PRODUCT

Water Treatment Solutions

GRAVITY FILTRATION SYSTEMS

Effective ltration method for turbidity, iron, and manganese.

Conventional ltration or direct ltration

Package system with coated steel, stainless steel, or aluminum
tankage
Sludge recirculation option
Integrated coagulation, occulation, sedimentation, and ltration
process

Gravity lters are commonly used in applications where liquid-solids separation is required in
a variety of different applications for nish water treatment. Gravity lters can incorporate
various types of media such as silica sand, anthracite coal, greensand, and granular
activated carbon (GAC) to meet each plants water treatment needs. In addition, gravity lters
allow for easy inspection during operation and typically have a smaller prole.


Features
Highly effective for removal of turbidity (usually < 0.1-1 NTU)
Cleaning time (backwashing) only takes minutes and lters can be put back into operation
instantly
Cost-effective, space-saving water treatment system
Compact arrangement and simple operation
Dual-media lters for improved process performance

Process
Conventional Gravity Filters provide threestages of water treatment consisting of
occulation, clarication, and ltration. Conventional lters are recommended for raw waters
with turbidity greater than 5 NTU and/or colour greater than 20 TCU.

Rapid ltration after coagulation, occulation, and sedimentation.

Coagulation and Flocculation

First, chemicals are rapidly mixed into the raw water and then gently agitated in a detention
tank called the occulation chamber. The main group of chemicals added are referred to as
coagulants. Coagulants when mixed with the raw water form precipitates that trap
suspended solids such asdirt, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. The detention
time in the occulator which allows precipitates to form and remove the contaminates must
be adjusted accordingly with temperature variations. The colder the raw water, the longer the
detention time will need tobe due to lowerchemical reaction rates. Agitation of the water is
required to ensure collisions between the forming precipitates and the remaining
contaminant particles, this isusuallyachieved by the useof a gear motor and vertical
propeller blade mixer. Variable speed control is often provided to allow mixing velocity
adjustment to provide maximum mixing without damaging the already formed particulate
matter (oc).

Clarication

After occulation, the water ows into the clarier, a large chamber where the ow velocity of
water is minimized. The low velocity allows the particulate matter to settle out of suspension
by gravity. This process is often aided by the addition of tube or plate settlers. Settlers are
simple angled plates or tubes spaced closely together, allowing settling particles to quickly
make contact with a surface, preventingresuspension. The angle of the plates or tubes
(usually 55-60 degrees off horizontal) allows the collected oc particles (called sludge) to
ow by gravity to the bottom of the clarier, which is then periodically removed in a
processcalled desludging. The particulate removal by the clarier reduces the solids loading
on the lter media thereby extending the lter run time between backwashes.

Gravity Filtration
 Rapid Gravity Filter

A diagram of a typical rapid sand lter is shown above. The lter is contained within a lter
box, usually made ofcoated steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Inside the lter box are layers
of lter media (sand, anthracite, etc.) and gravel. Below the gravel, a network of pipes makes
up the underdrain which collects the ltered water and evenly distributes the backwash
water. Backwash troughs help distribute the inuent water and are also used in
backwashing.

Operation: The inuent ows down through the sand and support gravel and is captured by
the underdrain. Because ofthe relatively clear inuent water in a rapid sand lter due to
coagulation/occulation and sedimentation, rapid sand lters operate much more quickly
and efciently.In rapid gravity ltration the particulate impurities are removed in or on the
media, thus causing the lter to clog after a period. Clogged lters are cleaned by
backwashing.

Backwashing:Is the process of reversing the ow of water through the lter media to
remove the entrapped solids. Napier-Reids backwashing procedure comprises the
application of air and water simultaneouslyto obtain themost efcient wash process.As
soon as most particles are washed out and the backward owing water is clear, the lter is
put back to operation. Clearly, relatively large quantities of sludge are generated through
backwashingand require some form of treatment before discharge into the
environment.The ltered water collects in the clearwell, where it is disinfected and then sent
to the customers.

Filter Media:The lter media is the part of the lter which removes particles from the water
being treated. The gravel at the bottom of the lter is not part of the lter media, it providesa
support between the underdrains and the media and allows an even ow of water during
ltering and backwashing.

Filter Media

The sand used in rapid sand lters is coarse sand.In many cases, multiple types of media
are layered within the lter. Typically, the layers (starting at the bottom of the lter and
advancing upward) are sand and anthracite coal, or garnet, sand, and anthracite coal. The
picture aboveshows a cross-section through a dual media lter.The media in a dual or
multi-media lter must have varying density as well as varying pore size so that they will sort
back into the correct layering arrangement after backwashing. Anthracite coal is a very light
(low density) coal which will settle slowly, ending up as the top layer of the lter.

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Company Headquarters:
10 Alden Road
Markham, Ontario
Canada L3R 2S1
Phone: +1-905-475-1545
Email: info@napier-reid.com

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