Treatment needed for ground water in some Middle East countries (case study)

Water treatment plants of the traditional type are generally built to remove turbidity from raw water. Turbidity in excess of the acceptable limits is found in surface sources as rivers and reservoirs. Ground water turbidity has been found always within the acceptable limits; accordingly, no clarification treatment is needed. Some cities have built their treatment plants with its surface water treatment units to receive groundwater of very low turbidity. When it becomes exposed to the atmosphere, algae breeding takes place due to the presence of high material content, low turbidity, and exposure to light. Consequently, algae troubles as taste, odour, and filter clogging take place too. All such troubles and others relevant to the presence of algae could have been completely avoided if the raw water from the ground source bypassed the treatment plant and joined directly the clear water reservoir for disinfection, if needed, and then distribution directly. No technical reason is known to build a surface water treatment plant for a groundwater source. This is confirmed by results shown in table (1), and (2) for Geita spring water which is considered the main source of supply for the city of Beirut. As a result of a survey carried out in Lebanon where groundwater is introduced to clarification units, it can be stated safely that no need for clarification since the groundwater turbidity has been always found within the international acceptable limits.