Performance of engineering parameters of a water treatment plant: a case study

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), constructed a 30 mgd. capacity water treatment plant at Kamarhati, a municipal town, which is nearly 15 km. away from Kolkata. The plant started functioning in April, 1993. The plant consisted of conventional clariflocculators and rapid gravity filters. The source of water is river Hoogly; The plant supplies treated surface water to six adjoining municipalities catering the need of nearly 1.3 million population. In order to operate an efficient treatment system to achieve water of desirable quality, environmental safety and amenability for sustenance, a study was conducted throughout a year to identify and evaluate the performance of engineering parameters of treatment units such as clariflocculators, filter bed etc. A few technical findings are discussed in this paper on the efficiency of clarifloculators. The filter bed performance is assessed in terms of filter media, size distribution. Samples of backwash water is also collected for estimation of selective physico-chemical parameters.