A STUDY ON

SAND FILTRATION

Submitted by
R.Rajesh
B.Tech., Chemical Engineering
Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam Engg. College
Kovilvenni
Thiruvarur-614403
 CONTENTS

1. Concept
2. Description about Rapid Sand Filtration
3. Components of Sand Filter
4. Treatment Efficiency and Health Aspects
5. Applicability
6. Advantages and Disadvantages
7. References
CONCEPT
• Rapid sand filtration is a purely physical drinking water
purification method on a centralised (or semi-centralised)
level

Water Purification through Rapid Sand Filtration

Pre-Treatment
Coagulation- Rapid Sand Post-Treatment
Filtration Chlorination
Flocculation

Working Principle
 After being pre-treated (coagulation-flocculation), freshwater
flows through a sand- and gravel bed. Hereby, particles are
removed through a physical filter process.

 Rapid sand filtration is an integral part of a particular water

treatment procedure and cannot produce drinking-water
without precedent and subsequent treatment steps.

 It is commonly used in municipal drinking water facilities as

part of a multiple-stage treatment system.

 The first modern rapid sand filtration plant was designed and
built by George W. Fuller in Little Falls, New Jersey. Fuller's
filtration plant went into operation in 1920 and its success was
responsible for the change to this technology in the U.S. Rapid
sand filters were widely used in large municipal water systems
by the 1920s, because they required smaller land areas
compared to slow sand filters.
DESCRIPTION
The Rapid Sand Filter (RSF) water treatment equipment differs from the
SSF water treatment equipment in a variety of ways, the most important of
which are the much greater water treatment filtration rate and the ability to
clean automatically using back washing. RSF does not use biological
filtration and depends primarily on mechanical straining, sedimentation,
impaction, interception, adhesion and physical adsorption. In Rapid sand
water filter the complete filtration cycle occurs sequentially.

Water Treatment Filters that must be taken off-line periodically to back

wash are classified operationally as semi-continuous. Water Treatment Filters
in which filtration and backwash operations occur simultaneously are
classified as continuous.

Types of Rapid Sand Filter

There are a number of different types of Rapid sand filters depending upon bed
depth (e.g., shallow, conventional and deep bed) and based on the driving force as gravity
Water Filters or pressure Water filters. Typically sand is used as the filtering material in
single medium filters. Dual- medium filters usually consist of a layer of anthracite over a
layer of sand. Multimedia filters typically consist of a layer of anthracite over a layer of
sand over a layer of garnet.
Components of Rapid sand filter
The major parts of a gravity rapid sand filter are:

 Filter tank or filter box,

 Filter media,
 Gravel support,
 Under drain system and wash water troughs

 The filter is contained within a filter box, usually made of concrete.

Inside the filter box are layers of filter media and gravel.
 Below the gravel, a network of pipes makes up the under-drain system
which collects the filtered water and evenly distributes the backwash
water. Washwater troughs help distribute the in-fluent water and are also
used in collecting the dirty washed water during backwashing.
  In addition to the components mentioned above, most rapid sand filters
contain a flow controller, or filter control system, which regulates flow
rates of water through the filter. Other parts, such as valves, a loss of
head gauge, surface washers, and a backwash pump, are used while
cleaning the filter.

 The influent water flows down through the sand and support gravel and
is collected by the underdrain system is shown in the above Figure.
However, the influent water in a rapid sand filter is already relatively
clear due to coagulation, flocculation and clarification, so RSFs operate
much more quickly than SSFs.
 The rate of filtration varies from 80 to 120 Lpm/ m2 (4800 to 7200 Lph/
m2) of filter bed area or 4.8 to 7.2 m/ h. The average rate of filtration for
design purpose may be assumed as 100 Lpm/ m20f filter area or (6m/h).

Water Filter Tank

The filter tank is generally constructed of concrete and is most often

rectangular. Filters in large plants are usually constructed next to each other in
a row, allowing the piping from the clarifier basins to feed the water
treatments filter from a central pipe gallery or from a inlet channel. The sizes
of the filters vary according to the quantity to be treated. The number of filters
is selected to minimize the effect of removing the filter from service for
washing on remaining filters. The larger the number, therefore, the better it is,
for the proper operation.
 Ideally it should be possible to take three filters out of service
simultaneously (one draining down, one washing and one for maintenance). A
minimum of four filters is desirable, although two to three filters may be used
for small plants.

