International Research Journal of Environment Sciences________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414

Vol. 1(2), 53-55, September (2012) I. Res. J. Environment Sci.

Mini Review Paper

Performance of Horizontal Roughing Filters for
Wastewater: A review
Patil V.B., Kulkarni G.S. and Kore V.S.
Department of Environmental science and Technology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, INDIA
Available online at: www.isca.in
Received 24th August 2012, revised 7th September 2012, accepted 8th September 2012
Abstract
Horizontal roughing filter (HRF) technology is a low cost treatment technology based on physical process to treat
wastewater by removing contaminant like COD, BOD, turbidity and suspended solids for a wide range of applications in
domestic as well as industrial applications. This article describes different component of horizontal roughing filter
including design parameter. This paper intends to provide an overall vision of Horizontal roughing filter technology as an
alternative method for treating wastewater in different Industrial applications. The present review focus on existing types
of roughing filter, mechanisms of particle removal and applicability of HRF system for treating wastewater

Key Words: Sedimentation, wastewater treatment, particle removal, types of hrf, application of HRF.

Introduction graded gravel beds, with the first bed having the coarsest
material and the final bed having the finest material. Typical
Water supplies continue to decrease because of resource roughing filters have gravel of different sizes in different
depletion and pollution, whilst demand is also rising fastest number of compartments.
because of rapid growth population, industrialisation,
mechanisation and urbanisation Industrial pollution is one of the Vertical flow roughing filters: Wastewater is applied to the
problems presently facing the entire world and several efforts surface and then drains vertically down through the filter layers
are being vigorously pursued to control it. If untreated towards a drainage system at the bottom. Vertical-flow roughing
wastewater is discharged into natural water courses, it can cause filters operate either as down flow or up flow filters. They are
public health and environmental problems. hence either supplied by inflowing water at the filter top or at
the filter bottom. The height of a vertical filter bed is generally
Previous studies have shown gravel roughing filtration to be an limited to 1.0-2.0 m as higher height increases the construction
effective and reliable method for removing suspended solids. cost of the walls and foundation. The vertical flow roughing
Roughing filters are simple, efficient and inexpensive filters incorporates a simple self cleaning mechanism and
wastewater pre-treatment technology compared to the occupies minimal floor space when compared to horizontal flow
conventional system1. This is in terms of technical labour roughing filters3. Vertical-flow roughing filters usually consist
requirement, daily operation, maintenance costs and treatment of three filter units arranged in series and the water to be treated
efficiency and effectiveness. Roughing filters are used primarily flows in sequence through the three filter compartments filled
as pre-treatment for filter systems that may not be able to with coarse, medium and fine filter material. To prevent algal
tolerate high turbidity or suspended solids in the source of growth over media for that it cover by a layer of stone often
wastewater. Roughing filters are mostly used to separate fine experienced in pre-treated water exposed to the sun. Drainage
solids from the water that are only partly or not retained at all by facilities, consisting in perforated pipes or a false filter bottom
stilling basin or sedimentation tanks for suspensions with system are installed to drain the filter water from bottom.
particulates that do not readily settle, roughing filtration Finally, pipes or special inlet and outlet compartments are
provides superior treatment to basic sedimentation methods2 and required to convey the water through the subsequent three filter
represents an attractive alternative to more costly conventional units2. In a vertical filter the settled deposits drift downward in
coagulation methods. Successful modifications include the both compartments. As a result the deposits accumulate within
design concept and process capabilities for roughing filter can the first few centimetres from the inlet. This was visually
achieve better treatment quality. observed in the first compartment with larger grains.

Types of roughing filters: Roughing filters are classified by Horizontal flow roughing filters: The main advantages of
their flow patterns in the reactor system. These include flow of horizontal roughing filters are unlimited filter length and simple
roughing filters down flow roughing filters and horizontal layout. Horizontal roughing filters have a large silt storage
roughing filters. A typical roughing filter consists of a series of capacity. Solids settle on top of the filter medium surface and

International Science Congress Association 53

International Research Journal of Environment Sciences_____________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414
Vol. 1(2), 53-55, September (2012) I. Res. J. Environment Sci.

