High flow clarifiers

Veolia Water Technologies (Veolia) has secured a contract with Severn Trent Water (STW) to design and implement three Actiflo® AC10 Turbo high performance water clarifiers at the Frankley Water Treatment Works as part of the Birmingham Resilience scheme. This compact, high flow rate water clarification solution uses patented technology to offer the capacity to process 312 million litres of water a day.

Frankley’s current Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) and Rapid Gravity Filter plant treats water from the Elan Valley Aqueduct (EVA), a relatively clean, soft upland reservoir source designed in the Victorian era. Now over a hundred years old, the EVA requires regular maintenance, during which Frankley is supplied with raw water from the River Severn.

As the existing DAF technology is not suitable for the treatment of river water, STW investigated alternative clarification solutions to deliver the resilience and security required to maintain a high quality water supply. Following a successful 10-month, 2.5 million litres a day pilot study – demonstrating at first-hand how the technology copes with different raw water types and contaminants – STW has selected this solution for the Frankley upgrade.

The agreement will see Veolia providing three Actiflo AC10 Turbo streams,the first such installation for the authority, working in collaboration with contractors Doosan Enpure Ltd and North Midland Construction to ensure a smooth implementation process.