Channels Packed with Porous Media to Improve Water Quality for Irrigation Reservoirs

관개용 저수지 수질개선을 위한 접촉산화수로

A stream purification system was applied to the upper reaches of the Masan Reservoir to improve the water quality. This system consisted of two channels which were constructed on both sides of the stream, one side packed with crushed gravels and the other with plastic filter media. The system operated under low pollutant concentrations and high hydraulic loadings during a dry season to avoid clogging of the filter media. Removal rate and efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the channel packed with crushed gravel were $14.8g/m^3/d$ and 11.5%, and for the channel with plastic filter media, $50.1g/m^3/d$ and 13.5%, respectively. Removal efficiencies of total phosphorus (T-P) were 6.6% (gravel) and 10.0% (plastic media). These results indicated plastic filter media having relatively high specific surface areas were more efficient than crushed gravels in removing pollutants. However, due to low influent water quality during dry season, the removal efficiencies were low. The proportion of nitrate nitrogen to total nitrogen (T-N) of the inflow was high but, as the system operated under aerobic condition, nitrate nitrogen could not denitrified. Accordingly, total nitrogen was not attenuated with this system. To improve the reservoir water quality effectively, this system should be able to treat the storm runoff containing higher pollutant loadings. When the filter materials are clogged by the storm runoff instead of backwashing, it would be more efficient to replace them, Therefore, the use of natural materials which are light, easily obtaining and replaceable, and have high specific surface areas is recommended.