Flotation is a popular and effective option for a water treatment plant installation. This is one of the most impressive techniques, especially for waste waters that are high in solids and/or fats, oils and greases.

Any contaminants that are buoyant have a great tendency to float naturally.

Mechanically assisted flotation involves micro-bubbles or white water – these bubbles rush to the surface, assisting in the speed of flotation – this is known as Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF).

Again, there is the option of a chemically assisted technique – this involves coagulation and flocculation of smaller particles to make larger particles that can trap air beneath them, greatly assisting the flotation process.

Advantages of DAF:

• Can offer solids removal rates of over 95%
• Only two moving parts – the aeration pump and scraper
• Discharge under gravity
• Minimal maintenance
• Common sense dictates it cannot fail to offer some solids removal when operating correctly
• Physically strong – steel construction, durable, long lasting
• Average cost
• No requirement for mains water or air compressor, the aeration pump takes in atmospheric air
• Includes conical base for removal of settleable solids
• Particle size is of no significance compared to the micro bubbles which are less than 10 microns in diameter