Abstract

This study investigated the use of industrial packing material for increasing the hydraulic efficiency of small-scale, chlorine contact tanks used in drinking water treatment. The packing material used in the study was spherical, with porosities between 0.9 and 0.95 and a density less than that of water. A total of 67 tracer studies, conducted on laboratory-scale chlorine contact tank systems, investigated three sizes of packing material, two tank sizes, and two flow rates. Sodium chloride solution was injected as a continuous tracer and was monitored in the tank outflow through electrical conductivity. Several studies were validated with the use and direct measurement of a lithium-ion tracer. Hydraulic efficiency was measured by determining the baffling factor as outlined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results suggest that the use of packing material in small drinking water contact tanks can significantly increase the baffling factor, improving the disinfection efficiency obtained from existing tanks.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Publication Status

Full Access

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1551-8833; 0003-150X

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 John Wiley & Sons, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Feb 2014

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