AWWA JAW48093

The main goal of the research contained in this article was to evaluate the potential for biomass to accumulate in a periodically backwashed rapid filter. Accumulation and retention of biomass is required for a rapid filter to effectively function as a biofilter and remove biodegradable organic matter (BOM). The specific objectives of this research were to investigate the deposition of bacteria onto filter media, to evaluate the removal of deposited bacteria during backwashing, and to determine the effect of periodic backwashing on BOM removal in a biofilter. Experiments tracked the deposition of two model bacteria - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae - onto clean filter media (i.e., glass beads and filter sand) and the subsequent removal of the bacteria by backwashing. The results of the experiments are discussed. Includes 35 references, tables, figures.