Borehole water can provide an excellent and reliable water source for agricultural and commercial applications, but untreated groundwater can often contain elevated levels of minerals, metals and suspended solids that make it unsuitable for use without appropriate water treatment.
For this dairy farm, the existing borehole water supply contained high levels of turbidity and iron, creating a requirement for a robust commercial water treatment system capable of treating the borehole water and improving its overall quality.
J&F Water Treatment designed and supplied a complete borehole water treatment system specifically to address the customer’s water quality issues. The treatment process combines hypochlorite dosing, sand filtration, Filter AG+, Pyrolox Pro and activated carbon filtration to target the different contaminants present in the borehole water.
The result is a multi-stage water treatment system designed to provide a reliable and consistent supply of treated water for the dairy farm.
The Challenge: High Turbidity and Iron in Borehole Water
Borehole water quality can vary significantly depending on the local geology and the depth and characteristics of the borehole. While groundwater can appear clear at source, it can contain elevated concentrations of iron and suspended particles that become problematic once the water is brought into a working environment.
In this application, the dairy farm’s borehole water had high turbidity and iron levels.
High turbidity can affect the appearance and quality of water while also placing additional demands on downstream treatment equipment. Iron can cause staining, discolouration and unpleasant tastes or odours, as well as creating operational problems if it is allowed to pass through the treatment system untreated.
The system therefore needed to provide effective iron removal and turbidity reduction, while also controlling the chlorine introduced during the treatment process.
A staged treatment approach was selected to ensure each part of the system performed a specific role within the overall water treatment process.
The Borehole Water Treatment Solution
The complete treatment system consists of several treatment stages, with each component selected according to the characteristics of the borehole water and the requirements of the dairy farm.
The treatment process includes:
- Hypochlorite dosing using a Grundfos DDC dosing pump
- Sand and Filter AG+ media filtration for turbidity reduction
- Pyrolox Pro filtration for iron removal
- Activated carbon filtration for residual chlorine removal
This combination provides a comprehensive approach to treating borehole water containing both turbidity and elevated iron concentrations.
Stage 1 – Hypochlorite Dosing for Iron Oxidation
The first stage of the treatment process uses hypochlorite dosing to oxidise the iron present in the borehole water.
A Grundfos DDC dosing pump is used to accurately dose the required quantity of hypochlorite into the incoming water supply.
Iron in groundwater can be present in a dissolved form, which makes it more difficult to remove through conventional mechanical filtration. Oxidation converts the dissolved iron into a particulate form, allowing it to be captured more effectively by the filtration stages further along the treatment process.
Accurate chemical dosing is therefore an important part of the overall iron removal strategy.
The Grundfos DDC provides controlled and consistent chemical dosing, helping to ensure the treatment process receives the appropriate amount of hypochlorite for the incoming water conditions.
Stage 2 – Sand and Filter AG+ for Turbidity Reduction
Following chemical dosing, the water passes through sand and Filter AG+ filtration units designed to reduce turbidity and remove suspended particles from the water.
Turbidity is caused by fine suspended particles within the water and can be particularly problematic in untreated borehole supplies.
Media filtration provides a physical barrier, allowing suspended solids and oxidised contaminants to be captured within the filter bed.
The sand and Filter AG+ stages provide an important role within the system by reducing the turbidity of the incoming borehole water and helping to protect the downstream treatment equipment.
Using dedicated filtration media as part of a staged treatment process also means the system can be designed around the specific contaminants identified within the raw water supply.
Stage 3 – Pyrolox Pro for Iron Removal
The next stage of treatment uses Pyrolox Pro, a specialist filtration media designed for the reduction of iron and other oxidised contaminants from water.
The previous hypochlorite dosing stage is particularly important here, as it helps convert dissolved iron into a form that can be more readily removed through filtration.
The Pyrolox Pro filter provides an additional dedicated treatment stage for iron removal, helping to reduce the concentration of iron remaining in the water after the initial filtration stages.
This combination of chemical oxidation followed by specialist media filtration is an effective approach when treating borehole water with elevated iron levels.
Stage 4 – Activated Carbon for Residual Chlorine Removal
The final treatment stage uses activated carbon filtration to remove any small amounts of residual chlorine remaining in the water following the hypochlorite dosing process.
While chlorine is deliberately introduced earlier in the treatment process to assist with iron oxidation, it is not necessarily desirable for the treated water to retain the same level of residual chlorine.
Activated carbon is highly effective at reducing chlorine and provides an important polishing stage at the end of the treatment process.
This creates a complete treatment sequence where the hypochlorite performs its role at the beginning of the process before the activated carbon removes residual chlorine further downstream.
Why a Multi-Stage Borehole Water Treatment System?
Borehole water treatment rarely involves simply installing one filter and expecting it to remove every contaminant.
Different water quality issues require different treatment methods, and this dairy farm is a good example of why a multi-stage commercial water treatment system can be the most appropriate solution.
In this application:
- Hypochlorite dosing oxidises dissolved iron.
- Sand and Filter AG+ reduce turbidity and suspended particles.
- Pyrolox Pro provides dedicated iron reduction.
- Activated carbon removes residual chlorine.
Each stage has a specific purpose, allowing the treatment system to address the individual characteristics of the raw borehole water.
This approach also helps create a more controlled treatment process, rather than relying on a single piece of equipment to deal with multiple water quality problems.
Borehole Water Treatment for Agricultural Applications
Borehole water is widely used across the agricultural sector, including dairy farms, livestock farms, agricultural businesses and rural commercial sites.
However, private water supplies should always be assessed before selecting treatment equipment. Borehole water can contain a wide range of naturally occurring contaminants depending on the local ground conditions.
For agricultural applications, water treatment requirements can also be influenced by the volume of water required, peak flow rates, storage capacity and the intended use of the treated water.
A correctly designed water treatment system should therefore begin with an understanding of the raw water quality.
In this dairy farm application, the presence of high turbidity and iron dictated the treatment process and led to the combination of oxidation, media filtration and activated carbon filtration.
A Complete Commercial Water Treatment Solution
This project demonstrates how J&F Water Treatment can design and supply bespoke commercial water treatment systems for challenging private water supplies.
Rather than treating the borehole water with a single filtration technology, the system uses multiple complementary treatment stages to target the specific water quality issues identified.
The combination of Grundfos DDC hypochlorite dosing, sand filtration, Filter AG+, Pyrolox Pro and activated carbon provides a comprehensive treatment solution for this dairy farm’s borehole water.
By selecting the correct treatment technologies for each stage of the process, the system is designed to provide effective turbidity reduction, iron removal and chlorine reduction while providing a reliable, treated water supply for the application.
Looking for a Borehole Water Treatment System?
If you are experiencing high iron, turbidity, staining, discolouration or other water quality issues from a borehole or private water supply, J&F Water Treatment can help identify the most appropriate treatment solution.
We supply a wide range of commercial and industrial water treatment equipment, including filtration systems, iron removal systems, media filters, activated carbon filters, dosing systems and specialist water treatment media.
Every borehole is different, so the correct treatment system should be selected based on the results of a comprehensive raw water analysis, the required flow rate and the intended application.
Contact J&F Water Treatment today to discuss your borehole water treatment requirements and find out how we can help design a treatment system for your application.
