Frank J. Horgan Filtration Plant :: essays research papers

Frank J. Horgan Filtration deedsIntroductionThe Frank J. Horgan Filtration Plant is located Southeast of Toronto onthe shores of Lake Ontario (See map). Its purpose is to provide safe drinking piddle to our taps by filtering the urine. The water is gathered from LakeOntario. This plant has a production capacity of 455 million litres per day tosupply the residents of Toronto with drinking water. Its average production ofdrinking water is 355 million litres per day. It is also the newest filtrationplant in Toronto.History     The Frank J. horgan Filtration Plant was built from 1974 to 1979 onproperty acquired from the city of Scarborough, It opened on May 22,1980. Whenit opened, it was non named Frank J. Horgan Filtration Plant but was namesEasterly Filtration Plant. This was because the plant was on the eastern side ofToronto. The name seemed appropriate at the time. The name was changed to FrankJ. Horgan Filtration Plant at 1990 by the commissioner of works f or MetroToronto. This plant cost about 57 million dollars to construct. About nineteenmajor contractors worked on this plant and were supervise by the Engineeringfirm of James F. Macharen Limited. Although it is the newest plant, it had itsdisasters. Their intake value exploded twice between 1980 and 1995 because ofthe extreme atmospheric pressure and Wight of the water. these incidents cause a shutdown ofthe plant until they could repair it.Production     The Frank J. Horgan Filtration Plant needs only one row materials tooperate, which is water. The plant is right next to lake Ontario, collectingwater to purify. The water enters the plant by means of two 114 and four 182million litres per day pumps, sum 18 meters below sea level and 2960 meters offthe shore. Since the pressure of the water at that depth is so strong, there isno need for any mechanical pumps. They just let pressure and suction to do thejob. The water is now treated with chemicals which are alu minium sulphate (alum),lime and chlorine. Alum is used to stick dirt particles together, to make largeclumps of dirty called "floc". A lot of chlorine is added to the water to killthe bacteria. If we were to drink it, you would die from chlorine poisoning. TheChlorine, by the end of the filtration, drops to a safe level. This is where thealum does its work. Coagulation is basically miscellany the alum with the water.This is a achieved by high speed in-line mechanical blenders. Flocculationoccurs right afterwards.