Volume 1

WATER TREATMENT MATHEMATICS

METHODS AND CALCULATION EXAMPLES

Modular Section 4 - Excerpt

Dosage Calculations
Evaluation Sample

SKILL DEVELOPMENT SERIES FOR WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS

Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Section 4 - Dosage Equations

Chemical feed in pounds per day = MGD x feed rate, mg/l x 100 % x 8.34 lbs/MG
of chemical
mg/l

8.34 lbs/MG
Chemical feed in gallons per day = MGD x feed rate, mg/l x 100 % x
mg/l
purity of chemical, % x chemical weight, lbs/gal

Pounds of Chemical Fed = Treated Volume, MG x feed rate, mg/l x 100 % x 8.34 lbs/MG
purity of chemical, %
mg/l

Feed mg/l*

Dose, lbs/day x % purity =

MGD x 8.34 lbs/MG x 100%
mg/l

Chemical Feed Pump Setting, % stroke =

Chemical Feed Pump Setting, ml/min =

Volume, gal x % purity x Dose, lbs/gal

MG x 8.34 lbs/MG x 100 %
mg/l

Desired Flow (100%)

Maximum Flow

lbs/gal = pounds per gallon

GPD = gallons per day
% purity
gpm = gallons per minute
C = Concentration
V = Volume
ml = milliliters
L = liters
L/gal = liters per gallon
min/day = minutes per day
ml/min = milliliters per minute
gal = gallons
lbs = pounds
% = percent
SG = specific gravity
ppm = parts per million
MGD = million gallons per day
MG = million gallons

* Dosage ppm = Dosage mg/l

Flow, MGD x Dose, mg/l x 3.785 l/gal x 1,000,000, gal/MG

Chemical, mg/ml x 24 hr/day x 60 min/hr

Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Section 4: Chemical Dosages

Now that we understand solutions, it is necessary to be able to determine how much of the solution or chemical
must be added to a volume or flow of water to provide treatment at the required level. Dosage equations required
knowledge of the concentration of the solution and the volume to be treated. As a result, intermediate calculation
steps may be required to calculate information required by dosage formulas. Therefore, your previous work on
volumes and solutions may come into play.

Dry chemical dosage or feed rate

Chemical feed in pounds per day = MGD x 8.34 lbs/MG x feed rate, mg/l x 100%
mg/l x % purity of chemical

Dry Chemical
Dose lbs/day
Feed in mg/l

Note that units given in a problem narrative (e.g. ppm, gpm) must be
converted to the units in the equation.

Purity %

Flow in MGD

The amount of chemical that is used each day or other period of time is dependent on the volume of water that is
treated, the feed rate and the purity of the chemical. In the equation above, the calculation of total chemical used is
for a day based on a given flow in million gallons per day. The rate at which chemical is fed into the system is
expressed in mg/l. The purity of the chemical expressed as percent is also used to adjust for the percentage of
actual chemical in the feed. The equation must be multiplied by 100% to convert percentage to a decimal. The
conversion factor 8.34 lbs/MG is used to convert the answer to the correct terms of lbs/day.
mg/l
Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Equation

Chemical Dosage or Feed lbs/day) = Flow, MGD x Dose , mg/l x 8.34 lbs/MG
purity in decimal form
mg/l

(granular dry chemical )

Typical Problem Statement

Data/Unit Conversions/Calculations

800 gpm
Water flow through a basin is 800 gpm. A
chemical of 30% purity is to be added to the flow
at a dosage of 3 mg/l. What is the chemical feed
rate required in lbs per day?

3 mg/l dosage

800 gal/min x 1440 min/day = 1,152,000 gal/day

1,152,000 gal/day
1,000,000 gal/MG

30% purity

30 % 100 % = 0.30

= 1.152 MGD

1.152 MGD

3 mg/l dosage

0.30 purity

Pictorial

Dry Chemical

Chem. Feed (lbs/day) =

1.152 MG/day x 3 mg/l x 8.34 lbs/MG

0.30
mg/l

3 mg/l
dosage
Flow = 800 gpm

Dosage = 96.08 lbs/day

1 hr = 60 minutes
1 day = 1440 minutes

Chemical feed in lbs/day?

Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Chemical Feed Pump Settings

Chemical feed pumps are often used to apply the required chemical dosage. As a result, the operator must adjust
the feed settings on the feed pump to dose the chemical at the required rate. A sample calculation to determine the
feed pump settings is indicated below.

Chemical Feed Pump Setting ml/min =

Flow MGD x Dose mg/l x 3.785 l/gal x 1,000,000 gal/MG

Chemical mg/ml x 24 hr/day x 60 min/hr
Chemical
Feed Pump

Other adjustments may be necessary depending on the type

of chemical feed pump used. For example, once the feed
rate is determined, the operator would need to determine
what percentage of the feeders stroke range must be used
to feed at the desired rate. The equation below would be
used for that purpose. For example ,if the feed pumps
maximum output was 100 ml/min and the desired rate was
60 ml/min, a stroke of 60% would be indicated.

Liquid Chemical
Feed

Chem.
mg/ml

Dosage mg/l

Flow MGD

Chemical Feed Pump Setting, % stroke

Desired Flow x 100%

Maximum Flow

Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Equation

Chemical Feed Pump Setting, ml/min =

Flow, MGD x Dose, mg/l x 3.785 l/gal x 1,000,000 gal/MG

Chemical, mg/ml x 24 hr/day x 60 min/hr

Data/Unit Conversions/Calculations

Typical Problem Statement

Flow = .9 MGD

A water treatment process requires a chemical

dosage of 3.0 mg/l . The chemical has purity of
10% and the flow to be treated is 0.9 MGD. What
is the required chemical feed pump setting in
ml/min? What is the % stroke setting on the
chemical feed pump if the maximum feed rate of
the pump is 5 liters/hr.?

0.5 liters/hr max.

5 liters/hr 1000 ml/l = 83.3 ml/min = max

60 min/hr

.10 = 100,000 mg/l

1000 ml/l
= 100 mg/ml

3.0 mg/l dosage

10 mg/ml

chemical
feed pump
Liquid Chemical
Feed max = 6.0
liters/hour

Dosage =
3.0 mg/l

Chem.
10%
purity
mg/ml =?

10% purity

10 % 100% = 0.10

0.9 MGD
Pictorial

3.0 mg/l dosage

Flow = 0.9 MGD

Feed, ml/min) = ?

Stroke , % = ?

Chem. Feed , ml/min = 0.9 MG/day x 3.0 mg/l x 3.785 l/gal x 1,000,000 gal/MG
100 mg/ml x 24 hr/day x 60 min/hr

Chemical Feed = 70.96 ml/min

% stroke = 70.96 l/min

83.3 l/min

x 100 %

Copyright 2009 Yale Engineering LLC and Sparrow Technical Services LLC

Stroke = 85%
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