Removal of Iron and Manganese from Groundwater by Using Aeration and Natural Sand Filtration Techniques

Abstract

Groundwater is the most common source of drinking water in Gilgel Beles. The concentrations of iron and manganese in Gilgel Beles Town’s groundwater are higher than the national average iron and manganese concentrations in the domes tic water supply may give an unpleasant taste, alter the color and flavor of food, and stain a variety of objects. It also encourages bacterial growth in water distribution networks, reducing pipe transfer efficiency while posing minimal health risks. As a result, this study was carried out to remove iron and manganese from groundwater utilizing aeration and quick natural sand filtration. The research was conducted using laboratory-scale sand filters with depths of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm and three graded sand particles. The initial iron and manganese concentrations in the raw water sample were 5.79 and 4.11 mg/L, respectively. The high concentrations of Fe and Mn in groundwater were lowered to 0.09 mg/L for iron and 0.11 mg/L for manganese at the maximum runtime of the experiment due to aeration and filtration. For coarse sand, the removal efficiency of iron and manganese was good during the trial, ranging from 98.44 to 97.31% for iron and man ganese, respectively. It was also revealed that as the depth of natural sand filters was increased, the removal efficiency of iron and manganese from groundwater improved. Natural sand is thus more effective in removing iron and manganese from groundwater and is more easily available.