CHAPTER 1
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
Water is an essential element that touches every aspect of our lives, from public health to
safety and our economy’s foundation. It is also the key component for human use, namely
energy, industry, agriculture, and livestock (Hoff, 2009). The implementation of sustainable
stormwater management strategies has gained significant attention in recent years due to the
adverse environmental impacts caused by traditional drainage system. In urban and agricultural
landscapes, efficient drainage systems are essential to manage stormwater runoff and prevent the
negative consequences of water accumulation, such as flooding and erosion. These systems form
an integral part of city infrastructure, designed to effectively channel excess water away from
urban areas, thereby reducing the risk of floods to an acceptable level of service (Kleidorfer et
al., 2014). However, the rapid development and expansion of urban areas have led to challenges
in maintaining effective drainage (Herzon and Helenius, 2008). Traditional drainage systems
often prioritize the swift removal of water without adequately addressing water quality concerns.
This has prompted a need for novel approaches that not only manage stormwater but also
enhance its quality before its discharge into natural water bodies. In 1999, a team of researchers
led by Haile et al. conducted a thorough investigation into the potential health risks associated
with swimming in a nearby beach drainage. Their findings revealed a strong correlation between
exposure to contaminated water and the development of symptoms such as coughing, diarrhea,
stomach pain, and vomiting.
With the problem in hand, there exists a solution, the most used and traditional drainage
filtration system, Slow Sand Filtration (SSF). However, the gaps of Slow Sand Filtration (SSF)
in water treatment are noteworthy. SSF's main drawback is its significant space requirement due
to its slow filtration rate, which can hinder its practical application in areas with limited available
space. Additionally, SSF systems are non-backwashable, leading to the formation of a clogging
layer over time, needing periodic mechanical scraping. The placement of SSF at the end of the
treatment process can also result in low microbial activity due to previously treated water and
slow growth rates (Hammes and Junha, 2011).
In response to this lack of efficiency, I am beautiful in anyway therefore there is a need
that this study proposes a water filtration system as a suitable solution for areas where improved
water quality is essential. This system will be situated within the drainage outlet, featuring two
distinct layers. The first layer is composed of Coconut Coir while the second layer consist of
gravel. The 1st layer will consist of Coconut Coir, for it possesses remarkable capabilities for
enhancing water clarity by effectively removing impurities and reducing turbidity levels.
The experimental findings done by Tota-Maharaj and Cheddie in 2015 underscore the
efficacy of coconut coir as a water treatment medium, as its performance closely aligns with that
of conventional sand-gravel media filters. The coconut coir's ability to achieve comparable
outcomes signifies its potential as an alternative filtration method. Remarkably, the coconut coir
demonstrates resilience when handling stormwater laden with high turbidity. This is proved by
the absence of noticeable disparities between filtration methods when dealing with stormwater
scenarios. For the 2nd layer of the drainage outlet, gravel will be present.
Gravel is an essential component for the creation of the drainage outlet, as it is capable of
filtering out suspended particulate matter from water (El-Sayed, 2022). The gravel layer comes
after the coconut coir. Considering that, with this arrangement, the gravel will serve as a support
layer and will help distribute the water evenly across the system. It provides additional drainage
capacity and prevents clogging of the coconut coir by acting as a barrier for larger debris. In
conclusion, using gravel along with coconut coir in drainage systems helps clean the water by
filtering out impurities. This not only makes the water cleaner but also benefits the environment
and water quality.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research aims to investigate the water filtration capabilities of Coconut Coir and Gravel
within a drainage system. This research specifically aims to:
I. Compare the water quality discharged from 3 different structural ratios of
Coconut Coir and Gravel, respectively. (0:0, 1:1, 1:2, 2:1)
II. Describe the drainage water quality prior to, and following the process of
integrating Coconut Coir and Gravel in a drainage system in terms of:
Physical Parameters
- Turbidity
- Odor
- Flow Rate
Chemical Parameters
- Acidity
- Alkalinity
- Dissolved Oxygen
III. Compare the water filtration efficiency of the integrated Coconut Coir and Gravel
to traditional drainage water filtration systems.