Gravity Thickening of Water-Treatment-Plant Sludges Author(s): George Gebauer and Ingolf Janerus Source: Journal (American Water Works

Association), Vol. 70, No. 1, Contaminants in Water (January 1978), pp. 47-48 Published by: American Water Works Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41269315 . Accessed: 18/02/2014 04:54
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Usein ofActivated Carbon in predicting isotherm columncapacity successful.8 Optimization on Translation Waterworks, such as the heteroofReports An additionalcomplication arises if dependson factors, Problems Water , Technology Special of of the and the fluorescence is used to meageneity aqueous organics mistakenly 9-Adsorption. EPA-600/9-76-030. EPA, extent of biological growth in the sure trace organics when important D.C.(Dec.1976). Washington, p. 208. willgivethemost nonfluorescent column. Pilotcolumns such as the 2. Federal compounds, 24, 1975). Reprinted Register (Dec. accurate estimateof reactivation fre- odorous 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), are inJour. 68:2:57 AWWA, (Feb.1976). on Based work the One available laboratory quency. by present. commercially D. et al. Activated Carbon 3. Herzing, authors of thiscommentary, the CEs of largeporecarbonhas a highcapacity for oftheOdorous Compounds Adsorption carbonsA and B were calculatedusing one typeof humicsubstance but a relaand Geosmin. Jour. 2-Methylisoborneol 69:4:223 the firstcost equation in the Sylvia, tively low capacityforMIB; thereverse AWWA, (Apr. 1977). M. & Khan, S.U. Humic and Millerarticle. The CE for is truefora secondcarbonwithsmaller 4. Schnitzer, Bancroft, 3 m3per dollar pores but with in theEnvironment. Substances Marcel carbonA was 2.7 X 10" highersurfacearea. If N.Y.(1972). NewYork, Dekker, Inc., acid andMIB arepresent, (0.096 cu ft per dollar),while that for boththehumic in Drinking Haloforms Water. J.J. carbon B was 2.0 X 10~3m3per dollar use offluorescence to determine thebest 5. Rook, 68:3:168 AWWA, Jour. (Mar. 1976). (0.072cu ftper dollar).Based on the CE carbon by the Sylvia-Bancroft-Miller 6. Culp, in G.L.& Culp, R.L.NewConcepts carbonA is slightly better and procedure wouldlead to selection ofthe criterion, Water VanNostrand ReinPurification. shouldbe usedintheplant. CarbonB has largepore carbon.If the carbonsubseN.Y.(1974). holdCo.,NewYork, 8.3 timesless capacity(volumebasis) as quently were used to removeodor and 7. Clark, R.M. et al. TheCostorRemoving Chloroform andOther Trihalomethanes indicated by the isotherm, however. threshold-odor measurement were used From Water Interim carbonA is stillsuperior, the to determinewhen reactivation or Supplies, Drinking Although ofChloTreatment Guide for the Control wide difference between relative CE replacement was necessary, the smaller roform and Other Trihalomethanes. values and relativecapacitiesindicates pore carbon likely would yield the Envir. Res. Munic. EPA, Lab., Cincinnati, thepossibility thata carbonmayhave a lowestoverallcost. Ohio(Jun. 1976). CE but a lower than a In several of the higher capacity summary, aspects 8. Process ManualforCarbon AdDesign comparablecarbon.In additionto cost simple procedurepresented by Sylvia, EPA 625/l-71-002a. EPA, sorption. fre- Bancroft, and Millerrequire further testper unit volume and reactivation D.C.(Oct.1973). Washington, in deter- ing.Development other factors of reliablesmallscale quency, important therelative cost of usingpartic- testsfordetermining thebestcarbonfor mining ular carbonsare the loss of carbon on a particular is a worthy application goal, and the however,and research on this topic A papercontributed backwashingor regeneration to and selected bythe loss of capacity during regeneration. shouldbe continued. authored JOURNAL, (StubyW.E.Thacker dentMember, and V.L. Snoeyink and Millersuggest the AWWA) Sylvia,Bancroft, Member, (Active dept.of civ. AWWA) prof., use ofan abrasion to accountfor number Univ. III. ofIllinois, Urbana, engrg., References but losses, regeneration apparently previous efforts to do this have not been 1. Sontheimer, H. Considerations on the 67674 4140