Water treatment filter bed sizes vary from 25 to 100 m2 with lengths in
the range of 4 to12 m and widths in the range of2.5 to 8 m and length to
breadth ratio of 1.25 to 1.33. The wash water collection channel is located on
one side along the length of the filter. Filter beds of twice this size can be
constructed as two identical beds separated by the wash water collection
chamber, thus limiting the length of travel of feed water to 5 m. A minimum
overall depth of 2.6 m including a free board of 0.5 m is adopted. Fig shows
the cut section of RSF box showing the under drainage system, gravel, sand
media and washwater.
Filter media

Water Treatment filter media is most commonly sand, though other

types of media can be used, usually in combination with sand. The sand used
in rapid sand filters is coarser than the sand used in slow sand filters. This
larger sand has larger pores which do not fill as quickly with particles
removed from the water. Coarse sand also costs less and is more readily
available than the finer sand used in slow sand filtration. The filter sand used
in rapid sand filters is prepared from stock sand specifically for the purpose.
Most rapid sand filters contain 60 to 75 cm thickness of sand, but some newer
filters are deeper. The sand used as filter media in RSF is generally of
effective size of 0.4 to 0.7 mm and uniformity coefficient of 1.3 to 1.7. The
standing water depth over filter varies between 1.0 and 2.0 m.

Graded Gravel

The water filter gravel at the bottom of the water filter bed is not part of
the filter media and it is merely providing a support for media above the
underdrains and allowing an even distribution of flow of water across the filter
bed during filtering and backwashing. The gravel also prevents the filter sand
from being lost during the operation. The filter gravel is usually graded of size
from 2.5 to 50 mm (largest size being at the bottom) in four to five layers to
total thickness of 45 to 50 cm, depending on the type of under drain system
used. In case the under drainage system with porous bottom or false floor no
gravel base is required. The filter gravel shall be classified by sieves into four
or more size grades, sieves being placed with the coarsest on top and the finest
at the bottom.

Under-drainage System for Rapid Sand Filters

The under-drainage system of the water filter is intended to collect the

filtered water and to distribute the wash water during backwashing in such a
fashion that all portions of the bed may perform nearly the same amount of
work and when washed receive nearly the same amount of cleaning.
 Since the rate of wash water flow is several times higher than the rate of
filtration, the former is the governing factor in the hydraulic design of filters
and under drainage system, which are cleaned by backwashing.

The under-drainage system can be one of the following types, connected to

main drain:

 Pipe laterals
 False floor
 Porous plates or strainer nozzles

The most common type of under-drain is a central manifold with laterals

either perforated on the bottom or having umbrella type strainers on top. Other
types such as wheeler bottom, a false bottom with strainers spaced at regular
intervals or a porous plate floor supported on concrete pillars are all
satisfactory when properly designed and constructed.

Washwater Troughs

Wash-water troughs placed above the filter media collect the backwash
water and carry it to the drain system. Proper placement of these troughs is
very important to ensure that the filter media is not carried into the troughs
during the backwash operation and removed from the filter. The upper edge of
the washwater trough should be placed sufficiently nearer to the surface of
sand so that a large quantity of dirty water is not left above the filter sand after
completion of washing. At the same time, the top of the wash-water trough
should be placed sufficiently high above the surface of the sand so that the
sand will not be washed into the gutter.

Width of the filter bed must be equally divided by the troughs so that
each trough covers an equal area of the filter. Maximum clear spacing
between the troughs may be 180 cm. The horizontal travel of wash-water to
trough should not be more than 90 cm.
 All the wash water troughs must be installed at the same elevation so
that they remove the backwashed water evenly from the filter so that an even
head is maintained across the entire filter.

The troughs may be made with the same cross-section throughout its
length or it might be constructed with varying cross-section increasing in size
towards the outlet end.

The bottom of the troughs should clear the top of the expanded sand by
50 mm or more. These wash water troughs are constructed in concrete, plastic,
fiberglass, or other corrosion-resistant materials. The troughs are designed as
free falling weirs.

Backwashing

Proper backwashing for cleaning the water treatment filter is a very

important step in the operation of a water filter. If a filter is to operate
efficiently during a filter run it must be cleaned regularly at every 24 to 48
hours. Treated water from storage is used for the backwashing. This treated
water is generally taken from elevated storage tanks or pumped in directly
from the clear water drain by passing in the reverse direction from under
drains to the media. The below Figure shows the flow pattern during the
backwashing.

