An evaluation of the treatment performance, operation and maintanance of the horizontal/ flow roughing filters/slow sand filters of Mlangali plant
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Date
1991
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University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Mlangali village is a rural community with a current (1991) population of about 1445. The source of water to this village is Msimbizi river whose quality is poor and not fit for human consumption without treatment. The HRF/SSF treatment plant for Mlangali village was commissioned in November,1989. There are only a few HRF /SSF plants in the rural community of Tanzania. Therefore, in order to reduce the present paucity of field data, intensive research was conducted between 15th January and 20th March, 1991. During the field investigations, tests were conducted on the inlet water and the filtrate of both filters (HRF & SSF) to determine quality of water produced by the plant and a study to counter-check the existence of double peak turbidity of the water from the drainage pipes of the HRF. Also, the acceptability, management of the plant and the ability of the plant caretakers in operation and maintenance of the treatment plant were assessed. The latter problem was adressed for the first time as previous studies could not dwell with it at length. For the parameters analysed during the field investigations, the river water showed the following maximum values: (1) Turbidity 780 NTU, (2) Suspended solids concentration 172 mg/100 ml, (3) Apparent colour 400 mg Pt./1 and Faecal coliform count of 8200 per100m1. These values justified a need construction of a HRF/SSF Plant. Mean overall efficiency for the parameters investigated showed that mean Turbidity, Apparent colour and Faecal coliforms removals were 46%,75% and 99%, respectively. The pattern of turbiding in the drained water showed the existence of double Turbidity peak wchich verified the earlier findings documented in literature. The ability of the caretakers to operate and maintain the plant was very good and in general, the quality of water produced was acceptable to the villagers.
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Keywords
Water treatment plants, Turbidity, Ground water flow, Tanzania
Citation
Bayaga, J. L. M (1991) An evaluation of the treatment performance, operation and maintanance of the horizontal/ flow roughing filters/slow sand filters of Mlangali plant, masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx)