Water Treatment · Treatment Steps
What Is Flocculation and Floc?
After rapid mix, gentler mixing helps the joined particles grow.
The soft clumps formed during treatment are called floc. In a flocculation basin, slow-moving paddles or another mixing system bring small particles into contact without breaking up the growing clumps. The water moves through the basin for enough time to form floc that can settle or be removed later. Mixing that is too weak may form poor floc; mixing that is too strong may break it apart. Operators observe the basin, mixer operation, flow, and results from later treatment steps. Floc may look different as source water changes. A new operator should connect the stages: rapid mixing spreads the chemical, gentle mixing builds floc, and the next step separates much of that floc from the water.
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Introduction to Water Treatment Operations
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