WATER TREATMENT PROCESS
(BUILDING UTILITIES)
WATER TREATMENT PROCESS
Water Treatment is a procedure that involves chemical, physical, physicochemical, and
biological processes that aims to obtain water with the right feature for its intended use by
reducing and eliminating contaminants.
There are 7 stages used in the Water Treatment Process: Coagulation, Flocculation,
Sedimentation, Filtration, Disinfection, Storage, and Distribution.
A. COAGULATION
■ The first step in the Water Treatment Process.
■ A chemical process to thicken fluid.
■ During Coagulation:
Positive chemicals are added in water to neutralize the negative charge
of dirt and dissolved particles.
a. COAGULANTS
● Chemical used to remove suspended solids from drinking water.
● Increase the size of aquatic substances
TYPES OF COAGULANTS:
● INORGANIC COAGULANT
○ Aluminum Coagulant
■ Aluminum Sulfate
■ Aluminum Chloride
■ Sodium Aluminate
○ Iron Coagulant
■ Ferric Sulfate
■ Ferrous Sulfate
■ Ferric Chloride
■ Ferric Chloride Sulfate
Advantages:
■ Effective at removing most suspended solids.
■ Enable highly charged ions.
■ Capable of removing some of the organic
precursors that may react with chlorine to form
disinfection by-products.
■ Low unit cost and availability
Disadvantages:
■ Create large volumes of floc which
■ Can alter the pH of water
■ Aluminum sulfate and chloride, ferric sulfate
and chloride and ferrous sulfate are highly acidic
which can destroy alkalinity and lower pH.
● ORGANIC COAGULANT
○ Polyamines
, WATER TREATMENT PROCESS
(BUILDING UTILITIES)
○ Polytannate
Advantages:
■ Enable relatively low charge density to
effectively neutralize lower charged suspended
particles.
■ Capable of removing some of the organic
precursors that may react with chlorine to form
disinfection by-products.
■ Produce small floc volume
■ Liquid forms, non-corrosive, ready for direct use
■ Do not impact and are rarely or marginally
affected by pH.
Disadvantages:
■ Higher unit cost
■ High dosages are needed if charge demand is
high
■ Low-density flocks do not always settle well.
● OTHER TYPES OF COAGULANTS:
○ Synthetic Coagulant
○ Biopolymer Coagulant
● In water treatment, metal coagulants are commonly used.
● Availability and affordability should be considered in this process.
● Aluminum sulfate is suggested to be used in the water treatment
process during coagulation since this coagulant is commonly available
and affordable in the market.
There are also other types of coagulants available:
● Synthetic Coagulant
● Biopolymer Coagulant
b. MACHINE FOR COAGULATION
TYPES OF COAGULATION EQUIPMENT
● ELECTROCOAGULATOR
○ Uses electricity to induce coagulation
○ Disperses electric charge through a solution and reduces
colloid charge
● CHEMICAL COAGULATOR
○ Uses aluminum sulfate or Poly Aluminum Chloride
(BUILDING UTILITIES)
WATER TREATMENT PROCESS
Water Treatment is a procedure that involves chemical, physical, physicochemical, and
biological processes that aims to obtain water with the right feature for its intended use by
reducing and eliminating contaminants.
There are 7 stages used in the Water Treatment Process: Coagulation, Flocculation,
Sedimentation, Filtration, Disinfection, Storage, and Distribution.
A. COAGULATION
■ The first step in the Water Treatment Process.
■ A chemical process to thicken fluid.
■ During Coagulation:
Positive chemicals are added in water to neutralize the negative charge
of dirt and dissolved particles.
a. COAGULANTS
● Chemical used to remove suspended solids from drinking water.
● Increase the size of aquatic substances
TYPES OF COAGULANTS:
● INORGANIC COAGULANT
○ Aluminum Coagulant
■ Aluminum Sulfate
■ Aluminum Chloride
■ Sodium Aluminate
○ Iron Coagulant
■ Ferric Sulfate
■ Ferrous Sulfate
■ Ferric Chloride
■ Ferric Chloride Sulfate
Advantages:
■ Effective at removing most suspended solids.
■ Enable highly charged ions.
■ Capable of removing some of the organic
precursors that may react with chlorine to form
disinfection by-products.
■ Low unit cost and availability
Disadvantages:
■ Create large volumes of floc which
■ Can alter the pH of water
■ Aluminum sulfate and chloride, ferric sulfate
and chloride and ferrous sulfate are highly acidic
which can destroy alkalinity and lower pH.
● ORGANIC COAGULANT
○ Polyamines
, WATER TREATMENT PROCESS
(BUILDING UTILITIES)
○ Polytannate
Advantages:
■ Enable relatively low charge density to
effectively neutralize lower charged suspended
particles.
■ Capable of removing some of the organic
precursors that may react with chlorine to form
disinfection by-products.
■ Produce small floc volume
■ Liquid forms, non-corrosive, ready for direct use
■ Do not impact and are rarely or marginally
affected by pH.
Disadvantages:
■ Higher unit cost
■ High dosages are needed if charge demand is
high
■ Low-density flocks do not always settle well.
● OTHER TYPES OF COAGULANTS:
○ Synthetic Coagulant
○ Biopolymer Coagulant
● In water treatment, metal coagulants are commonly used.
● Availability and affordability should be considered in this process.
● Aluminum sulfate is suggested to be used in the water treatment
process during coagulation since this coagulant is commonly available
and affordable in the market.
There are also other types of coagulants available:
● Synthetic Coagulant
● Biopolymer Coagulant
b. MACHINE FOR COAGULATION
TYPES OF COAGULATION EQUIPMENT
● ELECTROCOAGULATOR
○ Uses electricity to induce coagulation
○ Disperses electric charge through a solution and reduces
colloid charge
● CHEMICAL COAGULATOR
○ Uses aluminum sulfate or Poly Aluminum Chloride
