Water Treatment · Treatment Steps
What Is Filter Backwashing?
Backwashing cleans a filter by moving water upward through its media.
When a filter is taken out of normal service under the plant procedure, clean washwater moves in the reverse direction. Some filters also use air or surface wash to help loosen trapped particles. The dirty washwater rises into troughs and goes to a connected recovery or waste system. The media should loosen and clean without being lost. Operators monitor the sequence, flows, levels, valve positions, and washwater condition. Afterward, the filter returns to normal flow through a controlled start-up. Some plants send the first filtered water to waste or recycle it under an approved design. Never show or assume that dirty backwash water drops onto the floor or goes directly into finished water. Trace its actual path.
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Introduction to Water Treatment Operations
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