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Drinking Water Clarification with Lamella Plate Settlers

High-rate coagulation, flocculation and inclined-plate clarification for potable water — achieving sub-1 NTU turbidity at high surface loading in a fraction of the footprint of conventional sedimentation basins, enabling in-building plant upgrades.

Borehole & Groundwater Treatment

Treating a borehole or groundwater supply? See our full approach — aeration and catalytic multimedia filtration for iron and manganese, ultrafiltration for SDI and RO pre-treatment, and disinfection for potable supply — with example arrangements by application.

Borehole Treatment

Clarifying Potable Water to Sub-1 NTU

Low-solids surface water demands high area efficiency and tight turbidity control

Turbidity Target

Coagulation–flocculation–lamella clarification reliably achieves < 1 NTU clarified turbidity ahead of filtration and disinfection, both a regulatory requirement and the key to effective downstream pathogen control.

Footprint Reduction

By stacking inclined plates to multiply the projected settling area, lamella clarifiers replace conventional horizontal sedimentation basins with an 80–90% footprint reduction — enabling capacity upgrades within existing treatment buildings.

Plate Geometry

For low-solids drinking water, plate spacing of 50–60 mm maximises the area per unit volume while keeping blinding risk low, supporting surface loading rates of 6–10 m³/m²·h.

Surface Loading & the Lamella Advantage

Particle capture in an ideal clarifier depends on the surface overflow rate q = Q/A, where A is the projected settling area — not on tank depth. A lamella pack of N plates inclined at angle θ contributes an effective area Aeff = N · w · L · cosθ per unit plan area, so stacking plates raises A several-fold within a fixed footprint and drops the effective q below each particle's settling velocity. For drinking water this allows q of 6–10 m³/m²·h at 50–60 mm spacing and 55–60° while still capturing the light, coagulated floc that low-turbidity surface water produces.

The Potable Clarification Train

Each stage tuned to deliver filter-ready, low-turbidity water

Coagulation

Rapid mixing of a metal coagulant (alum, ferric or PACl) at the charge-neutralising dose and optimum pH destabilises colloidal turbidity and natural organic matter.

Flocculation

Tapered, gentle mixing grows strong, settleable floc without shearing it, sized to the lamella pack's capture velocity.

Lamella Clarification

Inclined plates settle the floc to a sub-1 NTU clarified water while sludge slides to the hopper for withdrawal.

Filtration & Disinfection

Rapid-gravity or membrane filtration polishes the clarified water, followed by disinfection to deliver compliant potable water.

Upgrading a drinking water clarification stage?

Reynolds & Bauhm designs coagulation, flocculation and lamella clarification packages that hit sub-1 NTU within your existing footprint. Size your system with our lamella design calculations or speak to our engineers.

Industries We Serve

Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.