Water is an essential component that helps to sustain both animal that’s including human race and plant life, however, it is important that the water consumed is clean and of quality that does not harm the consumer in any way. According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the quality of water that should be consumed in daily life should have less than 1.5 mg/l of fluoride. This is breached in some parts of the world such as in some regions of Ethiopia (Evaluation of Ground Water Quality with Water Quality Index (WQI) in Woreillu Town, Ethiopia, 2021) in Africa where areas around the Rift Valley consume groundwater which exceeds the guidelines. In this report project, we will design a water plant that will help in treating the ground water to remove the inorganic constituents that makes the water in the region unsafe according to the WHO’s guidelines.
The main aims and objectives of this report are; –
Through research done from the published reports included in the list of references and other laboratory practices, we realize that ground water quality can be assessed through different methods, however, each method can be more effective depending on the region in which the assessment is to be done. This project report is based on a small town in Ethiopia which lies along the Rift Valley hence we considered assessing the quality of the ground water through studying the water quality index of the water from this region.
Water Quality Index (WQI) (Water Quality Evaluation ofEkulu River Using Water Quality Index (WQI), 2019)is a model tool that is used in evaluation of ground water in different parts of the world. It usually uses aggregation tools or techniques that helps in conversion of large sums or extensive sums of water data into a single value, that is water index. This method has been in use for decades in evaluation of the quality of both surface water and ground water however its bases on local quality of the water. It is common die to its ease to use and also its generalized structure that is involved when evaluating the water quality.
This method of evaluating or assessing ground water quality is usually done in four stages. These stages are; –
However, this method is not usually the best as it has limitations since it is based on the parameter that are usually set on the site. This would not produce a most reliable value or water index since the site would be having different setbacks such as inaccessibility of the chosen points in the area where the plant is to be set. This could include physical elements such as terrains or imbalance and uninformed topography of the land. Geological nature of the site also influences the water quality index at great, different sites in the same would have varying types of underlying rocks or bedrock which influences the water flow in the rock layer. Some rocks are salty hence would cause the underground water to be salty since the water passes or rests on the rocks.
The ground water in the region had the different parameters whose ratio were beyond the WHO guidelines. The parameters have been shown in table 1 in the appendix A. These parameters have to be lowered or some removed from the water to make it safe for human consumption. As mention above, water Quality Index method was used in determining new values or ratios for the parameters. Water quality Index can be determined through different methods however we opted to use the National Sanitation Foundation- Water Quality Index (NSF-WQA) which is calculated as shown below.
NSF-WQI = whereby;
NSF-WQI is a numerical value between 1-100
Wi is the weighting value of each parameter present in the water.
Qi is the sub-index of the water quality (i) which is usually obtained from the conversion curve which are determined by values between 1-100. In case where the sub-index is below the WHO standard for instance for fluoride should <1.5 mg/l, the sub-index assigned is100, otherwise 0 is recorded automatically.
However, Qi was determined manually by,
Qi = Pc/Mpl
Whereby,
Pc – is the measured value are recorded in the table 1 in the Appendix A.
Mpl – is the maximum guideline limit in Mg/l, that is 1.5mg/l for fluoride parameter.
Qi for F = (3.8mg/l)/(1.5mg/l)
= 2.5333 i.e the sub-index of the water.
= 407.801 x 3.8 x 2.5333
The final results of the analysis of the ground water in our project ranged between 90-100, that is to mean the water quality attained was excellent inn reference to water quality value stated by the NSF-WQI shown in the Table 2 in the Appendix 1
This method was effective since it was easy to use as it quickly sums up the data in reference to the analyzed parameters of the ground water in question. It is also advantageous due to its variance in different areas where it is applied to evaluating the water quality.
Water in this region is to be extracted from the ground hence would need a proper plant design that is capable of pumping more than 100000m3/l of water per day to ensure that there is enough water for the 200,000 population. The plant design should ensure rapid flow or provide enough pressure to pump the water to different distances around the region despite the topographical nature of the land in the region.
The raw ground water in the region not only had the constituents mention in the table from the water quality assessment but also was decolorized hence removal of the brown color was also a necessity to in order to achieve the required quality which suits the World Health Organization standards and guidelines. Therefore, the water treatment plant to be designed need to be able to thoroughly clean the water, that is, remove the mentioned constituents and as well remove the color. For those reasons, simple disinfection (Karimi, 2020) type of water treatment plant would be suitable as it helps to provide water of the highest quality compared to other treatment plants. In this plant, chlorine is pumped directly into the water which then kills disease causing microorganisms. Chlorine has the ability to kill microorganisms however, it leaves water with the chloride smell which might be sensible by some people. The plant operators therefore, need to be keen when adding the chemicals to the water to ensure that a suitable amount of it is used to avoid excessive smell caused by excessive chemicals in the water.
