Municipal water treatment involves treating river, lake or well water to make it fit for humans to drink. The treatment of potable water involves the use of various performance chemicals to remove impurities from the water by coagulation, precipitation, sedimentation, filtration, oxidation, etc.

• Turbidity removal
• Bacteria removal
• Heavy metals removal
• Color removal
• TOC removal
• Cold water performance
• Sludge reduction
• Filter run lengthening
• Lower overall treatment cost
• Improve operational consistency

By clicking onto on of the above you will learn more about the specific products that are used in Municipal Water Treatment Applications.

Municipal Water Treatment:
Turbidity Removal

Turbidity in water usually comes from natural sources resulting from soil runoff. It is generally a very fine or even a colloidal suspension in water. There can also be insoluble organic matter that can also contribute to turbidity. Living plants like algae and organisms like bacteria can also contribute to turbidity.

Turbidity, unlike color, is relatively easy to remove from water. It is negatively charged and can be coagulated with a strong cationic product.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen has several products that work well in removing turbidity from water, especially runoff solids and bacteria. In one case they work by absorbing the turbidity in a large voluminous floc. In another the anionic charge of the turbidity allows the material to be coagulated. In both cases the turbidity is settled out and/or filtered from the water, producing a water that can be used for municipal (potable) or industrial use. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist in turbidity removal are:

Aluminum Chloride Solution
Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Ferric Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Bacteria Removal

Bacteria in water are usually present as suspended matter and impart turbidity to the water. They are also negatively charged and will be removed by the same mechanisms involved in removing turbidity. Municipal water treatment plants use turbidity measurements to help them determine how well they have removed bacteria.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen has several products that work well in removing bacteria from water. In one case they work by absorbing the bacteria in a large voluminous floc. In another the anionic charge of the bacteria allows the material to be coagulated. In both cases the bacteria are settled out and/or filtered from the water, producing water that can be used for municipal (potable) or industrial use. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist in bacteria removal are:

Aluminum Chloride Solution
Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Ferric Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Color Removal

Color in water comes from natural sources resulting from the decaying of leaves or other vegetation. Color can also come from chemicals in the water resulting from industrial wastewater or agriculture runoff.

Most of the color present in water is soluble and very difficult to remove. One approach to remove color is to oxidize it with chlorine. This may reduce the color but it may also generate other organic compounds that also have to be removed from the water.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen has several products that work well in removing color from water. In one case they work by absorbing the color in a large voluminous floc. In another the anionic charge of the color allows the material to be selectively precipitated with an inorganic aluminum polyelectrolyte. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist in TOC removal are:

Aluminum Chloride Solution
Ferric Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
TOC Removal

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in water comes from natural sources resulting from the decaying of leaves or other vegetation. In this case the TOC may also cause a color in the water. TOC can also come from chemicals in the water resulting from industrial wastewater or agriculture runoff.

Most of the TOC present in water is soluble and very difficult to remove. This is made more difficult when the water source is treated with an oxidizing chemical prior to treatment. The oxidizing chemicals react with the TOC, producing chemicals which are even harder to remove.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen has several products that work well in removing TOC, especially the soluble form. In one case they work by absorbing the TOC in a large voluminous floc. In another the anionic charge of the TOC allows the material to be selectively precipitated with an inorganic aluminum polyelectrolyte. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist in TOC removal are:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Ferric Chloride Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Cold Water Performance

It is much easier to clarify water that has a temperature of 75°F versus 33°F. The reaction kinetics are much slower in cold water, and the water is denser, making it more difficult to settle solids. When clarifying waters with conventional coagulants like aluminum sulfate and ferric sulfate, the hydration reactions producing aluminum hydroxide or ferric hydroxide are slow in cold water. To overcome this, excess material is normally fed, increasing costs and creating carryover problems.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen offers a range of polyaluminum chemicals that are prehydrolyzed, making them far more reactive in cold water. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist you in filtration are:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Sludge Reduction

When clarifying either raw waters or wastewaters with conventional inorganic chemicals, a substantial amount of sludge is generated. This sludge is relatively dilute and difficult to dewater.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen offers a range of polyaluminum chemicals that coagulate suspended solids and turbidity at significantly lower dosages than conventional inorganic coagulants like aluminum sulfate. This lower dosage translates into less sludge and a sludge that is more concentrated and easier to dewater. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist you in sludge reduction are:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Filter Run Lengthening

When clarifying waters with inorganic chemicals, a certain amount of solids will be present in the clarified water. These solids may need to be removed, depending upon the end use of the water. In municipal (potable) water treatment and some industrial water treatment applications, these carryover solids are removed by filtration.

Different coagulants used in the clarification process will generate different types of carryover solids. Some of these solids are hard to filter and will shorten the time between filter backwash cycles.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen offers a range of polyaluminum chemicals that coagulate turbidity, color and other suspended solids, producing a floc that is easy to filter. In some cases the treated water can pass directly to the filters, eliminating the need for clarifiers. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist you in filtration are:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Lower Treatment Costs

When evaluating the cost of a chemical for treating water and wastewater, considering the price per pound of the chemical can be very misleading. The products used in the coagulation process have an impact on the operating efficiency of the entire treatment processes: clarification, filtration, disinfection and sludge dewatering. In other words, you are not so much paying for the chemical as you are the effect it has on your entire treatment process. Therefore, it is most important to be sure and include all related factors. A product may work well in one portion of the process but cause problems in another. As an example, a coagulant may work well to clarify water but generate a sludge that is difficult (expensive) to dewater.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen offers a range of polyaluminum coagulants that are strongly cationic and prehydrolyzed, making them more reactive and therefore effective at lower dosages than conventional coagulants. Lower dosages relate directly to reductions in sludge volume. Additionally, the solids generated when using these polyaluminum coagulants are easier to filter and dewater. So, while the unit price of these products may be higher than a conventional coagulant, when all factors are considered (all related chemical costs, filter runs, sludge dewatering and/or disposal) they represent a good value to most treatment facilities. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist you in filtration are:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution

Municipal Water Treatment:
Improved Operational Consistency

When looking at the use of chemicals for treating water and wastewater one must look at the entire system. This includes clarification, filtration, disinfection and sludge dewatering. The products used in the coagulation process have an impact on the operation efficiency of subsequent treatment processes. A product may work well in one process but cause major problems in another. As an example you may find a product works well to clarify water but it generates a sludge that is very difficult to dewater.

Gulbrandsen Solution:
Gulbrandsen offers a range of poly aluminum chemicals that are strongly cationic and prehydrolyzed making them more reactive at lower dosages than conventional coagulants. Lower dosages generally means less solids carryover and less sludge generated. The solids generated when using these poly aluminum chemicals are less voluminous and easier to filter and dewater. These product attributes translate into a more constant and uniform operation with all interrelated processes. The Gulbrandsen products that will best assist you in filtration are:

Aluminum Chloride Solution
Aluminum Chlorohydrate Solution
Polyaluminum Chloride Solution
Polyaluminum Chlorosulfate Solution