Performance evaluation of fabric aided slow sand filter in drinking water treatment

Abstract

In this study, an assessment of the performance of slow sand filter (SSF) aided with non-woven fabric (NWF) was carried out. Several laboratory-scale SSF columns were tested with simulated raw water containing varying levels of turbidity and total organic carbon (TOC). The results show that in filters with NWF, the fabric layers captured most of the incoming solids and extended the filter run time for the sand bed. The run time for the sand bed increased with the increasing of the fabric thickness from 8.9 to 44.5 mm. Turbidity, TOC, and bacterial removal efficiencies of the filters with fabric were comparable to that without fabric and representing conventional SSF. The study thus demonstrates that operation of SSF with NWF can be a feasible option for simplifying the operation of and extending the viability of the SSF process to a wider range of raw water turbidity values than that considered economical for conventional SSF.