grow to small heaps of loose aggregates with progressive Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT): Sedimentation process play
filtration time. Part of the small heaps will drift towards the important role for filtration mechanism in roughing filtration
filter bottom as soon as they become unstable. This drift and various studies have shown that improved removal
regenerates filter efficiency at the top and slowly silts the filter efficiencies are correlated to slower hydraulic loading rates
from bottom to top. Horizontal-flow roughing filters also react when flow in laminar. Operation of roughing filters under
less sensitively to filtration rate changes, as clusters of laminar flow conditions is essential to maximise removal
suspended solids will drift towards the filter bottom or be efficiencies. Flow conditions are described by the Reynold’s
retained by the subsequent filter layers. Horizontal-flow number, which can be calculated through a porous medium by
roughing filters are thus less susceptible than vertical-flow the following equation2.
filters to solid breakthroughs caused by flow rate changes.
However, they may react more sensitively to short circuits Re = (Vdc) / ν
induced by a variable raw water temperature. The inlet and Where, V = hydraulic loading rate (m/s), dc = collector (media)
outlet structures were flow-control installations required to diameter (m), ν = kinematic viscosity = 1.004 x 10-6 m2/s at
maintain a certain water level and flow along the filter as well as 20°C
to establish an even flow distribution along and across the filter.
Filter length: To increases the removal efficiencies of filter
The filter bed was composed of three filter medium packs of
which are directly correlated to longer filter lengths. However,
different sizes. The filter medium was placed in separate
incremental removal efficiencies tend to decrease with
compartments starting with the coarsest to the finest, in the
increasing filter length due to the preferential removal of larger
direction of flow and operated in series.
particles early in the filter2. The rate of decline is dependent on
Roughing Filter Design Parameters; Filter media: Media filter design variables and the size and nature of particles in
types commonly used in roughing filtration are quartz sands and suspension. By using different media and sizes that could lead
gravels but can be replaced by any clean, insoluble, and to meeting shorter filtration rate compared with long filter
mechanically resistant material. Previous work showed that the packed with one media size.
effect of surface porosity and roughness of filter media on Particle Removal Mechanism of Roughing Filters:
particle removal efficiency in roughing filtration was Suspended Particles in wastewater may be removed in roughing
insignificant compared to the size and shape of macro pores in filters by one of three mechanisms. These include: surface
the filter (Lin et. al., 2006). Gravel is the commonly used filter filtration, straining filtration, and Physico-chemical filtration.
media although a few studies have investigated other media. Filtration is defined as the process of removing suspended solids
One HRF field study completed by the Blue Nile Health Project from a fluid by passing it through a porous. The filtration
experimented with broken burnt bricks. The results from these process can also be classified according to the location where
performance tests showed that exchanging gravel for palm fibre the deposits are retained: surface filtration and deep bed
in the first compartment improved the suspended matter filtration.
removal by 28%2. The use of multiple grades of filter media in a
roughing filter promotes the penetration of particles throughout In surface or cake filtration the bed consists of small size grains
the filter bed and takes advantage of the large storage capacities and most of the deposits are retained on and in the top layer.
offered by larger media and high removal efficiencies offered Due to the potential presence of small-sized particles in raw
by small media. The size of filter media decreases successively surface water, sedimentation and adhesion to media particles,
in the direction of water flow, and ideally the uniformity of filter not mechanical straining, are the main filtration process in
media fractions is maximised to increase filter pore space roughing filter. Fine particles do not normally have long enough
(storage capacity) and aid in filter cleaning4. residence times in a settling basin to overcome a large settling
distance. However, the presence of the media decreases the
Filtration rate: Filtration rate also dominate treatment removal settling distance and allows fine particles to adhere to a sticky
efficiency. Good removal in roughing filters is best achieved bio-film that has formed on the surface of the media. Removal
with low filtration rate4, because low filtration rates are critical of suspended solids in RF requires laminar flow. A sticky
to retain particles that are gravitationally deposited to the organic film on the surface of the media or in the pores retains
surface of the media. While as pretreatments used for removal the suspended solids by mass-particle attractions through the
of iron and manganese were able to operate at filtration rates of van der Waals forces and electrostatic forces between charged
1.5 - 3 m/h. Researchers reported that horizontal flow roughing particles2.
filter is capable of removing metals like iron, manganese,
turbidity and colour at a filtration rate of 1.8 m/h3. Coarse Advantages of roughing filters: Conventional system is quite
particles penetrate deeper into the bed and these will cause demanding in chemical use, energy input and mechanical parts
decrease in filter efficiency, whereas at 1 m/h there was good as well as skilled manpower that are often unavailable. But
distribution of solids loading throughout the bed. Previous study roughing filters do not require chemical use, and mechanical
suggested that normal filtration rate of horizontal roughing parts. Due to high operating cost of conventional treatment
filters is between 0.3 and 1.5 m/h. technology compare to that HRF posing cheapest technology.

