The practical influence of rapid mixing on coagulation in a full-scale water treatment plant

Abstract

This study focuses on the effect of rapid mixing on the coagulation efficiency in a full-scale drinking-water treatment plant and discusses the mechanisms involved in the floc-formation process. The results refer to three periods of operation of the waterworks when no mechanical mixing was provided in the tanks for coagulant dosing due to mechanical failure of the rapid mixers. Although a certain deterioration of the subsequent flocculation process was observed, as assessed using the data for suspended solids, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand, the overall water treatment performance was not affected. This suggests an insignificant role for intense rapid mixing in sweep flocculation during full-scale water treatment and reveals the potential to reduce the required energy costs for mechanical mixers.