Using a 5 gallon pail, if it took 4 seconds to fill, what is the backwash rate?

To determine the backwash rate using the data provided, first, it's essential to convert the flow measurement from the time it takes to fill the 5-gallon pail into gallons per minute (gpm).

If it takes 4 seconds to fill a 5-gallon bucket, you can calculate the backwash rate as follows:

1. Convert the time from seconds to minutes. Since there are 60 seconds in a minute, 4 seconds is equal to 4/60 minutes, which simplifies to 1/15 minutes.

2. Now, use the flow calculation formula for gallons per minute, which is the total volume in gallons divided by the time in minutes.

So the calculation would be:

5 gallons / (1/15 minutes) = 5 gallons * (15/1) = 75 gpm.

This indicates the backwash rate is 75 gallons per minute. The reasoning behind this calculation is a straightforward application of the flow rate formula, which is vital in water treatment processes, especially for understanding equipment performance such as filters during backwashing operations.

This rate is significant because it helps in determining how effectively the system is operating and ensures that sufficient flow is maintained for proper cleaning of the filtration media.