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International Research Journal of Environment Sciences_____________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414
Vol. 1(2), 53-55, September (2012) I. Res. J. Environment Sci.

Remove solid matter from water more effectively by reducing 2. Wegelin M., Surface water treatment by roughing filters. A
sedimentation distance. Intake filter 50-70% reduction in solid design, construction and Operation manual, Swiss Federal
content, Roughing filter 90% reduction, 90-99% reduction in Institute for Environmental Science and Technology
coliforms, and Suitable technology for rural setting – uses local (EAWAG) and Department Water and Sanitation in
material Developing Countries (SANDEC), (1996)
Disadvantages of roughing filters: Colour removal is fair to 3. Dastanaie J., Use of horizontal roughing filtration in
poor and in some cases it requires a large area of land for drinking water treatment, Int. J. Sci. Technol, 4(3), 379-
effective treatment. It can handle only relatively low strength 382 (2007)
wastes compared to conventional methods. It also can handle 4. Boller M., Filter mechanisms in roughing filters, J. Water
only very low organic loads compared to conventional treatment Supply Res. Technol. Aqua, 42(3), 174-85 (1993)
methods such as activated sludge process. Cannot treat stable
colloidal suspension needs coagulant and Needs to clean filter. 5. Clarke B.A., Lloyd B.J., Crompton J.L. and Major I.P.,
HRF has advantage of being able to tackle relatively high raw Cleaning of up flow gravel prefilters in Multi-stage
water turbidity, whilst at the same time offering long filter run filtration water treatment plants, in Advances in Slow Sand
time. and Alternative Biological Filtration, ed (1996)

Conclusion 6. Collins M.R., Westersmund C.M., Cole J.O. and Roccaro

J.V., Evaluation of roughing filtration design variables,
HRF can be used effectively to treat different types of American Water Works Association Research Foundation
wastewater and it designed in such way to get benefit of the and American Water Works Association (1994)
removal of particle as well as microbes. Having the capability of
7. Dome S., How to estimate and design the filter run
simultaneous sedimentation and filtration, horizontal-flow rough
duration of a horizontal flow roughing filter, Thammasat,
filtration is an applicable alternative for supplying drinking
Int. J. Sci. Technol, 5(2), (2000)
water. Highest percentage removal was obtained for the
filtration velocities below 1.5 m/h for color and turbidity, and 8. Mahvi A.H., Performance of a DHRF system in treatment
below 2 m/h for algae removal. Field-scale experiments show of highly turbid water, Iranian J. Environ, Health Sci.
that filter length does not provide a significant effect on the Eng., 1(1), 1-4 (2004)
percentage reduction of algae count, color and turbidity.
9. Mukhopadhay B. and Majumder M., Verification of filter
Achieved results in previous study shows that roughing
efficiency of horizontal roughing filter by wegelin design
filtration may be considered as efficient pre-treatment process
criteria and artificial neural Network, Copernius
increase surface water is used as water supply for treatment. But
publication (2008)
this can be achieved best result for wastewater, if applied to
appropriate source waste and when designed and operated 10. Ochieng G.M. and Otieno F.A.O., Performance of
properly. different filter media against conventional water treatment
system, Watersa, 30 (2004)
Acknowledgement 11. Ochieng G.M. and Otieno F.A.O., Verification of wegelin
The authors are grateful to the director of Department of design criteria for horizontal flow roughing filters with
Technology The authors are grateful to the Hon’s Vice alternative filter materials, Watersa, 32 (2006)
Chancellor and Director of Department of Technology, Shivaji 12. Pacini V., Removal of iron and manganese using
University, Kolhapur for providing necessary institutional biological roughing up flow filtration technology, Water
facilities and encouragement Res, 399, 4463-4475 (2005)
References 13. Rooklidge S.J. and Ketchum K.L., Calcite amended
horizontal roughing filtration for clay turbidity removal, J.
1. Onyeka Nkwonta and George Ochieng, Roughing filter for Water Supply Res. Technol, 5(6), 333-342, (2002)
water pre-treatment technology in developing countries: A
review, International Journal of Physical Sciences, 4(9), 14. Metcalf and eddy, Wastewater Engineering (2003)
455-463 (2010)
Table-1
Typical media grades used in roughing filtration
Roughing filter description Filter Media Size (mm)
1st fraction 2nd fraction 3rd fraction
Coarser 24 – 16 18 – 12 12 – 8
Normal 18 – 12 12 – 8 4–8
Fine 12 – 8 8–4 4–2

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