi hd be he a ae.
4. Meae 1,000 L f a ae ad ace i a beae. Reea f he eaiig
beae.
5. Pace beae i he iig achie.
6. Wih a eaig ie, add he cec dage f ie ad he f caga i
each beae a aid a ibe.
The hid c f he abe i e 2 h he a f c i
add beae. T eae hae bee eaied be.
If hae eaed a 1,000 g/L c i, he 1 L f he c
i added 1,000 L beae i e i a cceai f 1
g/L. S, if aed hae a cheica cceai i beae f
4g/L, d add 4 L f c i.
If eaed a 100,000 g/L c i ad aed achiee a
cheica dage f 150 g/L, he d eed add 1.5 L f c
i beae.
7. Wih he iig adde eed i he beae, a he iig achie ad eae
i f e ie a a eed f 80 RPM. Whie he ie eae, ecd he
aeaace f he ae i each beae. Ne he eece abece f fc, he
cd cea aeaace f ae, ad he c f he ae ad fc.
The iig eie hd be eaed a ce a ibe he
cdii i he fah i ad/ fccai faciiie f he a. Miig
eed ad ie a a a a f he ie ad eed ied i
hi ad he fig e. Recd a aeai daa hee.

8. Redce he iig eed 20 RPM ad cie iig f 30 ie. Recd a
decii f he fc i each beae 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ad 30 ie afe addii f
he cheica.
9. S he iig aaa ad a he ae i he beae ee f 30 ie.
Recd a decii f he fc i each beae afe 15 ie f eig ad agai afe
30 ie f eig.

10. Deeie hich caga dage ha he be fccai ie ad he fc eed
out. This is the optimal coagulant dosage.
A ha sample indicates poor coagulation. Properl coagulated water
contains floc particles that are well-formed and dense, with the liquid
between the particles clear.
11. Test the turbidit of the water in each beaker using a turbidometer.
Pipet water out of the top of the first beaker and place it in a sample tube,
making sure that no air bubbles are present in the sample. (Air bubbles will
rinse while turbidit will sink.) Carefull wipe the outside of the sample tube
clean. Place the sample tube in a calibrated turbidometer and read the
turbidit. Repeat for the water from the other beakers.
The least turbid sample should correspond to the optimal coagulant dosage
chosen in step 10.
12. If lime or a coagulant aid is fed at our plant in addition to the primar coagulant, ou
should repeat the jar test to determine the optimum dosage of lime or coagulant aid. Use
the concentration of coagulant chosen in steps 10 and 11 and alter the dosage of lime or
coagulant aid.
13. Using the procedure outlined in step 11, measure the turbidit of water at three locations
in the treatment plant - influent, top of filter, and filter effluent.
Daa
You should print out two copies of the Data Sheet to fill in during the lab. The first will be used
to determine the optimum coagulant concentration. The second ma be needed to determine
lime or coagulant aid concentration. You will use this data to write our lab report.
Dicion
Your lab report should include all of the data from our data sheet, organied in an
understandable manner. In addition, ou should answer the following questions:
Which chemical dosage(s) achieved optimal coagulation in our jar test? Did this dosage
also achieve the lowest turbidit?
Did the optimal chemical dosage used in our jar test achieve the same turbidit found in
the treatment plant at the top of the filters?
How much turbidit is being removed b the filters at the treatment plant? (This can be
discovered b subtracting the filter effluent turbidit from the top of filter turbidit.) Does
this suggest that sedimentation time is adequate or inadequate?
Is the effluent turbidit at the treatment plant within the recommended range?
How does the tpe of water source influence our plant's turbidit and its
coagulation/flocculation methods?