Water treatment method by ballasted flocculation, settling, and prior adsorbent contact

1. A method for removing impurities from an aqueous stream, the method comprising:

directing the aqueous stream into an adsorbent contact zone and contacting the aqueous stream with an adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone so that impurities in the aqueous stream are adsorbed onto the adsorbent material;

directing the aqueous stream containing the adsorbent material to a ballasted flocculation zone and mixing a ballast with the adsorbent material in the ballasted flocculation zone to form sludge containing ballast and the adsorbent material;

separating the aqueous stream from the sludge to produce treated water and settling the sludge in a settling zone;

separating ballast from the sludge, directing the separated ballast to the ballasted flocculation zone, and directing the sludge and the adsorbent material to a transition zone;

measuring the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone; and

adding adsorbent material to the aqueous stream if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing at least a portion of the adsorbent material from the transition zone to the adsorbent contact zone.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding adsorbent material to the aqueous stream, upstream of the absorbent contact zone, if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing the aqueous stream to a coagulation zone after directing the aqueous stream to the adsorbent contact zone and prior to directing the aqueous stream to the ballasted flocculation zone; and wherein a coagulant reagent is introduced into the aqueous stream in the coagulation zone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing the aqueous stream to a coagulation zone after directing the aqueous stream to the adsorbent contact zone and prior to directing the aqueous stream to the ballasted flocculation zone; and wherein a coagulant reagent is introduced into the aqueous stream upstream from the adsorbent contact zone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material is activated carbon.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising continuously measuring the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value, the adsorbent material is added to the aqueous stream in a suspension; and wherein the suspension has an adsorbent material concentration between approximately 5 mg/L and approximately 50 mg/L.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value, the adsorbent material is added to the aqueous stream in a suspension; and wherein the suspension has an adsorbent material concentration between approximately 5 mg/L and approximately 15 mg/L.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone is measured by:

measuring the UV absorbance of the aqueous stream prior to directing the aqueous stream to the adsorbent contact zone;

measuring the UV absorbance of the treated water after separating the aqueous stream from the sludge; and

determining the concentration of the adsorbent material in the aqueous stream using the UV absorption measurements.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring the UV absorbance of the aqueous stream prior to directing the aqueous stream to the adsorbent contact zone;

measuring the UV absorbance of the treated water after separating the aqueous stream from the sludge; and

determining the concentration of the adsorbent material in the aqueous stream based at least in part on the UV absorption measurements.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold concentration value of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone is between approximately 0.5 g/L and approximately 10 g/L.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the threshold concentration value of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone is between approximately 1 g/L and approximately 3 g/L.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein the activated carbon has a grain size distribution of between approximately 8 μm and approximately 60 μm.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the activated carbon has a grain size distribution of between approximately 15 μm and approximately 35 μm.

16. The method of claim 6 wherein the activated carbon has a grain size distribution of less than 1 μm.

17. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

adding acid to adsorbent material in the suspension if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value; and

wherein acid is added to the adsorbent material in the suspension until the suspension has a pH between approximately 2 and approximately 5.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

adding acid to adsorbent material in the suspension if the value of the measured concentration of the adsorbent material in the absorbent contact zone is below a predetermined threshold value;

wherein acid is added to the adsorbent material in the suspension until the suspension has a pH of approximately 3.

19. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the activated carbon has a grain size distribution of between approximately 15 μm and approximately 35 μm;

the threshold concentration value of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone is between approximately 0.5 g/L and approximately 5 g/L; and

the adsorbent material added to the aqueous stream has a concentration between approximately 5 mg/L and approximately 15 mg/L.

20. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

reducing the size of the adsorbent in the adsorbent contact zone;

contacting the aqueous stream in the adsorbent contact zone with the adsorbent for at least approximately ten minutes;

directing the aqueous stream from the coagulation zone into an through a tubular flow guide element disposed in the ballasted flocculation zone; and

continuously measuring the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone.

21. A method for removing impurities from an aqueous stream, the method comprising:

directing the aqueous stream into an adsorbent contact zone and contacting the aqueous stream with an adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone so that impurities in the aqueous stream are adsorbed onto the adsorbent material;

directing the aqueous stream containing the adsorbent material to a ballasted flocculation zone and mixing a ballast with the adsorbent material in the ballasted flocculation zone to form sludge containing ballast and the adsorbent material;

separating the aqueous stream from the sludge to produce treated water and settling the sludge in a settling zone;

separating ballast from the sludge, directing the separated ballast to the ballasted flocculation zone, and directing the sludge and the adsorbent material to a transition zone;

measuring a parameter of the aqueous stream prior to directing the aqueous stream to the adsorbent contact zone;

measuring the same parameter of the treated water; and

adding adsorbent material to the aqueous stream if the values of the measured parameters indicate that adsorbent material should be added to the aqueous stream in order to maintain the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone in the range of approximately 0.5 g/L and approximately 10 g/L.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein if the values of the measured parameters indicate that adsorbent material should be added to the aqueous stream, adsorbent material in the form of powdered activated carbon in suspension is added to the aqueous stream.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising maintaining the concentration of the adsorbent material in the adsorbent contact zone in the range of approximately 1 g/L and approximately 3 g/L.