Information in this article will be of interest to utility
managers because it can be used to provide design
guidance with respect to the least-cost treatment
configuration that would best treat the raw water characteristics
of a particular facility. This study illustrates how
the different particle size distribution characteristics and
design conditions (flow rate) affect the least-cost treatment
configuration regions and how this information can be
used to provide design guidance with respect to the treatment
configuration that would best treat the raw water
characteristics of interest.
Previous investigations considered a limited set of
particle size distribution characteristics and flow rates
and described the least-cost treatment process configurations
using an aggregate measure of the particle size
distribution. This study incorporates a larger range of
particle size characteristics and design flow rates in
order to illustrate their effects on the least-cost design
configurations. The study's major conclusions would
affect the process for designing water treatment plants
considering charge neutralization conditions, particularly
with respect to characterizing the influent particle
size distribution characteristics, and for providing an
efficient method that could be used to initially estimate
the least-cost treatment configurations using the associated
figures. Includes 28 references, tables, figures.