Working of Raw Water Treatment Systems - Netsol Water Solutions

There is a requirement for some type of raw water treatment system to ensure an efficient process as well as a quality product, for any industrial company that uses a raw water source for its facility.

The most effective raw water treatment system will help the facility to avoid the following:

1.avoid costly plant downtime,

2.avoid expensive maintenance fees, and

3.not being able to sell its products in the market

 

What is a raw water treatment system?

How does the raw water treatment system function?

The answer to this query primarily depends on the quality of the raw water source in relation to the quality of water needed for the factory.

What is a raw water treatment system?

A raw water treatment system consists of multiple individual technologies that address the facility’s particular raw water treatment needs.

Treating raw water is mostly not a static process. A raw water treatment system that is designed, engineered, and built to accommodate fluctuations in treatment needs will facilitate in avoiding costly replacements or upgrades in the future.

An efficient cum well-designed raw water treatment system must have the ability to handle the following:

1. seasonal variations in turbidity as well as flow

2.·variations in water chemistry needs as well as requisite chemical volumes adjustments

3. changes in water quality requirements (the quality of feed water needed for a fresh new boiler) 

What are the elements of a basic raw water treatment system?

The list of components of a raw water treatment system will depend on the quality of water being drawn from the source in relation to the quality of water required.

Generally, a basic raw water treatment system shall include the following:

1.  chemical feed to trigger the flocculation/coagulation of any suspended solid matter

2.  clarifier to settle out the bigger solid matter

3.  filtration to remove the tiny particles

4.  control panel (based on the level of automated operation required)

Based on the requirements of the plant as well as the process, these standard components are normally sufficient. If the plant requires a customized or sophisticated system, then one needs to add on some features/technologies.

What does a raw water treatment system facilitate to remove?

A raw water treatment system consists of the technologies necessary to remove the following:

• Suspended/colloidal solids: These cause

1. Unpleasant odors in food/beverage product

2. Foul process equipment

3. Energy losses for the plant

4. Silica/colloidal silica: These cause

5. Foul/scale boiler equipment

6. Reduce the efficiency of plant equipment

7. Product contamination

 Iron: These cause

1. coats fixtures,

2. fouls industrial processes,

3. foul tastes/odors in products.

 

• Bacteria: These cause

 

1.sickness and severe digestive issues/health problems

2.coating in cooling tower components.

 

• Hardness: These cause

1.Coating in equipment fixtures

2.Plugs in pipes

3.Scales in equipment

4.Buildup of sludge

How does a raw water treatment system function?

A raw water treatment facility process shall consist of the following steps:

Raw water intake

Raw water is defined as the untreated water found naturally in the surrounding environment. This water can come from several sources, including groundwater, rivers, oceans or lakes, An industrial plant takes in the water from the surface water source.

 

During this process, water is pulled in through pipes or by gravitational force through a mesh-screen/grate. This mesh-screen/gate help to eliminate the larger objects, such as leaves, twigs, and fish. The water is thereafter pumped into the main facility where treatment starts.

 

Coagulation

Subsequent to the removal of all the large objects from the raw water source, different chemicals are added to a reaction tank to remove the bulk suspended solids as well as other various contaminants. 

This process begins with an assortment of mixing reactors either one or two reactors. These reactors add particular chemicals to remove all the finer particles in the water. This happens as a result of the combination of these particles into heavier particles that settle out.

The aluminum-based coagulates such as alum and poly-aluminum chloride are the most widely and commonly used coagulates. The coagulation of the particles can also be done by a slight pH adjustment also. Read More