Operator terms · Water
What is flocculation?
Flocculation is the slow, gentle mixing that follows coagulation, letting the destabilized particles collide and stick into larger clumps called floc. The bigger the floc, the more easily it settles out or is filtered. Too much mixing tears the floc apart, so operators keep it gentle.
Last reviewed 2026-08-03
Gentle by design
After coagulation cancels the charge, flocculation gives particles time to bump together. The mixing stays slow so growing floc does not break apart.
Why bigger floc helps
Larger, heavier floc settles faster in sedimentation and is caught more easily by filters, so more of the cloudiness is removed.
Common questions
- How is it different from coagulation?
- Coagulation cancels particle charge; flocculation gently mixes them into larger clumps.
- Why keep the mixing gentle?
- Vigorous mixing tears the floc apart before it can settle.
- What is floc?
- The larger clumps of particles that form during flocculation.