Water Quality Improvements for Household Usage
Dovedale, New Zealand
Water Quality Improvements for Household Usage
Dovedale, New Zealand
Client
Tasman District Council
Plant Capacity
45m³/hr
Technology
Chlorination, Clarification
Water Source
Surface Water
Quality Issue
Improving Water Quality and Supply Volume
Customer Need
Safe and Consistent Water Quality for Household Usage
Dovedale’s water supply scheme was initially intended for livestock, but with the surge in household usage in the Upper Moutere area, concerns over both water volume and quality arose. Issues with water volume and quality stemmed from the outdated surface water intake from a small creek.
To address this, the Tasman District Council needed a solution for water quality improvements for household, leveraging the existing source. Despite upgrades at the treatment plant, ensuring potable water quality required households to install additional filtration and UV treatment systems.
What We Did
Implemented a Lamella Clarifier for Turbidity Removal
Following a thorough analysis of solid particle behavior, FILTEC recommended implementing a tube settler lamella clarifier alongside a self-cleaning filter. This approach emerged as the optimal solution for enhancing turbidity removal without resorting to chemical treatment. The tube settler lamella clarifier effectively separates suspended solids from water, ensuring cleaner and clearer municipal drinking water.
Provided Effective Sediment Removal
The FILTEC tube settler clarifier offers impressive sediment removal capabilities, typically eliminating 80-90% of sediments from the raw water source. Its efficient design not only ensures effective purification but also minimizes the overall footprint of the treatment plant, optimising space utilisation. Raw water is directed by gravity to the FILTEC tube settler clarifier, where sediment separation occurs before it reaches a 5m³ balance tank for further processing.
Installed Disinfection and Sludge Removal Processes
Following the initial filtration to remove larger particles, the water undergoes further purification in the self-cleaning filter, effectively eliminating finer particles. Subsequently, chlorination takes place, eradicating bacteria and ensuring the water is safe for consumption before it’s directed to treated water tanks.
The sludge collected beneath the lamella tube settler is efficiently discharged into sludge drying beds via a dedicated pump, facilitating the safe collection and off-site disposal of solids. This method ensures efficient management of by-products produced in the water treatment process.
The Result
Enhanced Turbidity and Particle Removal from Water Supply
The water treatment upgrade has delivered significant benefits to both the council and the Dovedale community. By enhancing turbidity and particle removal capabilities, the water now complies with New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.
These improvements guarantee a dependable drinking water supply for residents. While individual household treatment remains necessary in accordance with the Building Code prior to use, the upgrade marks a substantial improvement in overall water quality and safety.
