Comparative studies on use of liquid and solid alum in water treatment

Though alum is commonly supplied and used in India in the form of flakes or solid lumps and then applied in a solution form, liquid alum as an intermediate product in the manufacture of solid alum can as well be used with certain advantages. Studies were carried out at NEERI Bombay Zonal Laboratory and on a 20 mgd capacity water treatment plant at Pogaon near Bombay belonging to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay, using solid and liquid alum to assess their properties and relative efficacy in the treatment of water; as well as the total costs involved in their usage. Functionally, both have been observed to behave in the same way, and the preference will depend upon the local economy and reliability of supply. 2 refs.