Chemical feed control using coagulation computer models and a streaming current detector

This paper describes the use of both the streaming current detector (SCD) and coagulation computer models to provide real-time data for required coagulant feed rates. The method for computer modeling of coagulation and other water treatment processes/operations was originally developed for Lake Michigan Filtration Plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan (MI). Since the initial implementation, a number of water treatment plants (WTPs) in the United States have begun routinely utilizing computer models for chemical feed control and process performance optimization. One plant, Holland WTP in Holland, MI, currently employs both an SCD and a coagulation computer model for chemical feed control. Case studies presented in this paper compare the performance of coagulation computer models and the SCD in full-scale operation.