Short circuiting may occur in a sedimentation basin; the water is not evenly distributed across the width of the basin and floc does not have enough time to settle.
- The water in the sedimentation basin must be evenly distributed across the width of the basin to prevent short-circuiting to ensure that water does not reach the outlet in less than the normal detention time.
- Basic methods of detecting short circuiting in a sedimentation basin can be done by looking for areas of water that do not appear to be circulating or by an uneven buildup of sludge on the bottom of the basin.