From chlorine addition on one section of the plant, the water should be pumped to the next stage where it is treated and the brown color removed. The storage containers in the plant should also be kept clean and free from rusts and algae that develops over time as a result of enough or excessive oxygen in the tanks and channels that carry the treated water. The schematic diagram for the water treatment plant in this region is shown in the appendices section of this report as Appendix B.
The water treatment process by the plant design has different stages or major components in which raw water is passed to remove or clean out a certain constituent. This includes; –
Pumping of the water from the boreholes – this is the first stage in which water is pumped with power from the underground wells using high power generators and pumps. The boreholes are drilled in prior to the underground water sources such as aquifers which can supply water constantly over a long time.
Coagulation of chemicals – in this stage, chlorine dioxide and its oxides are used in breaking down and destroying organic matter present in the water such as plants and tree leaves. Here polymers are also added to improve bonding of the coagulants and strengthening them. The mixture, is then pumped into the mixing unit which creates turbulent energies that help to thoroughly mix the coagulants and the water. The coagulants also help in clumping the particles together to form large clumps of particles that can be easily removed by filtering or settling and decantation.
Flocculation – this the process through small masses of the plant materials (floc) are formed by stirring the mixture slowly. This process helps in promoting contact between other particles such as sediments and the floc formed. The floc formed creates a surface in which the particles adhere to the surface of the container hence making it easy to remove the large settleable particles.
Sedimentation – the flocculated water then flows to the next chamber, the sedimentation chamber, in which sedimentation process begins. Sedimentation process helps to remove 99% of the solid particles in the water. This is accomplished by allowing particles in the water to settle from the suspension based on their densities. Heavier particles settle at the bottom of the container while less dense particles remain suspended until the velocity at which the water is circulating reduces.
Disinfection – the water from the sedimentation chamber is then pumped into the disinfection chamber in which chlorine is added to the water to kill disease causing microorganisms. This process is well designed to ensure all micro pathogenic organisms are killed. It however depends on the amount of water in the chamber. A suitable amount of chlorine is usually added according to prescriptions provided with the chemical.
Filtration – this is the final stage of water treatment that involves passage of the water over granular substances to remove particular impurities. Here, the brown color of the water is also removed using bleaches and special filters to ensure the water pumped to storage tanks is clean and of good quality for human consumption.
These components have been summarized below in the appendix C
Ground water is becoming the mains source of water with the growing population around the world and increased contamination of the surface water bodies. Surface water bodies such as lakes, rivers, streams, springs, oceans and seas have become the main sewage disposal areas which tempers with the ecosystem. Though it also affects underground resources such as water and oil, underground is still the remaining storage of pure resources such as water. Therefore, assessments should be contacted regularly to ensure that the water harvested from the ground is good enough for consumption and other human activities such as irrigation. The assessment also helps in understanding how different underground water constituents especially minerals such flourides and other parameters come to form. It helps outline the importance of keeping the surface water bodies clean and safe as they affect the quality of underground water. More benefits have been shortlisted in the appendices section, Appendix D.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions and Recommendations Regarding the Project
From the project, it is clear that ground water can be harvested and used as an alternative source of water which helps in substituting other water sources. However, this can only be possible if proper plant designs are established to ensure that water produced is safe enough based on the WHO guidelines and standards.
Also, when assessing the quality of water, methods used should those that help provide or get enough information about the water being assessed. All parameters including microorganisms and bacteria should also be included on the list of the parameters present in any water. Here water quality index method has been used in the assessment of the parameters present in the ground water from the mentioned region and we all can conclude that, the water in the region has many constituents that are harmful to our health when consumed and for that, this plant is to help clean the water by removing those parameters that are in excess.
However, Water Quality Index approach of Assessing the quality of water has limitations which includes;
The method has ambiguity effect whereby all sub-indicators may show the quality of water being assessed to be good and yet the overall indicator doesn’t. This is confusing hence it may affect the final conclusion about the assessed water.
This method also does not utilize all the scales of the parameters in present in the water hence some information may be lost or left unassessed which may result to a poor answer of the quality of water assessed.
The may also not provide enough information or definitive information about changes in the parameters such as change in the toxicity and concentration of some parameters. It may also not be effective enough to providing information about microorganisms and bacteria present in the water being assessed.
From the project, I learn that Water treatment plant designs should be considerable with the available population and their daily usage to ensure that enough water is provided. The source of water to be used to serve the population should also be considered, most preferably a natural source. Water can be harvested from the ground however, it needs assessment and evaluation to know its worthy for usage, this should afterwards be followed with a specific way of treatment to get the required water quality which adheres to the World Health Organisation.
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