Water Clarifier/ Water Clarification

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What is Water Clarification?
Water is a great solvent that dissolve almost anything. Water clarification and its filtration are the main processes that are carried out on drinking water and the water that is to be used for other specific purposes or for draining. Untreated water contain many kinds of harmful contaminants which must be removed before the end use of water.

Clarifiers are used for the purpose of clarification of wastewater. Clarification is the widely accepted and the oldest used method in the effective treatment of water and wastewater. This operation includes removal of sediment, floating material and turbidity from raw wastewater.

Water Clarification Unit Processes
Water clarification process is not the one process but the combination of different processes. Large suspended solids get settle down by gravity. For non-settleable material removal is done through coagulation, sedimentation and flocculation. All these three processes are collectively called conventional clarification or the water clarification.

• Rapid mix for coagulation

• Moderate mixing for flocculation

• Solid-liquid separation

Along with this water clarification is also done by the action of chemicals, filtration and disinfection. Water clarification for wastewater is different from that of drinking water as the later requires less chemicals. Also in wastewater treatment biological processes like sludge treatment is carried out for water clarification.

Types of Clarifier
There are two types of clarifiers.
One is circular center feed clarifier that operates with the effluent entering through a center stilling well. It ensures proper residence time of the water in the clarifier to allow for the settling of the solids. The water rises and exits through a wall mounted weir.

Other type of clarifier is the circular peripheral flow clarifier. It operates with the water flow entering the system at the periphery. The water flow is distributed evenly and spirals down around the annulus of the clarifier. It is done by means of a specially designed baffle skirt. This configuration provides maximum settling of solids toward the sludge pick-up.