ATi FilterSmart backwash monitoring

Sand filters form an essential step in drinking water treatment. They remove the final impurities before the water enters the distribution network. Over time, the filter bed becomes saturated and the filter must be rinsed through a backwash cycle. 

With many installations, this rinsing is still carried out at fixed intervals or based on flow rate, even when it is not actually necessary. This leads to unnecessary water consumption, higher energy costs and longer operational shutdown for filters. 

With the ATi FilterSmart, you control the backwash based on the actual condition of the filter, with real-time insight into filter bed performance. 

Real-time insight into every backwash 

The ATi FilterSmart combines two sensors in one system: 

• a level sensor that measures the expansion of the filter bed during backwash
• a turbidity sensor that monitors water turbidity in real time

Together, they provide real-time insight into filter bed performance during each backwash cycle. Not only is water turbidity monitored, but also the behaviour and performance of the filter bed itself. In this way, backwash is no longer controlled by time or flow rate, but by real-time process data. 

Reduced water consumption and shorter backwash

With FilterSmart, the backwash stops automatically as soon as turbidity returns to the appropriate level, typically between 5 and 10 NTU. As a result, the filter is brought back into service as soon as the desired water quality is achieved, without rinsing for unnecessarily long. 

This delivers immediate benefits: 

• reduced water loss during backwash 
• lower energy consumption 
• shorter operational shutdown for filters 
• longer filter run times 
• more efficient use of the installation 

Faster detection of performance issues with drinking water filters

Not every filter performs identically. Deviations in the filter bed or problems with filter media are often difficult to detect with conventional checks. 

Thanks to bed expansion measurement during each backwash, FilterSmart makes differences between filters immediately visible. Operators and installation managers thus gain a powerful tool to: 

• compare filter performance 
• detect abnormal behaviour faster 
• identify problems with filter media 
• further optimise the backwash process 

Developed for drinking water installations

FilterSmart was developed for drinking water installations with gravity filters and integrates easily into existing installations. By continuously collecting data during each backwash cycle, a reliable picture of filter performance over the longer term is obtained. The savings it delivers are clearly measurable: less rinse water, shorter backwash times and longer filter run times. 

Would you like to learn how the ATi FilterSmart can be used in your application? Please contact us for technical advice or a no-obligation discussion of your project.