Gravity Plant George

Thickening Sludges Gebauer and

of

Water-Treatment-

Ingolf

Janerus

The following commentsare in response to the article "Gravity of Gravity Thickening Settling-Thickening Water-Treatment-Plant Sludges" by Peter Kos, whichappeared in the May 1977 Aluminum as well as other hydroxide issue oftheJOURNAL. metal in arevery voluminous hydroxides water suspensions.The "fluffy" floes consist of a multitudeof unordered, PeterKos illustrated veryclearlythat ened sludge:2.5-3.0per cent." mostly needle-shaped crystals which formanysludgesthe classic solids-flux The trend is for water-treatment providea vast surfacearea on which and land filled wateris adsorbed.The adsorbedwater theorycan not be used accuratelyto sludgesto be dewatered an underflow concentration from rather than returnedto the source. givestheresulting a low specific predict particle a real thickener in whicha compression Conventionally and preventsclose packing.A produced sludges are gravity zone is established.Instead he intro- difficult to thickenand dewater,how- decrease in surface area (e.g., by duced concepts from filtrationand ever, and thecapitaland operating costs increased particle size) will decreasethe consolidation theoriesto describe the forthataspect of sludgeprocessing are amount ofadsorbed in a water, resulting of "non-ideal" sludges. He often higher than for the flocculat- particlewithhigherspecificgravity. A thickening modelto a number ing-settling appliedhisdeveloped operation.For the type of bed of such particleswould of course oflaboratory tests on alumsludgefrom a sludge Kos investigated, other mech- have compression and filtration propertreatment ifproperly utilizedduring plant and concluded, "the anisms, gravi- ties quite otherthan those of convenrecommended conditionsfor tythickening, can yieldnotonlythreeto tional sludge. As sludge conditioning operating alum sludgewith fivefold but entails thesurface of water-treatment-plant higher sludgeconcentrations changing properties carbonare also corresponding increasesin sludge- the particles(e.g., as measuredby the powderedactivated rates and decreases in the change in zeta-potential), it is also Suspended solids loading: 15-24 kg/ filtration m2/hr needed, obviousthata decreasein surfacearea (3.0-5.0lb/ft2/day); Depth of the amountsof sludge conditioner tank:2.4 m (8 ft)[1.5m (5 ft)thickening all comparedto the conventional tech- will decreasetheamountof conditioner concentration of thick- nique described needed. zone]; Resulting by Kos. JANUARY 1978 0003-1 50x /78/ 0100-0047$01 .00 1 978 American Water Works Association G. GEBAUER & I. JANERUS 47

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THICKENER'SCRAPER DRlVe-^^^~ 1 FIXED BRIDGE^. *41 / 1 <^' '1 INFLUENT ( ' U ^P" D o> _L Nr LFFLUI PLATE PACKS

FLOCCULATION (OPTIONAL) J PICKET-FENCE THICKENER-""^ SLUDGE SCRAPERS Plate settler-thickener is said to produce better concentration andfaster filtrasludge tion rates.

^^^^^mDERr-LOW SLUDGE

the structure of the metal- (thesame amountfrom from thegravieach plate) into The sludgeconcentration Modifying where they ty settler-thickener was 8-9 per cent hydroxidefloes to a form with less the sludge compartment surface area would thus change the settlethrough wateruntilthey versusthe approximately 3 per cent by stagnant and dewateringproperties. come to reston top of the sludge bed. conventionalthickeningreported by thickening Pilot testsas well as full-sizeinstalla- Thus the floes are not subject to the Kos. tions on surface-water with shearforces treatment an even and turbulence ofa transfer Given the same conditions, ferricchloride as the coagulant have (by pump)from than8-9 per a conventional clarifier higher sludgeconcentration shownthatthickening set- to a thickener. as the At the top of the sludge centis expected in a full-size unit, by a gravity tler-thickener* for bed, the floes are worked on by the pilotunitneverreachedthe limitof its suppliesa mechanism such modification. It has notbeen deter- picket-fence mechanism. The floes are capacity thetestswerediscontinbefore minedwhether the surfacearea reduc- destroyed, weremadewith and the workof the picket- ued.No dewatering tests tion is caused by orderingand close fencethickener will, withtime,change this sludge but earlier tests on ferricof theneedle-shaped or the floe structuretowards a more hydroxide packing crystals sludge(sludgeconcentrations the by some other mode of particle-size orderedformwith less surface area, of8-20 percentwereachievedfrom in higher showed filtragrowth. settler-thickener) resulting sludgeconcentrations gravity The gravitysettling-thickening unit and improvedfiltration No tionratesat least threetimesas highas properties. in one tankan upperinclined- reflocculation combines will take place in the for and sludge, produced conventionally was forconditioning plate settlerand a lower picket-fence sludge bed since stagnantconditions thelimeconsumed rateof or less- e.g.,a filtration one-third sludge thickener.The inclined-plate prevail. thickener substitutes 1.2 gal/sq 45-50l/m'/hr settler-picket-fence (approximately for morethanadequately a conventional Experience withAlum Sludge for a sludgeof18 per was obtained ft/hr) clarifier-thickener combination. The As previous experience had been cent.) conditions necessary to provide the almostexclusively with ferric chloride Althoughthe mechanismproducing mechanism are and in thickening as a coagulant, a pilot test using alum the improvements particle-modification under1. An inclined-plate not settlerthat pro- was performed -Nov.1976on Missis- dewatering is Oct. fully properties in vides stagnantconditions below the sippiRiverwater.The pilotunitused is stood, is considerable itsresult savings Italso givesan almostideal distri- almostidentical alum and ferric withthe smallestcom- the cost of dewatering plates. butionof solids across thecrosssection mercial unit. The raw-waterquality sludges from water-treatment plants. of the thickener thetest.Kos used a sludge The firstcommercial-size (2500 gpm) compartment, preclud- variedduring currents. fromsettling a low-turbiditygravity settler-thickener using alum as ingany density generated 2. A picket-fence will start to water dosed with 10.5 mg/1 up in 1978. powdered coagulant sludge thickener work the sludge mechanically.The activated carbonand 36 mg/1 alum.The and settled-out to and selected floes results hereare therefore those A papercontributed bythe freshly precipitated reported authored by GeorgeGebauer, slidedowntheplatesand are discharged generated undersimilarconditions. For JOURNAL, tech.mgr., Janerus, pres.,and Ingolf two weeks the raw water contained vice Parkson Fort Fla. Lauderdale, Corp., 10 with an turbidity, Lamella Settler-Thickener Parkson (LGST), Gravity Corp.,approximately mg/1 4201 alumdosageof between 35 and 45 mg/1. 53875 Fort Fla. Lauderdale, 48 AND NOTES COMMENTS AWWA JOURNAL

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