Dupla filtração utilizando filtro de pressão à montante de filtro ascendente em manaciais eutrofizados

Abstract

The process of treatment by direct filtration is often selected to treat water with reasonable quality (low to medium levels of color, turbidity and algae). In this process, the changes - particularly with regard to algae blooms - cause overload problems in the filters, since the particulate fraction must be removed at the filter media. It was identified therefore the need to seek alternative solutions to alleviate the burden of rapid filters. Several water supply systems operated by the Water and Sewerage Company of Ceará - CAGECE adopt the Ascending Direct Filtration (ADF) as treatment technology, a solution which at the time of its implementation was compatible with the characteristics of the raw water. Currently, due to eutrophication of water sources and the resulting blooms of many kinds of algae, systems work critically overloading filters and causing large water loss (the need for constant filters back washing) to meet quality standards set by legislation. The deployment of a unit placed before the existing filters to condition the raw water to the existing treatment stumbles on anoperational problem since much of the available studies adopts upflowfollowed by dowflowfilters which in the hydraulic point of view precludes the use of the existing structures. The unit of pre-treatment installed allowed the suitability of raw water with high presence of algae to the limitations of direct upflow filtration system, improving the quality of the water produced and reducing losses of treated water by the wash procedures. The pressure filter PFP1 (bed with Te = 2.4 and Cd = 1.2) operating at a filtration rate of 400 m3/m2.day showed a removal of 50% of apparent color and 65% of turbidity with a head loss remaining below 1 m.w.c. and a mean filtration runof 2.5 hours. The system of filters showedwater losses of 6.2%, smallerwhen compared to the upflow filter operating allone (16.2%)