Flow Pattern During backwashing

During filtration, the grains of water filter media become coated with the
floes, which plug the voids between the filter grains, making the filter difficult
to clean.
 Backwash should, therefore, be arranged at such a pressure that sand bed
should expand to about 130 to 150% of its undisturbed volume so as to
dislodge the deposited floes from the filter media during the backwash.

Washing causes the sand grains to impinge on one another and thus
dislodging adhering floc and, the rising wash water carries the material and
discharge into the gutters. The backwash flow rate has to be great enough to
expand and agitate the filter media and suspend the floes in the water for
removal.

On the other hand an unduly high rate of flow will cause more expansion
than needed, so that the sand grains will be separated further and scrubbing
action will be decreased and the media will be washed from the filter into the
troughs and out of the filter. A normal backwash rate is 600 Lpm/ m2 of filter
surface area without any other agitation. The pressure of the wash water to be
applied is about 5 m head of water as measured in under drains. Backwashing
normally takes about 10 minutes, though the time varies depending on the
length of the filter run and the quantity of material to be removed. Water
filters should be backwashed until the backwash water is clean. For high rate
back wash, the pressure in the under drainage system should be 6 to 8 m with
wash water requirement being 650 to 850 Lpm/ m2 of filter (40 – 50 m/hr) for
a duration of 6 to 10 minutes.

Air Wash System

In most cases the filter backwash rate will not be sufficient to break up
the mass on the top of the filter. During filter backwash, the media expands
upwards and around the washing arms only. If air is forced through the under-
drains until the sand is thoroughly agitated, for a period of about five minutes
the expansion of sand media and complete removal of the floes could be
achieved. In the air wash system, compressed air is used to secure effective
scrubbing action with a smaller volume of wash water. The air may be forced
through the under drains before the wash-water is introduced or through a
separate piping system placed between the gravel and the sand layer.
 The cleaning of water treatment filter with air agitation followed by
backwash is a very efficient method but requires the installation of a large air
blower to produce the air. The normal design of backwashing employing
conjunctive air and water wash, air will be applied at 700 to 850 Lpm/ m2 of
filter area (45 – 50 m/hr) and water at 200 to 250 Lpm/ m2 of filter area (12-15
m/hr).

Surface Washing

The upper layer of the water filter bed becomes the dirtiest and any
inadequate washing will lead to the formation of mud balls, cracks and
clogged apots in the water filters. These troubles are overcome by adequate
surface wash which can be accomplished by stirring the expanded water
treatment filter bed mechanically with jet of water directed into the suspended
sand. Surface washers spray water over the sand at the top of the filter
breaking down mud-balls. The below Figure shows the surface wash
arrangements.
Treatment Efficiency and Health Aspects
Performance
2
 4,000 – 12,000 litres per hour per m of surface
(slow sand filter: 100 - 300 litres)
 High rate, small land requirements

Health Aspects
Moderately Somewhat Not effective for
effective for effective for
- Turbidity - Odour, Taste - Viruses
- Iron, Manganese - Bacteria - Fluoride
- Organic matter - Arsenic
- Salts
-Majority of chemicals

Applicability

Prerequisites
 Availability of pre- and post-treatment facilities and material
(e.g. chemicals for coagulation-flocculation, chlorine, water
quality test-kits)
 Skilled supervision (both for construction and operation)
 Electricity
 Treatment facilities for backwashing water and sludge available

Main areas
Exclusively where land is a limiting factor and electricity, spare
parts and skilled labour is available
ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS

Advantages:
 Very effective in removing turbidity / large particles (<0.1-1 NTU)
2
 High filter rate (4,000 – 12,000 litres per hour per m )
 Small land requirements
 No limitation regarding initial turbidity level
 Cleaning time (backwashing) only takes several minutes

Disadvantages:
 Not effective in removing bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fluoride,
arsenic, salts, odour and organic matter (unless pre- and post-
treated)
 High investment and operational costs
 Frequent cleaning required (every 24-72h)
 Skilled supervision essential
 Highly energy demanding
 Treatment of backwashing water and sludge necessary
REFERENCES
http://www.thewatertreatments.com/water-treatment-filtration/rapid-sand-filters/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_sand_filter

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/om/linkingintro.pdf

http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/knowthefacts/conventionalwaterfiltration.pdf

http://www.thewatertreatments.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/components-rapid-
sand-filters5.jpg

https://sswm.info/sswm-university-course/module-6-disaster-situations-planning-and-
preparedness/further-resources-0/rapid-sand-filtration

https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-1882(07)70144-1